Getting a trainer...ideas re bike for the trainer?

[RoadRaven]

Are there horror stories? What happens? (Now you have me worried...)

Well, its just that road bikes are made for the road. And if you are spending alot of money on a road bike (which is a relative thing anyways depending on what your budget is for a bike) then why on earth would you clamp the forks into one place and then apply pressure in your indoor ride that the frame would not usually have on the road.

On the road, as you lean from side to side, the bike leans with you, the handlebars move, it responds to your requests.

On a trainer, your bike is fixed upright, it cannot move with your movements. And this is probably ok if what you mostly do on your trainer is sit and spin. But I stand, I practice timetrialling, I get tired and start to pulll on the handlebars and I don't want to put my bike through that.

A complicating factor in our house was the number of us wanting to use the indoor trainer... so we were constantly taking different bikes on and off the trainer... and IMHO, your shouldn't mess around with taking your bike apart - even if its just the front wheel - any more than you have to.

[RoadRaven]

Oh, I just told my partner what I was posting, and he called out definately no expensive or carbon frame bikes on a trainer...

[smilingcat]

I have my beater Bridgestone bike circa '82 maybe '84 ??

Since you are on the trainer, don't you want your work out to be just that much harder. You're not leaving home so does it matter if the rear wheel wobbles or the rear brake pads scrapes the wheel as you spin. Well aside from the added noise but... You'll be a lot stronger when you get on your good bike.

my father thought I should train with a cross bike with solid rubber tires with big lug and have the brake pads scrape the wheel at all times. Heavier the bike, the better he thought. He further suggested that I add panniers filled with rocks for hill climbs.

get a beater even a $50 bike for the trainer. single speed is fine if you can adjust the load while spinning.

Smilingcat

[Starfish]

Raven, thanks. That is clarifying!