Separate bike for trainer

[johnniecakes]

With the coming cold weather it is time to tune up the bike I use only on the trainer. The thought of dripping sweat and cranking hard on a bike that costs more than my first 3 cars combined lead me to put together a bike for the trainer. No brakes, down tube shifters and a $199 frame/fork from ebay suits me fine. Does anybody else do this or do you use your carbon Giantrekingdale?

[sw3759]

absolutely.found this as best use for old cannondales..my old 1990 3.0 w/7spd dt shifters is bulletproof,upgraded it with a trainer tire a few years ago was a good investment as well.no more flats and slippage

[djg21]

With the coming cold weather it is time to tune up the bike I use only on the trainer. The thought of dripping sweat and cranking hard on a bike that costs more than my first 3 cars combined lead me to put together a bike for the trainer. No brakes, down tube shifters and a $199 frame/fork from ebay suits me fine. Does anybody else do this or do you use your carbon Giantrekingdale?

I use an old bike on my Computrainer full time. I use the Computrainer year round and don't want to bother setting my bike up on it every time I use it. I leave the thing powered up so I can pump up the rear tire to the same amount each time and begin riding without worrying too much about the press-on force changing and having to recalibrate.

[shovelhd]

I train on my race bike because I am training to race.

[thwart]

Rollers.

Rotate around a bit, but the Parlee gets most of the hours. Carbon frames don't rust… ;)

Gotta remember the wheelbase differences between the bikes though… or find that any breaks for no-hands riding gets pretty tough.

[berserk87]

I've known plenty of guys that have used an old beater on the trainer. It saves wear on your frame and saves the time of setup and removal when you ride outdoors and then have to stay inside. Many of the dudes I know have downtube shifters, and some didn't even have brakes mounted. Don't really get added benefit from STI (and none from brakes) on the trainer.

It can be helpful for these reasons. You should be able to set up the trainer bike like your road bike, or pretty close.

If the setup is close to your outdoor road bike, your body won't know the difference between what bike is on that trainer - be it race rig or whatnot.

[Jgrooms]

Yes. Beater bike w similar geo & contact points is way to go. Always ready in dedicated spot.

[schwa86]

Thanks to DRZRM who gave me an extra wheel with a blown rim (that works just fine on a trainer) -- put a trainer tire on it -- that way when I want to ride it outdoors, it's a quick switch...

[azrider]

Wait, I thought that's why they invented TT bikes....no ?

[1centaur]

Separate bike, CAAD 9, which I picked because I found that it's very important to have as stiff a bike as possible on the trainer - frame flex is amplified by the clamped rear hub and it's nothing but a negative when climbing Computrainer mountains. I found this out when I pulled an old Lemond Zurich off the trainer and put on a Klein for a couple of days.

[Louis]

I have some rollers but can't stand them, so last year I bought a used Lemond Revmaster. Haven't yet had a chance to put a lot of time on it, but this winter...

http://www.profitnessmd.com/prodimages/revmaster.jpg

[93legendti]

When you explain your rationale for another bike to your wife, hope she doesn't know this exists;):D

http://www.amazon.com/Kinetic-Kurt-Sweat-Guard-Black/dp/B008JI2G20

[regularguy412]

absolutely.found this as best use for old cannondales..my old 1990 3.0 w/7spd dt shifters is bulletproof,upgraded it with a trainer tire a few years ago was a good investment as well.no more flats and slippage

Same here, except it's an even older Cannondale -- Criterium Series (1988). The 7 speed indexed shifters blew up years ago, so i put on some six speed dt shifters and run them in friction. After all the years of sweat, it looks like the backside of hard times. But it saves the other bikes.

Mike in AR:beer:

[COYO1]

Yes I have a beater with similiar geo and older 9 speed Campy set up without brakes. It is the best move since I ride my road bike year round so sometimes I have fenders or cross tires etc. etc. I think that I was able to get this bike all set up for approx $450. Do it, you won't regret it.

[thirdgenbird]

Wait, I thought that's why they invented TT bikes....no ?

