Turbo Trainer Newbie

[chappers1983]

Evening all,

Having got myself to a point where I'm happy with my cycling fitness and strength, the wife announces we are expecting a baby. Naturally we're over the moon, but in the back of my mind is the nagging fear that my beloved cycling hobby could take a turn for the worst.

So in mitigation, I've decided to invest in a turbo so I can still get the legs turning without going out for miles and hours, and hopefully minimise the losses to my strength and fitness. However, I need to seek the advice of the cycling community.

I'm not looking for anything particularly fancy, so was looking at getting either the Tacx Blue Matic or Elite Crono ElastoGel Trainer. Anyone recommend either, or anything else in the £100-£200 bracket?

Is a turbo tyre a wise investment?

And finally, can anyone point me in the direction of a good source of workout routines or ideas I can use? Or alternatively, anything that particularly works well for any of you on here (bearing in mind I don't particularly want to get stronger or faster, just to maintain some level of fitness)

Thanks in advance

 

[JtB]

I've had a CycleOps fluid trainer for 2 years and I'm very happy with it. I went for "fluid" because they are supposedly the quietest and the smoothest.

In addition to the turbo trainer you will need a riser block for the front wheel and a mat. You don't want to use your normal road tyre with the turbo trainer because it will wear very quickly, also you could damage the turbo trainer roller if the tyre contains grit. I don't use a special Turbo Trainer tyre though, I just use an old spare road tyre.

In terms of training videos, I mostly use the following one:

However, turbo trainers are very boring and once the novelty wears off you will need a huge amount of commitment to keep it going.

 

[Sharky]

Turbos can be useful when weather bad, not not sure if compatible with sleeping babies. A good set of lights and an escape into the quiet of the night for 30 mins might be better.
Congrats on the baby.

 

[Bollo]

Unlike most I'm a big indoor trainer fan. Given the choice between an hour in the wet and cold outside and an hour on the turbo in the pain cave, the answer is (b).

I use a smart trainer, do all the fancy power stuff and follow an established training plan over the winter, but I'm guessing your turbo riding will be less structured. Even so, setting some goals is good for motivation, even if you're not trying obsessing about performance gains.

Many people find training videos help and add a bit of structure. Sufferfest are the best by most people's reckoning and can be used just based on perceived exertion.

Even if you don't bother with videos, having a screen to watch the telly or a film helps pass the time.

If you want to get fancier and already have an ANT+ or Bluetooth speed sensors, then you can also use a number of apps (available on most platforms - PC, Mac, Android, OSX) to follow training plans, record activities and, in some cases, make some estimates of power. They range from very performance-focused (TrainerRoad) to game-like (Bkool, Zwift). Most charge some form of subscription.

 

[adamangler]

Whatever you go for make sure it's compatible with bkool zwift etc otherwise it will become an expensive bike stand very quickly. Theres little in this world more boring than sat on a turbo trainer staring at a wall

 

[LocalLad]

Whatever you go for make sure it's compatible with bkool zwift etc otherwise it will become an expensive bike stand very quickly. Theres little in this world more boring than sat on a turbo trainer staring at a wall

Or stick it in front of a TV with Netflix

 

[LocalLad]

Don't think anyone has said it yet, but make sure you get a fan...it's amazing how hot you get

 

[cyberknight]

I've had a CycleOps fluid trainer for 2 years and I'm very happy with it. I went for "fluid" because they are supposedly the quietest and the smoothest.

In addition to the turbo trainer you will need a riser block for the front wheel and a mat. You don't want to use your normal road tyre with the turbo trainer because it will wear very quickly, also you could damage the turbo trainer roller if the tyre contains grit. I don't use a special Turbo Trainer tyre though, I just use an old spare road tyre.

In terms of training videos, I mostly use the following one:

However, turbo trainers are very boring and once the novelty wears off you will need a huge amount of commitment to keep it going.

Thats my goto video of choice

 

[adamangler]

Or stick it in front of a TV with Netflix

Didn't work for me. Bkool has made the turbo enjoyable

 

[Winnershsaint]

Cyclops Fluid 2, and ZWIFT sub should see you through the worst of it.

 

[Ian A]

If you're in the house not garage then the quieter the better. I used the sufferfest app one winter which is great. The music they use isn't so good but that's a minor point. Now I just watch episodes of TV programs with headphones in and follow a structured session.

 

[dickyknees]

I bought one of these to use with a variety apps to make turbo training more interesting. 10% off with BC discount.

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/turbo-trainers/trainers/tacx-flow-t2240-smart-turbo-trainer

 

[adamangler]

Get something compatible with bkool or zwift or prepare to be bored to death.