Having had knee surgery, the physio' thinks a turbo trainer would really help get me back to 'normal'.
The problem is that it seems a total minefield. I've been riding for about 15 years, and never considered one. Anyway, are there any 'must have' features? adjustable resistance might be nice. I think I'll be using it to get back to previous fitness levels. I haven't been on the bike for about 18 months but used to do about 350 (roadie) miles a week... so something half decent.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
thanks
they are incredibly boring. I got a 2nd hand i-magic (VR trainer) to take away the pain of staring at nothing. In the middle of winter it is useful, but mine is packed away til October now.
Why not just ride? Not trolling, honset.
If you're in rehab from an injury (like the OP), being able to stop exactly when you feel like it can be pretty important - you don't want to be 15 miles from home when pain begins in a dodgy knee, for example.
Unfortunately there are no circular routes where I live that don't involve some hill climbing. I can't drive at the moment and walking is also a bit of a job.
A turbo trainer would mean I could begin to get full motion out of my knee, initially at very very very very low cadence and not worry about cars, falling off etc.
as ianpv says, I need to be able to stop when I need to, and not be miles from home!
I see that CRC are doing the 'magical plug it into your PC' Tacx imagic for £340. But i'm not sure how much of a gimmick they are? There's a nice looking Elite Crono, with a handlebar mounted screen that looks good too.
any thoughts?
Try a roller trainer if you think a turbo trainer will be boring, its really difficult at first. Your effectivley riding a skinny on a road bike at up to 30mph! You have to concentrate a lot to stay on it and it gets you sweating really quickly. I removed the rear clip section on one side of my spd's after my first living room spill!
Mines an Antares, its smooth but really noisy, even when placed on a camping mat, i think they all make a row though.
They are incredibly dull to use, maybe someone near you could lend you one, or find a second hand one. You won't use it once you are better!
The Gist turbo on CRC is very good, better than the cycleops I had before. Its £117 I think. Get a good playlist and bit of old carpet to catch the sweat and you will be away.
Look on the net for some good sets, it takes motivation but I really enjoy it when I get going. Don't bother with the TDF Turbo to TV rubbish just an ipod will do.
I've got the Gist that alwyn mentioned and I think it's pretty good for the money, don't have anything to compare it to though.
My only slight niggle is that the cable occasionally pulls out of the resistance lever.
Best cure for the boredom is not to have a clock nearby and to listen to your mp3 player. And get an armband or something for your mp3 player as it will get all sweaty in your back pocket.
i have been on one 5 times a week for the last 14 weeks with back trouble, a large fan to blow over you is a must,i try to turbo when cycling is on eurosport as i am not working at the moment,and i also used a turbo many years ago for a long time after a knee injury,yes its boring but it keeps the weight down and keeps some fitness, try to concentrate on spining circles using your legs on the upstroke and work on your leg speed try for 90 rpm stuff you cant do on public roads, i would get a turbo not rollers as you dont have to concentrate as much any descent magnetic trainer will be fine.
I have an adjustable one but it is easier and feels more natural to jsut change gear not mega expensive the one i have
They are quite DULL but think it will be perfect for your needs as certainly better than no cycling and it gives a good steady workout.
If you've got knee problems I'd really recommend a turbo for rehab. I Did both my knees in on a multi stage event last year. I used a turbo to sit and gently spin for a few weeks until I could ride properly again . It's surprising how much strain a 'normal' ride puts on the knee with cadence changes etc etc that you don't get on a turbo.
A turbo will let you sit and spin at your own pace. You can concentrate on exactly how your knee is feeling (not where you're riding)
I also found it extremely good from a psychological point of view just being able to be on something 'like' a bike rather than sat on the sofa.
Yes, they're boring, but stick some music on or stick it in the kitchen and talk to whoever's cooking dinner 😉
If you're near Nottingham you're welcome to borrow mine to have a go (all my training is outdoor at the moment now)
It may be of interest to you, there is a guy on veloriders selling a kurt kinetic pro ( v.good trainer) which you may be interested in. Trainers make good s/h buys as often people only use them a couple of times and give up.
Bohngy - I see your profile says you're in Bristol. I've got a basic Elite fluid one sat at home doing nowt. If you want to borrow or buy it (for a nominal amount) to see how you get on with them, then email me and we'll sort something out.
gshortATeatecDOTcoDOTuk
I bought a tacx fortius in lieu of gym membership 3 years ago - it is the only turbo I can sit on and use(i do up to a couple of hours going up Mt Ventoux), the no vr type (I borrowed one) I found increadibly dull.
In my case money well spent.