home trainers, swift etc, talk to me!

[jonnyboy666]

ok so it's minging crappy weather, i said i'd never do it but i think i'm gonna have to go down the indoor trainer route, now bear in mind i pretty much suck with technology.

so what do you guys think of the more advanced turbo trainers? linked to a computer with different rides etc, training platforms etc, is there one you use? any good? worth it? is it a paid subscription?

is there a particular trainer that is better? was thinking of one of the ones where the rear wheel is removed and you have a cassette on the trainer, they look quite good but i don't know much about them.

educate me please!

 

[trailstar82]

The direct mounts trainers are better imo, but are obviously pricier. Some will even “rumble” to mimic road surface :-0

There are two types of basic turbo;
Mag - like the old exercise bikes with a twisty dial
Liquid - the power of physics and centrifugal force

I use a Kinetic road machine smart with a tyre (flywheel liquid resistance jobbie), which syncs up to the laptop via ANT usb dongle and I think Bluetooth as well.

The biggest faff is making sure you have sensors that connect easily and consistently, as you can expect some sensors are better at connecting and recording. Because I use them out on the road I tend to use the same sensors to measure cadence, heart rate, speed while on the turbo.

A point to note when using speed and cadence sensors made by garmin. They hate all other computer standards, so use their own proprietary communication called ANT (above).

In terms of software, RGT offers a cheap-ish monthly subscription, you can ride free if you’re invited by a club or a subscriber. The drawback being that I found the app a bit clunky to use at first, I think they updated it to make it better.

 

[Markybeau]

I was the same. I hated the prospect of riding indoors, but i wanted to maximise my opportunities to recover my fitness after long term illness, and joining a gym was out of the question.

I set myself up with a road bike, nothing fancy but not a BSO, and a Tacx Vortex wheel on smart trainer: it has three built-in sensors which pretty much takes care of everything apart from heart rate.

I project my phone onto my old school laptop, as it doesn't do Bluetooth. Cost me just over £100 all in...oh and a fan...a big fan... is a must.

I started by trying the Tacx app, which uses real video. It was great for the scenery and there was plenty to do, but the guy in front is always in front, and I didn't really feel any sense of achievement. It's £9.99 a month, first 25miles or so free, and I had to calibrate the trainer each time I tuned in - which was annoying.

Maybe I have a short attention span...

So then I tried Zwift.

Zwift is a game. It's marketed as a game. It's a CGI environment, so not very realistic. I'm a bit competitive on a bike so it fitted me better. I've been using it for about 7 weeks. I do about 7 hours a week. I'm following a training plan to develop my fitness. It's addictive: but that might be just me. I escalated my use quite quickly as i was enjoying it so much. I have to give myself a break from it every few days, as I've started pushing myself since noticing significant gains in my fitness and don't want to overtrain. As a training aid and a bit of fun it's great...but it's a game. It's £12.99 a month. For the amount I currently use it it's worth it.

My trainer is noisy. I would much prefer a direct mount trainer, but at the moment I can't afford one. Setting it up was quite straightforward. The app leads you through what to do. For the time being it provides what I need so I'm sticking with it.

 

[BerthaPog]

I’ve a Wahoo Kickr (prior gen without Wi-Fi), and run that via Zwift on my iPad, which then screen mirrors to old tele. Previously had a wheel on “dumb” trainer.

For me it was night and day difference, and would not willingly go back to the ”dumb”set up.

Benefits for me for my current setup:
* Wheel off seems a much better solution (even though I’m in the lucky position of having a bike dedicated to the turbo)
* I actually quite enjoy Zwift, way more than I thought I would - has the right level of interaction for me (gamification if you want the techy bollocks way of putting it) and automatic varying of resistance linked to what is on the screen really helps, though this is not unique to Zwift.
* The visuals are not trying to be real world realistic - I know it’s not real, I’m in my garage.

Niggles:
iPad doesn’t do ANT+, so need a Bluetooth HR solution
Zwift doesn’t allow you to “replay” rides in the real world
Wahoo Kickr is not cheap, but it hasn’t missed a beat in 2.5years
I seem to have done more miles in the virtual world than the real world
It really does help having a bigger screen to view, rather than iPad/laptop only
You will need a fan to help keep you cool

 

[jonnyboy666]

ok so this is the one i was thinking of:-

Elite

www.elite-it.com

according to the details at the bottom of the page it is compatible with loads of different apps and has different connections depending on the device you connect it to, i was thinking laptop in front of the bike. i was also thinking zwift for no other reason than it's the one that seems most popular or well known.

 

[Markybeau]

A couple of the Elite trainers are known for being inaccurate with their readings and some apps will disqualify you from races if you use them. If you want to go as far as racing in the app it's worth finding out if this is one of those trainers.

The Wahoo Kickr has a very good reputation for accuracy and durability. This is what I would be considering if I was to step up from my current setup. The Kickr CORE model is about the same money as the Elite Suito T.

 

[jonnyboy666]

hmm . . . i won't be racing so if it's not fully compatible or accurate it's not an issue, truthfully i just want the screen etc as a way of keeping myself occupied, was thinking a basic set of training plans etc, also, i can get a better deal on the elite model so that was why i was leaning towards it.

 

[Markybeau]

If you can get a good deal then it's worth it. The reviews for it are good.

There are lots of training plans - road and mtb on Zwift which surprised me

 

[Carge]

For a long time I used to have a very basic Tacx with variable resistance that I used for ages with an MTB 26" wheel.
I found having a Polar HR monitor very handy - as with the limited control really on resistance - I could vary intensity with cadence and work different HR zones to keep away the boredom. The Polar website used to have various plans - not sure if they still do.
Staring at the same wall gets very dull. So I knocked dowel extensions into the end of some tri-bars and put a platform for the lappy on there. Videos of Le Tour helped - youtube - music helped too.

So that was my cheap and cheerful......

These days I have a Tacx Flux S - which, when linked to Zwift, is another level altogether. There's loads of training plans - and other real people riding, albeit in avatar form. As a means of incentivising you to ride, they have it about right. There's enough distraction to while away the hours, but enough info to make it productive. I don't find it that gamey - there are real routes on there - and their version of Ventoux is pretty darn accurate.

I use a DJ music stand for the lappy - rather than a "proper" trainer stand
I have it just to the side of the bars to control Zwift etc - the lappy is plugged into a TV in front of the bike.
Get a fan - a big fan - and a sweat bib for the bike. You will drip sweat, probably like you never have before.

 

[primo]

@jonnyboy666 hope all is well, just a heads up that Wahoo offer a good industry discount so worth contacting them... imo Wahoo are the market leaders on Smart Trainers.