Flat area on tire after trainer affect handling?

[equus123]

its highly recommended to not go out on the road after a tire has been on a trainer. buy an extra rear wheel with a cheap cassette (and of course you'll need a tube and tire) to use on the trainer. you can switch on the fly or ride both indoors and out. I got a wheelset from performancebike.com for only $135 that I use as my "trainer" or "beater" wheels.

[li10up]

Well, the weather was nice enough Sunday to ride. I could tell a bit of a difference at first with the handling but after a few miles it all seemed fine. After the ride I checked the tire and it had "rounded" itself back out. Guess I'll just keep an eye on the tire and take it easy when going from trainer back to road. I'll probably just replace the tire when I don't plan on riding the trainer any more.

[beetle]

If you ride the trainer frequently

What is frequently?How many miles? I am planning on doing 500km (300mi) before I get out on the road again. Should I look at replacing the tyre then? Obviously tyres come in varying degrees of durability and everyone rides on different surfaces but is there a rough guide as to what sort of milage should be expected from a tyre? Do manufacturers provide this sort of info?

[velogirl]

I put about 10 hours a week on my trainer in the winter months and I don't find that my tire wears excessively. If you tighten the flywheel down enough, it shouldn't degrade. When folks don't tighten the flywheel down enough, the tire slips, causingthe rubber to degrade.

Tip of the day: if you go from road to trainer, clean your tire with a damp rag before riding the trainer. One little piece of glass that is on the surface will work it's way into the tire and puncture the tube with the added resistance of the flywheel.