One more thing you missed. Rotate your front tire a few degrees every so often. That way you don't end up resting your full weight on the same spot for months at a time. It might wear, develop micro splits, or perhaps show signs of dry rot.
something I often come across is the problem of the front tire slowly deflating. it you dont check that regularly, it happens that at some point youre riding on your rims which isnt good for sure. therefore thats also something to keep an eye on.
not yet :). got a kickr bike, been using the towel for 2 years now (i wash it after every workout) and together with headband and wristbands it really isn't an issue, the tape looks still like brand new@@gcntech
@@svedr2same here - thick gym towel covering the whole cockpit and half the top tube. Towel gets washed after every session, bike gets washed every month and dried with an air compressor. On top of that I wear gloves as I’m used to it and my bar tape looks brand new - never gets damp.
Just like to mention headbands/bandannas. In my experience they massively reduce the amount a sweat falling on your bike (and I’m like Si when it come to sweating🥵) so no need for frame shields. You do end up looking a bit retro but who’s looking right 😉
Exacly this@@mommamooney ! Ever since I started riding Rouvy inside and when I found out how much I sweat when climbing the hills, I started to use the headbands and it is soo much better. Keeping the salt off the eyes and giving me a good "retro" vibe before hopping on the bike :D
I use a headband as well as wristbands. Not only keeps the sweat from dripping on my headset/frame, it drastically reduces the amount of sweat getting on my handbars.
Get a pair of absorptive wash cloths, fold them in half, and drape them over each side of the bar under your hands. They’re easily moved from bar tops to hoods and, unlike a large towel across the bar, won’t block fan air flow if you have a fan in front of you on the floor blowing up.
A dehumidifier and a good fan is really a game changer! I do use a towel as well, but most of my sweat just evaporates. I've also slotted the side of a Solo cup to fit over my headset just in case their was some drips
I use a beater bike on the trainer (decent drivetrain which is what matters!) and wear the old classic sweatbands, stops the sweat dripping in the first place. Not cool or trendy but works. The front wheel on my current trainer bike has a seized solid front hub, doesn't matter when it goes nowhere!
I use an aluminium frame road bike for indoor riding on rollers and found that the harder training tires are a good investment. Like Ollie says they're quieter but better than that, they save the road tires which have a habit of losing bits and pieces of rubber while leaving a ring of tire material on the roller. I've also found that a headband is great for absorbing sweat (and keeping your glasses on). I haven't used gloves as yet (they're too hot) but I wash the the handgrips and area with a soaked rag after the ride. 'Gonna go for waxing the chain next.
Sounds like having an aluminum bike is better than a carbon bike (well re galvanic corrosion). Also I don't wear a jersey, have the door open and use a big fan (or two) to get the sweat to evaporate. I learned the hard way that steaming up my "pain cave" will set off the fire alarm :-) Oh yeah I certainly was on fire that day !! (apologies to my g/f who had to stand on a chair to turn the damn alarm off while I finished my interval ;-))
No. Because aluminium just becomes the anode to the steel parts / or stainless steel. In fact on aluminium handle bars, the failure at the brake lever clamp is exactly the same mechanism, whether carbon or aluminium, they are both the anode to the steel clamp ring around the handle bar. The “salt” build up you see, is actually only partly salt from the sweat. Most of what looks like salt is actually aluminium oxide from your corroding handlebar.
I recently discovered that staying in the large chainring indoors is a bad idea, since it's a lot more expensive to replace than the outer ring! So I recommend staying in the inner ring as much as possible - for example when in ERG mode. My LBS (shout out to BW Cycling in Bristol!) have seen a lot of large chainrings wear out prematurely on turbos, particularly since the pandemic.
If you watch the GCN training videos, they are always on the big ring, why? They are using trainers that can produce 500w resistance when on the small ring and in the middle of the cassette. Also, at lower drum speeds, trainers tend to be more accurate.
Yes, a little quieter as the jockey wheels are under a little less tension and the chain speed is less. Also the trainer is turning slower too.@@massaka17
One thing that you kinda missed is gloves. Several advantages here... They soak up sweat that tends to run down your arms so it doesn't soak into the bar tape and I use a pair that have gel in specific places to help with pressure. I have noticed that, on the trainer, I don't seem to move around as much as I do outdoors, i.e. I don't change my hand position around on the bars hardly at all so the numb hands can be an issue. Also noticed that my butt does the same thing so I have to remind myself to stand up from time to time. It's easy to just sort of sit there stationary on the trainer so you start to see some "beginner issues" cropping up, especially doing zone 2 on the trainer. Just my $0.02...
GCN Presenters don't wear gloves. This may be a European habit as I rode in CO with a native of the Netherlands. He only rode with gloves with the mercury dropped below 40 degrees.
Gloves is an interesting point! We didn't think of that. Great to hear you have been finding ways to make your indoor training more enjoyable! Do you tend to choose routes that make you stand, climbing and sprinting for example?
I ride a naked carbon handlebar, no corrosion, the sweat doesn’t absorb in anything and there’s no need for the cushioning effect of handlebar tape or gloves indoors.
