thisismyotherbike Posted March 16, 2017 Share Hi all As I only ride outside on weekends I bought a Tacx Neo on a black Friday sale late last year and have used it a lot since. I have my beloved Tarmac mounted on it - this is my only road bike. Recently a bike mechanic told me horror stories about carbon frames wearing and eventually downright breaking because of indoor trainer use. He advised me to buy a dedicated aluminium frame bike for the trainer. He was talking specifically about the Wahoo Kickr which doesn't sway from side to side like the Tacx Neo does, but I get the feeling that having a pricey carbon frame taking additional wear like this is totally unnecessary in any case. Now here is my dilemma.... Do I want to ensure that my indoor training experience replicates my outdoor/racing experience as much as possible or is this unimportant? Sitting in the same position using the same equipment is one of the selling points for indoor trainers over spinning bikes. Should I ensure the geometry of the frame I use is similar? That seems obvious. Less so the components…. My roadie has Ultegra 6800 with a 50-34 compact crank and 11-28 cassette. Is it important to replicate? I could buy an older metal frame used and add the components, but finding them used is tricky as 11 speed is still fairly new and buying them outright will cost in the region of R5300 through CRC (basically an entire 105 5800 groupset excluding brakes). Is the trouble and cost worth it or necessary? Should I simply buy a cheap used bike and throw that on there? I am willing to spend more if it is justified, but I’m not so sure. Thanks for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knersboy Posted March 16, 2017 Share I have a 24 year old Hanson steel bike permanently connected to my trainer. Just make sure the saddle is the same or the term pain cave could take on a different meaning. I don't think it is that important to have exactly the same setup. I ride mtb so the same setup wouldn't be feasible. Trying to keep exactly the same position on all bikes also nullifies n+1...... coppi and thisismyotherbike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hubs Posted March 16, 2017 Share Been riding a carbon frame on the Cycleops trainer for at least a year, no issues. Mongoose! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veebee Posted March 16, 2017 Share by the time the frame breaks, it should be time for a new bike so dont stress. intern and mecheng89 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterbean Posted March 16, 2017 Share You really shouldn't have any issues with carbon frame usage on a IDT. Plenty cyclists all over the world have done amazing amounts of mileage on indoor trainers and their frames have survived. If you're very worried, just avoid hard standing workouts, and avoid pulling up and down on the bars in intense intervals. Remember your frame isn't made of glass, it experiences much more breaking force when simply riding out on the road than you can inflict on the trainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shell Belle Posted March 16, 2017 Share I have my old Giant TCR on my indoor trainer, and train with it during the week. It seems to be handling the stress just fine, although I don't do major standing sprints etc on it. I keep my beloved Sworks for the weekend rides and racing. Obviously the geometry is different, but I have set up the bikes to be as similar as possible. I have 105 on the Giant and Ultegra on the Sworks but with the same gear ratios. I have the same saddle on both bikes, and the transition regarding setup and "comfort" between the bikes is nearly seamless - although I prefer the Sworks by country mile I think having two bikes with the same gearing and setup can be useful if it is a feasible option, but it comes down to what you are willing to spend. I for one would not be happy putting my Sworks on the trainer, but I know I am a bit precious about that bike haha Edited March 16, 2017 by Shell Belle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Marshall Posted March 16, 2017 Share I haven't seen a frame itself damaged on a trainer. I have seen plenty of bikes seriously compromised by the sweat factor - stuck seat posts, cable adjusters, brake callipers, headsets and the like. Use sweat catchers and keep it clean - even when it looks clean. You sometimes see ads in the classifieds "used only on the trainer". Not a strong point for me. gummibear 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gummibear Posted March 16, 2017 Share I haven't seen a frame itself damaged on a trainer. I have seen plenty of bikes seriously compromised by the sweat factor - stuck seat posts, cable adjusters, brake callipers, headsets and the like. Use sweat catchers and keep it clean - even when it looks clean. You sometimes see ads in the classifieds "used only on the trainer". Not a strong point for me.The worst is the sweat and corroded bars under the bike tape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gummibear Posted March 16, 2017 Share http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u316/pdesign1/IMG958173.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/merckx56/SAM_1791.