Tacx turbo trainer

blahblah06

Is it just me or is it a lot harder to keep the same speed on a trainer then it is when outside ?

Also the sweat is unreal I take it even tho your slower ur loosing more calories no?

Raam

It depends what resistance setting you have it on.

blahblah06

Well I had it on 0 but how loose do u guys have the flywheel against the tyre? Just touching it?

Raam

On mine, it makes a slight impression on the tyre. Anyway, the turbo can sometimes feel harder because there is no wind to aid you, no passing scenery to distract you and no air flow to keep you cool.

Fender76

What resistance/gears do u guys use...? And how long per session...?

Raam

I find that I am usually at the upper end of the gearing. I've been working my way up the resistance ladder for the last few weeks of sessions.

My own sessions are usually 50 to 70 minutes.

blahblah06

tp be fair i had the flywheel way to tight just loosened it there with the black screw thing didnt know i could.

I had it fully tight and did an hour averaging 17.6km

will try again tomorrow and im sure will do better

Raam

Are you using it to spin or are you putting in effort?
I mean, using it to do some heavy sessions.

Fender76

My own sessions are usually 50 to 70 minutes.

Yeah, its quite tough isn't it.. I've been struggling to get over the hour mark... combination of being dreanched in sweat and having lost interest....

topper75

It is better than negotiating dark and iced roads. I put it out in the shed. I used to roast after 5 mins in the house. I bring out the laptop and headphones to distract myself with a DVD. You have to watch something fast-paced though or else your legs get confused!

But, all told, roll on the stretch in the evening in Spring so I can take off the plastic tyre and do some real mileage. You need that breeze to feel the buzz.

Raam

My sessions are scheduled for 4 by 10 minutes or 3 by 15 minutes with a warm up and cool down either side.

Longer turbo sessions are not my cup of tea so I aim to get the most out of it in an hour twice a week. The weekends are for long distances/time.

Fender76

Raam.. do u mean that u go hell for leather for 10 mins, warm down for a few mins and then do another 10 mins etc...?

Raam

Yeah.

Ispin

As an aside do people normally get the Tacx trainer tyre or stick with the standard rubber tyre, I've been using mine(standard tyre) on 50 min sessions with max resistance (10). The problem is the wheel starts to melt.

blahblah06

My aim is to average an hour - 2 hours at 22km I could do 24km avg on the roads no problem.

It's great I have it in the sitting room with a fan and was watching transporter 3 in hd time flew in.

Just hope I have the setting right.
Anyone see my thread bout the BBb computer?

Raam

Trainer tyre for me.

lalorm

If you can manage it, get the Tacx i-Magic trainer. I use that one with real life video. It's much better than looking at the walls. Try a TT up Alpe d'Huez or the Gallibier etc. It's great, makes it much more interesting and you can stay at it for much longer 2 to 3 hours no problem because it looks and feels like you are on the road. When you see the road kick up you really feel it.

Raam

I think the video stuff is nice to have, I've used it on my brother's turbo a few times. It can be good motivation.

The downside is the price of it. I settled with the Tacx Flow.

It gives a power output (yes, I know it is not entirely accurate) and a resistance level, amongst others. For me, that is enough for any heavy intervals.

I have no plans to do 2 or 3 hour sessions on the thing, at least not in the immediate future. If I do, then a DVD would probably do me.

RebelButtMunch

blahblah06 wrote: »

Is it just me or is it a lot harder to keep the same speed on a trainer then it is when outside ?

Also the sweat is unreal I take it even tho your slower ur loosing more calories no?

Sweat doesn't mean more calories. It just means your hotter. Which could mean you stop training sooner than you would if outdoors. Which actually would mean less calories

lalorm

Out on the road you still sweat just as much for the same effort, just you don't notice it as much because the wind cools you down and dries it off a little. On the turbo there's no wind so it seams like there is more sweat.
Try wearing sweat bands around your wrists. That helps to keep your hands dry. A sweat band around your head just makes you itch and look like John McEnroe

Raam

I would expect that you are sweating much more indoors than outdoors since it is warmer indoors (at least it is these days), so your body produces more sweat in order to regulate your temperature. I'm happy to be corrected on that

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

My pace on the turbo is always higher (even with climbs built in) I use the Tacx Fortius VR Multiplayer and on average i hit 34/35 kmph on each session but out on the road i hit around 29kpmh. Road conditions and wind probably contribute to the drop off.

100Suns

Ispin wrote: »

As an aside do people normally get the Tacx trainer tyre or stick with the standard rubber tyre, I've been using mine(standard tyre) on 50 min sessions with max resistance (10). The problem is the wheel starts to melt.

Check that the wheel isn't slightly off centre on the roller. There are plastic pins flush on the edges of the rollers. If the tyre comes in contact with them everything starts to fry. I use a standard tyre - an old schwalbe durano which is a road training tyre.

'68 Fastback

I got the Tacx Flow this time last year after a crash damaged my shoulder and kept me off the roads. From what Raam says I'm pretty sure I have it set up right. I did a 10 min warm up followed by 3-5 intervals of 5mins balls out with 3mins recovery then finish with a 10 min warm down. When the shoulder healed up and I got out on the road again I really noticed the difference. I can sprint and recover way faster than I ever could before. Still can't climb for sh!t but couldn't get over how the trainer improved my recovery.