As depressing as it is, I am starting to think about winter. In the past, I have sought other means of exercise and entertainment but it is becoming apparent to me that my trainer is going to have to be dusted off sooner rather than later. My question for those of you with multiple bike options (hopefully all of you) is which bike do you put on the trainer.
Road, I always have but I don’t have any real reason other than there’s no need to use my tri bike.
For me it depends. In the early part of winter, I would keep my road bike on the trainer as I normally do a progression of skill/cadence intervals followed by shorter low cadence intervals. That stuff is easier in a normal road position, at least for me. Once I move onto more sustained sub-threshold and threshold intervals I use the tri bike as the position and the effort are closely matched (i.e., races).
I too have been thinking a lot about the winter miles as life here in London seems like winter will be 9 months of the year (I recently moved from Texas, where it is summer 11 months of the year).
I have a question to add: Ive heard that trainers can put stress on bike frames, I only have one bike (carbon tri bike) and so only have one option on a trainer, Im thinking sustained efforts at low to mod pace (ie: at or below IM pace) would be ok? the stress on the frame that people talk about would come from high intesity intervals wouldn’t it?
I know there is no exact answer to this but ideas or opinions wouldn’t go amiss…
Either or. I’ve done both and don’t think it ever made a difference.
Agreed. I’ve used both with no problems. I think my strategy going forward would be to use both - keep the body used to multiple positions and spread out the use of the bikes and wear on components.
Neither. I have my wife’s old hardtail mtb on the trainer. She ain’t riding it, it gets plenty o’ use this way, and keeps my bikes from getting all rusty and crusty and whatnot.
During the off season, bike specificity is WAY overrated. I think being on a bike that is specifically NOT my road or tri bike is a good thing, gives MY parts a well needed break.
I bought a cheap Dawes bike on Ebay, for 199.00, I think, sold off all the cheap-o components (you might be surprised what people will buy), put a used BB and crankset in, and I sweat away on it on a resistance trainer with no regard for the poor beast. I have rollers that I ride my tri-bike on when I’m working on form. I don’t ride my road bike on rollers, because if I can ride my TT bike on them while in the aero bars and stay nice and steady while working hard, I know my road bike is much easier to ride in a straight line.
I normally use the TT bike on the trainer, where it stays until race day. I ride 25% of the time on the TT bike, 75% road.
I have my fixie most of the time. It’s old and has minimal parts to sweat on. About the middle of March, I put my race bike on to get adapted to the position.
I was going to ask as a follow up if anyone had their fixie on the trainer so thanks for responding. I actually use gears on my trainer (some days I just don’t have it) but the simplicity of the fixie with fewer parts to rust and make noise is appealing.
This should help:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=1113040;search_string=trainer;#1113040
To add…I think real world conditions are probably harder on the bike than the trainer.
The BS where I purchased my B2 this year specifically recommended not riding it on a trainer. The mechanic said they had recently received a returned broken Orbea Ordu that failed on a trainer (maybe the guy was doing all-out sprints out of the saddle?).
I suppose different things work for different people, and different people have different concerns. I ride the TT bike on the trainer and save the Road bike for outdoor winter rides. My thinking is that I like to spend as much time in the position I’ll be racing as possible. Also, since the Road bike is pretty much an old beater, I don’t mind riding it outside in the winter.
I have a dedicated old steel road bike on the trainer. It is setup pretty much exactly as my other road bikes, it is so heavy no trainer can damage this frame!