I’ve found that the metal on the freehub body supplied with my direct drive trainer is quite soft. This could be that being a track sprinter I am giving it a hard time with training efforts but I noticed the cassette cutting into the freehub body. After a recent series of high torque training sessions it is no longer possible to separate the cassette from the freehub. I now have to remove the axel and freehub to replace the cassette 😂 Using wheel on trainers for sprint training generated a huge amount of heat in the tyre. Occasionally this would cause the usually worn tyre to split and inner tube to explode. Which is actually a very satisfying way to end a session. I have also snapped a chain and wrecked some rear wheel bearings. 🤣
Nice advice! I rusted out my headset bearings on the trainer a couple of years ago, then got one of those sweat covers you show and things have been fine since. Useful reminder to keep washing the bike and changing the bar tape too!
I almost destroy my Look 785 2008 (camp record) due to sweat and UV sun rays. Now I cant take it out for a ride because the cockpit is damage and the workshop couldnt find the pieces to fix it, so they suggest me not to ride outside because of the risk that it would come off and have a pretty nasty accident. So I had to buy a BMC SLR01, problem solved for me, after 2 months convincing my wife of course...
Not everyone can afford air conditioning, but I'd highly recommend a split system if possible. You can de-humidify the room before and after use, and have it full blast while riding. I still need three fans running at the same time, but I do live in Australia.
I once cracked the downtube down by the cranks riding an aluminum bike on a trainer (popular racing frame at the time). I think riding out of saddle in a high gear put much of the stress on the frame. But yeah, if you're over 6ft tall and like to train for climbing, you might stress your frame too much.
I have a 2012 specialized tarmac with metal plates that cover the carbon on the rear dropout. Not clamping the bike in enough paired with side to side pushing in sprints and such caused all the metal plates to pop off. It’s an issue I’ve seen pop up on bike forums. I’m packing the bike up now to send to a frame builder to get a repair milled up and installed.
Good advice. Also add a fan and change your cycling clothes during a ride. I initially had an issue with my singlet getting super saturated with sweat. I mist the bike with fresh water after.
Used to have a wheel on trainer, and would absolutely recommend the training tire. Had an old regular tire on there at first, and it slipped so badly once the tread inevitably wore off, especially during heavy efforts. Trainer dedicated tire never slipped when at the correct inflation pressure.
You can chew through 1000miles of tire on one trainer ride with some road tires. There are definitely some regular tires that tolerate the trainer quite well though. Some people don't have an extra wheel for a trainer tire and I know I wouldn't be swapping to a trainer tire every time I ride inside if I didn't have a trainer wheel
I tried riding my carbon and aluminum Trek 2200 on a trainer and was alarmed at how for it deflected from side-to-side when riding out of the saddle. I switched to a steel bike.
In addition to a proprietary sweat catcher and a powerful variable speed remote controlled fan, I put a short length of impervious foam pipe insulation over each handlebar. These wrap around with only a narrow gap at the bottom, which is well away from any touch point. They are extremely comfortable and 100% effective at protecting the tapes.
As someone that is starting to considering indoor solutions for my bike I'd also add to the list the fact that the simple storage of the bike damages it. The simple existence of the thing itself implies that external factors will affect it (humidity, etc). I tend to get scared when I hear what sweat can do to it but then I remember that my bike stays for like 7/8 months in the storage room at 75/80% humidity... so yeah... it gets ruined anyway. Might as well use it do at least get the training benefit out of it.
Nice! I've found my dehumidifier to be a catch 22. Yes, it absolutely dries the air, but the exhaust air is very warm, thereby heating the room even more. So, I tend to not use it which is a real bummer.
I run the dehumidifier the other 23 hours of the day I am not training. Model I have has a humidistat so once room is back to acceptable limits it isn't running. Also, can't beat the cleanliness of a waxed chain for indoor training.
I found that I rock quite a lot on my bike when I ride which ruined my thru-axle and derailleur hanger. Not a particularly expensive fix ($100) but was scary when I rode my bike outdoors and realised my rear wheel was loose and couldn't tighten the thru-axle properly cause the threads were messed up.
I'm using my old aluminium road bike, which stays on the trainer all year. I recently updated my Zwift Hub to the Zwift Hub One with virtual shifting and now I could put literally any bike on the trainer. Another advantage: you can always stay on the small ring which is quieter in many cases and it does cost less to replace. Other than that: headband, ventilator, something to protect the floor and frame from sweat and you're good to go.
I can't help thinking that the frame, especially light ones, weren't made for the forces it experiences in a trainer All the sideforces, especially when sprinting, never occurs on the road, as the bike kan move freely from side to side. I can't imagine a manufacturer adding extra weight with frame reinforcements, just so a roadbike can be used in a trainer
Ad cassette and chain wear: You could even push this idea further, at least if you are only training in ERG mode and don't shift much. It's a good tip to ride on your small chain ring in ERG mode, most riders don't use it as much, so that evens our wear a bit and the trainer reacts faster to changes in power demand because the flywheel doesn't have to turn so fast. You can also run the best possible (straight) chain-line to avoid additional friction and switch +/- 1 gear to distribute the wear, at least when you ride 5000k indoors per season^^
I did get a used aluminum framed, 105 equipped bike to use on the smart trainer indoors. Even though everyone says that my carbon framed, Ultegra equipped bike would be OK, I still worried. And, this saves faffing about getting the bike on and off the trainer when you want to ride outdoors.
find a cheapest frame and build a trainer only setup, it will solve everything. 10-11 speed flat bar shifter will be far enough for this. And it must be an One bike. I am currently use a 44T one bike setup for Zwift and it's just fantastic for most case for a straight chain line.
