[Closed] Would you get a separate turbo bike (i.e frame etc) if you had space??

defo get a trainer specific bike if you can. I have an old trek road bike on my kickr, its so nice to jump on and go, rather than mount a bike up, that could potentially be a bit grubby.

congrats on the new house.... double garage... life complete! 😀

At what point would it be better getting a dedicated trainer (WattBike style) rather than using a bike attached to a turbo?

I do... I spent £400 on a Raleigh Cadent which is 99% an indoor bike. It was only for the event in Belgium it would ever go outside.

Nope I just take the back wheel out and put straight on to the trainer, no messing or anything.

(Wahoo Kickr)

Means bits might wear out a bit quicker, but an excuse to get new shiny stuff more often

I would* without a doubt.

That brand x looks the perfect job if there's nothing local to be had free/cheap

*I ended up buying a new outside bike so the comutterised hardtail has stayed put but the idea is much the same.

Without a doubt, I would have either a dedicated turbo bike or preferably a Kickr/Stages/Tacx bike; had I the space. And I'd have a dedicated Zwift PC to go with it. The ability to just jump on and go would be worth it.

Ribble Audax? I always thought this would make an ideal and cheap Turbo mule.

I have a damaged Ti Kinesis GF you could have? Its downtube is cracked but if you can get a very basic weld job done, it could work

I've had a cheap Merlin S2000 on the turbo for years when I moved to a 135mm disc brake bike. Made life a lot easier.

I have now got a Tacx bike and am very happy with it, and the wife and kids can use it if they want.

Definitely worth it. My first road bike is now my turbo bike.

It makes the whole thing a bit more convenient and saves wear & tear on the 'proper' bike.

I use my old road bike during winter as a permanent turbo bike. Luckily have a spare downstairs bedroom to store my bikes so have the turbo set up with Zwift so I can get in from work and jump in the bike quickly. I think if I didn't have that, I'd ride much less during winter.

I only got a direct drive smart turbo because I had a spare frame , because I knew I wouldn't bother keep taking the rear wheel on and off each time.
Plus if I don't use the front wheel either , when I'm finished using the turbo the whole frame can be lifted up against the wall ready for next time whilst still attached to the wahoo kickr.
The forks sit on my tool box while in use...its very stable and I'm a peddle dancer when it comes to hills/mountains

Recently simplified whole experience by going to a dedicated smart bike. Previously switching between my, my wife's and kids bikes on a smart trainer was wasteful. Pedal changes, cassette changes in particular are no longer required - only position adjustments (and saddle switch for the sensitive types in the household)

Ye olde' scandal/inbred/Raleigh Mustang from the dusty depths of yer shed is correct answer.

Yup, got an old Specialized Allez on mine. Functional Sora kit on it, does the job. Definitely makes memos really likely to ride (indoors or out)when the right bike is always ready

We are quite lucky as we have the space (kids left home) and have a room each for the wife and I.

She is far more serious into sport and training than I am yet we have a trainer each. She has a Neo and I had a KickR.

Hers had her road bike on which was swapped between outside and inside riding. Wasn't a problem tbh as it was a few seconds each time. I built myself a trainer specific bike out of an old HT frame and just left it there. as I would get annoyed taking bikes to bits every time I fancied hopping on the trainer or going out - as it would obviously always be set up in the wrong one.

Now I have a Neo bike and it is so much nicer to use than the old HT. Takes up less space, is a lot quieter and just looks better (tart I am).

Have also bought the good lady a very much reduced new Kick-R bike in need of a repair. That is sat most ungracefully on the kitchen table at the moment in bits, but will be used in anger very soon.

To answer the question, if I had the funds and space I'd get a smart trainer bike (If under 5 foot 3", only the Kick-R is suitable as we found out after I bought mine).

Then specific bike on trainer and finally messing about with normal bike.

I just use my normal road bike on the trainer, it takes all of 2 minutes to take it off and put the wheel back in and vice versa

I do - I run an old Ellsworth road bike as my turbo trainer bike - I crashed it and cracked the head tube so it seemed like an excellent 're-purposing'.

Admittedly crack is slowly getting longer but I reckon a jubilee clip'll sort it 😂

It also stops me corroding all the bits on my 'nice' bike...

It also stops me corroding all the bits on my ‘nice’ bike…

So does a sweat catcher and not being a scuzzy sod who leaves sweat to dry on their bike like a tri-athlete 😉

Absolutely yes. Makes it much easier to just ride.

defo dedicated bike, actually if I had Dr money I'd just get a Tacx Smart Bike as it would take up less space overall!

Yes, definitely. I am using my wife's old hybrid with a long seatpost, which has the effect of increasing effective top tube as well. I wouldn't want to ride it outside like that, but it's alright stationary. It also has the advantage that it still fits her with a quick saddle swap - I had to buy a QR seat collar. It has 3x8 and the gear spacing is a bit irritating very occasionally, however having a 22t inner ring sometimes comes in handy.

