The Indoor Riding/ Zwift/ TrainerRoad etc. Thread

[Defy Belief]

Looking for some advice, previous used a tacx vortex but the noise, need for a training tyre etc, I got rid of it a long time ago.

I've just won a tacx flux direct drive (with a free carrera road bike) on the bay, I'll be collecting it tomorrow.

Now I plan to just make the bike a dedicated training bike as its not a bike I'd ever ride out on the road. So I was wondering other than DIY if there is a fixed front wheel stand for bike trainers? A quick Google search and I've found a flex one, and obviously the kickr Hill climb one, but I just want a fixed frame to mount it to.

Might end up building one seem people make them with car axle stands etc.

 

[mrthingyx]

Looking for some advice, previous used a tacx vortex but the noise, need for a training tyre etc, I got rid of it a long time ago.

I've just won a tacx flux direct drive (with a free carrera road bike) on the bay, I'll be collecting it tomorrow.

Now I plan to just make the bike a dedicated training bike as its not a bike I'd ever ride out on the road. So I was wondering other than DIY if there is a fixed front wheel stand for bike trainers? A quick Google search and I've found a flex one, and obviously the kickr Hill climb one, but I just want a fixed frame to mount it to.

Might end up building one seem people make them with car axle stands etc.

A cheap front wheel is probably the best stand, tbh. Less effort than making one, and you know it will fit, too.

 

[Defy Belief]

A cheap front wheel is probably the best stand, tbh. Less effort than making one, and you know it will fit, too.

It's coming with a full set of wheels, part of me just feels like it will never touch a road, so was going to fix it to a board, should be slightly smaller with no feel and it being fixed to an axle.

Probably not much, but just thinking of it as a project to be honest

 

[SoliD]

If its fixed you've got no real ability to shift it out the saddle so it'll be less forgiving on your wrists. A slightly deflated front tyre will be immensely more comfortable. Even though you haven't got bumps those little soft bits of movement do help.

 

[Defy Belief]

That's a fair point tbh, I was thinking more rigid I could put more power down but didn't think about comfort etc.

 

[mrthingyx]

That's a fair point tbh, I was thinking more rigid I could put more power down but didn't think about comfort etc.

Mmm... I used to push Wattbikes beyond their screen limit on wattage (for 2-3 seconds in a blast, mind) and don't have any trouble with a regular wheel (I have a wheel-on turbo) , but then I am never out the saddle on my turbo...

If anything, I was going to build a rocker plate for it to make it less stable...

 

[Defy Belief]

All setup, man it's so much quieter than my old Tacx Vortex I had previously, looking forward to getting back into some Zwift

 

[xdcx]

I don't really look at my power on the road, if anything it limits my performance.

Looked one night at an A80 and I was doing 450w going through to take my turn on the front and thought ****, this is hard.

Bundy has been fun at about 280w average and 320-330w NP. Almost feels easier to do 24.5mph Bundy Vs the last 3 lap sand and secquoa race I did.

It has taken me all this time to fully realise and appreciate it as to why Zwift is so bloomin hard even compared to fast bunches sometimes..... it's because you are never off the pedals on Zwift. You are on them entirely with no freewheel what so ever most of the time. When in a fast bunch you do get a lot of freewheeling and micro recoveries. It doesn't feel it when you are riding the bunch as you're suffering, but in comparison to how much you are on the pedals, it is massively different and I think that's is primary reason Zwift is so damn hard. The new game mechanics have made this even more so IMO.

 

[xdcx]

Currently a bit of a ding dong on the go in the prem division for the ZRL. Week 1 TTT saw some people's game crash immediately on the finish line and made them not appear in the results. My guys were affected.

Last week in the points race even more people affected on the finish line. Another guy of mine was done over by it and didn't appear in results. So many people had the crash bug that they have voided the race from last week.

They have, to my knowledge, not patched it this past week at all so it will likely happen all over again tomorrow evening in race #3. Total **** show.

 

[Defy Belief]

Do most of you guys/girls use a dedicated trainer bike?

My Orbea gravel bike is arriving this week, as above I've bought a tacx flux and it came with a carrera tdf road bike on it, it's not a great bike having set it up, the gearing is way out etc, so instead of tuning all the gears, i'm tempted to sell that as is, and just buy the same cassette that my Orbea will run for the trainer. With it being direct drive it seems pretty easy to just stick it on the trainer so might just get rid of the bike it came with for ease/space.

Cassette would cost me about £75, gear tune for the trainer bike probably be about £20, think it's only 8 speed so might not be enough range on the Carrera.

Gravel bike is 1 x too so that also might not be the best option for home training when I use it, gah decisions.

Edit just remembered I applied for one of those government vouchers so I guess that negates the cost of servicing the bike that is sat on the trainer.

 

[platypus]

Good luck! That 220 is gonna be a real test for so many reasons, unless you have a masterplan where you're prepared to ramp up pretty steadily and quickly for the 6-8 weeks to get some massive rides in and taper?! Or just going to get a bunch of successive shorter rides in across weeks and weeks to build a massive base and then HTFU on the day?!

Oh I'm hoping that the mileage I've done over winter is still in my legs - it certainly feels it with the social weekend rides I've been doing recently. I haven't stopped training, just done 6 weeks of heavy weights, and then a week of rest, and then the plan is to taper the weights down so I can get back to doing ~250km/week which I was doing before.