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterbean Posted March 16, 2017 Share The worst is the sweat and corroded bars under the bike tape.Yeah this is so gross. I drape a small towel over the bars and top tube, haven't bothered with a fancy sweat catcher. Bought a used single speed tho, and had to clean the bar tape off. You could smell the previous owner. Sif!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongoose! Posted March 16, 2017 Share I have a carbon Trek Madone 6.9 SSL (2007) full Dura Ace 7800 as my dedicated trainer bike. Stands permanently on my Cycleops Power Beam trainer inside the house. Fitted a Chinese carbon aero bar (with some flex) on it and is so comfortable. It is nice to just hop on with no prior set up. I mainly use it during winter and this coming winter it will be its third year on the trainer. Bike / frame still all perfect. Sweat catcher fitted since day one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissVan Posted March 16, 2017 Share Hi all As I only ride outside on weekends I bought a Tacx Neo on a black Friday sale late last year and have used it a lot since. I have my beloved Tarmac mounted on it - this is my only road bike. Recently a bike mechanic told me horror stories about carbon frames wearing and eventually downright breaking because of indoor trainer use. He advised me to buy a dedicated aluminium frame bike for the trainer. He was talking specifically about the Wahoo Kickr which doesn't sway from side to side like the Tacx Neo does, but I get the feeling that having a pricey carbon frame taking additional wear like this is totally unnecessary in any case. Now here is my dilemma.... Do I want to ensure that my indoor training experience replicates my outdoor/racing experience as much as possible or is this unimportant? Sitting in the same position using the same equipment is one of the selling points for indoor trainers over spinning bikes. Should I ensure the geometry of the frame I use is similar? That seems obvious. Less so the components…. My roadie has Ultegra 6800 with a 50-34 compact crank and 11-28 cassette. Is it important to replicate? I could buy an older metal frame used and add the components, but finding them used is tricky as 11 speed is still fairly new and buying them outright will cost in the region of R5300 through CRC (basically an entire 105 5800 groupset excluding brakes). Is the trouble and cost worth it or necessary? Should I simply buy a cheap used bike and throw that on there? I am willing to spend more if it is justified, but I’m not so sure. Thanks for the help! Ive been riding indoors for at least 5 months every year since 2003, most of that with a the same carbon frame (Specialized Roubaix) and its still fine. Used 3 different trainers in this time....Cateye CS1000, Elite A frame thing and a cycle ops power beam. Not sure how these compare to the Wahoo IMO any bike frame will do the trick as long as the set up is reasonably close (seat height in particular)... Think about it, how many world champion mtb riders train on road bikes? If it was likely to negatively impact their training they would train 100% on their mtb. Same for the gearing, try get is close but don't spend crazy $$$ to replicate the exact same gearing... as long as you can train at the same cadences it should be ok A warning tho...aluminium and steel bits will corrode...did the bike mech warn you about that thisismyotherbike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisismyotherbike Posted March 16, 2017 Share He basically suggested using a frame I'm not that sorry for... The sweat issue is something I haven't even considered. The other upshot is convenience. It is a direct drive trainer and I don't enjoy adjusting the rear derailleur to perfection every time I pop the wheel on or off. To this end I've added a spacer to make the distances on trainer and wheels identical, but now I have chain rub on the smallest gear! It's a known issue with the Neo, I'm sure the Kicker would have been better. With a second bike I can have both working perfectly without fiddling every time or imagining the shifts should somehow be smoother Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissVan Posted March 16, 2017 Share He basically suggested using a frame I'm not that sorry for... The sweat issue is something I haven't even considered. The other upshot is convenience. It is a direct drive trainer and I don't enjoy adjusting the rear derailleur to perfection every time I pop the wheel on or off. To this end I've added a spacer to make the distances on trainer and wheels identical, but now I have chain rub on the smallest gear! It's a known issue with the Neo, I'm sure the Kicker would have been better. With a second bike I can have both working perfectly without fiddling every time or imagining the shifts should somehow be smoother Shoulda gotta powerbeam... no taking wheels off A second bike is definitely more convenient if you can get one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK-Sp3cialiSt Posted March 16, 2017 Share I have recently had the same dilema, and decided to get a cheap second bike to leave on the trainer to save the hassle of taking my "proper" bike off when i do manage to get out....convenience... Mongoose! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intern Posted March 17, 2017 Share Avoid all those problems apart from the sweat, with rollers - IMHO a far better way to train indoors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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