Newbie turbo trainer question

[Holty]

Hi all, firstly, New to the forum, so hello...

I am a newbie in the world of cycling and have just got myself a road bike, a Scott S30. With the dark mornings and evenings, realistically at the moment I won't be able to get out and about. However, I'm looking to build some fitness and stamina over the dark months and was wondering if anyon could advise on a decent turbo trainer, that would be good for someone just coming into the sport.

Also, I had read that these can eat the back tire, so would it be a good idea to pick up a cheap complete back wheel which I can just replace whole on the trainer?

Look forward to your feedback
Matt

[Vorpal]

Hi Matt,

Welcome to the forum. There are often lightly used turbos available on resale sites, because people buy them & don't use them. Also, some cycling clubs have turbos, so members can train with others &/or give a try before they buy one. I recommend one of these routes before splashing out on a new one.

As for recommendations, it somewhat depends on what you want out of a turbo & where you will be using it. Some are fairly noisy, but if you are training in a garage & use ear buds to listen to music, you probably have less stringent criteria than if you need to train in the lounge & be able to hear if the baby wakes up.

Similarly, if you just want to pedal inside, you can spend a lot less than if you want a smart trainer.


As for the tyre, it somewhat depends on the turbo & set-up, but yes, they can eat tyres. You can buy tyres made for turbo trainers that last somewhat longer. I use an old wheel with a turbo tyre on it to make the set-up easier.

[cyclop]

I,ve a basic trainer which you can have for a donation to pancreatic cancer.I,ve had some hard sessions on it,it does the job.Pick up only,(dumfriesshire) or rheged(Penrith).

[drossall]

You might start somewhere like this. It lists the expensive ones first, so read all the way down!

[joeegg]

Decide first what type of trainer you want. Basic or all singing and dancing one that hooks up to the internet.
I use a basic fluid one set up in the garage. Seems quieter than the air one i had previously.Yes they do smooth off the centre of the tyre so i use old or cheap tyres.
It can be boring. When i used one indoors i set a tv/dvd up in front of it and played some rides filmed in the Rockies of Colarado. The guy on the bike prompted you to increase or decrease intensity.Passed an hour pretty well.

[Jupestar]

I always used basic Rollers, track style ones. But not much. Then I had a child. Which limited my actual bike riding.

I brought basic wheel on turbo. It was ok, but quickly became a faff as I was switch wheels - easier than switching tyres - as you do need a turbo tyre.

Then a smart wheel-on so I could play on Zwift. Regretted that, as was miles off my friends who I knew I could keep up with and was still a huge set up faff. Sold it.

Brought a Smart Rollers. Nightmare. Complete faff to set up and pack away. Heavy, didn’t feel they were accurate. Burnt through tires. And didn’t really fold down for storage. Sold.

Did some research and brought a direct drive smart turbo which folds down suitably for my space. Bike stays on to minimise faff. This is really good, love being on Zwift or setting up some route in the Italian mountains before the summer season. I use that for anything I want numbers for.

Otherwise I still use basic rollers in the garden, with an old track bike. They are light, old and cheap, don’t have to worry about them getting ruined. Easy to set up grab the bike and go. And although I’m in the garden it feels realish….

[rfryer]

I've used a Taxz Flow wheel-on trainer, traditional rollers, and an Elite Direto direct drive trainer.

I strongly prefer the latter; it doesn't wear out your tyres, it's the quietest, you can use it with software apps, and you don't have issues with slipping tyres and calibration being affected by tyre pressure.

I also strongly recommend Zwift as a way of keeping it interesting - I've tried various options and Zwift is the one that provides me with most motivation.

[Jupestar]

I have and elite suito, it suits me cause it folds flat, the bike stays on and the drops hook over the radiator. For space saving. It goes between my bed and the radiator. I
Don’t have a lot of space.

Just a note on them. I find getting the bike on and off a hassle. your moving the bike to the wheel, rather than the wheel to the bike, It not easy. Plus the cassettes are never quite the same position so RD always need a tweak… then you have the issue of chain wear across 2 cassettes.

So much so, I brought a second frame off eBay. It’s the same as my road bike, and lives on the turbo, luckily it a cheapo steel frame, could be a different matter if you have an expensive road bike.