I would agree with the trainer bike, even if the geo isn’t the same, but…
The crucial question: How do you measure power?
If you have a power meter on your good bike, and you are using Virtual Power on the trainer bike, then you can’t really compare your indoor and outdoor data. You can switch power meter pedals across, but I don’t think that takes any less time than putting the 1 bike onto the trainer. Power meters on both bikes is nice, but not cheap. Smart trainer with a trainer bike and PM on the outdoor bike is probably the best compromise for convenience and data, but again it’s not a cheap setup (though the trainer bike is definitely the cheapest part).
I have power meter pedals, and I switch them between my fixie and my road bike and my recumbent (and to add to the faff they all have different crank lengths), but I don’t move them to change indoors-outdoors. I just ride 1 bike indoors and out and the others site there looking at me!
Just have a cheap aluminium bike on the trainer with a comfy saddle - don’t put my tt bike on the trainer (just use early season club events to bridge the power gap between road and tt bike) or any of my nicer carbon bikes - to much sweat produced even with towels/fan/sweat catcher.
I don’t think there is a correct answer on this one, guess it depends how serious you are and whether you also train outside.
Previously I’ve been an advocat of a dedicated trainer bike. If you have the space having the bike setup constantly really can help when pressed for time - saving 10 to 15 mins not having t setup a bike can make the difference between jumping on the bike or skipping a workout.
The ease in which we can now perform TrainerRoad workouts outside has made me change my opinion though. My trainer bike is also my winter bike - I have a 2016 Kickr and also use Garmin Vector 2 pedals. I used to have rotar q-rings on the winter bike so never used my Garmin pedals and just assumed the power they measured was close enough for me to what the Kickr reported. Having switched to shimano chainset this winter I thought I’d test this and found the kickr inflates power readings compared to my Garmin Vector pedals by 10%+. This is quite a difference so I left my pedals on my trainer bike and started using these as a source of power. My FTP took a hit because of this - but it’s just a number so I quickly got over this although I did have an aim for 2020 to return to 4w/kg which I’m now further away from than ever!
COVID-19 and the lockdown has done me a favour in one way as it’s delayed my decision to move my pedals back to my summer bike, but once I do move I’m back with the decision of what to use as a power source. Do I just forget power on my summer bike and only ever train indoors, or outside using my winter bike? I can’t afford a second set of vector pedals, and even if I could what’s to say their readings would match either the kickr or my old pedals.
So I think there are definite advantages to having just one, consistent setup for use for all training and events that power measurement is important for, and if time crunched plan some time at end of an outdoor ride to return to trainer setup so you aren’t tempted to skip days.
I have only recently had the option for a trainer only bike (one that I will also ride outside from time to time) and the convenience factor is great. It’s one less barrier to get on the trainer now, spend a little money on some entry level parts is mimicking the fit is important to you.
The reality is everyone’s circumstances (money, space, time) are different. There’s a lot of good and balanced responses in this thread - read through and settle on what works for you.
One point not made yet is that of gearing. When you’re trying to hit very specific cadence/power numbers for your intervals, the right gear is crucial. The gearing that works for you on the road may not suit your indoor training - in fact it probably won’t unless you’re just aimlessly riding around “Wattopia” or whatever the F it’s called.
Personally, I have a wheel off “dumb” fluid trainer (Elite Turbo Muin 2) and a cheap aluminium bike permanently on it. No brakes or brifters… it’s a flat bar. I’ve set it up 1x11 with a very closely ratio’d cassette (12-25). Pick the front ring based on your own physiology and the resistance of your specific trainer (may take some experimentation).
In terms of fit - the only thing worth doing properly is getting your saddle height and setback as close as possible to your outdoor bike. Just so you’re working the same muscles. Contact points at the front should be oriented for comfort. Trying to replicate an outdoor bar/stem position on an indoor bike is fraught with poor logic.
Unless you are in some extreme tri position it’s realitvely easy to get the cheap trainer bike position to match whatever you ride outside. For me (an MTB’er) the convienience far outways the odd 2-3mm differance in postion.
I’ll try and write this without giving you my life story…
Contrary to what I previously believed I appear to be super sensitive to bike set-up, which I have found out the hard (and costly) way by means of knee injuries and pro bike fits.
My nice bike was fitted to me a few months ago and it’s pretty sweet. No injuries so far and was on the trainer full time until Spring arrived here in Scotland a week or two ago.