Yes of course. As long as the bike kept on kickr, it's more easier to hop on for a ride. And the bike have no breaks and no wheels (front wheel is a block of wood), it can never be possible to hit the road. Only disadvantage is i am wasting one slot for an indoor bike storage. @@gcntech
My cut off temperature is 10F (-12C) so I only spend limited time indoors, I prefer to spend it on rollers. I find that rollers help me improve technique. Since not trying to hammer the watts sweating isn't as big an issue.
I would recommend using the most weatherproof headset grease (motorex 2000, or marine grease) and to apply it liberally (clean up the excess that comes out).
Perfect timing on this video, as many of us transition to riding indoors more often. :D BTW, I have a thru-axle bike and use a trainer-specific thru-axle for riding my wheel on the trainer. (Yeah, I'm still too cheap to purchase a wheel-off smart trainer.) Just had to make sure the length and thread pitch matched my bike and I was good to go!
Seriously: I got a used Tomahawk IC7, gym spinning bike, and swapped the 4- button computer to the 5- button which has BT and Ant+ for Zwift and pulse bands… Total cost: USD1100 or so
For wheel-on trainers do not over-tighten the axle clamp on the trainer, especially if you have a carbon bike with carbon dropouts. I had to get the dropouts filed out to re-align them after using an old trainer that had a failing clamping system. My rear wheel would have excess play but the hub and bearings were fine. I have since replaced the trainer with one that has a much stiffer and secure axle clamp mechanism so shouldn't have that problem going forwards.
Agreed, I have a Saris M2 and even with a Vittoria trainer tire there was excessive wear from fully tightening the knob till it clicked. Just make sure it doesn't slip under high load and you'll be fine
@@felixbelanger2659 the turbo was knackered, I don't have the same issue with the new one. The frame flexed under load and the clamp was loose. If it wasn't really tight the bike would slip out when putting the power down so I probably shouldn't have used it at all, but I couldn't afford a replacement at the time but needs must.
May I suggest a correction: The clamps of the shifters are not of aluminum. And roadbikes don't have fix mounted mudguards and front lights as seen in the picture.
Wipe off your frame and bars with a rag and a household spray cleaner regularly. And spray & wipe bolts and other metal components with a moisture displacement lubricant like WD40.
On the other hand riding outdoors is totally harmless so build a gazebo in your garden en train under it :p Consider getting a belt drive bike for indoor/Gazebo.
I have a new Orbea Orca coming in the spring. I think I will keep my Cannondale Optimo 1 for the trainer. I can hang the Orca on the wall in the off season like the art work that it is. 😂
A waxed chain indoor is a mess, because small wax particles will flake from the cain and stick everywhere on the floor, the bike and the indoor trainer.
Defiantly the way to go IMO, you don't even need the full bike. Mine is built on an old steel hybrid "dad bike" frame I got out of a skip. Old style dropped top tube "ladies" road bike frames, even good quality ones sell for next to nothing too, as nobody wants them, Zwift doesn't know or care.
It certainly wasn't cheap originally, but after many years of service my Giant Defy Advanced is no longer needed on the road so is my permanent turbo bike. Definitely the most convenient way of doing things.
What about rear disk brake caliper? I'm buying my first smart trainer, an Elite Direto, and I'm thinking about how to avoid accidents with the rrear brake...
Snapped a drop out.... $1000 repair later it is never going back on a fixed rear trainer. About to buy a Wahoo Kickr Rollr. According to my Carbon doctor this is all too common
The trainer stands stable on the ground and the bike wobbles from side to side. Isn’t there any reason to be afraid of metal fatigue in the rear dropouts?
Ok ok, Im hearing a lot of problems with sweat. How about some solutions other than trapping sweat. We all know you can’t trap it all. Which bolts sould be best, can you treat the frame or under the bar tape with anything to help stop the battery effect? You catch my drift ❤ I also wear gloves, and wrist bands, around my wrists and ankles cause the sweat that gets into my shoes and make it feel as if I cycled through a large pond. 🤓
If there's any way you can afford it, get yourself a cheap used bike that can accommodate your cassette and use it on your trainer, or get a wheel-on trainer for the same cheap used bike. Get the setup as close as possible to your favorite road bike. Get some cheap tires for the rear. Sure, protect even this cheap bike from sweat, but using a cheapo for indoor training solves a lot of issues.
Is there something you need to do about the rear brake? Like putting in a spacer so you don't accidentally squeeze it? I just purchased a Wahoo direct drive trainer and riding indoors is new to me, thanks!
