 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
OK. I know this subject gets a lot of posts, but help me out here if you don't mind.
I am considering buying a turbo trainer to attach my XC bike to over the winter months. I do 2 night rides a week and usually a longer weekend ride if I can, but wanted to supplement this with a couple of hours a week on the Turbo, when I can fit it in.
Is a turbo the answer or would an exercise bike be better? I want something I can move easily as it will be upstairs in the house and will need to be moved if we have people to stay etc. The exercise bikes I've looked at look very heavy and cumbersome?
Is a couple of hours a week going to make much of a difference or should I save my pennies?
Is it just a case of getting on and pedalling until your knackered?
What would be a good solid, starter Turbo if that's a good route to go?
Cheers.
CB
In my experience if using it is any faff at all I wouldn't bother. So if the turbo lives up stairs and the bike is downstairs how often will you actually haul your bike upstairs to hop on the turbo for an hour.
You also should budget for a spare rear wheel if you don't have one as you don't want to be using your proper tyres and if you had to change tyres every time you want to hop on the turbo would you bother?
But in the garage where you can clip you bike on and get on with it they are a good tool to maintain fitness through the winter or if you can't get out as much as you like.
I've never used a home excerise bike but even the posh ones at the gym are minging to ride and they are massive so I wouldn't bother with that if I were you.
I've never used a home excerise bike but even the posh ones at the gym are minging to ride and they are massive so I wouldn't bother with that if I were you.
Do you mean the ones with the huge slab seats, or a spinning bike? The latter are a lot better than a turbo (IMO) - but they're not light.
But you're definitely right about it not being a faff, makes a huge difference to how likely you are to use it.
Cheers. I would leave the XC bike on the turbo for the duration of the winter. I used to put road tyres on it and ride it on the road very occasionally over winter, but thought i would use it on the turbo instead, hopefully more often.
I've got other bikes that I would ride for actual MTB'ing.