mountain bikes and Trainers

[ColleenT]

i am wondering if mountain bikes are ok with trainers. i would like to ride in the house, and my bike is sort of a MB/road bike. it has chunky tires. not smooth ones. will this be a problem with a trainer?

[madisongrrl]

You need to use a slick for your rear wheel.

[ColleenT]

ok... What's a slick?

[chickwhorips]

a slick tire is one that is compeletly smooth. it will be as wide as your normal mtb tire, but only without the "knobs".

i put my mtb on the trainer all the time in the winter. i haven't had any problems with it at all. the only thing is changing out the back tire to the slick one.

[ColleenT]

ok, thanks. i'll go to the Bike store and see if i can get one.

[velogirl]

Actually, you don't have to use slicks on a trainer. I use a standard cycleops fluid trainer to warm-up for both mtn bike and cyclocross races -- with my knobby tires -- and it works just fine. And if you ever go to a mtn bike race, you'll hear the buzz/whir of every rider there warming up on their trainer (with knobbies).

Slicks will be quieter, and some folks will say they give you a more consistent feel, but knobbies work just fine too.

BTW, there are certain styles of trainers made just for mtn bikes. They have a rim-driven flywheel. This eliminates the need to swap tires if you don't want to use knobbies on your regular trainer.

[Pebble]

I've got a Minoura mag trainer & it's the rim drive type so it doesn't matter what kind of tires are on the bike.
I also recently upgraded from a Hardrock to a Giant Trance & thought I'd better check with giant in regards to using a dually with a trainer. They said it was fine as long as you use the front wheel chock to keep the bike level (means no unnecessary load on the suspension).

Unfortunately I don't use the trainer as much as I should (got it due to being tied down with the kids) as I much prefer to ride out on the trail!

http://forums.farkin.net/photo/data/500/medium/July2006_003_1_1.jpg

[ColleenT]

ok, thanks everyone for the feedback. i was wondering what kind of pain in the rear it would be to remove the back tire, and replace it. i need a course in assembling the bike. it came assembled.

[madisongrrl]

Changing your rear tire isn't hard, but see if you can get a lesson from someone. Else, I'm sure you can google it. It is something you need to learn how to do anyway. You never know when you might flat!

Whatever tire you use on your trainer is going to wear down. So buy something inexpensive. I typically use retired road tires for my trainer (along with an old wheel.....I just change the wheels out because it is easier than changing the tire all the time).

[ColleenT]

that sounds like a good idea. i need to find a decent bike shop tho. the one i went to was not so hot. i will keep looking and see if they will teach me how to do it easily.

[Pebble]

Changing a tyre is definitely a skill that will come in handy, and it's not that hard to do once you learn how.

Park Tools website is usually pretty good for instructions on techy stuff.

Tire & Inner Tube Replacement (http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=100)

If you plan on putting alot of miles in using a trainer you may want to consider one of those bike trainers that is a bike in it's own right - it's a good option if you're not scarce with space. The benefits of going that way is that you don't wear out the drive train etc on your real bike particularly if you're trainer bound all winter or something.

The plus to the type you were considering of course is that you get to use your own bike & it saves room. They can also be handy as a bike holder if you ever have a go at adjusting your gears and other bits & pieces (changing handlebar & stem etc). Just remember parts on your bike will wear (the chain etc) as if you were using it for real riding (well except for the tyres if it's a rim drive!).

[ColleenT]

ok, i do need to learn how to change my rear tire. front tire is a quick change.

I got my Trainer (mag) last night. now i have one Question. my Trainer has 5 speeds on it, and so what gear am i supposed to ride my bike in while on the trainer? does it matter? am i supposed to change bike gears while on the trainer or not? thanks.

the Trainers that look like a Bike are out of my budget. this is a hobby right now, but i also have a horse that i ride, so Biking cannot be my MAIN hobby. i don't have too much money to play with, so i have to be cheap with the bike.

[Geonz]

DOn't feel guilty about not buying everythign :-) But you can buy a cheap tire so you can wear it out on the trainer, and make it a smooth one.

Changing the rear tire really isn't that much harder than the front.

