I've just got a cheap turbo trainer and I thought I'd offer a few initial thoughts in case it might help others thinking about getting one. But first a bit of background...
I'm only recently back to cycling at the age of 58 after a break of about 20 years. I also had a heart attack and quadruple bypass 10 years ago, from which I recovered remarkably quickly (and will be forever thankful for the treatment and rehab care I received from Liverpool's Broad Green hospital and staff). Since that illness, I've been focused on cardiac fitness - I walk at least 10,000 steps a day, push my old Mum around in her wheelchair for rides of around 5 to 8 miles every weekend (weather permitting), and I exercise at home too.
I bought a fairly cheap elliptical trainer and exercise bike shortly after my rehab. I love the elliptical trainer and have almost worn it out (when I use it now it creaks and groans more than I do), but I never liked the exercise bike - I guess it's fine as an exercise machine, but I tend to judge it as a bicycle and the geometry is all wrong.
Anyway, back to cycling, and I've signed up for the Liverpool-Chester-Liverpool 100 mile ride next July as a target. In the (distant) past my preparation for a 100 mile ride was usually just a few 25-50 mile rides, ease up on the pub visits the week before, and then just get up and go - but I can't do it like that now, and I need some training through the winter.
So, I got a Tacx Blue Matic (£87, Halfords), and so far I've done two sessions of 30 and 60 minutes - and I'm liking it. For one thing, the geometry is right, because it's my bike on it!
It really is good being able to pedal away for an hour while watching telly in the warm and listening to the hailstorm in the background outside (though when other family members are watching Emmerdale or Corrie, it might be more of an incentive to turn it round and aim for the hail).
It's also nice having my fitbit and iPad in sync and watching my heart rate - it meant I could amble along at a pace of around 115-120 bpm, interspersed with short bursts to around 135-150.
It struck me that an hour on the trainer is worth more than an hour on the road, because there's no coasting and it's continuous effort. I also found it harder on my bum, as there's nothing remotely like the uphill resistance that puts the pressure onto the pedals (I'm breaking in a new Brooks Swallow, so it all helps).
The trainer is clearly very hard on tyres. I have a pair of relatively cheap Continental Ultra Sport slick tyres on the bike, and I like them on the road - there's no puncture protection to speak of and the walls are thin, but pumped up hard they feel great (and as an aside, even these cheap slicks are way better than the junk I used to ride on in the past, and tyres is an area where I'm really pleased to see progress). But they seem to have a soft compound, and I've managed to melt the surface and roll off little beads of rubber (hey, just like F1 drivers - I'm a mean cyclist!). I've since found some cheap tyres on offer at £6 each, so I've ordered some of those for use with the trainer.
Anyway, much rambling later, I'd encourage anyone who's pondering the purchase of a turbo trainer to go for it. I think my Tacx one is very good value (other makes are, of course, available, and I'm sure they're similarly good), and mine is going to get a lot of use. And it's really not a big investment to risk.
Meanwhile, 100 miles? Bring it on!
Alan
I'm only recently back to cycling at the age of 58 after a break of about 20 years. I also had a heart attack and quadruple bypass 10 years ago, from which I recovered remarkably quickly (and will be forever thankful for the treatment and rehab care I received from Liverpool's Broad Green hospital and staff). Since that illness, I've been focused on cardiac fitness - I walk at least 10,000 steps a day, push my old Mum around in her wheelchair for rides of around 5 to 8 miles every weekend (weather permitting), and I exercise at home too.
I bought a fairly cheap elliptical trainer and exercise bike shortly after my rehab. I love the elliptical trainer and have almost worn it out (when I use it now it creaks and groans more than I do), but I never liked the exercise bike - I guess it's fine as an exercise machine, but I tend to judge it as a bicycle and the geometry is all wrong.
Anyway, back to cycling, and I've signed up for the Liverpool-Chester-Liverpool 100 mile ride next July as a target. In the (distant) past my preparation for a 100 mile ride was usually just a few 25-50 mile rides, ease up on the pub visits the week before, and then just get up and go - but I can't do it like that now, and I need some training through the winter.
So, I got a Tacx Blue Matic (£87, Halfords), and so far I've done two sessions of 30 and 60 minutes - and I'm liking it. For one thing, the geometry is right, because it's my bike on it!
It really is good being able to pedal away for an hour while watching telly in the warm and listening to the hailstorm in the background outside (though when other family members are watching Emmerdale or Corrie, it might be more of an incentive to turn it round and aim for the hail).
It's also nice having my fitbit and iPad in sync and watching my heart rate - it meant I could amble along at a pace of around 115-120 bpm, interspersed with short bursts to around 135-150.
It struck me that an hour on the trainer is worth more than an hour on the road, because there's no coasting and it's continuous effort. I also found it harder on my bum, as there's nothing remotely like the uphill resistance that puts the pressure onto the pedals (I'm breaking in a new Brooks Swallow, so it all helps).
The trainer is clearly very hard on tyres. I have a pair of relatively cheap Continental Ultra Sport slick tyres on the bike, and I like them on the road - there's no puncture protection to speak of and the walls are thin, but pumped up hard they feel great (and as an aside, even these cheap slicks are way better than the junk I used to ride on in the past, and tyres is an area where I'm really pleased to see progress). But they seem to have a soft compound, and I've managed to melt the surface and roll off little beads of rubber (hey, just like F1 drivers - I'm a mean cyclist!). I've since found some cheap tyres on offer at £6 each, so I've ordered some of those for use with the trainer.
Anyway, much rambling later, I'd encourage anyone who's pondering the purchase of a turbo trainer to go for it. I think my Tacx one is very good value (other makes are, of course, available, and I'm sure they're similarly good), and mine is going to get a lot of use. And it's really not a big investment to risk.
Meanwhile, 100 miles? Bring it on!
Alan
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. I guess it's each to their own, but there's so much missing from the riding experience, riding on a turbo, I really can't be bothered with it ( except for the above examples ).
