[Closed] Turbo Trainer for MTB?

Smart direct drive trainer with wheel off would be my first choice. KICKR adjusts for front wheel height. Much easier than swapping tyres, unless you have a spare wheel.

Plus one smart trainer direct drive and Zwift

Direct drive much quieter than any of the wheel driven ones...

I use the kickr core in the spare room at 5am while the wife sleeps. No complaints the fan is louder - even with legs at full chat.

Perfect. Any links to the right one so I don't mess it up please?

Elite Direto is good. About £500 ish. Will take a 142 axle as well if that's what your frame is. As above the fan makes more noise.

I'd factor in a subscription to a training program if I were you - it's very dull otherwise!

Also, often getting a 142x12mm adaptor is extra, so double check what's in the box...

Finally, just be careful that whatever you pick will accommodate your derailleur as well - if you have a long cage some of the older designs would contact and not play well. A quick Internet search of long cage derailleur and the model you are looking at will quickly let you know of there are issues... If you have a shorter derailleur you'll be fine...

Best reviews of turbos is here https://www.dcrainmaker.com/product-reviews/trainers

I binned the turbo training idea - its mind numbingly dull even with all the modern tech and I'd sooner be wearing my drive train out on the trails than on my patio 🙂

Would a turbo (even an expensive one) offer enough resistance with mtb gearing?

Might be worth budgeting for a cheap and nasty bike to go on it. Doesn't need much, just any old bike that's the right size and can take a road chainset (so probably some sort of sporty hybrid if you want to keep the mtb position).

Also budget for a new saddle, turbo training will very quickly tell you if your saddle is the right fit or not! Off road I can deal with any saddle pretty much, on road I'm a bit more picky, on the turbo I went through about 5 more narrowing it down!

Have to (respectfully) disagree with the dull/boring/get a Zwift account comments.

If you're using the turbo 'properly' (my definition) you shouldn't be getting bored, as it's hard to get bored while desperately clinging on in your upper heart rate zones for 40 minutes of intervals.

I've been using a turbo on and off for three years or so and still just use the same 3 or 4 GCN videos as a guide for timings more than anything else, and I guess something to rest the eyes on. This plus personal stereo is all I've ever needed.

I agree that if you can't get out for an easy pootle/night ride/commute on a regular basis then maybe Zwift + Smart Trainer would make 2-3 hour easy efforts more tolerable, but I'd rather spend the money on winter riding gear + lights so I could get out in any conditions!

Finally, if it is literally 'keeping the legs turning' have you considered rollers? Cheaper, easier to use the MTB on and a good skills workout too.

I sadly look forward to the winter now as I spend more time on the turbo. With a good setup it’s great fun. Large screen fans etc. Mines permanent setup. I never race normally but on Zwift I do. Probably the hardest workout I do.

Smart turbo has made the largest increase in my fitness. Better a good turbo session in the dry than a crap ride

up until recently id have agree'd with you ian

But having just moved to a smart turbo with ERG mode over a mag with manual resistance.

Its 100% a game changer in how i train.

the lack of boredom is simply an aside. - plus theres the motivation side of interactivity and not wanting to be dropped.

I left my mag trainer in my room in angola i hated it that much .

Would a turbo (even an expensive one) offer enough resistance with mtb gearing?

kickr will simulate up to a 20% gradient and handle 2000watt power.

Im sure it'll cope with you using an mtb over a road bike unless you are infact Fabian Cancellara

Id still rather be outside but i dont see that being an option much this winter.

plus theres the motivation side of interactivity and not wanting to be dropped.

But for me (recognise you're further along the training curve than I am!) this would be a bad thing, I have no use for unstructured race efforts at the moment, these would count as 'junk' in my book... In fact, out of interest, where do these factor in your 'training' structure?

Or is a Zwift race more like an hour of Z4-Z5? In which case I guess I absolutely could see the point now I think about it...

thats not what its about - it might be how it started - i dont know i wasnt there but how i use it is

you do group sessions with a fence round so you remain as a group(irrespective of power output) and ride together - unless you get much slower than the percieved effort based on your FTP and then you get dropped.

Much like if you went out on a training ride with a bunch of similar speed individuals.

You can do these sessions or pre programmed plans alone also.

The ERG bit is the smart bit - it adjusts the resistance based on your own specific FTP relating to power . So rather than you trying to hit a percieved power and dealing with the hysteresis you hit your target power 100% of the time - So over unders become alot more productive.

Ive not actually done a race yet.
.

Not long bought a Kickr Core - and it's a great bit of kit. Absolutely fine with MTB gearing (as per T_R's comments above).

About 3h after getting the thing, I started getting Facebook adverts from Wahoo with it available as a refurb for £100 cheaper - might be worth a look if you fancy one of these.

FYI i bougth a core on a refurb recently from the factory shop.

Boxed as per new with all the gubbins and the full warrenty.

when the core originally came out it had issues - largely cosmetic but some were noisy from the box.

I would think this is them refurbed.

I have a full fat KICKR, but if buying now I’d get the Core reconditioned. Which is what I recommended. The KICKR has wheel size adjustment for 26” wheels if that’s needed

Looking for one of these for myself and the mrs to use our respective mtbs on.

Can someone cleverer than I let me know the best solution to swapping between a bike with SRAM GX 11-speed and SRAM GX-Eagle 12-speed on one of these things?

Cheers.

You don't really need to change gear (in erg mode anyway, which most of the workouts I've seen seem to use) so you'd be fine with a single cassette and use both bikes as long as it ran OK in at least one gear.

I'm sure the encyclopaedic knowledge that is STW can confirm whether an 11sp chain will run on a 12 speed cassette (or vice-versa). I'd have thought it would work OK.

Or is a Zwift race more like an hour of Z4-Z5?

Depends where you are in your category and how much you want to try but yeah basically 45-1.30 of hard, hard work. I almost never drop out of Z4 and spend significant portions in Z5.

Zwift training racing free ride groups solo it’s all up to you your not forced to do anything. I’m now Neo 2. Like night and day difference over mag turbo.

Note buying a turbo won’t improve your fitness. It’s what you do on it that makes a difference. If your not motivated to use it, save your money.

I've had a few goes with turbos and finally got a set up I like and can sit on relatively comfy.

Started with a road bike on a basic Tacx smart turbo. It worked ok (zwift) but was noisy as hell and very rigid, making it uncomfortable.

A few other plays and ended up with a s/hand 1st generation KickR using an old mtb HT frame built up with suspension forks. Put a 42t chainring on and used the KickR 10sp cassette that came with it (previous owner used campag so it was as good as new).

Been using the trainer like this coming into the 3rd week, with Zwift and the 6 week ftp improvement training. Works very well leaving the trainer in erg mode. I've put the bike into a gear that causes the least stress on component and simply let the turbo change resistance as the workout requires.

Used the large ring up front to see how much speed I can generate when later having a go at just riding. Not unduly fussed about the races but I suspect if I was then I'd need road bike type gearing to get the best out of it.

Basically for what I want (using the training programmes to get fit), this set-up is perfect. Put the suspension forks on to give a bit of movement on the bike and that has also achieved the desired effect.

Mrs has a Tax Neo for her road bikes and uses that 3 or 4 times a week for training / races and general going for a 3 hour ride. She's a bit mad but never complains about the turbo.