Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Big guys and trainers/trainer bikes

So here's a question, and I am pretty sure I already know the answer but thought I'd get a thread going anyway, is there anything for us big fellas to watch out for when shopping for trainers? I'm going to be in the market for one (as I suspect are many others) here in the coming months, and figured I'd throw this out there before there. Seems fluid trainers are generally preferred over mag, etc etc. But.. is there anything those of us with LBS (Large Bottom Syndrome) need to watch out for?

Second question, again I think I know the answer, but are there any special considerations for a bicycle that will (essentially) live on the trainer? I'm guessing the ever-troublesome area for some of us - wheels - will no longer really be a consideration, as on a trainer wheels won't be subject to much (if any) shock or weight. Frames, yeah I would think that even if it's going to live on a trainer, a CF frame will still not be the best plan for a super-clyde.

Personally, I was looking at this.. *holds breath and looks around for road cycling members..*:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/motobecane_record.htm

I had thought about getting a Trek 1000 because, well, I like the paint job! :D But then I realized... if it's not going outside...... you get the idea :). For the price of the Trek, I can have a bike AND a trainer.. so that's a win-win kind of thing.

Anyway.. impressions?

Don't go cheap on a trainer! Best advice I can give here. I use the Kurt Kinetic, myself. It's a fluid trainer and very stable and provides a variable resistance and is quiet, relatively speaking! You can use a mountain bike on it too, just use a slick tire with NO tread.

Far as the bike goes....ChunkyD rides a Dawes from that source and likes it a lot! It's a nice riding bike.

Thanks for the advice Tom! Those look pretty nice, actually, and are well within my budget. A friend and cycling buddy has a CompuTrainer that is.. well.. RIDICULOUSLY cool but waaay outside of my budget :). The Kurt Kinetics, however, are right in there. Can you adjust them with one of those computers (like a Minoura) while on the trainer?

I'm looking at the "Road Machine" and wow.. unconditional lifetime warranty... etc..etcc... darnit :).

Thanks for the advice Tom! Those look pretty nice, actually, and are well within my budget. A friend and cycling buddy has a CompuTrainer that is.. well.. RIDICULOUSLY cool but waaay outside of my budget :). The Kurt Kinetics, however, are right in there. Can you adjust them with one of those computers (like a Minoura) while on the trainer?

I'm looking at the "Road Machine" and wow.. unconditional lifetime warranty... etc..etcc... darnit :).
Actually, they operate on a combination of magnetics and fluid resistance. To change the resistance, you either drop gear range or upshift and resume your cadence. The faster you turn it, the higher the resistance goes. It gives a great workout and isn't noisy like the wind or pure magnetic trainer. The other advantage is that the fluid chamber doesn't have a shaft to have to maintain a seal on, this is where the magnetics come in. The impeller for the fluid resistance is a rare earth magnet that is rotated with a magnetic field.:D

Winter here in MN will be here sooner than we want. I was planning on getting a trainer for the winter months. But I though I could just use my regular bike. Why do you have to buy a different bike?

What's the diff between a bike on a trainer and a stationary bike? I have a stationary recumbent I use during the winter. I know it exercises different muscles than my upright MTB, but how different is it, health-wise?

I am glad this topic came up. That Kinetic Road Machine might be what I look very hard at. The Unconditional Lifetime warranty on the entire trainer is nice to say the least.

I am now thinking the Le Tour I am re-doing might be able to live on something like that over the bad parts of the winter keeping the MTB free for nicer days.

What's the diff between a bike on a trainer and a stationary bike? I have a stationary recumbent I use during the winter. I know it exercises different muscles than my upright MTB, but how different is it, health-wise?
It just allows you to keep the same ergonomic position as when you ride. Cardio will be the same though.:D

Winter here in MN will be here sooner than we want. I was planning on getting a trainer for the winter months. But I though I could just use my regular bike. Why do you have to buy a different bike?
I think he's looking for an excuse for a new bike!;) :p :D

One Caution with advice is to replace your skewer with a full METAL skewer, preferably steel when you use a Trainer. Some Skewers come with a plastic capped captive nut on one side and while that works for use on the bike, this won't stand up to use on the trainer. Also, the Alloy skewers with also get dinged up in many trainers so save those for the ride and get a metal one for the trainer.

