Stationary Trainers and tyre wear



G

Gags

Guest
A couple of months ago I purchased a Minoura VFS stationary trainer
(combination fluid and mag trainer). I did a couple of sessions on it but
it has not been until the last week or so that I have been using it for any
length of time. I am really happy with the trainer but I am noticing that
the rear tyre is getting chewed up pretty quick and at the end of each
session there is a little pile of rubber chunks sitting behind the trainer.
I noticed that the fluid unit and the roller itself were actually hot to
touch at the end of a session and so I can only assume that this is what is
causing the rubber to wear faster. For this morning's session I put a small
fan on the floor and directed it across the roller and fluid unit in an
attempt to keep the overall temperature down. They were both cooler to
touch at the end of the session but as I didn't get around to cleaning up
the rubber bits prior to the session, I can't tell if it actually reduced
the amount of tyre wear. I will have to try to remember to clean up
tomorrow before starting my session so that I can see how it goes.....I
guess it might just blow all the rubber bits away from the trainer and make
me think that it is working!!??

I can see why they make trainer-specific tyres as the ProRace 2 probably
won't end up having too good a life......luckily for me it is not my tyre!!!

Anyone else had similar experiences with stationary trainers???

Gags
 
Gags said:
A couple of months ago I purchased a Minoura VFS stationary trainer
(combination fluid and mag trainer). I did a couple of sessions on it but
it has not been until the last week or so that I have been using it for any
length of time. I am really happy with the trainer but I am noticing that
the rear tyre is getting chewed up pretty quick and at the end of each
session there is a little pile of rubber chunks sitting behind the trainer.
I noticed that the fluid unit and the roller itself were actually hot to
touch at the end of a session and so I can only assume that this is what is
causing the rubber to wear faster. For this morning's session I put a small
fan on the floor and directed it across the roller and fluid unit in an
attempt to keep the overall temperature down. They were both cooler to
touch at the end of the session but as I didn't get around to cleaning up
the rubber bits prior to the session, I can't tell if it actually reduced
the amount of tyre wear. I will have to try to remember to clean up
tomorrow before starting my session so that I can see how it goes.....I
guess it might just blow all the rubber bits away from the trainer and make
me think that it is working!!??

I can see why they make trainer-specific tyres as the ProRace 2 probably
won't end up having too good a life......luckily for me it is not my tyre!!!

Anyone else had similar experiences with stationary trainers???

Gags

I agonised for months before buying a Minoura Rim Trainer. I figured that the extra cost would be paid back in not having to use special tyre/ wheel for trainer. Also I am **** at house work so the little pile of rubber would probably get spread all over the lounge room carpet.

Have no probs with rim trainer, and wife likes it too. Think that the extra cost has been worth it.

Answer to your Question, no.

Cheers

Hugh
 
Gags wrote:

> A couple of months ago I purchased a Minoura VFS stationary trainer
> (combination fluid and mag trainer). I did a couple of sessions on it but
> it has not been until the last week or so that I have been using it for any
> length of time. I am really happy with the trainer but I am noticing that
> the rear tyre is getting chewed up pretty quick and at the end of each
> session there is a little pile of rubber chunks sitting behind the trainer.
> I noticed that the fluid unit and the roller itself were actually hot to
> touch at the end of a session and so I can only assume that this is what is
> causing the rubber to wear faster.



When you use a spin trainer, all that energy it's absorbing has to go
somewhere, it gets released as heat and noise. The trainer, being
metal, will dissipate the heat all over itself.
Your fan will make a tiny difference if you're lucky to the overall
heat retained by the trainer, but not to tyre wear. Getting the tyre
pressure and roller pressure right will reduce the tyre wear somewhat.

Get a cheapo tyre and a cheapo wheel, and use that on the trainer.
 