You can slot a spacer into the rear disc caliper to prevent pushing the pistons/pads out, however personally I don't bother and just don't press the brakes, never had an issue. Up to you!
I always have the impression the frame is getting torqued much more when you put down big sprint watts resulting in reduced frame stiffness over longer periods
I did that as well on my dedicated indoor bike, specialized Allez. I had to throw it out because it was corroded beyond repair. So watch out ;) a towel is less expensive than a new cheap indoor bike
@wx3054 I can safely store my frame in the Great Salt Lake 10miles away without fear of corrosion. Different story for the parts but the frame would be as new for an archeologist to find 3000yrs from now
9/10 when I see peoples indoor setup they are using an inadequate fan and that’s why they are building up so much sweat. Get a proper fan, something industrial. Coupled with a base layer and head band there should be barely any sweat if you’re cooling adequately.
Why anyone uses their expensive carbon bike on a trainer is a mystery to me. Why not use a super cheap beater bike set to the right fit? Who cares what it looks like when you're indoors and who cares how much it weighs because you aren't going anywhere.
I put an old carbon frame on my trainer because I had it lying around after an upgrade. Now this has probably done north of 4000miles on the road and was a few years old, but was otherwise fine. It lasted 3 years on the trainer and then I became aware that the frame was moving about and flexing a lot more on steep virtual gradients than it had been before. Never found any cracks in the carbon I could see, But it was becoming clear that the frame getting weaker and it was progressing so retired the frame. Now it lasted a long time but it was enough to tell me to never put a carbon frame on a trainer. I’m sure it wore out faster than it would have on the road just because the bike couldn’t move side to side causing the frame to flex a lot more than it would in normal road riding and over time got weaker.
Hey - I'm 102 kg and 6'7". I have my old 2005 Specialized Allez Elite (alloy frame with carbon rear triangle and fork) on my turbo trainer; I'm noticing a lot of flex in my frame, is this normal?
Best tip ever, if you have the space, is to permanent place an old bike on the smart trainer. In my bike shed, old bikes retire to the trainer. Brakes, tires, aesthetics... all don't matter. Some good shifting is all I need. Right now my Zwift Hub is sporting its second cyclocross bike. Not having to put my precious road bike on a trainer saves me time and money. Working that old bike hard on the trainer gives ease of mind, and your bike can rock 'n' roll in its second life.
With winter around the corner, this being my first winter season as new cyclist looking to work out and slowly start training: Would you recommend I spend money on a whole winter kit, or would I be better off investing in an indoor zwift setup?
I commute to work all summer on my bike and I do have some warmer clothes for Fall/Spring to extend the season, but during the winter I prefer Zwifting. I'm sure in some places it makes sense, but with the snowfalls we get in Canada (I assume you're also in PQ? :P ) and the unpredictability I like training indoors a lot more (even though I used to hate it). Zwift keeps things interesting and I'm always excited for the "switch" between indoors/outdoors
@@climatechangedoesntbargain9140 car and good winter tires... We are well equipped to deal with snowstorms. 30 cm / 12" of snow in 24 hours is not unheard of, so you just have to adapt!
I disagree that a waxed chain is good for indoor training. Outside, sure, because you leave the wax flakes in a trail behind you. But indoors, those flakes just fall all around you - on the floor or the frame which is a pain to clean. But a bigger concern are wax flakes getting into the bottom bracket or the trainer, causing them to seize up. I recently swapped my trainer bike from wax back to a standard drip lube (IRL bike stays on wax). And when I think about that, it’s fine really as my basement is a zillion times cleaner than the great outdoors, so I don’t need to be as concerned about forming a grinding paste on the chain
Groan. Just go outdoors and save heaps of money. Just don't get the indoor thing. Everyone seems to get bored after an hour. I concede uk winters suck, but it makes you appreciate the summers...
Setting up a trainer would be a good video @gcntech - my elite trainer is a ballache with what seems to be a screw that screws into the bolt keeping the freehub on (you can just pull the freehub straight off, for whatever reason) but it won’t fit in. Annoyingly so. Please help!
I have been looking at an indoor trainer and all my current tech (gps, hr monitor, etc) is Garmin. However I really have been looking at the Wahoo Kickr Core. Would you anyone recommend staying all Garmin or getting the Wahoo for indoor training? Also what do people think about the free version of Wahoo training (Wahoo RGT)? Or is getting a paid (either zswift or wahoo) subscription a must?
I have Garmin everything for bike sensors/ head unit and a Wahoo Kickr Core and everything plays together perfectly on Zwift. If you don’t mind the used market is flush with smart trainers right now and you can get a barely used flagship Kickr for less than a new Kickr Core
@@serendipityrecordco9380 yeah I wouldn’t mind getting the flagship Kickr! Any suggestions where? A lot of stuff I usually buy used is from Facebook marketplace. Is there any specific websites where people might buy/sell used trainers?
How do you protect your bike when riding indoors? 🚴
I have a cheap "Turbo" only bike that will never see the outdoors again 🙂 but I still use a towel to try and stop the bar tape getting destroyed
Great video, could we have some recommendations for the sweat protector?
