Trainer Question

[Aggie_Ama]

Yes I know this has been discussed to death but I am having trouble searching since the word trainer is common, maybe I am just search challenged.

Is the Cyclops Magneto decent? We don't need a winter trainer, our winters are fairly mild. We want one for pre-race warm up for DH, LIGHT (1x week) weeknight use by me when the time change in place and if Texas were ever blessed with rain for more than 5 minutes maybe a rainy day. But biggest thing would be pre-race that is why I thought Magnetic would be fine. Can they hold mountain bikes? I know noise is an issue but with the little use I think we could handle that. We got a pretty sizable dividend this year from REI, with coupon it almost covers the Magneto.

[Blueberry]

I think it would be fine - I've had one for years. Yes, it's loud. And maybe it's not the most realistic feel - but it works. I do spinervals with mine. A mountain bike will fit - but you'll probably want an extra wheel with a slick tire.

CA

[woohoo]

I have a cycleops fluid 2 and it's brilliant, am really happy with it, so think the magneto should be pretty good too. If it's only occasional use and you want to use mountain bikes all the time though I'd maybe look into rim-mounted trainers as a potential way to cut down the noise without changing wheels out...

Lynne.

[wildeny]

I just bought CycleOps Fluid2. Tried it yesterday with my road bike. Jeez, even with the air-conditioner on, I was sweating buckets just after 10 min. And 15 min later, I took off my shirt.

OK, my question is: why my heart rate was lower than the ones when riding outdoors? I felt my feet were so tired that I stopped after 10 km. Am I so weak?

Ave HR: 118 (vs 14x outdoors)
Max HR: 155 (vs 175+ outdoors -- when climbing)
Calories burnt: 153 kcal (just about a coke's ? )
Ave Speed: 20.36 km/hr
Max Speed: 38.48 km/hr
Ave Cadence: 76

I used 34/14 mostly, as well as the nearby gear ratios.

[ASammy1]

Hey Amanda! I have the Mag + and yes it's loud, but it does the job. I just turn up the TV or my Ipod when using it. It sounds like it will be just fine for the uses you described in your OP.

[SheFly]

I just bought CycleOps Fluid2. Tried it yesterday with my road bike. Jeez, even with the air-conditioner on, I was sweating buckets just after 10 min. And 15 min later, I took off my shirt.

OK, my question is: why my heart rate was lower than the ones when riding outdoors? I felt my feet were so tired that I stopped after 10 km. Am I so weak?

Ave HR: 118 (vs 14x outdoors)
Max HR: 155 (vs 175+ outdoors -- when climbing)
Calories burnt: 153 kcal (just about a coke's ? )
Ave Speed: 20.36 km/hr
Max Speed: 38.48 km/hr
Ave Cadence: 76

I used 34/14 mostly, as well as the nearby gear ratios.

Not sure of the science, but this is a function of riding the trainer. My HR will NOT go to where it needs to be when I am riding the trainer, and nowhere near as high as when I am riding outside. My trainer measures power, so I go by that instead when I am working out indoors.

SheFly

[smilingcat]

totally un-scientific on my part.

Have a 10+ year old blackburn mag trainer. collected dust for about 8 years. So still in good shape. Since I've been back on my bike for the last year and sporadic two years ago, it still does the job, TO WEAR ME OUT.

I can set the thing to different level of resistance and I can also shift around in my gears. In other words, I have lot of freedom on how hard my workout is going to be. It doesn't matter which gear you are in. It's how much power you are generating at the cadence you are spinning. I can make it like I'm climbing a 20% grade by setting the mag unit to max and "riding" at 52x11 gearing. or be lazy and set the mag unit to zero resistance and spin at 39x23 gearing.

So if you are getting crushed by the trainer, think about dropping to a smaller chain ring instead of the large one and maybe even go with bigger (teeth count) cog. Don't think of it like if you are riding on the flat or on a climb. Don't compare your gearing out on the road and on the trainer. Trainer has nothing really to do with the terrain you ride. You can set it to mimic "epic" climb or leisurly climb or coasting on the flat. It's just a matter of setting it up for the kind of training you want to do.

As for your HR, everyone has their natural range. Need to start thinking in terms of your resting HR and max. As you get fitter the max/resting ratio will get bigger because your resting rate will drop but your max will stay constant.

my max hasn't changed in years and I'm pretty old. Max is around 203-210 depending on amount of sleep I had the night before, how fresh I feel in the morning and amount of booze I drank the night before. my resting HR is still in the low 50s. That's what my doctor said just last week. What I am trying to say here is that don't compare your HR to others. compare your HR to your base line both at rest and your max HR. Everyone has a different set of numbers.

Another point having a low HR is not necessarily a good thing. I tend to get light headed fairly often and near fainting spell several times a week, thus my visit to the doctor last week.

Hope this helps with your trainer ride.