Turbo Trainer Advice

^^all this talk of time management and sex, it's almost as if you've reached some kind of milestone recently. Winkyman.

Are you a n00b? I've been trolling and sex-talking for eons.

Time-management kicked in at 33. Probably something to do with spawning. 33 is a milestone of course, being the age that Jesus died.

I rode part of the route of the 33 bus yesterday (not a London bus).

compared to you? Definitely a n00b :)

So that means I have another 4 years of carefree living. Good to know.

How is your allotment application coming?

My outdoor hobby is cycling, not gardening. I can't imagine my more hard-wired sensibilities allowing that situation to change.

I was thinking you could build a patio/some decking for your get fit routine, and obviously a small shed for deviant sex acts / 4 turbo sessions a year?

Yeah, that'll all fit on my communal council balcony, although I'll have to wait another 12 months for the cyclical works to be completed before I'm allowed to put anything out there.

Watch this space...

Right.

Dammit's borrowed bits attached to bike. Trainerroad subscription purchased (it looks ACE, btw). 8 minute test run for first time.

Apparently I'm only outputting 79 watts when my HR is at 171!! I think I haven't set it up properly, I don't understand the target power at all. It seems to be asking me to generate 100w in the beginning warm-up stage, but if I'm in the big ring and a middleish cog, spinning at 80-90rpm, that's supposedly 80w or thereabout. I could spin faster to get closer to the target, but that's going to spoil my tempo. I could gear into a smaller cog, but I'm already in a fairly high gear as it is. Um.

Also, I haven't got a garden, any DIY, or a sex life, so yes, this is how I spend my evenings now. Don't judge me, alright.

Also, I haven't got a garden, any DIY, or a sex life, so yes, this is how I spend my evenings now. Don't judge me, alright.

Don't forget to fit one of these to keep those jaffa cakes within easy reach!

You can also use the pockets to catch your tears of despair* while you train.

*poor thing - fancy not having a garden :'(

Right.

Dammit's borrowed bits attached to bike. Trainerroad subscription purchased (it looks ACE, btw). 8 minute test run for first time.

Apparently I'm only outputting 79 watts when my HR is at 171!! I think I haven't set it up properly, I don't understand the target power at all. It seems to be asking me to generate 100w in the beginning warm-up stage, but if I'm in the big ring and a middleish cog, spinning at 80-90rpm, that's supposedly 80w or thereabout. I could spin faster to get closer to the target, but that's going to spoil my tempo. I could gear into a smaller cog, but I'm already in a fairly high gear as it is. Um.

Also, I haven't got a garden, any DIY, or a sex life, so yes, this is how I spend my evenings now. Don't judge me, alright.

Those numbers don't seem right. Have you selected your turbo trainer's profile in the pull down menu? The software needs to know your kit so it can use the correct power curve so it can generate virtual power data.

Those numbers don't seem right. Have you selected your turbo trainer's profile in the pull down menu? The software needs to know your kit so it can use the correct power curve so it can generate virtual power data.

This^

...or if your turbo has different settings. make sure trainerroad is using the same setting. I find a steeper than 'reallife' curve works better, as I dont need to vary my gears so much. But for 100 watts at a reasonable cadense, I would need to be in the little ring. So there's a problem with your set-up.

You need to go into your profile, and set-up your power measurement settings.

Don't forget to fit one of these to keep those jaffa cakes within easy reach!

That looks neat, and the tacx one I use on the rollers seems to work for a 20 minute spin.

But I go through 1.5 liters of water, and saturate at leasty a full sized bath towel, usually 2. On the turbo for an hour.

....do they do one 'for heavier days', as mrs smallfurrys lady products put it.

Yeah, well, I thought I did. The site has like five different versions of my trainer, but the program only has two, and they don't match - like the site numbers them from one to five, and the program has 'min' and 'max' versions. I picked the 'min' one, maybe it really wants 'max'. Hm. I will experiment with it again later, the last session almost killed me and I didn't even get through the "warm up" which definitely seems wrong.

