Turbo Trainers

[Gravymuncher]

Am probably going to get myself a turbo now i'm doing a lot more training on bikes and things; what do I need to know, who makes good ones, etc etc etc?

[Gambatte]

Am probably going to get myself a turbo now i'm doing a lot more training on bikes and things; what do I need to know, who makes good ones, etc etc etc?

I got one and use it sometime during winter. I use it in the back garden, but still sweat like mad.
A good thing is if it's quiet. I hear people saying having changeable resistence levels is a good thing, but I disagree, you can use the bike gear instead.
Most boring thing in the planet. It helps to have mp3 player.

[bestathlete]

Ah now, i know this one as i've been known to do a bit of cycling from time to time.
If you are going to be using it in the house then get the quitest one you can find. magnetic resistance is quiet, fan resistance is noisy (although i dont know if they still sell them anyway). If budget allows then get a fancy one with wattage readout, very useful. In any case I would recommend a turbo with several levels of resistance as changing gears to make it harder is not the be all and end all of turbo training, for instance i dont like the way my magnetic resistance feels (uneven pedalling action) in lowish gears so i always use a high gear and change the magnet as the session progresses.
You will need a pedestal fan too to keep sweat at bay and even using that you'll still find A LOT of sweat drips below so cover the bike if it's half decent and put on old bit of carpet under the whole asssembly if you are in the house.
In use - (for replicating general riding) you can spend a lot less time on the turbo than you would cycling outdoors as there are NEVER any downhill sections. Interval sessions can be vastly varied, from 5secs on 5secs off to 5mins on 2mins off and everything inbetween.

[Gravymuncher]

Cheers guys, I know all about turbo training and how hot they get etc because my brother does a lot of cycling. Unfortunately he doesn't know a thing about what a good turbo is or anything, so that was my main question.

I just need to know what to look for on eBay when I'm searching, so I don't buy a load of crap.

As for sweating lots - just warm-weather training right?

[Ady In Accy]

Tacx are a well known and good make. Out of interest have a look at the Tacx Fortius which you link up to your computer - very flash.

[fishbulb]

I got one of these - MINOURA MAG-500R from Merlin: http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/acatal..._Trainers.html They had a 10% off sale so might be worth having a shufti there, p'raps.

[dominion]

A few people rated the Tacx Swing when I was looking - seems pretty decent when I use it, but not compared it to anything else.

[(notsomuchofa)Fellrunner]

Also got a Tacx swing, also can't compare it to others, but works for me.

[AllanT]

trying to recall what I've got, have a feeling it could be a swing, definitely a magnetic Tacx with a variable resistance. They're great as you can drive yourself right to your limits without needing to worry about getting hit by cars. You can also do sustained sessions, like minimum resistance for warmdowns & max to simulate long unbroken climbs.

Turbo trainers definitely make an improvement to your cycling (& your running) you will notice the benefits when you get off them & get on the roads - you are a lot stronger on hills because you've pushed yourself to your limits on the simulation of them with the trainer. I used to do massive sessions on them, you could put a DVD on & spend about 2 - 3 hrs on them!! Your pedalling stroke, etc improves.

[Penguin]

trying to recall what I've got...

brain normally located in head?

you could put a DVD on & spend about 2 - 3 hrs on them!! Your stroke, etc improves.

does it now!!!!