So I have had the Cycleops Fluid 2 Trainer for two weeks now, and I love it! it served me well for those days with bad weather or when I just didn't feel like going out. I have installed a rear-wheel mounted cadence meter so I am keeping track of my work out. So, all is well except for one nagging issue.

For some reason, I started to get a sore butt from the saddle while on the trainer! Now, the longest I biked outside was about 1.5 hours, but I was usually fine with the saddle. On the trainer, however, I am usually forced to stop after 40 minutes from the soreness and occasional numbness. I wonder why is this. I am in the exact same seating position as when I do cycling outside, since I use one of those front wheel blocks to keep the bike leveled.

Any suggestions? should I consider another saddle, or should I tough it out for a few more weeks? Many thanks.

No butt rests as you struggle up the hills?

As it is so boring- the butt perceives that you have been out for 4 hours and just gives up.

Your butt is telling you that it is time to get out and do some real Exercise.

I'm guessing you move around more on the road, coming up off the saddle from time to time, even if you mostly sit on your saddle when you ride. You're not doing that on your trainer, are you? I assume you're not standing while on it, either.

I actually never get out of the saddle even on hills! As such, I still don't know how difference is the trainer from riding outside

I find more saddle pressure on my trainer. I figure it is because even if you don’t count the hills, every turn, every dip, stop sign, etc changes your position, or at least the amount of weight on the seat. On a trainer it never changes.

Outdoors the bicycle rocks almost imperceptibly side to side under you. It doesn't do that on a normal indoor trainer. (Exception= KK Rock n Roll Trainer).

IMO, now is a good time to learn to stand on the pedals. Even a little time standing provides much needed crotch relief and a little burst of power when you learn how to do it properly.

excellent point folks. I wish I know how to pedal while standing. It looks simple enough when I see others do it but when I try it myself I find it very tricky! I guess I need to hit the web for some instructional videos..

On the trainer just shift into one of your big gears and just go easy until you get the hang of it.

Yes, you want to stand in a harder gear than you use sitting. Feet attached to pedals in some way like clips or clipless pedals makes this safer too.

Every 10-15 minutes stand up and pedal even for a minute. When you are actually riding outside you and the bike move around more than you think. The bike doesnt move at all side to side when its locked in the trainer.

Cycling while standing also brings into play some different muscles in the legs, the butt, the back and the arms than cycling while seated.

OP. Put the bike in a high gear, one or two down from your highest gear, then lean forward and slowly lift your rear out of the saddle.

Too low a gear and you risk a dangerous wobble as you try to stand. Too high and you risk turning the pedals too slowly and losing balance.

Are you changing position, with hands on the drops, on the hoods, on top of the bars?

You probably don't need to stand; maybe, though, you should get off of the saddle by stopping for a minute or two at the 20 min. mark, standing over the top tube or even getting off the bike. Over time you - or your fanny - will get used to spending more time in the saddle on your trainer.

I stand every 5 min for 30 seconds while on the trainer. I do it to give my butt a rest and to break up the boring intervals. If I start a 20 min interval I'll stand at 2:30, 7:30, 12:30 and 17:30. I normally ride around 90RPM and shift up a few gears and pedal at the same speed but a cadence of 70RPM while standing.

very useful advices folks. Much appreciated.

So today I started using my Cyclops trainer. I just downloaded the TurboCrank software program got everything together and started. After a while I thought Man is this hard. Why is this so hard. So while checking the adjustments my hand bumped the rear brake caliper and it was HOT. Only then did I notice that the tire I installed yesterday, a 28mm, and did not pump up topressure until it was on the trainer was too big! It would not turn!! So off to the bike shop and picked up a 23mm cheap tire and all is good.
Boy was that workout tough!!

Try using a Sufferfest video while on the trainer. These will get you moving around a bit more while on the bike. They do a good job of keeping you motivated, getting your heart rate up, varying the workout and most importantly passing the time. A trainer is like a time warp, time starts slowing down until it completely stops.

Thanks to all of you folks for your inputs. I tried the pedaling-while-standing maneuver today and it worked! It wasn't smooth or pretty. Far from it. It was a rather jarring movement, besides I can only do it for like 10-15 seconds since my quads were burning. However, it worked, and I managed to finish the one hour trainer ride without my painful butt stopping me. I must confess, though, that time just doesn't pass easily on the trainer, but I am committed to riding everyday (with one day a week rest) so I won't let the simple boredom stop me.

Now my next question is how do you folks build the stamina to go for longer distance/times? I find that I am pushing myself hard to finish the one hour ride, with an average speed of 10 mph, whether on the trainer or on the road. How long should I expect before I can ride for say 20 or 30 miles straight? Hopefully I can get there in 2013! Cheers.

When you try standing-go a couple of gears higher and when you lift out of the saddle get your body further forward. If you do this on the road- the natural occurrence is that the bike sways from side to side. That cannot be done on a fixed trainer without joining Club Tombay so it does teach you to be smooth when you get out on the road.

On increasing speed- it does have to be worked at. I use a heart monitor and have a max of 160. when I start a ride I get HR up to 120 and then rest back to 100. Then go to 130 and rest back to around 105. Then 140 and rest back to 105 again. Then I go to 150 and completely recover. I then ride with the HR at 130 to 140 and on hills allow it to go to 150 or even higher.

In this way I build up HR gradually and I do find that I can ride all day between 130 and 140. Without this warm up- the first time I try for 140+ it will take a long time to get there and it would take a lot out of me. This warm up can be done on the trainer aswell but if you do not have a heart monitor- then it can be judged on your breathing. FOR ME--- 125 to 130 and I will be breathing hard and talking to someone next to me would be a bit laboured. 140 and talking will be possible but with a lot of intakes of breath. 150+ and talking--would--be very --laboured--and I-would--not be--coherent.

If you get the HR up gradually over the next few weeks- you will find that the body would adjust and sped would go up.

^^^ thanks Stapfam. I have an HR monitor and I have it on when I ride. I noticed that on an easier gear I am in the 130-140 range, and when I push myself some I get to 150-160. This is for speeds of less than 15 mph (goes to show you my fitness level!) However, after one hour of riding I am out of breath AND my legs give up.

Here is another question for ya. When I stop pedaling on the trainer, the rear wheel only freely coast for maybe 5 seconds then it stops, which makes me think I may have tightened the trainer too much. However, I have followed the instruction of Cycleops. Did you experience the same thing on your trainer?

You are fine. The short spin down time is normal because the trainers have a small flywheel.

Don't worry about speed right now as it might come or it might not. Depends on the rides but on my 30 mile rides I average about 12 to 14mph. There is a bit of "Smell the roses" about those rides but one thing I am doing is getting out on the bike. I work with that HR and stay between 130 and 140. Occasionally I put more effort in but if I do I make certain I recover. Funny thing is that when I do longer rides I put a bit more effort in and get nearer the 14mph and on the organised metrics--(62 miles) depending on weather and hills- I am around the 4 hour mark so 15mph average.

What you have to do over the winter is retain most of the fitness you have now or possibly increase on it. Trainers are not the best bit of equipment for the soul as they destroy it. There are not many that are prepared to spend more than an hour on one so perhaps you ought to look at cutting time on it with a bit more effort. Don't know if you have a gym locally but get to a spinning class and find out what you can do on a trainer with a fitness schedule built into it. Spinning classes hurt for the first 6 or so you do but it would get you into a structured programme that works.

You might want to play with the tilt of your seat a bit. I bought the same trainer and got rid of numbness by tilting the seat one notch.