[Pebble]

If your trainer hasn't got any sort of remote (like the cable I have running to my handlebars) then you will find it best to change bike gears while riding. Just avoid the combinations like small ring up fron & small cog up back or big rigng up front & big cog up back as these combos are bad for your chain (stretch & wear).

I have a remote lever to change the mag resistance on the trainer, but honestly I find that I use my bike gears more and it helps to produce more of a real riding feel than just adjusting the mag resistance on it's own. Although you will have to find the best (out of 5 settings available) for your fitness level at to start with, and adjust in accordance if you need a harder workout etc.

I remember reading somewhere too that pro riders do use a specific routine on the trainer with specific gear combinations for specific lengths of time to train in ceratin aspects of performance or fitness (cardio, or power etc).

And don't worry about having a limited budget for the bike, sometimes I wish I had brought a cheaper model trainer than I did because I think it would have done just as good a job :)

The rear tyre is exactly the same to change as the front - only it can be a bit confusing when putting the wheel back on - so take good note of how it sits with regards to the rear derailleur and while you are removing it. I still find that I have to pay good attention to that aspect even now!

[ColleenT]

thanks. my mag trainer has 5 gears, but i guess i'll try keeping it at a mid range and using my own gears on the bike. the rear tire cannot be as easy as the front. my front tire has aquick change lever. and the back tire i need to worry about the chain and derailer. So that is the scary part for me. if i did it a few times at a Bike shop, i'd feel better about it.. so if i can find a good bike shop, i'll see if they'll help me out. in the meantime, i bought a book on repairing bikes, it is coming from Amazon. my trainer cost me about $109, plus tax and shipping came to a total of About $139. My Bike cost $135. So i bought the cheaper stuff, but the mag trainer seems pretty good for a cheap one. and it is not very loud.

[velogirl]

The most important step to removing the rear wheel is to shift your rear derailleur into the smallest cog. This lines the derailleur up furthest away from the bike and allows you to just pop out the wheel.

It's easier to understand when you can see and follow along, but here's the skinny. You should not have to touch the chain at all. Nope. Not at all.


With your right hand (unless you're in the UK), shift with the small lever into the smallest cog.
Stand on the non-drive side of the bike, facing backwards, with your saddle resting on the side of your hip.
Release the quick release on the rear brake (Shimano push up the lever on the brake caliper; Campy release the button on the right shift lever).
Open the quick release skewer on the rear wheel (you don't need to remove the skewer, just loosen it).
With your left hand, hold the nose of saddle.
With your right hand, hold the wheel.
Simultaneously, lift up with the saddle and push down with the wheel.
Dance the cassette out of the chain (see this is easier to do than write) and remove the wheel from the bike.

Voila!

Reverse the process to put the wheel back in. The most important concept is that you want to aim the chain onto the small cog (or the 2nd smallest cog). Then just push down and the wheel will fall into the drop-outs.

Practice this ten times and you'll have it for life.

[ColleenT]

my rear wheel is NOT a Quick release

[velogirl]

my rear wheel is NOT a Quick release

Wow! Then you'll need a wrench and some elbow grease. Have you checked to make sure your bike will fit in the trainer? Some of the non QR-skewers are too wide to fit. Maybe your LBS can hook you up with a QR for your bike?

[ColleenT]

it fits in the trainer just fine. no problem. i just think that changing a rear tire will be a b*tch. well, at least until i learn how to do it properly..

[Pebble]

Not having QR levers on the back wheel shouldn't make that much difference - it just means you need a spanner (wrench?) to undo the bolts instead - you don't need to take the bolts off completely.

Taking it off will be the easy part (like previously posted by velogirl) & putting it back on may be a fraction harder - untill you figure out how it sits in the detailleur thingy (probably the most daunting bit for you I guess).

When you put it back on it's just a matter of making sure you do the bolts back up evenly - hand tight & then take turns on either side untill they're tight enough. (basically saying don't tighten one side with all your might before doing the other side).

If you have a good bike shop to show you then that would be a good way to do it. Probably best that you do it yourself under their instruction - it's best way to learn. Otherwise if you can have a go yourself with someone on hand if you really get bamboozled then that wouldn't be a bad option either.

I remember trying to get a set of pedals off my bike (now I had done this before but it just wasn't budging) anyway a quck post on the forum asking which way I should be turning it to loosen and problem solved!