Bleve wrote:
> heat retained by the trainer, but not to tyre wear. Getting the tyre
> pressure and roller pressure right will reduce the tyre wear somewhat.
>


What is the basis of correct tyre pressure on the trainer? I've been
wondering this for a while. I've got a wind trainer and figured the
tradeoff was either a) low air pressure with greater pressure on the
trainer wheel, or b) high air pressure with less pressure ont he trainer
wheel. Which one goes through the tyre faster?

DaveB
 
"Bleve" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> Get a cheapo tyre and a cheapo wheel, and use that on the trainer.
>


That is exactly what I am planning on doing eventually......at the moment
though I am using a wheel with a CycleOps Powertap hub on it that RMIT
provided for the lab trial........not my tyre either!!!!

You mentioned tyre pressures.......I am currently just running the rear tyre
at the same pressure that I always run them (110 psi)......is there a
different recommended pressure for using tyres on a trainer??
 
DaveB wrote:

> Bleve wrote:
> > heat retained by the trainer, but not to tyre wear. Getting the tyre
> > pressure and roller pressure right will reduce the tyre wear somewhat.
> >

>
> What is the basis of correct tyre pressure on the trainer? I've been
> wondering this for a while. I've got a wind trainer and figured the
> tradeoff was either a) low air pressure with greater pressure on the
> trainer wheel, or b) high air pressure with less pressure ont he trainer
> wheel. Which one goes through the tyre faster?


tyre flex means heat in the casing, so generally, the higher the better
to reduce flex. re pressure, just enough to make sure it's not
slipping, and no more. Again- to reduce casing flex.


>
> DaveB
 
Gags said:
Anyone else had similar experiences with stationary trainers???

I've got about 6 months out of a Conti GatorSkin, and I have a GP4000 that is still going strong after another 6 months. CycleOps Fluid2 trainer. I clean the tyre before it hits the roller and I've made sure the roller surface is clean/smooth - I think this has a lot to do with the lifespans I'm getting.... maybe....

lama
 
I bought one of those bright orange Conti Home Trainer tyres, and i've scored a Shimano 550 rear wheel that I just leave a cassette on for trainer duties. Works a treat - supposedly this one tyre is good for 10,000km on the trainer.
 
gplama said:
I've got about 6 months out of a Conti GatorSkin, and I have a GP4000 that is still going strong after another 6 months. CycleOps Fluid2 trainer. I clean the tyre before it hits the roller and I've made sure the roller surface is clean/smooth - I think this has a lot to do with the lifespans I'm getting.... maybe....

lama
The (one) good thing about trainers is you don't give a sh!t about the amount of tyre wear you have. Just keep riding it till it pops. It ain't far to walk home :D :D Also gives you a good insight into jus thow much wear you can get away with for your junk road training tyres
 
Gags wrote:
> A couple of months ago I purchased a Minoura VFS stationary trainer
> (combination fluid and mag trainer). I did a couple of sessions on it but
> it has not been until the last week or so that I have been using it for any
> length of time. I am really happy with the trainer but I am noticing that
> the rear tyre is getting chewed up pretty quick and at the end of each
> session there is a little pile of rubber chunks sitting behind the trainer.
> I noticed that the fluid unit and the roller itself were actually hot to
> touch at the end of a session and so I can only assume that this is what is
> causing the rubber to wear faster. For this morning's session I put a small
> fan on the floor and directed it across the roller and fluid unit in an
> attempt to keep the overall temperature down. They were both cooler to
> touch at the end of the session but as I didn't get around to cleaning up
> the rubber bits prior to the session, I can't tell if it actually reduced
> the amount of tyre wear. I will have to try to remember to clean up
> tomorrow before starting my session so that I can see how it goes.....I
> guess it might just blow all the rubber bits away from the trainer and make
> me think that it is working!!??
>
> I can see why they make trainer-specific tyres as the ProRace 2 probably
> won't end up having too good a life......luckily for me it is not my tyre!!!
>
> Anyone else had similar experiences with stationary trainers???
>
> Gags
>
>


It's a pity they weren't motor-bike tyres then you could chuck them on a
Ducati and use up the edges going through the twistys.

