Turbo Trainer Advice

That sounds all very good. I recommend "Why England lose" by Simon Kuper as off turbo reading which as far as I remember states that Norway is the most successful nation in sport per capita.

I'll echo all that's been said about Trainerroad. It's kept me on the tt over the winter and has given me a consistent set of numbers to try to improve on. I use a KK road machine and virtual power, so I don't believe the power numbers to be real (as much as I'd like to), but as I said they are consistant so useful in a training context.

With the sun finally coming out though I'm hoping it's possible to put the account on hold until next winter.

In the winter I'll be fatbiking, During the wet bits inbetween summer and winter, I'll be SS MTBing. So its not a weather thing for me.

This means using virtual power next to calculated PowerCal power. Not ideal. But cheap.

I'll be interested to see my power peaks when SSing in the mountains. Thats at least where my heart rate gets the most punishment.

this any good? pretty cheap atm

Not had any personal experience of Tacx, but that's a damn good price.

The blue motion is often sub £150. I tried one at my local sports store. Its built really well. But its a touch noisey (at least it was in the store), and it doesnt have ramped resistance. You need to cycle through settings. Feels odd.

I realise I never ended up with a fluid model. But the principle is the same. I'm convinced it was the right type to get.

This looks good if you want a display with power data etc. and fluid resistance.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42340

A simpler model from Elites new range.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-qubo-power-fluid-trainer-cosmetic-damage/?utm_source=free&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=uk&utm_content=Elite-Elite_Qubo_Power_FluidTrainer-_Cosmetic_Damage

Cycleops fluid 2 (what I had decided to buy)
http://www.cyclepremier.com/product_info.php/cycleops-fluid-turbo-trainer-with-dvd-p-1472?currency=GBP&stdSID=5bb2e524ee6e6eaf17dcf4ed1b12c244

Wrong time of year i know, but I have a friend whose interested in trying out a fluid turbo trainer before splashing out the cash on one - she's tried the usual suspects (evans,cs etc) and they won't get her in one just to try.

So, does anyone know a bike shop that stocks fluid ones and will let her test, or have one that they could lend her for a day?

Call sigma sport. Not sure if they har them set up to try, but they do stock some kk ones. Worth a try.

How do I work out my power output on my turbo? I'm too cheap to buy a power meter. I do have a cadence sensor and a speedo. I found this website but I don't really understand how it works and it seems to be telling me I have a rolling output of either 65 watts or 211 watts, both of which sound ridiculous: http://bikecalculator.com/

pls to halp thx

You need to establish what the resistance curve of your turbo is.

i.e. if there is a constant that governs the relationship between the speed of the roller and the amount of power required to turn it at that speed you can work out one if you know the other.

Whilst a power meter is a fairly expensive beast a speedo is quite affordable, and as you have one it sounds like you're onto a winner.

What model turbo do you have?

That bikcalculator thing looks to me to be for use outside btw.

....or sign up for TrainerRoad, and they'll do the speed - power conversion for you. In real time.

Providing your speedo is ant+.

That bikcalculator thing looks to me to be for use outside btw.

Yeah, I set the elevation and wind resistance on it to zero to simulate the magical effects of going nowhere but who knows how accurate it'll be. I have a Volare Elite (mag, not fluid) - I can't find the manual for it and I don't recall if it had any resistance curve info in it. It must have that in the manual though, surely.

Providing your speedo is ant+.

Speedo isn't ant+ so need to do it the hard way :/

http://support.trainerroad.com/attachments/token/i7a1ayvzmge00nh/?name=Mag+Concept+Alu.pdf

Although that gives a maximum power rating for that turbo of 350 watts, which I find hard to believe- I must be reading that wrong.

What happens if you go over 50kph?

Rift in space and time?

I'd borrow/buy a cheap ant+ sensor, and a ant+ dongle. Trainerroad is amazing for beginner power training and measuring.

I dug out the box and it has a chart on that - doesn't seem to match the one on trainerroad, though. It goes up to 500 watts! The chart is also tiny so I'm not really sure what that's telling me either. I think it's saying I was doing 130 watts at 80rpm. I think? Is that a lot?

I feel like that donkey in the "i have no idea what I'm doing" picture

I've (if I can find them) got a spare USB ANT+ Dongle, and a GSC10 hanging around somewhere, I'll see if I can find them.

Trainerroad is amazing for beginner power training and measuring.

At first i thought "No! Don't be so stupid! You don't need another subscription to something absurd that you'll only use once" but I was powerless to stop myself clicking on the pricing page regardless and it actually does look very reasonable. Y U do dis?!

I've (if I can find them) got a spare USB ANT+ Dongle, and a GSC10 hanging around somewhere, I'll see if I can find them.

Appears bothwells got first dibs.

But my GSC10 died last week. Local sports shop wants about £50 for a new one :(

If its available I'd love to buy it. I'm going to end up mashing 60rpm up dalsnibbe without a cadence meter to keep me honest.

At first i thought "No! Don't be so stupid! You don't need another subscription to something absurd that you'll only use once" but I was powerless to stop myself clicking on the pricing page regardless and it actually does look very reasonable. Y U do dis?!

I use it loads.

Cant see myself sitting on the trainer without it anymore.

SF- I've actually got two, one of them's yours for services rendered. I'll bring it with me.

SF- I've actually got two, one of them's yours for services rendered. I'll bring it with me.

Well the saddle was a massive win for me, its really working out for me. So take it off petrol or whatever. I hate not having one.

I think it's saying I was doing 130 watts at 80rpm. I think? Is that a lot?

I feel like that donkey in the "i have no idea what I'm doing" picture

After a bit of googling it would seem that this fag-packet calculation is probably reasonably accurate for the 2/10 RPE I was doing at 80rpm. Certainly seems like a lot of googling effort for a fag-packet calculation, though.

I've been meaning to buy a cadence sensor for my garmin for months now so maybe I should just go for it. I don't even know who I'm trying to kid anymore, my transformation into portly roadie douchebag is already nearly complete :(

Right, I've found this lot Bothwell, put a fresh battery in the GSC10 and both speed and cadence are working:

I'll stick it in my bag and take to work tomorrow.

Superstar! Ta veh much.

I've been meaning to buy a cadence sensor for my garmin for months now so maybe I should just go for it. I don't even know who I'm trying to kid anymore, my transformation into portly roadie douchebag is already nearly complete :(

A couple weeks on trainerroad and you'll be dropping terms like FTP, Threshold, and IF into posts.

MAMIL status approaches.......