Despite trying to maintain the facade of “I don’t bother with training”, the mask has slipped and I find myself becoming obsessed with being fitter. Probably born out of a desire to not get my arse kicked in every race I enter, but we’ll not analyse the reasons too closely.

So I want to do a twice-weekly turbo class, starting at the end of the month and running through ’til the spring and I need to have my own turbo. The sessions are in a clubmate’s garage and I want something fairly simple that doesn’t need to be plugged into the mains but will still provide me with enough resistance adjustment and plenty of stats like power, cadence, HR etc.

So what do you recommend? I am entirely ignorant in this matter.

Cheers,
SC

Go and stand in the corner you naughty boy. Thats to stop you shaving your legs and weighing your food.

You’re in Dumfermline right? I’ve got one here you can have (St Andrews). It’s noisy, but it’s free!

Yup – Dunfermline. Thanks for the offer – much appreciated.

Just how noisy? I’d be wary about turning up and drowning everyone else out…

Not mentally noisy- not too much more than a normal one, it’s just quite old.

What make/model? Does it give then all-important stats?

If it’s suitable, I might drive up tomorrow if you’re around.

I’m pounding big mountains tomorrow but can leave it somewhere.

It gives you no stats, but has a resistance adjuster and is one of the magnetic ones. It’s an Elite Travel Mag.

OK.

I’ll give it some thought and drop you an email if I’m interested. I’ll need to find out more about exactly what data is needed for the class – my Garmin will give me HR but cadence and power are beyond it, so it depends on what the training is structured around.

Thanks again for offer.

(PS – you’re absolutely spot on with the lovely Ms. B!)

You don’t need any stats to get fit.

I ain’t getting fit without them, so why not try a scientific approach?

Stuart – I have a cheapy Cycleops mag one (£100 or so), it’s loud as ****! In fact, I’m surprised you can’t hear it from Rose Street 😆

I use it now and then in the shared outhouse. In the dark in the winter and with only a radio for company, it’s a long hour. I’ll be around tomorrow afternoon if you want to pop up and see it working. Sounds like you’ll be spending a little more than I did though?

Cheers Dan – might just do that.

Planning a couple of hours on the road bike in the morning so I’ll txt you when I get in.

SC

THink you’d be looking at a hell of a lot of cash to get one that gives you a power output reading. Cheaper buying a bike.

Ok – am doing a 10k tomorrow with the better half in the morning. Any time mid to late afternoon should be fine.

Why not just go to spinning classes? All the fun of getting sweaty in your mate’s garage but with lycra clad ladies in an air conditioned gym?

THink you’d be looking at a hell of a lot of cash to get one that gives you a power output reading. Cheaper buying a bike.

Ah – ok. I see how this works now. More features = more cash.

It’s like everything else in life, innit.

I have just ‘inherited’ a spinning bike. It feels so much nicer to ride than my turbo trainer. Not sure why (flywheel mass?) but I actually don’t mind riding it.
It’s also practically silent so it’s in the bedroom so I can watch TV too.
Even the Mrs is using it (whilst watching Eastenders 🙂 )

For ‘stats’ I just use a €17 stopwatch / HR meter…

Power meters a flipin expensive, and very few turbos have them, you’d be looking at arround £500 and would need a PC to plug it into.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/CycleOps_Classic_Mag_Turbo_Trainer/5360012878/#more

I’ve got that one when it was on offer for about £70, as loing as you don’t go for an air driven one it’ll be quiet enough,

Tacx flow is the cheapest for a decent power reading (lots of people on the TT forums use them) but needs mains power

decathlon cheap £249, could be cheaper elsewhere
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/t-1680-flow-3956637/

for power reading without mains you are limited and they are expensive

power is a better way to train than HR if you are going to be structured, you can work on HR only (ideally with cadence) speed is irrelevant so any wrist/ bike HR/computer will do the job

So what do you recommend? I am entirely ignorant in this matter.

get a qualified coach not a club mate in a garage 😉

I can give you some turbo sessions to do that will get you fit 😉

I ain’t getting fit without them, so why not try a scientific approach?

I’n only making the point that the route to fitness is hard work, it’s not fancy gadgets, xtr etc, though if you want all that then go for it.

It’s not like everyone suddenly got fitter once HRMs, power meters came out.

Bike computer for cadence, wrist HR if you want it.

Intervals.

Correct power level = Sprint ’til you puke. No other measurement required!

the route to fitness is hard work

I know that Al. I also know that you can’t buy it, but I am keen to undertake a structured training program through the winter to see if it makes any difference to my (mostly modest) race results. I really enjoy racing mountain bikes but I’m a bit shit at it unless it’s pot-hunting in the Vet Trio category with only one other team to compete against…

“Garage bloke” knows his stuff and has been running the program for years. I professed an ignorance at the beginning of the thread about turbo trainers – I’ve now learned that you need to spend a lot of money to get all the gadgets and stats which I now know I don’t need. The training is purely HR-based so a basic trainer will do.

Thanks for all the input so far.

SC

Oh, and I only own two XTR components – one of my three bikes has a pair of XTR shifters.

XT will do me fine.

🙂

I’n only making the point that the route to fitness is hard work,

I would say you need to balance work and recovery otherwise you just endup overtrained and become ill/ demotivated as you don’t get the gains you expect for all the “hard work”. Training “smart” gets the biggest gains 😉

HR group session would need to be “zone” based as everyone has a different heart rate range. Ideally you should be getting this derived before you turn up at the garage

I’m seriously thinking about the Tacx Flow as I rather fancy I power meter to measure my progress.

I spent last winter on a turbo in the shed when it was too cold and snowy to ride outside, (that’s a lot of the time in Sweden), and this year I’d like to up the level that I train at.

The flow seems to be the cheapest trainer with a power meter.

The flow seems to be the cheapest trainer with a power meter.

It doesn’t appear to work with Garmin kit or Macs, if either of those things matter to you.

This thread on erm, *cough* another forum *cough* has more stuff about turbos than one could possibly want to know.

Andy

Thanks Andy, nice link, that’s the family conversation over for tonight then!

HR group session would need to be “zone” based as everyone has a different heart rate range

Yup – got this worked out already based on % of heart-rate reserve. % bands: 60-70, 70-80, 80-85, 85-90, 90+

These are already programmed into the Garmin and I’ve used them before. Easy to change if different zones are used.

I’ve used a Tacx excel (basically similar to the flow)for years over the winter period – give speed, cadence, power, Hr – you can program 10 different workouts with slope resistance +9: lungs on the floor – to -4 spinning like and idiot– fantastic training tool & you will, or rather your rivals will notice the difference come the spring
Words of caution based on experienced
Workouts need to be planed and part of a constant training plan
Far more effective on a road bike then MTB –due to gearing available – If you have to use a MTB you’ll need a slick rear tyre (or ear defenders)
Use a training log / dairy – I use Sportstracks – this has loads of plug-ins to tweek it – I use a garmin 305 & download it – using a plug-in I can get a power calculation
Tacx trainers are fairly indestructible – used to have it in the garage which flooded on a regular basis & was quite damp with no probs
Learn to enjoy the pain
Be warned though they can lead you to strange places – I ended up buying a road bike to use on the turbo – now love going out on downing 60 -100 mile rides – just bought a set of rollers to work on high cadence & endurance