I ride outside
Well.....#1, Ceramic coat your bike and then follow Ollie's recommendations.
Having contaminated disc pads and rotors through sweating on them indoors I use an overspray protector on the front wheel for indoor training.
One more thing you missed. Rotate your front tire a few degrees every so often. That way you don't end up resting your full weight on the same spot for months at a time. It might wear, develop micro splits, or perhaps show signs of dry rot.
Especially important if you use tubeless so your tube milk doesn’t clump at some point
A good idea is to just use a cheap £10-20 beater front wheel/tyre
something I often come across is the problem of the front tire slowly deflating. it you dont check that regularly, it happens that at some point youre riding on your rims which isnt good for sure. therefore thats also something to keep an eye on.
been using a giant beach towel to cover the entire handlebar and half of the top tube for years, no issues at all :)
Have you looked under bar tape? 👀
not yet :). got a kickr bike, been using the towel for 2 years now (i wash it after every workout) and together with headband and wristbands it really isn't an issue, the tape looks still like brand new@@gcntech
@@svedr2same here - thick gym towel covering the whole cockpit and half the top tube. Towel gets washed after every session, bike gets washed every month and dried with an air compressor. On top of that I wear gloves as I’m used to it and my bar tape looks brand new - never gets damp.
Just like to mention headbands/bandannas. In my experience they massively reduce the amount a sweat falling on your bike (and I’m like Si when it come to sweating🥵) so no need for frame shields. You do end up looking a bit retro but who’s looking right 😉
I use them too. Also keeps the salt out of my eyes
Exacly this@@mommamooney ! Ever since I started riding Rouvy inside and when I found out how much I sweat when climbing the hills, I started to use the headbands and it is soo much better. Keeping the salt off the eyes and giving me a good "retro" vibe before hopping on the bike :D
I use a headband as well as wristbands. Not only keeps the sweat from dripping on my headset/frame, it drastically reduces the amount of sweat getting on my handbars.
A good fan really mitigates much of the sweat problem. It won't eliminate it, but it reduces it a lot.
As someone who sweats a lot, a game changer was a second fan blowing on my back. I suggest a large volume fan like a box fan on high.
Get a pair of absorptive wash cloths, fold them in half, and drape them over each side of the bar under your hands. They’re easily moved from bar tops to hoods and, unlike a large towel across the bar, won’t block fan air flow if you have a fan in front of you on the floor blowing up.
A dehumidifier and a good fan is really a game changer! I do use a towel as well, but most of my sweat just evaporates. I've also slotted the side of a Solo cup to fit over my headset just in case their was some drips
I use a beater bike on the trainer (decent drivetrain which is what matters!) and wear the old classic sweatbands, stops the sweat dripping in the first place. Not cool or trendy but works. The front wheel on my current trainer bike has a seized solid front hub, doesn't matter when it goes nowhere!
+1 for team sweat band, can't understand why more people don't use them.
I use an aluminium frame road bike for indoor riding on rollers and found that the harder training tires are a good investment. Like Ollie says they're quieter but better than that, they save the road tires which have a habit of losing bits and pieces of rubber while leaving a ring of tire material on the roller. I've also found that a headband is great for absorbing sweat (and keeping your glasses on). I haven't used gloves as yet (they're too hot) but I wash the the handgrips and area with a soaked rag after the ride.
'Gonna go for waxing the chain next.
Sounds like having an aluminum bike is better than a carbon bike (well re galvanic corrosion). Also I don't wear a jersey, have the door open and use a big fan (or two) to get the sweat to evaporate. I learned the hard way that steaming up my "pain cave" will set off the fire alarm :-) Oh yeah I certainly was on fire that day !! (apologies to my g/f who had to stand on a chair to turn the damn alarm off while I finished my interval ;-))
No. Because aluminium just becomes the anode to the steel parts / or stainless steel. In fact on aluminium handle bars, the failure at the brake lever clamp is exactly the same mechanism, whether carbon or aluminium, they are both the anode to the steel clamp ring around the handle bar.
The “salt” build up you see, is actually only partly salt from the sweat.
Most of what looks like salt is actually aluminium oxide from your corroding handlebar.
I recently discovered that staying in the large chainring indoors is a bad idea, since it's a lot more expensive to replace than the outer ring! So I recommend staying in the inner ring as much as possible - for example when in ERG mode. My LBS (shout out to BW Cycling in Bristol!) have seen a lot of large chainrings wear out prematurely on turbos, particularly since the pandemic.
If you watch the GCN training videos, they are always on the big ring, why? They are using trainers that can produce 500w resistance when on the small ring and in the middle of the cassette. Also, at lower drum speeds, trainers tend to be more accurate.
Is your drivetrain much quieter on the small chainring too?