108watts is 15mph on my trainer.

I need to be in 50:23 spinning the cranks at 85rpm to do a 100watt warm up. But dropping into 34:17 allows me to spin at 95rpm, which is a better warm up cadence for me. (Plus its less stressful on the drivechain).

Obviously your trainer will differ. But not by loads.

This helps get a feel for the gearing that you should be looking to, to achive desired speeds (and thus power), while spinning at a cadence that suits, for the workouts.
http://www.machars.net/bikecalc.htm

When I did some Googling a couple of days ago it seemed that your turbo had a lot of different names, it might be that TR calls it something else?

Or flog your current turbo and get a fluid model with a progressive resistance curve.

I go through 1.5 liters of water, and saturate at leasty a full sized bath towel, usually 2. On the turbo for an hour.

Depends on the material I suppose. I use one of those microfiber travel towels as they dry incredibly quickly, rather than becoming a heavy sodden stinking wet lump.

Which by coincidence is how I normally end up too!

When I did some Googling a couple of days ago it seemed that your turbo had a lot of different names, it might be that TR calls it something else?

Or flog your current turbo and get a fluid model with a progressive resistance curve.

Something like this...
http://www.vanillabikes.com/collections/turbo-trainers-rollers/products/cycleops-fluid-2-trainer-incl-dvd

Nerdy model with wireless power display.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42340

Or budget friendly
http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/TRJBZ1FH/jetblack_z1_fluid_hydrogel_turbo_trainer_with_smart_release

I'd go for the fluid 2 though. Simple and effective.

Depends on the material I suppose. I use one of those microfiber travel towels as they dry incredibly quickly, rather than becoming a heavy sodden stinking wet lump.

Which by coincidence is how I normally end up too!

I have a microfiber towel thing I take on rugby tours. Its as absorbant as a clingfilm. I use it the squeeze the water off me and on to the shower floor.

I also have a drum of silica aerogel. Which is hydroscopic as feck. I could make something.....

I've got the Fluid 2- seems well put together.

Won't hold a track bike/bike with a 120mm axle and a nutted axle in my experience, although it's possible I did something wrong when trying to make that work.

The Super Magneto Pro is fecking awesome.

The pro frame is very stable, even when out of the saddle sprinting.

Its really quiet, even when pushing high speeds.

The flywheel feels just right too.

The different settings help dial in different sessions. I use 'interval' 90% of the time, as it allows me to do my training vids without too much gear changing. But 'mountain' is a great leg destroyer, and 'road' is good for recovery stuff. Never tried the easiest setting, as I have rollers for spinning.

Right.

Dammit's borrowed bits attached to bike. Trainerroad subscription purchased (it looks ACE, btw). 8 minute test run for first time.

Apparently I'm only outputting 79 watts when my HR is at 171!! I think I haven't set it up properly, I don't understand the target power at all. It seems to be asking me to generate 100w in the beginning warm-up stage, but if I'm in the big ring and a middleish cog, spinning at 80-90rpm, that's supposedly 80w or thereabout. I could spin faster to get closer to the target, but that's going to spoil my tempo. I could gear into a smaller cog, but I'm already in a fairly high gear as it is. Um.

Also, I haven't got a garden, any DIY, or a sex life, so yes, this is how I spend my evenings now. Don't judge me, alright.

Dude, it's June - go ride your bike outside. Turbos are for winter and rainy days.

I use one of those microfiber travel towels as they dry incredibly quickly, rather than becoming a heavy sodden stinking wet lump.
Instead, they end up dry and incredibly smelly.

Their capacity to retain stench is unsurpassed.

My micro towel gets hung up to dry where ever I'm touring.
Packed down for the journey home.
left with my kit.
Taken to next away match/tournament.
hung up to dry where ever I'm touring.
Packed down for the journey home.
left with my kit
....etc.

Sometimes I open my kit bag and feel the hairs in my nose sizzle.