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Turbo Trainers

samthomas224samthomas224 Posts: 42
edited February 2009 in Road beginners
Hi,

Thinking of getting this one.

http://www.cyclesportsuk.co.uk/product_ ... ts_id=2970

Would like to hear a few people opinions on them, they seem to have very positive reviews.

Also, Is it worth having a cheaper bike for it.

At the moment I have a 09 Carbon Scott bike and I have heard that trainers can put alot of stress on carbon frames.

If so what sort of bike do you recommend.

Posts

  • unclemalcunclemalc Posts: 563
    As a means of keeping some sort of shape when you can't get out on the bike, they are invaluable BUT:
    i) they are INCREDIBLY boring to ride (minutes seem like hours)
    ii) there is no air movement across you (if you're inside the house/shed/whatever) so you'll sweat like an eejit and drip all over the place (take a towel)
    iii) it'll probably be noisy, especially on floorboards (mine sounds like a big electric generator (which I suppose it could be if I wired it up... :D )
    and so on.
    Others will add pros and cons as they see them.

    I am pleased with mine but I had to discipline myself to actually use the thing, and use it for long enough, and then for long enough at a high enough resistance :shock: .

    As to the bike - for me it was bought at about the same time I bought a new winter bike, so the old one got stripped down and stuck on the trainer. I bought a 'trainer tyre' but in retrospect, as the bike was never going back out, it was unnecessary.
    Spring!
    Singlespeeds in town rule.
  • gkerr4gkerr4 Posts: 3,408
    agree as above

    I have the fluid2 from cyclops - looks a bit like the one you are looking at - it is very quite and smooth in operation but agree - it is boring as censored !

    I even have a projector hooked up in the garage and I have training DVDs on my MacBook which I can take to the garage and use the projector with in life-size on the wall on front of the turbo trainer - it doesn't get a whole lot better than that and it is still a lesson in discipline to try and make an hour session out of it.

    and you do drip sweat everywhere which is not nice and corrodes everything it drips onto!

    wait until November would be my opinion - you are unlikely to use it a whole lot between now and then as the weather (hopefully) improves - you might get lucky and pay less too if the currency rates change. For reference I bought the fluid2 in november 2007 and paid just £106 for it from wiggle - the fluid 2 is the top of the range model - higher than the magnetic one you are looking at £130 for - so these things have shot up
  • samthomas224samthomas224 Posts: 42
    Well I am at college most days till quite late and work Saturdays, so don't really get many miles in.

    So I was thinking if I got this I could do from 5.30 - 7 am every morning. Which would really help fitness.

    Would everyone advise getting a cheap bike for it?
  • samthomas224samthomas224 Posts: 42
    Fair point that.
  • pbracingpbracing Posts: 231
    If you're thinking of using it early in the morning, the noise is something you might have to think about depending on your situation. If there are other members of the household it might not take long for them to get fed up with it.

    +1 for leaving it till next winter and go for early morning rides now it's a bit warmer. Even if it rains you won't get as wet as you do on a turbo :)
    Why not? My bikes.
    Summer & dry days
    http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp47 ... /Trek1.jpg

    Wet winter days & going the shops runaround
    http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp47 ... rello1.jpg
  • dennisndennisn Posts: 10,492
    gkerr4 wrote:
    agree as above

    I have the fluid2 from cyclops - looks a bit like the one you are looking at - it is very quite and smooth in operation but agree - it is boring as censored !

    I even have a projector hooked up in the garage and I have training DVDs on my MacBook which I can take to the garage and use the projector with in life-size on the wall on front of the turbo trainer - it doesn't get a whole lot better than that and it is still a lesson in discipline to try and make an hour session out of it.

    and you do drip sweat everywhere which is not nice and corrodes everything it drips onto!

    wait until November would be my opinion - you are unlikely to use it a whole lot between now and then as the weather (hopefully) improves - you might get lucky and pay less too if the currency rates change. For reference I bought the fluid2 in november 2007 and paid just £106 for it from wiggle - the fluid 2 is the top of the range model - higher than the magnetic one you are looking at £130 for - so these things have shot up

    I'm with "gkerr4". I have the same one he does. Nice piece of equipment. Boring as....

    Dennis Noward
  • doyler78doyler78 Posts: 1,951
    I bought a Kurt Kinetic Road Pro and it really is a great trainer. Feels very realistic, not too noisy and very smooth in operation.

    As for all the sweat comments. Get a decent fan (industrial). It will cost but will make the whole experience so much better.

    If there's a puddle of sweat on the floor its not your effort that is top notch its your useless fan that's failing you :wink:
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