Direct drive traine...
 

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Direct drive trainer - what bike?

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What are folk using on their turbos? I have an elite sumo that I haven’t used much as when I bought it both my bikes (Cotic escapade and genesis longitude) were horizontal rear dropouts and a pita to get the wheel in/ out and set up on the turbo.

I changed the escapade and now have a nice Carbon bombtrack hook but could do with sitting something permanently on the turbo to save faff.   I don’t want a road bike but as I’m nearly the same height as my wife thought another gravel bike might be an option that I can train on in winter and she can ride (with me) in the summer?

I don’t want to spend too much, any ideas?


 
Posted : 13/10/2023 10:19 pm
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I recently bought a Jetblack Volt and wanted something set up on it permanently.

I decided to look for a really cheap road bike and found a barely used Btwin Triban 3 on FB marketplace for £60, it does the job.


 
Posted : 13/10/2023 10:48 pm
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I use a cheap unused road bike which could be used on the road but isn't. I need to start using the turbo trainer again.


 
Posted : 13/10/2023 11:03 pm
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Yeah, any frame (that can replicate yr mtb position if that's what you're training for, maybe) but you'll probably want a frame that'll take a bigger chainring than typically intended (so maybe not actually an mtb frame ?)

You're somewhere Soton/NF area ?  I have a medium/large mtb skip frame that might do you (maybe some of the other bits too but I may have binned the fork - I had to hammer it out through the seized headset).  Remember that it doesn't have to be rideable (no brakes, no working fork (or even wheel bearings), just a way of locating saddle, grips & pedals correctly and then fitting chainset & gears

Alternatively, try yr local recycling dump


 
Posted : 13/10/2023 11:24 pm
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I was thinking cheap road bike as gravel bike is my main ride these days. Cheers for the offer. I figured I might be able to kill two birds with one stone!


 
Posted : 13/10/2023 11:36 pm
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Just bear in mind that sweat can really **** up a bike if you never clean it off - err, apparently 🤐


 
Posted : 13/10/2023 11:40 pm
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I use what used to be my winter road bike, as it’s set up with exactly the same position as my nice bike. It’s Kinesis T2 training bike frame with 105 and everything superfluous stripped off, such as brakes.

Life’s too short to ride outside in shitty weather when Zwift exists. Note, this does not mean I don’t ride outside in winter - just not when it’s shitty.


 
Posted : 15/10/2023 6:16 pm
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Something cheap off Facebook +1

Just stick a cheap version of your preferred saddle on it.

I'd go with a road bike though, MTB is fine in ERG mode but for casual Zwifting (or racing) it spins out. Although now that they have virtual gears on their own trainer maybe they could add a multiplier option in the menu (i.e make a 30t MTB feel like a 50t road chainring).

Gravel bike would work almost as well depending on the chainring. But you'll be paying gravel tax and you won't find any really cheap bikes like those old Carrera TdF BSO'S with the bar top shifters which would be great turbo bikes.


 
Posted : 15/10/2023 11:13 pm
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I just bought a cheap road frame/fork combo from CRC (about 100 quid) and stuck old bits I had lying around..

105 drivetrain.. no brakes needed ..

Old saddle and seatpost...

Oh..I had to buy cheap drop bars too!

It's lovely having a bike permanently on the turbo..

DrP


 
Posted : 16/10/2023 7:01 am
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That’s what I’ll do then, find a cheapo road bike with a bust wheel or something.


 
Posted : 16/10/2023 8:11 am

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