That's how I was raised. My dad had a cheap parts bin tt build that spent most of its life in a trainer or on rollers. I nearly did it a few years ago.

[justinrchan]

I have 5 road bikes of which i keep 1 on the trainer year round. It's not a beater by any stretch as i find it hard to justify having a beater bike.

[unterhausen]

I have a nice old centurion on my rollers. If a frame is somewhere in the range where you can get the contact points in the right place, I see absolutely no rationale that would keep you from using it on a trainer. Not like handling and weight distribution is a significant factor. I think the main expenses on the bike I use on the trainer are the handlebar tape and the frame, which cost me $30. So I have less than $100 into the whole bike. Ok, so you have to ignore the initail expense of the other parts, but I don't think any of them owe me anything, they are well-worn

[wallymann]

I train on my race bike because I am training to race.

funny.

With the coming cold weather it is time to tune up the bike I use only on the trainer. The thought of dripping sweat and cranking hard on a bike that costs more than my first 3 cars combined lead me to put together a bike for the trainer. No brakes, down tube shifters and a $199 frame/fork from ebay suits me fine. Does anybody else do this or do you use your carbon Giantrekingdale?

yep. 25 year old bottecchia. bare bones build as you suggest -- not even bar-tape! i go the step of wrapping the frame-tubes in saran-wrap to protect from sweat since it never leaves the trainer.

[David Tollefson]

I have an old Scott Waimea that I have set up as a roadie that mostly resides on the trainer (I take it out when I do a tri with my wife, so that we both have the same size tires and I carry the spare). Got the frame for $50 and built it from the parts bin.

[k-mac]

Wait, I thought that's why they invented TT bikes....no ?

I like the setup here using an elevated QR mount to be able to forgo the use of a front wheel completely! Takes up much less floor space too. Hard to tell exactly from the photo, but is that just 3 2x4s sandwiched together?

[cfox]

I train on my race bike because I am training to race.

On the road, yes of course. On the trainer? No way. I'm depending on that bike to help me win, and I can't win if the frame cracks. Trainers are tough on frames. It might be a remote risk, but if I'm putting the time and effort to train, I want to remove any easily removable risks. Can't you mimic your setup closely enough on a cheap ebay frame? Just put your power meter on it for the winter.

[shovelhd]

On the road, yes of course. On the trainer? No way. I'm depending on that bike to help me win, and I can't win if the frame cracks. Trainers are tough on frames. It might be a remote risk, but if I'm putting the time and effort to train, I want to remove any easily removable risks. Can't you mimic your setup closely enough on a cheap ebay frame? Just put your power meter on it for the winter.

The question is, why? I'm not going to break my frame on the trainer. We get enough decent riding days in the offseason that it's a simple wheel swap to go from trainer to road. I get the race bike a heck of a lot messier riding it in the winter slop than sweating on the trainer. I do have another bike with fenders if needed.

[azrider]

I like the setup here using an elevated QR mount to be able to forgo the use of a front wheel completely! Takes up much less floor space too. Hard to tell exactly from the photo, but is that just 3 2x4s sandwiched together?

(2) 3X5 with metal spikes nailed to keep them together.

[oldpotatoe]

With the coming cold weather it is time to tune up the bike I use only on the trainer. The thought of dripping sweat and cranking hard on a bike that costs more than my first 3 cars combined lead me to put together a bike for the trainer. No brakes, down tube shifters and a $199 frame/fork from ebay suits me fine. Does anybody else do this or do you use your carbon Giantrekingdale?

Get a cheapie track bike, rollers...better/faster workout, helps you ride outside, very inexpensive and you can get your sister's black jeans and too small plaid shirt on and go outside with all the other cool hipsters.

But for a great, fast, have to concentrate, type indoor workout..hard to beat rollers with a fixie...

[Jgrooms]

The question is, why? I'm not going to break my frame on the trainer. We get enough decent riding days in the offseason that it's a simple wheel swap to go from trainer to road. I get the race bike a heck of a lot messier riding it in the winter slop than sweating on the trainer. I do have another bike with fenders if needed.