So my winter bike has been adjusted to mimic the settings of my nice bike and put back on the trainer where it (probably) will belong until next winter.
I’m a precision engineer to trade so please trust me when I say I have done my best to dial in those settings across bikes but no matter what I do they are two different bikes (a TCR and an allez) and my knees can tell the difference!
I saw a video one time of a racer who had a dedicated trainer bike identical to his £5000+ race bike and at the time I just thought it was the most wasteful thing I’d ever seen. Now I get it. If I had the money I’d have the same thing.
Also, it’s not lost on me that during the week I am training indoors riding on my crap dedicated bike, while my pride and joy sits in the garage until the weekend (or longer if the weather happens to be crap).
I’d probably be best just selling the crap bike and taking the 10 minutes every Friday and Sunday night to put my nice bike on/off the trainer.
This is what I don’t want. Could be the first 10 minutes of a crit. (Yeah warm-ups, but shit happens) I just don’t want any adjustment period at all - or at least as minimized as possible. The feel should come automatically so I can focus on other things I need to focus on.
I was just relating that its more the actually moving bike that I adjust to after two months in the basement. The bike fit differences are slight enough that they’re overwhelmed by sensation of not staring at my TV, and rolling down the road.
I commute by bike year roundish now (better than fairweather, but I don’t like snow and icy. pavement for traffic concerns), so I haven’t had that kind of sensation the last couple of years. For my fitness purposes, having a bike already set on the trainer begets more consistent riding, rather than switching wheels, brushing off dried mud before taking it down the basement etc.
Posting here as this was the most appropriate thread without creating a new one.
I’m looking to find the cheapest long term solution for indoor training. Currently I have a cheap wiggle fluid trainer and I use my Tarmac on it with a pedal arm PM. I have just had to buy a new drivetrain, which made me think, is there a better/cheaper long term solution?
The ideas I have thought about are:
Staying as I am, with the tarmac on the trainer
Getting a cheap dedicated trainer bike, this still has the issues of drivetrain wear and tear
Upgrading my trainer to a wheel off trainer and saving wear on the cassette and one of the chain rings, although I don’t use erg mode
Or, just get a Wattbike or the like and sell my pedal arm PM and buy a pedal PM to switch between indoor/outdoor bike.
If you needed a whole new drivetrain, you either do A LOT of indoor miles, or you didn’t keep on top of maintenance. Keep the drivetrain clean, lube it ever so often, check chain wear and replace the chain when it gets worn. A cassette should outlast a chain about 2-3x, and a chainring even more.
That said, if you are looking for the cheapest solution, a new cheap drivetrain is likely your best bet. Swap the cassette, chain and chainrings for the bottom of the range that works with your shifters. That will be cheaper than even a basic direct drive trainer.
The other thing is, things on your bike will wear out. Replacing chains, cables, bearings, cassettes, etc is part of bike riding. Depending how much you ride, they are basically consumables. The only way to stop that is to stop riding.
I wouldn’t say I do alot of miles, but I do generally average 13hr weeks, with all of the weekday riding on the trainer, and then any weekend ride when the weather is bad, I will do my endurance ride on the trainer too
I actually bought the bike second hand, so I dont have any idea how much use the bike has had prior to me buying it. I guess just buying a chain measuring tool (not sure of the actual name) to keep track of the state of the chai would be a good idea, considering they are less than £10?
Yep, just checking the chain every now and then is a good start. If you bought the bike used, it could be that there was already significant use on the drivetrain.
cheap aluminium trainer bike for TR workouts, nice outdoor summer bike for er…summer, winter road bike with mudguards for outside in the winter, TT bike for er…TT…not a lot of space in my house!
Pro Cyclists earn money with cycling, they have loads of bikes… so when you have loads of bikes, you earn money from cycling… Should convince her pretty well!
I bought a bike for just the trainer. It had a broken rear brake mounting bracket so the bike is not ride able outside. I spent $300 for the bike shipped to the house. When I got fit for my outside bikes, I also had this bike fit to me. I leave this bike on the hammer and add chain lube once a week. This is the most effortless training I have ever gone through. I never worry about my outdoor bikes since I have two. If one is dirty or needs a new chain or has a broken part, its never a rush to get it fixed since I can go train on the trainer bike.