I would absolutely buy a Wahoo Kickr bike if I could afford it since they take up less space.

Admittedly crack is slowly getting longer but I reckon a jubilee clip’ll sort it

Wrap it in Fiberfix. Easily strong enough for that useage.

I think currently a Tacx bike is out of the equation...I've already got a tacx neo 2t, so can't really justify a neo bike...

I think i'll drop £150 on the brand X frame (might also have a go at spray painting it without fear of it looking crap in the yes of others!) and put my spare bits and bobs on it!
Will be nice not to worry about needing brakes etc! I THINK i may have some drop bars ying about, but will see! Might jsut add in teh £9.99 brand X ones too!

DrP

Definitely. It makes life so much easier.

Mine's a direct drive, am currently thinking of making a DIY stand so I don't need to bother with a front wheel either.

You are doing it wrong, purchase a new upgraded better bike, put the old one on the turbo

(we have 2 dedicated turbo bikes in this house)

@ DrP If you want a Elite steering thing as well for the trainer setup, drop me a message.

Mine got used twice before I bought the Neo bike and it is rather redundant now sadly.

@twonks... not considered steering!! Will have a read about things!

Just ordered the brand x frame and bars...and some more tape..

Will actually be good to put some of the current garage spares to use before the move!

DrP

I find it's far easier to motivate myself to simply get changed and jump on the ready setup turbo, even though it's just a case of taking the rear wheel off my road bike and hooking up the bolt thru through the Direto.

The reverse is also true for me, motivating myself on a so-so weather day like this afternoon to take the road bike off the Direto and head off for an outdoor z2ish ride also feels far more agro than having the road bike ready to go.

Something that you might ride outside too sometimes that's different to other bikes? A really quick look at alternatives to the BrandX...
https://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-malt-g2x-gravel-frameset-197832.html
https://www.merlincycles.com/wilier-montegrappa-alloy-road-frameset-179291.html (complete Tiagra bike is ~£700!)
https://www.merlincycles.com/tifosi-rostra-disc-alloy-frameset-2022-245356.html

As per @llama - I did it the other way around - bought a new bike for riding outside and relegated my old one to turbo duties.

I'd buy a turbo dedicated bike for sure, right now due to family commitments and the last 10 months of illness I am only really on the turbo most of the time, so its not an issue for me right now.
As soon as I'm out more then I'll look at options of either a cheap turbo bike or a better bike for outside.
...although I did find myself looking at the Kickr bike and other comparable options 🙂

TBH my tripster is such a good bike (and i've got road, aero road, gravel, and 650b wheels for it) that there's nothing I'd want to replace it with...
I COULD get a dedicated lightweight road bike, but TBH I'm not THAT into road riding - probably would rather zwift that do a proper road ride nowadays...

Cheers for the encouragement to spend my money doods!! Will update with pics of the new mancave come the end of May!!

Got a 40" TV ready to go on the garage wall, and will run zwift from teh ATV I currently use!

DrP

I bought a 2x8 speed Road bike 10yrs ago, £250 brand new it has been permanently setup on my dumb trainer since then and my new smart trainer since January, I've changed the bars and saddle to make it comfy other than its been perfectly adequate. I removed the brakes so there is less metalwork to wipe the sweat off, likewise no bar tape, I just drape a clean towel over the bars when I use it. I Just checked Strava and I've done 6,213 virtual KM and the drivetrain is still like new. I think this is because indoors the chain doesn't pick up any dirt, If you build out of you bits box, make sure everything is throughly cleaned and degreased and a new chain will basically last forever.

Kickr bike is nice but the cadence tops out at 130rpm before it applies a shitload of resistance to stop you spinning the flywheel too fast, so its no good if you like doing high cadence work to improve pedalling finesse.

Yeah got my old bike to work road bike on ours - i hated riding it outside, and it would only get a little bit of money if sold, so it much better where it is.  And so much easier to just jump on it (though you are a lot more dedicated to the turbo than I am!).

there’s nothing I’d want to replace it with…
I COULD get a dedicated lightweight road bike, but TBH I’m not THAT into road riding – probably would rather zwift that do a proper road ride nowadays…

This could be me, exact same dilemma. The 40" tv will be an eye opener, I upped my set up to the old family tv on the wall and its much more immersive! Enjoy!

@steve_b77 If only I could figure out how to post pictures properly - you would be properly disappointed... 😂

I THINK i may have some drop bars ying about, but will see!

I have a feeling that a more upright position gains more watts. I certainly jumped about 7W or so when I went to the hybrid. Of course, aero isn't a concern.

@molgrips
I quite like the position on the hoods TBH, plus a tenner for some bars that fit my groupset (105, brifters etc) is cheaper than a whole new groupset...

