Trainer question

[Catrin]

This is probably a silly question, but am going to ask it anyway

I have a Kurt Kinetic Road Machine trainer, and my LHT is currently my trainer bike. My bike is on the trainer properly, and I know how to adjust the resistance, the resistance on the rear wheel has been tightened so that it isn't slip.

My problem is this - I can't seem to get enough resistance on the trainer when I use it. My Gunnar? Less of a problem, but my LHT is just too blasted easy on the trainer, even in the hardest of gears. I've checked the resistance wheel against the back tire of the bike just in case, and it is adjusted properly. I CAN stand on the LHT while on the trainer, and it feels quite stable...but is this common?

The Gunnar feels better on the trainer, more resistance and I can even get my quads burning, but not the LHT. Both bikes have equally deep gearing, but of course neither are traditional road bikes and I am in the hardest of gears. Am I missing something obvious here?

Signed....Perplexed in Indianapolis

[Owlie]

Are your bikes geared the same?

[Catrin]

Same range of gears in the back, different cranks. Gunnar has a full SRAM mountain bike drivetrain while tba LHT has a road crank. I did check the slippage on my trainer a short time ago and it seemed fine...

[Owlie]

Same range of gears in the back, different cranks. Gunnar has a full SRAM mountain bike drivetrain while tba LHT has a road crank. I did check the slippage on my trainer a short time ago and it seemed fine...

Huh. I'd have thought it would be the opposite.

Tires? I don't know if it would make a difference, though.

[Catrin]

Huh. I'd have thought it would be the opposite.

Tires? I don't know if it would make a difference, though.

Tires are quite different, my Gunnar has 1.75 tires while my LHT has the 1.25 inch stock tires that comes with it. The tires was one of the reasons I switched bikes on the trainer - I can't get "trainer tires" just yet and while both sets of tires are premium, they are less expensive on my LHT. It also leaves my Gunnar ready to ride outside at a moment's notice when the weather allows I also love the tires on my Gunnar and am not about to destroy them on the trainer...

The LHT does come with a "mixed" drive-train, which to my mind makes it a true "hybrid". I may call my LBS today and see if they have any thoughts. They use the same trainer in a large class they offer twice each winter, so they should be familiar with any oddities regarding the setup. I can't see how it should matter which bike I use on it - but it is a world of difference between the two bikes