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I need to get back on the turbo trainer, and using the gym's Wattbike didnt work for me, for variety of reasons, cost included.
We don't have any place, indoors or out, to keep the turbo trainer and bicycle set up permanently, so it's the kitchen, with the turbo trainer stored in a cupboard when not in use.
I also know myself, and know that if I have to go out to my bike shed, drag my bike in (in the dark and rain, at 4am), put it on the trainer, then reverse the process after my workout, I'm not going to.
So - how bad (or good) of an idea is it to use something like a Decathlon folding bike, with a saddle of my choice, on my Wahoo KICKR Core? I use ERG mode, so not bothered about quality of shifting, etc.
Bad idea, if so, why?
TBH it wouldn't matter to me if it was all set-up and ready at 4am... 😀
I’ve found riding a folding bike feels nothing like a bike - it’s really odd and strangely really hard work.
Not convinced it would work myself.
With the rear dropouts fixed in place, i find that bike stiffness becomes really noticeable, particularly under hard efforts. If i notice this on a specialized tarmac, i would imagine it could be quite bad with a folding bike. i would have thought high power low cadence intervals could be pretty awful.
also, even in Erg mode, i find i shift quite a lot, if the workout requires me to suddenly go from 150w to 450w, then shifting down a couple of sprockets is much more immediate than waiting for the system to increase the resistance.
shifting quality isn't vital, but not a total non-issue, for me at least.
finally, with the small wheel size, your gearing will be really different from a proper road bike, maybe a 44t chainring? that might make it difficult to cover the range of power outputs and cadences your workout requires, but i guess that depends on your particular turbo trainer. even with a standard road bike, i had to put a 32t cassette on because with a 28t the power floor of my trainer wouldn't allow go below about 160w, for recoveries between intervals, without changing into the small ring. actually, maybe a 44t might be better.
i'd say worth a go if you already have the folding bike, but i wouldn't buy one for the purpose.
"I’ve found riding a folding bike feels nothing like a bike – it’s really odd and strangely really hard work."
Might that be due to the wheel size, which wouldn't be an issue on the turbo?
All good feedback, thanks. Shifting is a non-issue for me, as I often use a single-speed on the turbo (a Wahoo KICKR Core wheel-off one, for the record). “Flexiness” may be an issue, though. My bigger concern is - will the turbo’s flywheel foul the frame, due to smaller wheel size. Anyone have experience here?
Do turbo trainers work at all with wheels that size? Most seem to be designed for 26 - 29"