Can a turbo trainer damage an expensive carbon frame?

nicensleazy
nicensleazy Posts: 2,310
edited February 2009 in The bottom bracket
A friend of mine wanted to know if he started using his carbon frame on a turbo trainer, could it damage the frame in any way?

Comments

  • sicrow
    sicrow Posts: 791
    I heard lots who say yes and no, personally i'm not sure and thats reason enough why i don't put mine on a trainer, I use my winter alu hack on it only
  • Hahaha, I've lost count how many times I've heard the argument 'For' and 'Against' this exact question.

    Like Si above, I wouldn't. Being held solid at the rear dropout, with all the twisting force applied to the frame, whereas normally you'd just tilt the bike over... Not for my bike 8)

    But then it should be strong enough, blah blah blah, whatever. If he's got an older / cheaper / stronger (steel or alloy) bike, then use that instead. I use my steel singlespeed MTB with 26" roadie tires on. Prob safe to say it's strong enough :D You have variable resistance on most turbo trainers, so it's not a problem for me having only one gear.
    Boo-yah mofo
    Sick to the power of rad
    Fix it 'till it's broke
  • Hahaha, I've lost count how many times I've heard the argument 'For' and 'Against' this exact question.

    Like Si above, I wouldn't. Being held solid at the rear dropout, with all the twisting force applied to the frame, whereas normally you'd just tilt the bike over... Not for my bike 8)

    But then it should be strong enough, blah blah blah, whatever. If he's got an older / cheaper / stronger (steel or alloy) bike, then use that instead. I use my steel singlespeed MTB with 26" roadie tires on. Prob safe to say it's strong enough :D You have variable resistance on most turbo trainers, so it's not a problem for me having only one gear.
    Boo-yah mofo
    Sick to the power of rad
    Fix it 'till it's broke
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    I'm of the opinion that having it on a trainer is no more "rough" on a frame than road riding.
    Perhaps even less so. I have used "junk" frames on trainers and never had any of them fail. So I don't see why a top line carbon would be damaged by doing this or even how it would be damaged(i.e. bending or breaking). The problem with trainers is that you tend to drip sweat all over the bike and anything metal will be in harms way. Old bike and old
    components is the way to go unless you're really good at lubing and cleaning. I run my oldest bikes on my trainer until they die. By then I've got a new bike and "the oldest gets demoted to trainer duty".

    Dennis Noward
  • If you're really extravagant, you could get a special turbo bike built in which the front fork and wheel are replaced by a triangular stand for extra stability - Dave Yates has built them to order in the past.
    I use my Look carbon bike on the home trainer, but I'm using old-school rollers so am on pretty safe ground.

    David
    "It is not enough merely to win; others must lose." - Gore Vidal
  • no david, you're on rollers, pretty much the definition of unsafe ground 8)
  • And I asked in my LBS when I bought my trainer and they said it will be fine.

    Then again I have got a lifetime warranty on the frame 8)
    "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"

    PTP Runner Up 2015
  • I have used mine for a few years and not had any issues.

    Watch any pro time trial warmup and they'll have their TT rigs on turbo's with a different back wheel.
  • genki
    genki Posts: 305
    I've done 5000+ miles on an old Trek carbon frame on my turbo. No damage that I can see. A tea-towel wrapped around the top-tube and head set catches the sweat. Only the bolts under the elbow pads on my tri-bars have gone rusty.