I'm not sure yet. I'm avoiding the turbo as much as possible, until the weather turns cold and horrible! 😃@@massaka17
Yes, a little quieter as the jockey wheels are under a little less tension and the chain speed is less. Also the trainer is turning slower too.@@massaka17
One thing that you kinda missed is gloves. Several advantages here... They soak up sweat that tends to run down your arms so it doesn't soak into the bar tape and I use a pair that have gel in specific places to help with pressure. I have noticed that, on the trainer, I don't seem to move around as much as I do outdoors, i.e. I don't change my hand position around on the bars hardly at all so the numb hands can be an issue. Also noticed that my butt does the same thing so I have to remind myself to stand up from time to time. It's easy to just sort of sit there stationary on the trainer so you start to see some "beginner issues" cropping up, especially doing zone 2 on the trainer. Just my $0.02...
GCN Presenters don't wear gloves. This may be a European habit as I rode in CO with a native of the Netherlands. He only rode with gloves with the mercury dropped below 40 degrees.
Gloves is an interesting point! We didn't think of that. Great to hear you have been finding ways to make your indoor training more enjoyable! Do you tend to choose routes that make you stand, climbing and sprinting for example?
@@wspmjwI don’t know why anyone would ride without gloves, I get nightmares thinking about road rash in the palms of my hands from crashing….
I wear gloves to keep to catch the arm and hand sweat as well.
I ride a naked carbon handlebar, no corrosion, the sweat doesn’t absorb in anything and there’s no need for the cushioning effect of handlebar tape or gloves indoors.
Use a towel that covers the whole handlebar, and use a shirt/jersey. Prevents sweat dripping.
Hi Ollie. How about a fan as well. Keep you cool and reduce sweat at source..
I set up under my ceiling fan which helps a lot to reduce perspiration. I still wind up sopping wet but the workout is much more comfortable.
I’ve found that the metal on the freehub body supplied with my direct drive trainer is quite soft. This could be that being a track sprinter I am giving it a hard time with training efforts but I noticed the cassette cutting into the freehub body. After a recent series of high torque training sessions it is no longer possible to separate the cassette from the freehub. I now have to remove the axel and freehub to replace the cassette 😂
Using wheel on trainers for sprint training generated a huge amount of heat in the tyre. Occasionally this would cause the usually worn tyre to split and inner tube to explode. Which is actually a very satisfying way to end a session.
I have also snapped a chain and wrecked some rear wheel bearings. 🤣
Nice advice! I rusted out my headset bearings on the trainer a couple of years ago, then got one of those sweat covers you show and things have been fine since. Useful reminder to keep washing the bike and changing the bar tape too!
I almost destroy my Look 785 2008 (camp record) due to sweat and UV sun rays. Now I cant take it out for a ride because the cockpit is damage and the workshop couldnt find the pieces to fix it, so they suggest me not to ride outside because of the risk that it would come off and have a pretty nasty accident. So I had to buy a BMC SLR01, problem solved for me, after 2 months convincing my wife of course...
I've got a BMC SLR01, love it so much I also got the TM01! Ride On... I hate it when I have to buy a new bike 😊
Not everyone can afford air conditioning, but I'd highly recommend a split system if possible. You can de-humidify the room before and after use, and have it full blast while riding. I still need three fans running at the same time, but I do live in Australia.
I imagine migrating to Australia because I thought then I won't need this indoor shit anymore ..
My most middleaged purchase was a Dyson v10 cordless vacuum.
I once cracked the downtube down by the cranks riding an aluminum bike on a trainer (popular racing frame at the time). I think riding out of saddle in a high gear put much of the stress on the frame. But yeah, if you're over 6ft tall and like to train for climbing, you might stress your frame too much.
I have a 2012 specialized tarmac with metal plates that cover the carbon on the rear dropout. Not clamping the bike in enough paired with side to side pushing in sprints and such caused all the metal plates to pop off. It’s an issue I’ve seen pop up on bike forums. I’m packing the bike up now to send to a frame builder to get a repair milled up and installed.
I use mini dust blower after rainy trip or a sweaty indoor ride. It blows air at a concentrated spot, all the liquids goes away quickly.
Good advice. Also add a fan and change your cycling clothes during a ride. I initially had an issue with my singlet getting super saturated with sweat. I mist the bike with fresh water after.
Used to have a wheel on trainer, and would absolutely recommend the training tire. Had an old regular tire on there at first, and it slipped so badly once the tread inevitably wore off, especially during heavy efforts. Trainer dedicated tire never slipped when at the correct inflation pressure.
You can chew through 1000miles of tire on one trainer ride with some road tires. There are definitely some regular tires that tolerate the trainer quite well though. Some people don't have an extra wheel for a trainer tire and I know I wouldn't be swapping to a trainer tire every time I ride inside if I didn't have a trainer wheel
I tried riding my carbon and aluminum Trek 2200 on a trainer and was alarmed at how for it deflected from side-to-side when riding out of the saddle. I switched to a steel bike.
That'd be the frame joints failing. I'd get them looked at if I were you, or just save time & $, find a dumpster to put it in and buy a decent bike.
In addition to a proprietary sweat catcher and a powerful variable speed remote controlled fan, I put a short length of impervious foam pipe insulation over each handlebar. These wrap around with only a narrow gap at the bottom, which is well away from any touch point. They are extremely comfortable and 100% effective at protecting the tapes.