DrP

I was using my road bike, putting it on, taking it off. But eventually bought an old bike off FB market. It's a heavy, old Saracen. But the gears run smooth and are indexed well, I changed the saddle and got some new bar tape and that's it. Permanently set up in the garage 👌

Having zwift on a tele in front of you is definitely worth doing.

Need a rocker plate next.

the neo 2t has a few degrees of sway, so no need for rocker plate!

DrP

Yep, new bike for the road (newer bike for off-road 😉 ), old tourer on the turbo. Sits at the back of the garage with a VERY old, low spec PC running Zwift at minimum res, and a big fan hung on the wall in front of me.

The trainer is sat on layers of cut-up camping mat under the main body and the legs, which gives it a bit of wobble and makes rides longer than an hour much better.

100000000% yes!

If I had to remove and attach my zwift bike every time I'd do it a lot less.

1. Call the tripster your winter bike and put that on the turbo in summer.

2. Buy a nice road bike for use outside in summer/ inside in winter.

Yeah I’m lucky enough to have my old Planet X rt-58 setup on a dedicated turbo training room.

No excuses!

Definitely do it, especially if you use Zwift or traineroad a lot. I used to live in a flat and had to set up and break down the whole shebang every time in the kitchen so it’s great to just hop on and off now.

Another one with the old bike on the turbo and the new one on the road.
I’ve made sure the positions are as close to identical as they can be so the transition between the 2 is easy.

IMO it's pretty much the only good way to do it, if I had to put the bike on and off I'd just never use the horrible thing (or I'd never ride the bike)

So I made this:
[img] [/img]

Basically the saddle is good and everything else is absolutely shit but it doesn't need to be any good, it just needs to spin one wheel and not have the front fall off

(aside, but, is there anyone that makes an off-the-shelf version of my beautiful artisanal upcycled timber monstrosity? Or even a complete fork/wheel/steerer replacement? I'd not go back to a front wheel, it takes up so much less space this way and sits upbackwards on the trainer for quick storage. I thought for sure they'd exist but the best I can find is the tacx antares)

DrP
Full Member

Will be nice not to worry about needing brakes etc!

I miss the rear brake tbh! I liked holding it on to mount and dismount.

Frame, bars, and bar tape arrived today....
Looks perfect for my needs!

Fitted what I had lying about in the garage so far:
Stem... brifters...seat clamp, seatpost, seat....
Got the cranks and F+R mechs sat there waiting to go on...
Thought I had a few more bits but the spare shimano BBs I have are dead, so binned em..
Order placed this eve for:
11spd chain (mid/low range sram thing)
Gear cables (fiver bargain)
BB..£17 Low end tiagra one..
Headset ..a tenner.

So far it's cost me about £220 all in.. but I've used a bunch of my own bits...

As its not gonna be used in ANY dust or rain, I'm not fussed about the quality of bearing seals etc etc!

Might try and build up as much as I can before the move...

Will also have a look around to see if there's anything similar to what @northwind is after... saves having a wheel in thy fork then!

DrP

I’ve had a Wattbike for over two years now and love it, although it gets considerably less use in the lighter months
I’d have been happy with a wahoo kicker or similar, but the advantage of the Wattbike is the wife and kids can use it too, it’d be a monumental ball-ache changing bikes constantly. (That said, once the novelty wore off it tends to be only me using it now).
If there’s only going to be you using it I’d say go for the cheaper dedicated bike option!

Edit; oops, i seem to have responded to the first page and not the one where you’re all sorted😳😂
Have fun on it, see you in Zwift world😀

Here's the build so far..

It's nice putting a BB and headset in a brand new frame...not done that for a while!!

Want to give the old 105 drivechain a proper clean to get every last bit of gunk off them, as ideally this bike'll NEVER need cleaning or oiling!!!!

Just got the cables to set up, then that's pretty much it!

No brakes or wheels to worry about! (well...maybe a front wheel... might get a mate to fabricate a stand to fix the forks to perhaps...)

DrP

maybe a front wheel…

Obvious solution is a Kickr Climb

I miss the rear brake tbh! I liked holding it on to mount and dismount.

I’ve eased this problem with an old Reverb on my turbo bike. It was the only 30.9 seatpost I had and 125mm drop was never going to see use outside again

Wovatech Bike Front Wheel Holder - Bike Block Fork Mount Aluminum Alloy Quick Release - Bicycle Front Fork Fixed Clip Luggage Rack for Outdoor Travel Supplies https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08FCF4XRC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_27XHK49RBV1X7EWV07NV?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I have one of these mounted onto a piece of 4x2 onto a base plate at the right height. Saves space and allows the rest of my stuff to get closer.

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Recently brought a new road bike. When it is winter the road bike will go on the turbo and the gravel bike will be used as the winter hack. Means I ride both inside and outside more.