Also, GREASE that skewer before you use it on the trainer.

Chris

One Caution with advice is to replace your skewer with a full METAL skewer, preferably steel when you use a Trainer. Some Skewers come with a plastic capped captive nut on one side and while that works for use on the bike, this won't stand up to use on the trainer. Also, the Alloy skewers with also get dinged up in many trainers so save those for the ride and get a metal one for the trainer.

Also, GREASE that skewer before you use it on the trainer.

Chris
Agreed, and Kurt provides an all metal skewer with the trainer!:D Part o' the package!

I bought a Blackburn Magnetic Trainer for 40 bux off of craigslist. Has 7 resistance settings. Great for winter, but it gets old after a while. Go for a fluid or magnetic trainer...I have heard nothing but complaints about the fan ones.

+1 on the skewers. My plastic cap was pretty chewed up after one season on it.

Stay away from using MTB tires, the sound will drive you nuts!

Another tip: get a trainer "rock" Keeps the bike level with the ground by giving your front tire something to sit on and doesn't make you feel like you're biking down hill for however long you're on your trainer. Mine is a cyclops brand.

Crank some tunes!

What's the advantage or disadvantage of a trainer over rollers? Maybe that should be a different thread?

Winter here in MN will be here sooner than we want. I was planning on getting a trainer for the winter months. But I though I could just use my regular bike. Why do you have to buy a different bike?

You most certainly do not have to, using your regular bike is perfectly fine. As Tom noted, you want to swap out knobbies on any bike with them, but beyond that you are good.

I'm going to dedicate a bike to it as I'd like to run a trainer tire (they last a long time on the wheel, but apparently suck/aren't fit for road use) on it, and I'd like to have it setup and ready to use whenever I want.

I think he's looking for an excuse for a new bike!;) :p :D

Sssshhh.. don't say that too loudly! :D

What's the diff between a bike on a trainer and a stationary bike? I have a stationary recumbent I use during the winter. I know it exercises different muscles than my upright MTB, but how different is it, health-wise?
I've got a DB stationary 'bent. I ride it when I'm playing video games or watching movies. Playing Gears of War is really tough on my MTB on a mag-trainer stand.


Another tip: get a trainer "rock" Keeps the bike level with the ground by giving your front tire something to sit on and doesn't make you feel like you're biking down hill for however long you're on your trainer. Mine is a cyclops brand.
Mine is a Yellow Pages phone book. By the time I wear it out, the company has already delivered a replacement to my doorstep. :)

I bought a Blackburn Magnetic Trainer for 40 bux off of craigslist. Has 7 resistance settings. Great for winter, but it gets old after a while. Go for a fluid or magnetic trainer...I have heard nothing but complaints about the fan ones.

+1 on the skewers. My plastic cap was pretty chewed up after one season on it.

Stay away from using MTB tires, the sound will drive you nuts!

Another tip: get a trainer "rock" Keeps the bike level with the ground by giving your front tire something to sit on and doesn't make you feel like you're biking down hill for however long you're on your trainer. Mine is a cyclops brand.

Crank some tunes!

+1 on the Mtb Tire and the Skewers. Mtb's are so load you won't even be able to stand it, nice smooth tires are great.

Far as the bike goes....ChunkyD rides a Dawes from that source and likes it a lot! It's a nice riding bike.

I think Continental makes a trainer tire, hard as a rock and bright yellow or orange.

I bought a Cyclops Fluid II three years ago and it was the best thing I ever did. Very sturdy (I'm 250+ and it's as sturdy as a rock under me), easy to use, you change your "load" by shifting gears. I can bike all winter so that by the first ride outside I'm in top shape. Well worth the money. I only caution you may have to get a new skewer- it can only use a certain (common) skewer cone geometry.

spend the money on the trainer, and get the bike from craig's list. No need for an off-the-showroom bike for a trainer.

(FWIW, I ride rollers)

Buy the best trainer you can afford, but don't go ape. Check Performance or Nashbar and look at their proprietary higher-priced jobs.

Ideally, you should avoid chromoly on the trainer -- you will absolutely rust the peewaddin' out of the frameset. Aluminum is way better. You need something that fits and works. I have an ancient, chronically rusting Colnago with a Campy Nuovo Record gruppo, Nisi rims laced to old high-flange Campy hubs. I recycle my worn-out road tires on the rear and use IT on my trainer.

