What's the best way to save my rear tire while using a trainer this winter?



kaian

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Aug 22, 2004
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I've only been cycling since August, so am new to using an indoor trainer. I have a Cyclops wind something or other where the rear tire rests on a roller. I have read on these forums that trainers tend to eat tires. So I am wondering...what's easier - 1) Get a whole separate cheapy wheelset for the rear or 2) Just put a different cheapy rear tire on. The easiest solution for a beginner is what I am looking for. My other option is to ride a stationary bike, but I have heard that stationary bikes do not provide as good of a workout.

Thanks!
 
Choose first option if you`re going to ride out often too, or second one if you`re going to spend very most of the time on trainer!
 
kaian said:
I've only been cycling since August, so am new to using an indoor trainer. I have a Cyclops wind something or other where the rear tire rests on a roller. I have read on these forums that trainers tend to eat tires. So I am wondering...what's easier - 1) Get a whole separate cheapy wheelset for the rear or 2) Just put a different cheapy rear tire on. The easiest solution for a beginner is what I am looking for. My other option is to ride a stationary bike, but I have heard that stationary bikes do not provide as good of a workout.

Thanks!

I use an older bike permanently mounted on the trainer and set up in a similar way to my good bike.Really not that expensive to do since you don't need the best components and weight is not a factor.
 
jhuskey said:
I use an older bike permanently mounted on the trainer and set up in a similar way to my good bike.Really not that expensive to do since you don't need the best components and weight is not a factor.
Is this really a big issue? I only ask as I have started using a magnetic trainer fairly recently and noticed a definite "squaring off" of my rear tyre in the last couple of weeks. The tyre has about 1200 road miles on it, so I had assumed that it was merely worn out from that?
 
if the design of your trainer will allow it wrap some insulatng tape around the roller at the point of contact - you wont lose anything in traction but the tape will wear before the tyre.
 
I've never found this to be a problem. If you setup your trainer drive against the wheel with just enough pressure to prevent slipping under normal loads, don't think tire wear will be significant enough to worry about.

Of course, I don't ride thousands of miles on the trainer either; generally ride outside at least a couple of times most weeks here throughout the winter.
 
I wouldn't even get a cheap wheelset, but just a cheap rear wheel with the same size gears on it. Buying a whole wheelset though, would also allow you to have a spare set of wheels for bad roads, or just for standby in case something happened to your regular ones. Either way, keep riding!
 
kaian said:
I've only been cycling since August, so am new to using an indoor trainer. I have a Cyclops wind something or other where the rear tire rests on a roller. I have read on these forums that trainers tend to eat tires. So I am wondering...what's easier - 1) Get a whole separate cheapy wheelset for the rear or 2) Just put a different cheapy rear tire on. The easiest solution for a beginner is what I am looking for. My other option is to ride a stationary bike, but I have heard that stationary bikes do not provide as good of a workout.

Thanks!

Kaian, there is a very simple solution to your problem, earn more money?

Only Joking, get a spare second hand back wheel, it shouldn't cost you a fortune either.

Put on a green tyre (these are solid, like a big plastic hoop, no pump up, type tyres) they should be available from the bike store and they are relatively cheap and last a long time too.

Fit it to the spare wheel and just get stuck into riding. You will of course find it is harder to push with that type of tyre because they roll with more resistance or drag. If you ride them on the road they definitely drag and it makes you work harder, it also feels like your riding on a flat all the time and it's harder on the bum too. You'll need to have a good saddle or extra padded chamios.

By getting the added advantage of having to work harder, the result when you get back on ther road are quite surprising, you will be that much fitter, I kid you not.

The only down side of a wind trainer is the boredom of sitting staring at the same bit of road or carpet all the time, so get set up in front of the TV get a good video of the "Le Tour" to watch while your training, see if you can match it with Richard Virenque when he's climbing in the alps?

Then you'll kick **** big time when you get on the road?

Just do it, don't look back unless, it's to see who you dropped on the last mountain. TBC
 
Brian Cotgrove said:
Kaian, there is a very simple solution to your problem, earn more money?

Only Joking, get a spare second hand back wheel, it shouldn't cost you a fortune either.

Put on a green tyre (these are solid, like a big plastic hoop, no pump up, type tyres) they should be available from the bike store and they are relatively cheap and last a long time too.

Fit it to the spare wheel and just get stuck into riding. You will of course find it is harder to push with that type of tyre because they roll with more resistance or drag. If you ride them on the road they definitely drag and it makes you work harder, it also feels like your riding on a flat all the time and it's harder on the bum too. You'll need to have a good saddle or extra padded chamios.

By getting the added advantage of having to work harder, the result when you get back on ther road are quite surprising, you will be that much fitter, I kid you not.

The only down side of a wind trainer is the boredom of sitting staring at the same bit of road or carpet all the time, so get set up in front of the TV get a good video of the "Le Tour" to watch while your training, see if you can match it with Richard Virenque when he's climbing in the alps?

Then you'll kick **** big time when you get on the road?

Just do it, don't look back unless, it's to see who you dropped on the last mountain. TBC
Never heard of a "green tire", but if they are solid rubber, that should do the trick. I'd say if kaian is still worried about trainer tire wear, he could just buy a cheap, heavy tire for the rear, put it on his current wheel, and use that all winter.

As I mentioned, I've never found trainer wear to be an issue. Can't imagine why it would be higher than on the road, unless the drive roller tension is up very high.
 
If you are not going to use a separate bike for the indoor trainer all together, and if you are not going to be riding outside, then just get a slick hard rubber cheap tire for the rear wheel. But whatever your do, make sure that the tire does not slip. When it does, you will eat chunks of rubber off the tire and the trainer will really start to feel like the road since the rear will vibrate with all the gouges in the tire...
 

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