Turbo Trainers (pros and con ?)

[I am Spartacus]

I use Zwift
I use a fluid trainer
I use a power meter
I like the arguments you can have post Zwift
I dont fret about FTP
I reckon I train ok for my age
I rarely get dropped/dnf in real races (but can happen due to mechs etc)
This is due to keeping up fitness in the winter without crashing hard on the tarmac.
Links now to video of unfortunate club mate who got away with it 2 weeks back (he's ok with sharing)

Apart from the daily commute, I havent been out since.

 

[johnnyb47]

Ouch!!! I'm glad he's ok..
Did he hit some black ice on the road.

 

[I am Spartacus]

He was VERY lucky not to break his collar bone. In fact apart from bruising and soreness post crash, he and bike serviceable.
It was black ice to use that term, but this was late morning , not early morning.... when you think it is safe......
I have my first race of the season in 7 weeks time, I did similar 5 years ago and got away with not breaking my hip by the literal skin of my teeth.
I'll leave the winter warriors to it now after being reminded.

 

[johnnyb47]

Good luck on your upcoming race. The weather should hopefully be better than what it is now. It's been snowing quite heavily here today and yesterday so cycling outside is well off the menu at the moment.
There's been a few hardy souls coming past my house today heading for the hills on there mountain bikes ,but I'm sticking to the Turbo trainer until outdoor conditions improve:-) :-)

 

[si_c]

He was VERY lucky not to break his collar bone. In fact apart from bruising and soreness post crash, he and bike serviceable.
It was black ice to use that term, but this was late morning , not early morning.... when you think it is safe......
I have my first race of the season in 7 weeks time, I did similar 5 years ago and got away with not breaking my hip by the literal skin of my teeth.
I'll leave the winter warriors to it now after being reminded.

I did the same last week, twice on the same commute home - sharp left hander and a roundabout - the road surface is very slippery at this time of year, especially in the gutter on country roads. I take it as a given that I will come off once or twice each winter as a result of the road surface. Trainer miles do seem appealing under those circumstances, but I really love getting outside on the bike.

 

[Drago]

To rewind and answer the IP...


Pros -

those that don't like foul weather riding still get to play.

Its an easy and quick way to get some exercise, even at 3am if you can't sleep.

If you have the necessary kit you can 'compete' in the pro bike race of your choice against that Bradley Froome feller.

Cons -

It does little for your control skills.

Your roadcraft and situational awareness aren't practiced.

Some find it boring/unchallenging.




You takes your pick. No right or wrong, it just depends what suits you.

 

[bpsmith]

I had an hour available to me today, after overtime. First Zwift in a good while and used the App on my AppleTV. Absolutely amazing bit of kit, without needing a suitable computer.

I prefer to get outside too, but time along with heavy wind and rain was never going to be enjoyable.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying both.

 

[confusedcyclist]

I'm a few rides into zwift now, just started using BC's trainingpeaks plan for riding a century (closest thing I could get to training for my 2 day coast to coast ride). Nice to have a sort of virtual coaching aspect to guide your workouts, and remind me about cross training (body weight, core exercises etc). I'm still riding the commute, albeit at a careful pace, and somewhat subdued by studded winter tyres and this naff weather of late. Looking forward to spring...

 

[Spoons47]

I took the plunge today and bought the Halfords Bike Hut turbo trainer for £50.
I'm no expert with cycling or turbo trainers and my budget is tight, so I went ahead bought this one. Incidentally it was reduced from £70 so I thought I might as well make use of a bargain.
As a novice to these things it was really easy to set up and seems very well made. With a towel dropped over the cross bar ,the central heating turn off , kitchen door wide open and a large fan blowing in front of me I gave it my best for 40 minutes. I was dreading the horrendous noise after hearing how loud they can be on YouTube clips ,but to my surprise it was really quite. Obviously there's a noise but nowhere near as bad as I was expecting. In fact it was fan that I used to keep me cool was more noisy. As its a basic no frills turbo trainer I fitted a spare cycle computer ( wireless type) to the rear wheel so I can roughly record my progress. The signal from the sender was not strong enough for it to reach the computer on the handle bars so I've simply mounted the spare computer to the turbo trainer. Its easy enough to read when you look down.
Wow you seriously get a good sweat on them too when going for gold. With the tv on in the living room it kept the boredom factor at bay.
Overall I'm really pleased with it and I'm sure I will get my money's worth out of it through the rest of the winter. It's certainly not a substitute for outdoor cycling but whilst the weather is poor I'm sure it be a big help in keeping my 6 chins and 5 bellies in check.
Thanks for all the advice, you good folk have given over the last few days,
Very much appreciated,
Johnny :-) :-)