As someone that is starting to considering indoor solutions for my bike I'd also add to the list the fact that the simple storage of the bike damages it. The simple existence of the thing itself implies that external factors will affect it (humidity, etc). I tend to get scared when I hear what sweat can do to it but then I remember that my bike stays for like 7/8 months in the storage room at 75/80% humidity... so yeah... it gets ruined anyway. Might as well use it do at least get the training benefit out of it.
Nice! I've found my dehumidifier to be a catch 22. Yes, it absolutely dries the air, but the exhaust air is very warm, thereby heating the room even more. So, I tend to not use it which is a real bummer.
I run the dehumidifier the other 23 hours of the day I am not training. Model I have has a humidistat so once room is back to acceptable limits it isn't running.
Also, can't beat the cleanliness of a waxed chain for indoor training.
I found that I rock quite a lot on my bike when I ride which ruined my thru-axle and derailleur hanger. Not a particularly expensive fix ($100) but was scary when I rode my bike outdoors and realised my rear wheel was loose and couldn't tighten the thru-axle properly cause the threads were messed up.
I'm using my old aluminium road bike, which stays on the trainer all year. I recently updated my Zwift Hub to the Zwift Hub One with virtual shifting and now I could put literally any bike on the trainer. Another advantage: you can always stay on the small ring which is quieter in many cases and it does cost less to replace. Other than that: headband, ventilator, something to protect the floor and frame from sweat and you're good to go.
I can't help thinking that the frame, especially light ones, weren't made for the forces it experiences in a trainer
All the sideforces, especially when sprinting, never occurs on the road, as the bike kan move freely from side to side.
I can't imagine a manufacturer adding extra weight with frame reinforcements, just so a roadbike can be used in a trainer
How about using a steel frame with steel bars as a dedicated indoor option. Weight doesn't matter when locked in place.
Steel frames can still corrode, but if you've got an old steel frame nocking about they can be a great option! 🙌
Ad cassette and chain wear: You could even push this idea further, at least if you are only training in ERG mode and don't shift much. It's a good tip to ride on your small chain ring in ERG mode, most riders don't use it as much, so that evens our wear a bit and the trainer reacts faster to changes in power demand because the flywheel doesn't have to turn so fast. You can also run the best possible (straight) chain-line to avoid additional friction and switch +/- 1 gear to distribute the wear, at least when you ride 5000k indoors per season^^
I did get a used aluminum framed, 105 equipped bike to use on the smart trainer indoors. Even though everyone says that my carbon framed, Ultegra equipped bike would be OK, I still worried. And, this saves faffing about getting the bike on and off the trainer when you want to ride outdoors.
find a cheapest frame and build a trainer only setup, it will solve everything. 10-11 speed flat bar shifter will be far enough for this. And it must be an One bike. I am currently use a 44T one bike setup for Zwift and it's just fantastic for most case for a straight chain line.
Sounds like a great idea! This is only doable if you leave the bike in the trainer 247 though.
Yes of course. As long as the bike kept on kickr, it's more easier to hop on for a ride. And the bike have no breaks and no wheels (front wheel is a block of wood), it can never be possible to hit the road. Only disadvantage is i am wasting one slot for an indoor bike storage. @@gcntech
My cut off temperature is 10F (-12C) so I only spend limited time indoors, I prefer to spend it on rollers. I find that rollers help me improve technique. Since not trying to hammer the watts sweating isn't as big an issue.
I would recommend using the most weatherproof headset grease (motorex 2000, or marine grease) and to apply it liberally (clean up the excess that comes out).
Perfect timing on this video, as many of us transition to riding indoors more often. :D BTW, I have a thru-axle bike and use a trainer-specific thru-axle for riding my wheel on the trainer. (Yeah, I'm still too cheap to purchase a wheel-off smart trainer.) Just had to make sure the length and thread pitch matched my bike and I was good to go!
Nothing wrong with a wheel on trainer! Hope this will help you remember some of those indoor riding musts! 🙌
Seriously: I got a used Tomahawk IC7, gym spinning bike, and swapped the 4- button computer to the 5- button which has BT and Ant+ for Zwift and pulse bands…
Total cost: USD1100 or so
A sweat catcher, or as my wife calls mine....my bike thong 😂
For wheel-on trainers do not over-tighten the axle clamp on the trainer, especially if you have a carbon bike with carbon dropouts. I had to get the dropouts filed out to re-align them after using an old trainer that had a failing clamping system. My rear wheel would have excess play but the hub and bearings were fine. I have since replaced the trainer with one that has a much stiffer and secure axle clamp mechanism so shouldn't have that problem going forwards.
Agreed, I have a Saris M2 and even with a Vittoria trainer tire there was excessive wear from fully tightening the knob till it clicked. Just make sure it doesn't slip under high load and you'll be fine
@@felixbelanger2659 the turbo was knackered, I don't have the same issue with the new one. The frame flexed under load and the clamp was loose. If it wasn't really tight the bike would slip out when putting the power down so I probably shouldn't have used it at all, but I couldn't afford a replacement at the time but needs must.
