A little help please

walter

Fourth Party
So, after a few rides with some of you, I have come to the conclusion that my fitness level was not what I thought it was, and with todays christmas loot( thanks mom in law), I think I am going to buy a trainer. Question is, I dont own any geared bikes, and I would think that there really arent any benefits to riding an ss on a trainer.

My wifes bike however, is a 24 speed, one size smaller than what I normally would ride. Today I raised the seat and saw I could get proper leg extension, but I would still be a little cramped in the cockpit. Should this be a major concern or will I still get the same benefits having the proper leg extension? Or would it be wiser to buy a bike that is my proper size to use on the trainer? I thought about buying a stationary bike but I dont think I will ever really get into it, at least with the trainer, I know I can unhook an hit the trails.

Thanks for the insight, catch you all later.

walter
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
i would suggest picking up a used road bike for the trainer. cheap will work, as long as the back wheel can hold a true and it can shift properly.
 

heythorp

New Member
If you read around here and on mtbr you will get a good sense that most people find the trainer to be absolutely mind numbing.

I would say this. Get the trainer, use your wifes bike for 2 weeks, if at that point you see your self riding the trainer a lot then go out and buy a used road bike for it, or heck even a used mt. bike and put a slick on the rear tire, i am sure you can find like a trek 850 or 920 super cheap.

As far as being too cramped, I dont know how much dust your wife's bike is collecting, but I am going to guess she is not going to ride it this winter, a stem change can get you where you need to be and cheap.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Just throw in my 2 cents that heythorpe hit pretty much every point you need to hit. Mind numbing for many, make sure you can get on it before you spend the money.
 

trener1

Well-Known Member
Ok, so.... hit me on the head if I am being really dumb here, but.... why can't you ride a SS on a trainer? what am I missing here?
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
Ok, so.... hit me on the head if I am being really dumb here, but.... why can't you ride a SS on a trainer? what am I missing here?

you can i believe however, i dont think you can get the resistance that would simulate climbs and such without gears. i think...:hmmm:
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Not missing anything, you can ride a SS on a trainer. You won't have the versatility of a geared bike but then you don't have that on the trail either. For me, when I'm in the dungeon I like to dial in exactly where I want to be - resistance and cadence. That would be hard without gears but I'm a geared bike rider - both on and off road.
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
boo gears! hooray singlespeed!

actually not so much true. i dont know if i could ride on the road without gears. and then there are those who ride fixies. :blah: thats just crazy!

on second thout mayb i shouldnt judge till i try.
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
none that i currently know of al, sorry. i'll personally be riding a fixie conversion on my trainer, when i finally get around to purchasing the damned thing.
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
Hey Fred, what bike are you going to use for your trainer?

i have a sweet trek 550 series road bike. quite a few years old. 12 speed! but its way better than the 10 speed super steel road bike that was from 1984, i was riding prior.
 

trener1

Well-Known Member
I see, but you can however change the resistance on the trainer, at least on some of them, maybe that's the best option, get a trainer with adjustable resistance instead of getting another bike.
 

walter

Fourth Party
I see, but you can however change the resistance on the trainer, at least on some of them, maybe that's the best option, get a trainer with adjustable resistance instead of getting another bike.

True, didnt even think of that
 

ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
Random Thoughts

*The resistance on wind and fluid trainers increases with flywheel speed. The faster you pedal, the harder it is to pedal. This mimics the effect of wind resistance produced when riding outdoors. As has been noted already, some units have adjustable resistance, which raises/lowers your "baseline" resistance. Mag units have linear resistance; no matter how fast you pedal, the resistance stays the same.

*Even as a beginning rider, the best use of the trainer is some sort of interval work. The mind-numbing element comes with doing steady-state pedaling. If you're doing intervals, you've got something to concentrate on, and time will pass more quickly.
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
*The resistance on wind and fluid trainers increases with flywheel speed. The faster you pedal, the harder it is to pedal. This mimics the effect of wind resistance produced when riding outdoors. As has been noted already, some units have adjustable resistance, which raises/lowers your "baseline" resistance. Mag units have linear resistance; no matter how fast you pedal, the resistance stays the same.

*Even as a beginning rider, the best use of the trainer is some sort of interval work. The mind-numbing element comes with doing steady-state pedaling. If you're doing intervals, you've got something to concentrate on, and time will pass more quickly.

There is hope! Thank you!

How ya been chris? havent heard from ya in a while.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
*Even as a beginning rider, the best use of the trainer is some sort of interval work. The mind-numbing element comes with doing steady-state pedaling. If you're doing intervals, you've got something to concentrate on, and time will pass more quickly.

This is true...but...(I'm such a fucking wet rag)...training drop out rates double when intervals are used. I totally agree that intervals make the trainer easier to deal with. They also cause the bike-plus-trainer to be used as a clothes hanger. So use them wisely.

Here is a cptips article on intervals.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
what is it about intervals that cause burnout?

They're really hard. Some trackies do intervals until they throw up, then they go home. In general, if they don't hurt you're probably not doing them hard enough.
 

walter

Fourth Party
would you guys suggest tapes or something to break up the monotony? I know the cycleops comes with a carmichael dvd, but what about stuff like spinervals?

walter
 
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