Don't want to lose my biking-muscles over the winter. I was thinking of picking up a trainer but I know absolutely nothing about them.
Can I run my Rune on a trainer or is the rear end going to be too wide?
Is it super lame to run an AM bike on a trainer?
Fluid or Mag? answered ;)
Good/Bad brands? answered ;)
Tires?
Halp!
Find a beater ht and put some narrow semi slicks on it and go explore all the random paths, roads, and beginner trails.
Riding a bike inside is lame.
Couldn't agree more, but the wife says no new (or used) bikes allowed, and work hours prevent me from having ANY daylight hours during weekdays.
I've lost 45lbs in two years and don't need any excuses not to ride. It's either buying a stationary or a trainer for weekdays, outdoor riding on the weekends.
Previous general discussions about trainers.
http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=66442[HTML_REMOVED]highlight=trainer
http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=82909
The tech hasn't changed much so most of the info is still applicable.
"The song of a bird…We used to ask Ennesson to do bird calls. He could do them. How he could do them, and when he perished, along with him went all those birds…"-Return from the Stars, Stanislaw Lem
"We just walk around, and sometimes we go out and dance, and then we listen to the environment."-Ralf Hutter, Kraftwerk
To cut to the chase, I would recommend a Performance fluid trainer (good return/exchange policy, but via the States) at the budget end, or a Kurt Kinetic fluid or newer Cycleops Fluid if you can afford it.
Used mag trainer if you want to keep it below $100 and mostly spin. Having said that, my Minoura HyperMag was a lot quieter than my Kurt Kinetic.
Tires: Just pick up some cheap slicks on a dedicated wheel.
Not sure about the width limitations, look it up online.
"The song of a bird…We used to ask Ennesson to do bird calls. He could do them. How he could do them, and when he perished, along with him went all those birds…"-Return from the Stars, Stanislaw Lem
"We just walk around, and sometimes we go out and dance, and then we listen to the environment."-Ralf Hutter, Kraftwerk
what he said ^
Resistance: Fluid is smoothest/most consistent.
Tire: All you need is a slick on the back
should be able to get something decent for under 300$
I bought a Fluid type trainer from MEC last winter. Used it during the shitty months fairly often on my xc hardtail with a slick on the back. Guess what, on my first spring ride I almost puked and died. The trainer IMO just doesn't work you like climbing off-road does. It doesn't work the right muscles or something. Plus it's boring as hell and unlike biking where the wind blows the sweat off of you, you just gush sweat everywhere with no offsetting joy of wind, momentum that biking normally gives you.
This year I'm just going to keep biking. Merino wool, sticky tires. There's plenty of good xc riding around when the weather sux. I'll probably get a magicshine light (or 2) for night riding.
Wrong. Always.
The new Revolution trainer by LeMond looks very promising:
| My Bike | :scotland: XCer attempting to adjust to :canada:'s Mother Hucka trails…
Track riding is super rad.
http://www.burnabyvelodrome.ca/index.php
but doesn't really help you in Comox.
Is there a Vancouver in Taiwan?! I had no idea!!
Nothing sums up my life's achievements like my stuffed corpse, suplexing a cougar.
Buy a light and go night riding? It's kinda fun to rediscover trails you thought you knew under the glare of a headlamp.
Being cheap is OK. Being a clueless sanctimonious condescending douchebag is just Vlad's MO.
Buy a light and go night riding? It's kinda fun to rediscover trails you thought you knew under the glare of a headlamp.
I tend to do a lot of field work in the winter months, last thing I want to do after spending 10 hours in the field when it's +1 and raining is put on my riding gear and go for a ride in the dark.
I've got lights, super fun every once in a while, it sounds really good when you say it fast, but riding solo 5 days a week in the dark just isn't prudent.
Get a Wii fit, and do bike james coaching program. You'll have fun, play some video games, lift some weightsies, and when riding time comes again you'll get your cardiovascular edge back in no time.
I bought a Fluid type trainer from MEC last winter. Used it during the shitty months fairly often on my xc hardtail with a slick on the back. Guess what, on my first spring ride I almost puked and died. The trainer IMO just doesn't work you like climbing off-road does. It doesn't work the right muscles or something. Plus it's boring as hell and unlike biking where the wind blows the sweat off of you, you just gush sweat everywhere with no offsetting joy of wind, momentum that biking normally gives you.
You weren't trying hard enough. Spinning the trainer at 60% of your max for an hour does nothing except make you very sweaty. Get a heart rate monitor, fill the ipod with lots of fast tunes and once you've given yourself a good warm-up, pin it. If you're doing it right, you should be absolutely cooked after 30-45 minutes. Spin at near zero resistance for another 10 minutes to cool down. Don't do this everyday or you'll injure yourself.
Of course a more structured workout is very helpful. Especially to help with the boredom. There are probably lots of resources on the web for this type of thing. I do intervals of varying lengths.
And no, a trainer workout is nothing like riding outside, but when the ground is covered in snow or you're recovering from a broken vertebrae it is much better than sitting on the couch.
Get a Wii fit, and do bike james coaching program. You'll have fun, play some video games, lift some weightsies, and when riding time comes again you'll get your cardiovascular edge back in no time.
No. No Wii fit. Never. Not going to happen. Period. ;)
Interesting:
Testing trainers including Kurt + that Bontrager one
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