Computrainer. Takes time to hook up sensors, route cables to head unit, etc.
more robust training options that a basic mag unit.

And beg to disagree, but I don't want to be hammering the rear stays on a good frame during a 3 min power test. That is a power transfer through the dropouts that it wasn't designed for imo.

[aramis]

And beg to disagree, but I don't want to be hammering the rear stays on a good frame during a 3 min power test. That is a power transfer through the dropouts that it wasn't designed for imo.

Watching how much a bike can move on the trainer during hard intervals makes me never want to use a carbon bike on the trainer. Yes you can keep it to a minimum with a smooth pedal stroke, but try doing a max effort and watch that BB move sometime!! Bikes aren't designed to be clamped by the stays, and I feel like metal would be more forgiving from that kind of stress.

I use a fairly recent but beat up 2010 raleigh aluminum bike. I bought it on craigslist for $350, of course over the last year I ended up replacing the wheels, crankset, shifters, bars and seat. :( If the frame cracked in half I wouldn't be sad at all.

[shovelhd]

Computrainer. Takes time to hook up sensors, route cables to head unit, etc.
more robust training options that a basic mag unit.

And beg to disagree, but I don't want to be hammering the rear stays on a good frame during a 3 min power test. That is a power transfer through the dropouts that it wasn't designed for imo.

Good point. That's a lot of stuff to hook up.

I don't test on the trainer, but I'll do 80-90% sprints on it. Never had a problem with two different frames.

[bjf]

I set up a Dolan PreCursa on a CompuTrainer. Permanent set-up, always ready to go.

[stephenmarklay]

I was just thinking about this today. I will likely do it at some point. Although I don't sweat I perspire.

Really with the garage at 50 degrees, a fan running on high with a beanie on my head everything is pretty contained. I also clean the bike after every session just in case.

[cd_davis]

Got tired of the trainer setup routine, tire wear, etc. to ride in purgatory - old cellar in 1850 house. A colleague who is a spin instructor sold me her Schwinn Spinner for $200 and I use that and listen to iPhone Pandora radio since there is no entertainment equipment down there next to all the tools and boxes.

[thwart]

Rollers in the great outdoors is awesome (moreso when the sun's out ;)).

And no need for a dedicated bike.

Just do it.

[carpediemracing]

On clamping the fork - the reason why trainers went away from that design was that bikes were eating headsets left and right - you'd get some nice indexed steering by spring time. With the rear QR clamp thing the front wheel would move back and forth a bit and relieve pressure on the headset.

I haven't used on in so long that I don't know if this is still an issue.

Also not sure if it's as much a factor if the resistance unit is held to to the rear wheel, like it is in the picture earlier in the thread (I think it would reduce load on the headset).

My first trainer (Racer Mate 2) with a Racer Mate 1 resistance unit on the seatpost. I wasn't using it but put one of my bikes on it to show how it worked. The Racer Mate 2 was designed so a rider could put two resistance units on the frame, and in fact the manual recommended such a set up for "advanced" riders. Pretty much every spring I had to get a new headset.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TbmplkIYLx8/Rrp8eGXF1wI/AAAAAAAAAHI/ckL4sPxijVA/s800/100_0778.JPG

[carpediemracing]

btw I use my two primary/secondary bikes on the trainer. Which ever one is the one I'm currently using ends up on the trainer. Since one bike is up to date and the other still has old bars/stem/saddle I use the up to date bike when I race, train outside, and train indoors.

Although I made some motion rollers out of my Kreitlers I don't use them. It's the wood frame thing next to the bike.

I suppose it also counts that my position isn't within the normal bell curve so it's not like I can go out and get a beater bike that happens to fit me. I'd need to get yet another frame etc.

My bike earlier this year.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_6R9Nd_UIHk/Uu6nFUaL2_I/AAAAAAAAF3Y/vU6LZ-Jqav4/s800/DSC_0174.JPG