"Dumb" Stationary trainer experience sharing.

[Duane_Bosch]

I hear you, but I am a 57 year outoppie, and I just want to try and keep busy during these difficult times. I definitely to not have podium finishes in mind...… 

Sure. But if you have to pedal your bike and go nowhere you may as well make the best of the time. Just a little structure and a goal to keep you from blowing your brains out. 

[Underachiever]

Being forced to work from home and not being able to do my daily commute to work and back and a weekend longer ride, I dug out my 10+ years old RAVX indoor trainer. Cleaned it up and mounted my old Raleigh RC4500 on it.

 

Since I started using it, I realised that I have a lot to learn to make the best of what I have. What I have learned so far is:

 

• Keep a towel handy, you sweat a LOT! I am using a smallish one to wipe my head, neck and face.
• A stationary trainer chows your tyre! I took the tyre off and put an older one on that still has enough tread on it, but was beginning to show small cracks on the sidewall. It should be fine for my purpose. I know a trainer specific tyre should be used, but that isn't an option at the moment.
• Clean the "roller" after each ride. The roller becomes sticky from the tyre's rubber that wears off while riding, but very unevenly. This causes the wheel to slip while riding which can become quite annoying.
• I am still undecided about listening to music while riding. Those that does it, isn't the earphones a nuisance? 
• I moved the IDT outside, a bit of a draft outside and listening to the birds makes it a more pleasant experience than riding inside.

Any other tips and suggestions from those in a similar position would be appreciated. 

A Raleigh with Campag.  Give that man a Bells, sommer 'n dubbel!!!

[kingalton]

does being dumb on the trainer count?

 

started a zwift race this morning, was moer hard.. after 39 minutes my macbook screen went black.... machine dead..forgot to plug the power in... aaarrrggghhhh

 

wont make that mistake again..

[Skubarra]

does being dumb on the trainer count?

 

started a zwift race this morning, was moer hard.. after 39 minutes my macbook screen went black.... machine dead..forgot to plug the power in... aaarrrggghhhh

 

wont make that mistake again..

 

And I assume you were winning... 

[Ashold]

For the ultimate in neighbour-hating tech, I recommend my current setup:

 

Aluminium rollers.

A mountain bike, with decent tread on the tyres.

Wind up 5 or 6 high intensity intervals, preferably 4-5 minutes long.

 

So loud! And I have been doing that for about 16 days now. Longest ride is 2h7 mins but the boredom began to really take over then.

 

Any advice on how to trim the noise below 100 decibels?

[kingalton]

And I assume you were winning... 

far from it unfortunately

[Sharkcatcher01]

For the ultimate in neighbour-hating tech, I recommend my current setup:

 

Aluminium rollers.

A mountain bike, with decent tread on the tyres.

Wind up 5 or 6 high intensity intervals, preferably 4-5 minutes long.

 

So loud! And I have been doing that for about 16 days now. Longest ride is 2h7 mins but the boredom began to really take over then.

 

Any advice on how to trim the noise below 100 decibels?

 

You should go and do as many skids as you can to get those tyres looking like slicks, that should cut the noise ever so slightly. 

[SwissVan]

People.... In the interest of developing good relations with your IDT's which you are now only getting acquainted with, please refrain from calling them derogatory names like DUMB trainer.

 

Maybe BC or WC trainer?

 

Before Computer.... Without Computer ....although WC also has a toilet connection so maybe BC?

[SwissVan]

does being dumb on the trainer count?

 

started a zwift race this morning, was moer hard.. after 39 minutes my macbook screen went black.... machine dead..forgot to plug the power in... aaarrrggghhhh

 

wont make that mistake again..

 

That's worse than being overtaken by the broom bus 

[Fat Boab]

Head phones? Ear protectors? ????

 

 

 

For the ultimate in neighbour-hating tech, I recommend my current setup:

 

Aluminium rollers.

A mountain bike, with decent tread on the tyres.

Wind up 5 or 6 high intensity intervals, preferably 4-5 minutes long.