In other news, 1500m away from the tron bike!

 

[xdcx]

Do most of you guys/girls use a dedicated trainer bike?

My Orbea gravel bike is arriving this week, as above I've bought a tacx flux and it came with a carrera tdf road bike on it, it's not a great bike having set it up, the gearing is way out etc, so instead of tuning all the gears, i'm tempted to sell that as is, and just buy the same cassette that my Orbea will run for the trainer. With it being direct drive it seems pretty easy to just stick it on the trainer so might just get rid of the bike it came with for ease/space.

Cassette would cost me about £75, gear tune for the trainer bike probably be about £20, think it's only 8 speed so might not be enough range on the Carrera.

Gravel bike is 1 x too so that also might not be the best option for home training when I use it, gah decisions.

Edit just remembered I applied for one of those government vouchers so I guess that negates the cost of servicing the bike that is sat on the trainer.

I would just match cassettes and be able to throw your new bike on the trainer.
You have to think about now when you may put your bike on there not so much but then come winter time, your bike may live on it the vast majority of the time. Do you want to be doing 80%+ of your riding on an old 8 speed Carrera? Nobody wants that so you are as well taking the slightly higher money hit but having a nice setup you can just chuck the Orbea on and enjoy your nice new bike no matter where you are using it

 

[Defy Belief]

I would just match cassettes and be able to throw your new bike on the trainer.
You have to think about now when you may put your bike on there not so much but then come winter time, your bike may live on it the vast majority of the time. Do you want to be doing 80%+ of your riding on an old 8 speed Carrera? Nobody wants that so you are as well taking the slightly higher money hit but having a nice setup you can just chuck the Orbea on and enjoy your nice new bike no matter where you are using it

someone will probably buy the bike for about £50 too so I guess that almost covers the cassette anyway Over winter I still plan to ride hence getting a gravel bike, but this will mainly be for commuting to work, so would still be using the trainer a lot in these months but they're so easy to put the bike onto anyway.

 

[UTmaniac]

Do most of you guys/girls use a dedicated trainer bike?

My Orbea gravel bike is arriving this week, as above I've bought a tacx flux and it came with a carrera tdf road bike on it, it's not a great bike having set it up, the gearing is way out etc, so instead of tuning all the gears, i'm tempted to sell that as is, and just buy the same cassette that my Orbea will run for the trainer. With it being direct drive it seems pretty easy to just stick it on the trainer so might just get rid of the bike it came with for ease/space.

Cassette would cost me about £75, gear tune for the trainer bike probably be about £20, think it's only 8 speed so might not be enough range on the Carrera.

Gravel bike is 1 x too so that also might not be the best option for home training when I use it, gah decisions.

Edit just remembered I applied for one of those government vouchers so I guess that negates the cost of servicing the bike that is sat on the trainer.

I simply use my road bike on the turbo, but then I only have two bikes and we don't have a properly secure bike facility at work so I need easy/quick access to my cheap hybrid.

If the Carrera doesn't need much doing to it to make it turbo-worthy, I'd stick with that for turbo sessions, especially if you don't like taking your road bike out during or after wet weather. Having bikes immediately ready for indoor or outdoor riding is one less obstacle/faff.

 

[Defy Belief]

I went for the new cassette route in the end, but i've just realised something, new bike is thru axle and bike on the trainer is not, and I don't think I have an adapter with the flux to convert it, costs of this are adding up

Edit sold the flux locally in the end and bought a Kickr core.

 

[Berger]

Getting close to cancelling my Zwift subscription.

Last two rides it has crashed the exe after 30 mins.

Needless updates each time I login.

Fed up of removing the game. And display drivers every time and hoping it works to get halfway into a ride for a crash.

 

[wonko]

It took about 3 months but I'm fairly chuffed that my fitness/FTP/VO2max is back where it was before a virus (not covid) and chest infection.
I mostly do free rides in Zwift, but have joined the odd race event and the recent ToW stages. I've really not got to grips with the drafting in larger packs, particularly where I've been at the front of a pack (either deliberately pulling others along or by accident), and when someone else takes the front I find myself going backwards quickly and without a big effort being spat out of the back of the pack. Guess that's just a complete lack of experience.
Also tried the Alpe du Zwift this morning for the first time - I'm not exactly lightweight so fairly happy with 48:16.8.

 

[AndyCr15]

I mostly do free rides in Zwift

I recommend trying a workout, or maybe even better, an actual training plan I've not done a free ride for months now, they almost seem like wasting time when done on an indoor bike.

 

[john_smith]

Getting close to cancelling my Zwift subscription.

Last two rides it has crashed the exe after 30 mins.

Needless updates each time I login.

Fed up of removing the game. And display drivers every time and hoping it works to get halfway into a ride for a crash.

I had this issue at the start of the year. The PC is *solid* but suffered random crashes in zwift. I bought an iPad and gave up using the PC.

 

[john_smith]

I recommend trying a workout, or maybe even better, an actual training plan I've not done a free ride for months now, they almost seem like wasting time when done on an indoor bike.

Yep, erg mode training. Zwift helps with the mental aspect of riding on a turbo vs. Trainer road for example.