Need a Trainer for My Road Bike

Discussion in 'Trainers' started by Mikie, Aug 10, 2018.


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  1. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    West Anaheim
    Name:
    Mark Whitaker
    Current Bike:
    Giant XTC with pedals
    But, realistically, road bikes are much better suited to use on a trainer. And @Mikie has a road bike. :thumbsup:
     
  2. ULEWZ

    ULEWZ Member

    Location:
    Northridge, Ca
    Name:
    Lew
    Current Bike:
    2015 Intense Tracer Pro Carbon
    You're starting to sound like a candidate for an E-bike. :speechless: :whistling: :Roflmao
     
  3. mountaingirl sara

    mountaingirl sara iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    So Cal
    Name:
    Sara
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley
    I’m looking at trainers as well for pre and post op. Anyone know about this brand?B7FB189E-8833-40B8-930C-73ED94FD5B2A.jpeg
     
    Mikie likes this.
  4. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    West Anaheim
    Name:
    Mark Whitaker
    Current Bike:
    Giant XTC with pedals
    CycleOps is as good as any of them. You're going to want one that has variable resistance, and for $80 I'm not sure you'd get that.
     
  5. mountaingirl sara

    mountaingirl sara iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    So Cal
    Name:
    Sara
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley
    Good to know, thanks Mark!:thumbsup:
     
    Mikie likes this.
  6. Derkderkall

    Derkderkall iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Monrovia
    Name:
    Derek Allison
    Current Bike:
    2020 Specialized Fuse 29
    Fluid vs wind vs mag?
     
    mountaingirl sara and Mikie like this.
  7. Rumpled

    Rumpled Well-Known Member

    Location:
    OC
    Name:
    Jim Martin
    Current Bike:
    2018 Specialized Epic Carbon C
    @mountaingirl sara CycleOps is a good brand. I found that ad and can't tell exactly which model it is. I think maybe a slightly older Magneto model. It will work with Zwift, TrainerRoad etc if you have a speed sensor that's Bluetooth. (Cadence is also helpful). That one should work fine for most people.

    Generally, fluid trainers are better in the "dumb" category. Wind is too noisy.
     
  8. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    I know, right?
    I went with Jim's recommendation because I like the stoutness and the lifetime warranty, and it has a Smart capability. I downloaded a free App that connects via Bluetooth to give me some basic stats.
    And they "say" the fluid ones are real quiet. We shall see.
    Mikie likey...:)

    6ac4fa5f-adea-4a6f-ab35-619a3c24d639-jpeg.42969.jpg

    c69e9518-db35-41b3-b3b6-a7421ecec2d2-jpeg.42970.jpg
     
    ricke24, mtnbikej, Rumpled and 5 others like this.
  9. mountaingirl sara

    mountaingirl sara iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    So Cal
    Name:
    Sara
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley
    Good news, because I went ahead and bought one similar, only $60...good ol sketchy Craigslist.
    Thanks for the info, hoping to figure this thing out and use it once the Dr clears me!

    D85C1DD1-634A-4031-93A3-AFD277D5355E.jpeg
     
    ricke24, mtnbikej, Rumpled and 4 others like this.
  10. mountaingirl sara

    mountaingirl sara iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    So Cal
    Name:
    Sara
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley
    I’ll race ya :p
     
  11. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    I sense a spin class in the making!
     
  12. Im Livin the Dream

    Im Livin the Dream Member

    Location:
    Saint George, Utah
    Name:
    Ben Norman
    Current Bike:
    Giant Trance
    I got the elite direto a few years back and it is awesome!!!! It helped me win a lot of races. $800
     
    Mikie likes this.
  13. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Member

    Location:
    Antelope Valley, CA
    Name:
    Yokel Legend
    Current Bike:
    '98 Specialized FSR Comp
    I got a used CycleOPs Mag+ about five years ago and what became obvious immediately is that it doesn't provide enough resistance. I had my old road bike on in 53/12 spinning at probably 110 rpm just to get my heart rate to 140(and I'm vastly more fit now). I thought about trying to sell it periodically, but could never be arsed.

    Fast forward to the past month and I got a malfunctioning Kurt Kinetic T-6000 smart power unit for a good price. I found out what was wrong and have about $95 in it after buying parts from Kurt. Turns out that it fits on CycleOPs frames with only minor modifications, although the adjuster bolt from my old Mag+ is on the ragged edge of being too short for a 700x25c tire. It works pretty decently so far and the power reading is at least in the ballpark of my crank-mounted Stages power meter. Under steady-state it is about ±10W and ±20W in transient conditions. That's a fairly big window, but it's not the kind of trainer you're going to make a Zwift career with either.

    I guess the iOS app works as intended, but everyone else reports and I can confirm that the Android version is a POS. For some reason it fills up the device storage with gigabytes of junk data until either the app crashes or the phone/tablet does. It's been a problem for at least five years and Kurt can't/won't get it straightened out. I put it on a tablet I don't care about and that's what happened. I had planned to use Golden Cheetah anyway.

    What's curious is how it actually measures power because there's no strain gauge or load cell to do it directly. Since the absorber wheel is aluminum and anodized dull black and there is a curious little pcb pointed at it with a silicon die bonded to it, I suspect that they measuring temperature of the wheel or infrared emission in order to approximate the power it is absorbing.

    what-has-science-done.jpg
     
  14. da big hills

    da big hills iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    pearl harbor
    Name:
    cagey
    Current Bike:
    enduro 29
    you have the cal aqueduct. that is close to a trainer, start into the wind and take the cool down on the way back. Just don't crash and start really slow. Your doc will not kill you for level riding of low impact. Probably less damage than a trainer and you get to use your balance. Bring an empty Corona bottle and use it to mark your turn around. next time go a little farther.
     
    Mikie, Voodoo Tom, CBone and 2 others like this.
  15. CBone

    CBone iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Antelope Valley
    Name:
    Tucker
    Current Bike:
    Intense Primer
    Having ridden the aqueduct up here in Canada the wind blows against you both directions !
     
    Mikie and Voodoo Tom like this.
  16. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Member

    Location:
    Antelope Valley, CA
    Name:
    Yokel Legend
    Current Bike:
    '98 Specialized FSR Comp
    Riding into the wind on flat ground in the A.V. is equivalent to at least an 8% grade. Ever had to pedal downhill to keep from stopping?
     
    Mikie, Voodoo Tom and CBone like this.
  17. CBone

    CBone iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Antelope Valley
    Name:
    Tucker
    Current Bike:
    Intense Primer
    Been there
     
    Mikie likes this.
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Similar Threads - Need Trainer Road
  1. Runs with Scissors
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As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?