squeaky trainer??

[Rumblefish]

Yesterday my boyfriend hooked my bike up to the trainer and all was well....we took it off and I just put it back on today, but it makes a squeaking sound now. It's definitely coming from the back tire and that giant thing it turns against (no idea what it's called). I've adjusted the tension and that doesn't seem to help. Is the squeak something I should worry about or is it alright to get on and start pedaling? I called him at work and he doesn't seem to know what the problem is....some help!! I've already tried taking the bike and putting it back on just to make sure, and it's still squeaking. What can I do?

[violette]

I bought a Kurt Kinetic trainer and had the same problem. It's the air in your tires. Make sure you have a lot of air. And also make sure the resistance isn't too tight. after you fixed this, It should only squeek for a few minutes until the wheel gets warm. Then you're off to the races!!

Keep us posted...

[Rumblefish]

thank you!!!!!

time to pump up that tire....hopefully I can do it!

[Rumblefish]

...and I CAN do it!!! I do need to do push ups or something to get these twiggy arms of mine stronger though...cause boy that was tough! Thanks for the help!!

[Jiffer]

Just a bonus piece of info ... you should fill your tires often. DH does it every time he rides. I'm still a tire pumping moron who can't get the stupid thing to work, so he does it for me for now! (I'm determined to figure it out myself, though!) He says keeping your tires filled helps reduce flats. The less air you have, the more likely something will wiggle in there and cause a leak. He used to get flats a lot more often before he started filling his tires before each ride. Every tire has a different requirement as to how much air it should have. Hopefully you know what yours is.

[Rumblefish]

Thanks again!

My boyfriend usually fills my tires for me because he's much better at it and it takes literally a quarter of the time it takes me. I'll inform him he needs to do it before every ride now! (I'm thinking he's not going to like me being on this forum when it adds up to more work for him )

[Kano]

I check my tires and add air before each ride too -- I remember reading about air once, like you've just done, rumble! DH gives me all kinds of crap about it. He'll call and say start filling your tires, I'll be home in 20 minutes...

YESTERDAY, he called and said fill your tires, I'm on my way, you can meet me at such and such corner. I went out to do just that, and AARGH! That tire I'd patched last time I rode was FLAT again! I called him back and said don't count on me, and don't count on those free patches we got from that one beer company that has a bike on the label.

Anyway, more flat fixing experience! AND, delightfully surprising, I managed to change the tube, put air in both tires, change clothes and still meet DH at that corner he'd suggested for the last bit of his ride home!

May I suggest, though, that you work on your tire pumping skills? It's a good thing to be able to do this on your own, in case you ever want to ride without your tire pumping guy! I didn't have any problem with my comfort bike's schrader valves, but those presta valves on my road bike, I had to go back to my bike guy for a quick lesson on how to work them! I don't think it's just me, cuz I've read a few times that people struggle a little with these guys, but I've discovered that the valve does have to be just so in my floor pump. Once it's there, it's not real hard to pump up, and while my arms are more substantial than stick-like, they're not substantial from muscle strength!

(DH is always hoping I'll do HIS tires too)

Karen in Boise

[Rumblefish]

My tire pumping pal insists I be self sufficient no matter how hard I fight it and constantly shows me new things and makes me adjust stuff on my bike on my own, with his supervision of course so I don't royally mess something up! I'll be a tire pumping machine one day!!