Hello there, sorry to bother you. I wondered if you are still getting good use out of the bike hut unit? They are still £50 at the moment and I really want to get one. I’ll only be doing about 50-60 miles a week during the really wet and windy weather.
Thanks.
Simon.

 

[johnnyb47]

Hi Simon and hope your well.
If the truth be known I ended up selling the turbo trainer to a work mate. It was good in that it helped in staying fit during the awful winters weather, but I just found it so boring to use on a regular basis. I needed more stimulation in my cycling such as seeing the changing environment around me and the constant changing of road gradients and conditions to keep me occupied. I know it all sounds a bit sad on my behalf ,but turbo training just didn't do it for me buddy. That's not to say it won't suit you though. If you do get one, they will certainly give you a good work out :-).
All the very best matey

 

[Spoons47]

Thanks for that, I just wanted a recommendation because it’s so cheap. You have done that.
Cheers

Simon.

 

[Cuchilo]

I thought similar, but when I put it in the garage and tried the TrainerRoad FTP test I realised it would be a long time before I got bored.

Trying to maintain a power output, or follow interval profiles takes a lot of concentration, not to mention physical effort.

I tried watching movies on the very long 2-5hr rides but I couldn’t concentrate on them. Music or podcasts is what I use to distract me from the effort rather than eleviate boredom.

I put it outdoors if it’s not raining, and wouldn’t bring it indoors. I work really hard, it would be dangerous with kids around, imo.

Oh, and you need a serious fan, not those funky heater fans on cold - I bought a huge one from screwfix. No matter how cold it is.

I don’t get the attraction of Zwift now that I’m training properly.

You do 2 - 5 hours on a turbo ?

 

[johnnyb47]

Thanks for that, I just wanted a recommendation because it’s so cheap. You have done that.
Cheers

Simon.

 

[johnnyb47]

Thanks for that, I just wanted a recommendation because it’s so cheap. You have done that.
Cheers

Simon.

It's definitely worth the money Simon if your going to use it. It was very well made and surprisingly quiet. I couldn't fault it for what it was. The resistance dial worked well but I hardly ever used it. I just set it somewhere on the middle settling and used the gears on the bike to fine tune the resistance.

 

[Alan O]

I've got one that I ride in front of the telly (though not as much as I thought I would). It's very easy to put a road bike on it and off quickly, but I do swap my rear wheel first for one with a dedicated tyre - it does seem to wear the tyre quickly, so I just got a couple of very cheap ones for the purpose. I don't get any problems with oil splashing, but I never have enough oil on the chain to splash.

Seeing as this thread has been restarted, I might as well offer an update on my use of my turbo trainer... or rather my not having used it for months.

Early in the year I used it from time to time, but only for sessions of about 30 minutes to an hour, really to help with my aerobic fitness - It's too boring to use for any longer than that.

But during the sunny summer I've upped my cycling considerably, and my aerobic fitness has improved a lot - so much so that half to an hour really does nothing for me any more. Swapping rear wheels, pedaling for a session in front of the telly, swapping wheels back, and having a shower - just not worth it for zero benefit.

I'm probably going to stick it on eBay, and I'll make a big effort to put in all the exercise I can over the winter with real cycling - and when the weather is too bad for too long, I'll do weights and core strength training at the gym.