Friday
 
On Tue, 5 Dec 2006 22:06:32 +1100, "Gags" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>A couple of months ago I purchased a Minoura VFS stationary trainer
>(combination fluid and mag trainer). I did a couple of sessions on it but
>it has not been until the last week or so that I have been using it for any
>length of time. I am really happy with the trainer but I am noticing that
>the rear tyre is getting chewed up pretty quick and at the end of each
>session there is a little pile of rubber chunks sitting behind the trainer.
>I noticed that the fluid unit and the roller itself were actually hot to
>touch at the end of a session and so I can only assume that this is what is
>causing the rubber to wear faster. For this morning's session I put a small
>fan on the floor and directed it across the roller and fluid unit in an
>attempt to keep the overall temperature down. They were both cooler to
>touch at the end of the session but as I didn't get around to cleaning up
>the rubber bits prior to the session, I can't tell if it actually reduced
>the amount of tyre wear. I will have to try to remember to clean up
>tomorrow before starting my session so that I can see how it goes.....I
>guess it might just blow all the rubber bits away from the trainer and make
>me think that it is working!!??
>
>I can see why they make trainer-specific tyres as the ProRace 2 probably
>won't end up having too good a life......luckily for me it is not my tyre!!!
>
>Anyone else had similar experiences with stationary trainers???
>
>Gags


I'd say you have the roller too tight.

My experience is that snugged up plus one full turn adjustment is about
right. (ymmv) The 'book' says that a 1/4" indent is about right but that
seems much too tight.

What gear(s) do you ride on the trainer over a duration of about 30-60 min?
 
HJJ wrote:

>
> My experience is that snugged up plus one full turn adjustment is about
> right. (ymmv) The 'book' says that a 1/4" indent is about right but that
> seems much too tight.
>
> What gear(s) do you ride on the trainer over a duration of about 30-60 min?
>
>


My setting requires a bit of trial and error but results in riding in
the 2nd highest gear at 90bpm being as tough as I want in a session.

DaveB
 
On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 13:58:50 +1100, DaveB
<[email protected]> wrote:

>HJJ wrote:
>
>>
>> My experience is that snugged up plus one full turn adjustment is about
>> right. (ymmv) The 'book' says that a 1/4" indent is about right but that
>> seems much too tight.
>>
>> What gear(s) do you ride on the trainer over a duration of about 30-60 min?
>>
>>

>
>My setting requires a bit of trial and error but results in riding in
>the 2nd highest gear at 90bpm being as tough as I want in a session.
>
>DaveB


Hmm. Thanks. "2nd highest gear" doesn't tell me a lot. Are you riding a
triple? Using the large cog in front?

usually you'd put it like this 52x21 or large cog in front and middle cog
in back on a 9 speed cluster

By 90 'bpm' are you talking heart rate (beats per minute) or do you mean
'rpm', or revolutions per minute of the pedals?
 
HJJ wrote:
>
> Hmm. Thanks. "2nd highest gear" doesn't tell me a lot. Are you riding a
> triple? Using the large cog in front?
>
> usually you'd put it like this 52x21 or large cog in front and middle cog
> in back on a 9 speed cluster



What makes you think that would be relevant. I could give the front/rear
combination but you then have the amount of resistance being applied
which makes the combination irrelevant on any other trainer (or even my
trainer as soon as I take the bike off and put it on again).

I would have thought it would be obvious that second highest gear would
be big chainring, second smallest sprocket. The point of second highest
gear is that I can get the resistance I need at the high end of E3
training, but with the least resistance required on the tyre. And with
plenty of range downwards for spinning in between intervals.

>
> By 90 'bpm' are you talking heart rate (beats per minute) or do you mean
> 'rpm', or revolutions per minute of the pedals?


Yes I meant rpm, and a big der fred on that one too. Regardless of their
fitness, would you really think 90bpm would be the MHR of a training
session.

DaveB