Is there a big difference with noise from different tyres on Turbo trainers ?

[BADGER.BRAD]

Hello all,

I recently brought a cheap turbo trainer from eBay ( £23 ) . Unfortunately I don't get as much time on the bike as I would like so came up with the turbo trainer idea so that I could have 15/20 mins in the morning before work and then a longer session later when I can fit it in so that when I do get on the bike in the real world I can enjoy it a little more with improved fitness. As I'm up at 4am I find it far too noisy to use ( I'm using an MTB with off road tyres) My question is am I likely to see a dramatic reduction in noise if I swap to a slick/narrow rear tyre ? As I don't have a lot of room I would most likely get another wheel and tyre for use on the trainer.

Many thanks all

 

[ColinJ]

Slicks would definitely be quieter than knobblies. But... is it the tyres that are the main source of noise? I had a very cheap turbo trainer years ago which basically used a fan assembly to provide the resistance. That was very noisy when I was making a good effort. I eventually replaced that with a turbo trainer that used a magnetic resistance unit and that is much quieter.

 

[BADGER.BRAD]

This one is Magnetic and I have to say for £23 I'm absolutely amazed at the quality. That said if I enjoy using it over a length of time I will most likely upgrade It

 

[Sharky]

This time of year, it must be almost daylight at 4am? Just get out on the road for 30mins. See the sun rise before all the cars appear.

There was a time when I did that and still catch the 6:15am into Victoria.

 

[fossyant]

Knobblies on a turbo, crikey. I'm surprised everything hasn't fell to bits with vibration. Get a slick tyre, and as slick as possible. Even slight tread will make noise and vibration.

 

[ExBrit]

Hello all,

I recently brought a cheap turbo trainer from eBay ( £23 ) . Unfortunately I don't get as much time on the bike as I would like so came up with the turbo trainer idea so that I could have 15/20 mins in the morning before work and then a longer session later when I can fit it in so that when I do get on the bike in the real world I can enjoy it a little more with improved fitness. As I'm up at 4am I find it far too noisy to use ( I'm using an MTB with off road tyres) My question is am I likely to see a dramatic reduction in noise if I swap to a slick/narrow rear tyre ? As I don't have a lot of room I would most likely get another wheel and tyre for use on the trainer.

Many thanks all

I had the same problem (I couldn't hear the telly) so I replaced the rear tire with one of these.
Amazon product ASIN B009BBWEJYView: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009BBWEJY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


They are quieter and last longer but you can't ride them on the road because the sidewall is very thin. I have a bike permanently on the trainer so this is no problem for me. They make them for mountain bikes too.

 

[Sunny Portrush]

I always use old road tyres on my turbo (it's a cheap mag one too) and they are so slick that I have punctured them whilst on the turbo - at least three times!

And using mtb tyres on a turbo, I fear for your under-carriage lol

 

[cyberknight]

This time of year, it must be almost daylight at 4am? Just get out on the road for 30mins. See the sun rise before all the cars appear.

There was a time when I did that and still catch the 6:15am into Victoria.

sunrise is about 4.50 am atm, i need "see me" lights and its a bit dreary this week when im on the road about 4.15 am .full arm and leg warmer plus gilet as it can be single figures .Still nice enough if you can motivate yourself out the door and luckily ? im on the way to work so no choice

 

[Windle]

I always used to use old road tyres until recently when I acquired a proper turbo tyre ~ they're a revelation and I wish I'd got one sooner. If they're available for MTBs then a spare wheel and proper tyre would seem to be the way to go. Although, to be fair, if you do enough miles with the set up you have now your rear tyre won't be nobbly for much longer .

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Just listening to a nobly tyre on the road you’ll know how noisy they are

 

[Mattk50]

I just bought a trainer tyre and was surprised at how quieter it was compared to just an old usual black slick tyre

 

[pawl]

The National Geological Society are trying to find the reason for the violent earth tremors on the Lancs Yorkshire border The machine that registers tremors is off the scale.🌋🌋🌋

 

[BADGER.BRAD]

This time of year, it must be almost daylight at 4am? Just get out on the road for 30mins

Unfortunately it is quite dark at that time (especially this week) and as I live well out in the sticks I would need some serious lighting plus have to get up earlier than I already do. Doing a 10 minutes whilst I wait for my two cups of tea to cool is a lot easier and fits in with my day better. Before I had a serious accident and when I lived else where I had commuted by bicycle for 20 years or so and have to admit to having lost my nerve for road cycling some what so try to keep off road as much as possible. If I could your suggestion would of course make much more sense !

 

[rivers]

As above, a turbo tyre will be quieter. Also, of you don't have a mat underneath, that will lower the turbo noise a few decibels as well

 

[MidnightRider]

A trainer tyre is very smooth and grips well on the trainer roller and is way quieter than a textured tyre. It also causes less damage to any bearings inside the trainer unit itself.

However, its very hard to get a quiet system. I started with a fluid trainer, then got a magnetic trainer as well. Both very good, but still both noisey, I dread to think what fan resistance trainers are like.

Even with the trainer tyre I could not hear the TV and considered getting noise cancelling headphones in case they worked, but then I had my injury, so could not use the trainers anyway, so never tested out the headphones. The biggest problem is boredom when indoors.

Be aware of vibrations that carry through the house/building which you may not be aware of but which may wake up everyone else in rooms physically connected to your training area esp if you are in a terrace.

Swapping rear wheels in and out is useful as you can put on a cheap cassette and it reduces bearing/hub wear, but its very messy to swop wheels in and out as the chain etc still has to be lubricated. If you can manage, its way better to have a dedicated bike attached to the trainer instead, preferably one that can cope well with stress as the bike cannot move in the trainer clamp, so any movement you pass to it by default twists the frame, which clearly does not happen when the bike can sway if needed, out on the road.