Turbo Trainer Advice Please

Quizmate
Quizmate Posts: 97
edited November 2013 in Road beginners
Hello

I'm intending to get out as much as possible this winter, but am also thinking of investing in a Turbo Trainer. My well respected local lightweight specialist bike shop was quite scathing about using training wheels / tyres and said that setting the correct tension on the trainer would avoid destroying the tyres / hubs on the bike. He argued that buying these extras was just an industry gimmick to sell more gear. Admittedly he's trying to save me some money so fair play but can this advice be correct? Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Comments

  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    See how you get on with the turbo before spending more money. You'll not wreck your tyre in one or two sessions.

    Have a big fan pointing at you when using the turbo, you'll be amazed how much you sweat. Personally I hate them. Bought mine for 50 quid on ebay and sold it two months later for 50.
    http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
    Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
    Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!
  • lotus49
    lotus49 Posts: 763
    It really depends on what tyre you have, how often you use the turbo and how well adjusted it is.

    Like unixnerd, I don't really enjoy using the turbo very much and I also bought mine on eBay for £50. Unlike him (I assume a Unix nerd is a him) I have kept mine.

    Some people really take to them and if you do, it would be worth buying a turbo tyre and a second wheel (you don't want to have to change tyre every time you use your turbo) but don't waste your money until you have decided that you are going to use it a lot.
  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    I assume a Unix nerd is a him

    Sadly the female of the species is very rare :-(
    http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
    Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
    Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,195
    The Turbo is the most excruciatingly tedious piece of training equipment you could buy aside a treadmill.

    Buy a set of rollers if you can. F*ck the turbo and no need to change tyres/wheels for it, well I don't and I haven't shredded any rubber yet.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • brettjmcc
    brettjmcc Posts: 1,361
    Multiple schools of thought on this. Some say yes, some say no

    Personally, I do have a turbo wheel, but that is because I swap it between my TT bike and my road bike. I use old road tyres on the wheel (which is just a cheap Decthlon wheel with a Tiagra casette), as no matter what people say, I just personally would like to leave my Grand Prix TT rubber on the tarmac than the kitchen floor (same goes for my road tyres too)

    I have a turbo simply because I find it hard getting out with work and 2 kids; with the darker nights, it's easy to just hop on it when I can. I also have a weekly club session in a hall. I personally find it easy-ish to zone out by putting Music on and tapping away to that.
    BMC GF01
    Quintana Roo Cd01
    Project High End Hack
    Cannondale Synapse SL (gone)
    I like Carbon
  • I agree with your LBS. To me, you're more likely to destroy your tyre on the open roads with all of the thorns/flints/glass about.
    Neil Pryde Bura SL
    Cannondale CAAD8
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    Enough of the turbo naysayers! I think they are great for short high impact training, well controlled recovery rides and fettling.

    If you are planning to use one quite a bit then I would recommend picking up an old wheel (or a stock one if you have one kicking about). Then, you can leave an old tyre on and change wheels for the turbo in a minute. Actually, this time of year I have my nice summer rear wheel setup for turbo use with a really old Conti GP that has really done a load of turbo 'miles'. For heavy use (like when I broke my collarbone last year) turbos will smooth off a tyre with a strange glaze so I would not use the same tyre out on the road, particularly when grip is at a premium. However, the odd session won't destroy a normal tyre.

    No need for turbo specific tyres if you have an old tyre that can be used but turbo specific tyres can reduce noise if that matters to you.

    Oh, sufferfest, learn to love and hate that word!
  • diamonddog
    diamonddog Posts: 3,426
    Bobbinogs wrote:
    Enough of the turbo naysayers! I think they are great for short high impact training, well controlled recovery rides and fettling.

    If you are planning to use one quite a bit then I would recommend picking up an old wheel (or a stock one if you have one kicking about). Then, you can leave an old tyre on and change wheels for the turbo in a minute. Actually, this time of year I have my nice summer rear wheel setup for turbo use with a really old Conti GP that has really done a load of turbo 'miles'. For heavy use (like when I broke my collarbone last year) turbos will smooth off a tyre with a strange glaze so I would not use the same tyre out on the road, particularly when grip is at a premium. However, the odd session won't destroy a normal tyre.

    No need for turbo specific tyres if you have an old tyre that can be used but turbo specific tyres can reduce noise if that matters to you.

    Oh, sufferfest, learn to love and hate that word!

    ^^This
  • BrandonA
    BrandonA Posts: 553
    I'd try the outdoor wheel on the turbo and see how it performs. If you see any shredding then you can simply buy a special turbo tyre.

    I bought a tyre then decided it was a pain keep swapping it with a road one when I wanted to ride outside. For convenience I therefore bought a spare wheel/cassette and but the trainer tyre on it. This meant it is easy to go from indoor to outdoor cycling and vise versa. You can pick up cheap wheels and cassettes so the expensive it not that large.

    Its really a cost vs convenience question. I start out cheap and then invest the cash if it turns out to be required.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I'd imagine theres a huge amount of turbo tyres and trainers not touched after the first week or so.
  • diamonddog
    diamonddog Posts: 3,426
    cougie wrote:
    I'd imagine theres a huge amount of turbo tyres and trainers not touched after the first week or so.

    I agree. On a personal level mine is a permanent turbo bike set up which is used year through and I find it invaluable for keeping fitness levels up through the winter.
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    My LBS says they have a lot of cheap wheels which are surplus after punters have upgraded. They give them away provided that you buy a turbo tyre. Makes more sense than binning them... May be worth enquiring

    I've just realised in the last few minutes that mine has a resistance setting and for the weeks I've been using it, it was set to max... Doh
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,195
    Mikey23 wrote:
    My LBS says they have a lot of cheap wheels which are surplus after punters have upgraded. They give them away provided that you buy a turbo tyre. Makes more sense than binning them... May be worth enquiring

    I've just realised in the last few minutes that mine has a resistance setting and for the weeks I've been using it, it was set to max... Doh

    Thats crap Crikey and you know it. We all know you wouldn't be able to turn the pedals at all if that were the case.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • Moonbiker
    Moonbiker Posts: 1,706
    My LBS says they have a lot of cheap wheels which are surplus after punters have upgraded.

    Wish that was my LBS as all thoose cheap surplus wheels are probably better than my best ones judging by all posts on this forum where people are upgrading to very expensive wheels from already decent wheels. I always asummed the old wheels were being kept in garages as spares not left at bike shops.
  • im just setting up my turbo.