 

So loud! And I have been doing that for about 16 days now. Longest ride is 2h7 mins but the boredom began to really take over then.

 

Any advice on how to trim the noise below 100 decibels?

[The Ouzo]

entertainment, you need entertainment.

But you also need to vary your efforts, sitting and peddling away at 80rpm for 90 minutes is going to get old really quick, so vary the rpm and vary the resistance.

For resistance I used either the gears or reach my foot back and flip the resistance lever on the trainer with my toe.

 

I wear my shirt until I start sweating and then its shirt off, since I'm riding outside accumulating a pool of sweat under the bike is not a big issue, I just hose down bike and paving later on.

 

As others have said, one towel over the bike, second one for wiping your sweat.

[cadenceblur]

Some very good advice and pointers here..

 

For me - a pedestal fan right in front of me, keep me cool and limits the pool of sweat I guess.

Intervals really help with passing the time as you're really dialed into the activity.

A good playlist is a must and anything on the TV is good - usually cycling on YouTube.

Zwift is good for the recovery / easy days 

I have a dumb trainer, buy with the ability to amend the resistance on my head unit, I also have a PM though.

[ChrisF]

I hear you, but I am a 57 year outoppie, and I just want to try and keep busy during these difficult times. I definitely to not have podium finishes in mind...… 

 

Jaco just do a one month trial of ZWIFT.

 

That should should see you through lock-down ... hopefully !

 

 

After this try the other programs ... ALL have free trial periods .... this should see you through most of winter !!!

 

 

By then you will know IF it is worth it for YOU to pay a subscription for any of these ....

 

 

 

PS - you can cancel Zwift at any time.  And when you are ready it takes a few seconds to re-active.

 

 

I am happy to pay for Zwift during winter.  And in summer I have 25km free per month, just enough when I need a quick spin before my next outside ride.

[SEANSTEP]

Some dumb questions re dumb Giant trainer. Mine comes with handle bar mounted resistance control leaver. Here is the thing, at max resistance & in heaviest gear, resistance is far from impressive. And no I'm not trying to boast that I'm incredibly strong. It would not simulate a really hard effort, definitely not a sprint effort. And yes I've fiddled with the back wheel up against the roller. Too tight did not turn out well (or have desired effect), so have gone back to roller lightly up against tyre.

 

Is that as good as it gets?

 

Smelt funny smell (like burning oil / electrical motor) from extremely hot roller. Didn't appear to be tyres, or smell like burnt rubber.

 

Is it worth trying to open up? Bearings inside?

 

Dumb trainer so no electricity or motor yet smells like a burnt out motor.

[ChrisF]

Some dumb questions re dumb Giant trainer. Mine comes with handle bar mounted resistance control leaver. Here is the thing, at max resistance & in heaviest gear, resistance is far from impressive. And no I'm not trying to boast that I'm incredibly strong. It would not simulate a really hard effort, definitely not a sprint effort. And yes I've fiddled with the back wheel up against the roller. Too tight did not turn out well (or have desired effect), so have gone back to roller lightly up against tyre.

 

Is that as good as it gets?

 

Smelt funny smell (like burning oil / electrical motor) from extremely hot roller. Didn't appear to be tyres, or smell like burnt rubber.

 

Is it worth trying to open up? Bearings inside?

 

Dumb trainer so no electricity or motor yet smells like a burnt out motor.

 

Mostly these are "discs" with adjustable magnets.  You move the magnet closer to the disc, and the resistance increase.

 

The "braking effort" results in LOTS of heat !!

 

Of there was dust on the system it will "smell" after the first ride.

[SEANSTEP]

Mostly these are "discs" with adjustable magnets.  You move the magnet closer to the disc, and the resistance increase.

 

The "braking effort" results in LOTS of heat !!

 

Of there was dust on the system it will "smell" after the first ride.

Thanks Chris. Not first ride, just suddenly smelt today. By moving magnet closer to disc do you just mean by turning control to highest setting (done) or opening up & investigating?