That, in fact, will probably be your biggest mechanical concern: wearing out (rear) tires.

Don't overspend.

I noticed again today when I was doing some work on the trainer that it would be nice to have a bike just for the trainer, as I seem to flex the bottom bracket A LOT when I really start to turn the screws. Maybe I put the same amount of flex into the bike when I am out riding, but I just don't notice it as much. So if you have a "racing" frame it would be nice to have a beater for trainer and not stress the good frame so much.

Just a thought.

Caincando1! A wind trainer for $75 on Craig's list. I can't remember if this was a good thing or it drove people crazy, so do a search. If you decide you want it, I can get it for you, depending on where it is located. Don't trust me to see if it's in good shape and operating well, though. :o

Cycleops "Wind" Trainer and Riser
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/bik/382864133.html

Caincando1! A wind trainer for $75 on Craig's list. I can't remember if this was a good thing or it drove people crazy, so do a search. If you decide you want it, I can get it for you, depending on where it is located. Don't trust me to see if it's in good shape and operating well, though. :o

Cycleops "Wind" Trainer and Riser
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/bik/382864133.html


Thanks for the offer! I think I'm going to wait till we get a little closer to winter before I buy a trainer. Then again, we are in Minnesota...so that might be soon:D

I have the cycle ops fluid II and I like it a lot.

The fluid and the wind trainer are two different things, right? Is this wind trainer a good thing? I was just being polite since I knew Caincando1 was looking for one. If he doesn't want, I might go look at this.

I seem to remember that there was one kind everyone hated, and I think it was the wind one....

Starting from the bottom up in quality:

Wind
Magnetic
Fluid


Go with Fluid, all the way!

Wind trainers function really well. Unfortunately they're loud as hell. I like to watch TV, play a movie or listen to lecture while I'm on mine, so wind doesn't work. If you live with others, it really doesn't work.

OK, I've pretty much decided to use a trainer to supplement my outdoor riding this winter. I decided to start looking NOW for a bike to put on it - what do you guys think of this? I'm not used to riding a road bike, but eventually want to.

http://fayar.craigslist.org/bik/382847930.html The price is certainly right...

Advice? Suggestions? General suggestions for what you need the bike to be able to do, if it's going to live on a trainer? I'd be kind of surprised if this particular one's still available, for $5! :)

Edit.. oops. it's just a wheel. For some reason I thought it was a bike missing a rear wheel. Suggestions are still welcome!

Actually, it's a quick process putting a bike on or off of a trainer.....

Takes all of 2 or 3 minutes. You can use your regular bike, unless you want a dedicated bike for the trainer. Then pretty much any bike will do! Just use a smooth rear tire!
OK, I've pretty much decided to use a trainer to supplement my outdoor riding this winter. I decided to start looking NOW for a bike to put on it - what do you guys think of this? I'm not used to riding a road bike, but eventually want to.

http://fayar.craigslist.org/bik/382847930.html The price is certainly right...

Advice? Suggestions? General suggestions for what you need the bike to be able to do, if it's going to live on a trainer? I'd be kind of surprised if this particular one's still available, for $5! :)

Edit.. oops. it's just a wheel. For some reason I thought it was a bike missing a rear wheel. Suggestions are still welcome!

I just toss my Lemond in the trainer. You're not going to beat the crap out of your primary ride while it's on a trainer. You'll get some wear and tear on your components, but whatever. Just buy a crappy rear tire to wear out.

Oh, and start downloading some shows to watch while you ride this winter. :D

I just toss my Lemond in the trainer. You're not going to beat the crap out of your primary ride while it's on a trainer. You'll get some wear and tear on your components, but whatever. Just buy a crappy rear tire to wear out.

Oh, and start downloading some shows to watch while you ride this winter. :D

Or for $35.00 you can get the Continental Trainer Tire that will last for a long, long time and you won't have to keep replacing those crappy tires. I got a low cost rear wheel that I put the trainer tire on and all I have to do it swap the rear wheel when I want to use the trainer and I am ready to go in less than 5 minutes.

1up usa makes one of the best trainers and the machine work is very nice. Price is good too. http://1upusa.com