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Turbo Nag setup options/ideas
Having taken advantage of the £15 trainer on Chiggle the other day I'm unearthing a recently retired commuter bike (1" steerer with a quill adapter, so nice and adjustable) to use on it, I've got a set of Drop bars and a stem ready to fit. but I'm thinking over how to actually set the bike up for trainer use this time, previously it's just been a standard bike plonked on the trainer with little thought, hence I've binned indoor trainers previously.
It's not going to have brakes so I probably won't bother fitting levers, I do have a Bar end gear lever to fit, or I can mount it on the downtube if I really want (I don't really want to).
But I'm thinking I'll not spend much time in the drops on a trainer, so I was half mulling the idea of chopping the drops into a 'bullbar' type configuration and trying to mount the shifter in the end of that, might look a bit odd.
I was also considering getting a cheap set of clip-on aero bars and mounting those too, just for an alternative position, maybe mounting the shifer in the end of those instead, it all potentially starts to look a bit more like a TT bike if I'm not careful though.
I suppose clip-ons could also be adapted to take a screen/tablet mount also(?)
I was mulling the idea of using long foam type grips you can get rather than taping the bars, just for simplicity/cheapness/sweat soaking ability.
I may well fashion myself an elevated table/desk, that could be very handy.
Any other useful thoughts, suggestions or pretty pictures? I need some inspiration.
If you decide to mount a screen on the TT bars, be aware that you should mount it far enough forward not to catch your sweat. Not only can this result in "false" screen presses but you can easily corrode any power socket and/or the internals if it can seep in.
Bull horn type bars might be a go-er, wouldn't bother with clip on aero bars.
Foam grips would be a big no from me - soggy, manky sweaty grips would turn grim within a few days
I have aero bars on my turbo setup. For longer sessions I like the alternative position.
I use the drops on my turbo bike just to mix up the position a bit. Also not ashamed to say I sometimes pretend I'm in the break in a road race when I'm doing over/unders. If I had aero bars I'd definitely pretend to be Remco during threshold efforts.
Anyway, that doesn't really answer your question but I will say having a few different positions to enjoy can be a nice thing on the turbo.
Another big no for foam grips from me. Big ol' sweat sponges on the bars. Yuck.
^ Yep, different options are good for the hands, back and arse - much more so than outside, so don't chop the drops
Also, as said above, sprinting in the drops is a larf. Personally I'd only fit aero bars if planning to do TTs
Thanks for the input all.
So I think it's going to be a bit more conventional now, I'll keep the drops, use tape not foam and possibly even include some hoods/dummy hoods just so I have the additional hand positions...
I'll hold off the Aero bars, I think it's probably more useful if I look at cheap options for an elevated table/surface to stick a laptop and/or other stuff on perhaps. And of course a decent fan.
As a general point, I'd consider fitting carbon handlebars. I've seen too many aluminium bars rotting from sweat.