Simple and cheap hack. Wrap seat post. Top tube and bars with an ace bandage. I use to 4” wide ones.
May I suggest a correction: The clamps of the shifters are not of aluminum. And roadbikes don't have fix mounted mudguards and front lights as seen in the picture.
Wipe off your frame and bars with a rag and a household spray cleaner regularly. And spray & wipe bolts and other metal components with a moisture displacement lubricant like WD40.
This battery effect. Can it be stored it up and discharged for Zwift wattbombs? Asking for a friend.
As to salt, wash your bike and do it often. Outside or inside.
Dedicated trainer tire is expensive, but it lasts for years, doesn't get "tire dust" all over, and is quieter.
Multiple fans and head sweat bands. Keeps your core temp down and protects your bike.
On the other hand riding outdoors is totally harmless so build a gazebo in your garden en train under it :p Consider getting a belt drive bike for indoor/Gazebo.
I have a new Orbea Orca coming in the spring. I think I will keep my Cannondale Optimo 1 for the trainer. I can hang the Orca on the wall in the off season like the art work that it is. 😂
I got head sweatband, wrist sweatband and fan, you need a fan. Move that air around.
Sweat bands and fans! Thats sounds like a good idea 🙌
A waxed chain indoor is a mess, because small wax particles will flake from the cain and stick everywhere on the floor, the bike and the indoor trainer.
Even better when you put Teflon in the wax and now your house is infested
What do you think about getting a cheap used bike? Then you don't have any damage on your expensive road bike.
Defiantly the way to go IMO, you don't even need the full bike. Mine is built on an old steel hybrid "dad bike" frame I got out of a skip. Old style dropped top tube "ladies" road bike frames, even good quality ones sell for next to nothing too, as nobody wants them, Zwift doesn't know or care.
Yep this is the way
It certainly wasn't cheap originally, but after many years of service my Giant Defy Advanced is no longer needed on the road so is my permanent turbo bike. Definitely the most convenient way of doing things.
@@SichardRamuelsthat is my current bike! 2018 Defy Advanced and I don’t want to ruin it on a trainer!
You've got me wondering (again) about a potential hazard of carbon forks with aluminum steerers. Have you addressed this in other videos?
Helpful video. Thanks!
What about rear disk brake caliper? I'm buying my first smart trainer, an Elite Direto, and I'm thinking about how to avoid accidents with the rrear brake...
I don't use my main bike on the Turbo Trainer, i got a second hand bike for 200euro 11spd - 105..
Snapped a drop out.... $1000 repair later it is never going back on a fixed rear trainer. About to buy a Wahoo Kickr Rollr. According to my Carbon doctor this is all too common
TIL putting an aluminum floor under a sauna is the key to infinite energy
Invis or Ride Wrap are great options to protect your frame when riding inside or outside.
Turning the heater off might help as will a headband.
The trainer stands stable on the ground and the bike wobbles from side to side. Isn’t there any reason to be afraid of metal fatigue in the rear dropouts?
Ok ok, Im hearing a lot of problems with sweat. How about some solutions other than trapping sweat. We all know you can’t trap it all. Which bolts sould be best, can you treat the frame or under the bar tape with anything to help stop the battery effect? You catch my drift ❤ I also wear gloves, and wrist bands, around my wrists and ankles cause the sweat that gets into my shoes and make it feel as if I cycled through a large pond. 🤓
If there's any way you can afford it, get yourself a cheap used bike that can accommodate your cassette and use it on your trainer, or get a wheel-on trainer for the same cheap used bike. Get the setup as close as possible to your favorite road bike. Get some cheap tires for the rear. Sure, protect even this cheap bike from sweat, but using a cheapo for indoor training solves a lot of issues.
Will a titanium bike suffer from the same corrosive battery effect that happens with sweat / carbon / aluminium combination of materials?
Is there something you need to do about the rear brake? Like putting in a spacer so you don't accidentally squeeze it? I just purchased a Wahoo direct drive trainer and riding indoors is new to me, thanks!
You can slot a spacer into the rear disc caliper to prevent pushing the pistons/pads out, however personally I don't bother and just don't press the brakes, never had an issue. Up to you!
Don't Press That Button ⚠️
Little piece of advice regarding tyres. Get a good quality one for indoor cycling. You don’t want to get a flat indoors
You're the first one I've ever heard saying that waxed chain is ideal for indoor training.
I always have the impression the frame is getting torqued much more when you put down big sprint watts resulting in reduced frame stiffness over longer periods
My retired Seven is my permanent trainer bike now. I let bodily fluids of ALL kinds drip and spray all over it without a care
Is that meant to sound as disgusting as intended... Or is it my filthy mind.
@@DS-um9hi I have a Webcam if you're interested?
I did that as well on my dedicated indoor bike, specialized Allez. I had to throw it out because it was corroded beyond repair. So watch out ;) a towel is less expensive than a new cheap indoor bike
@@DS-um9hi both
@wx3054 I can safely store my frame in the Great Salt Lake 10miles away without fear of corrosion. Different story for the parts but the frame would be as new for an archeologist to find 3000yrs from now
Poor Olie. I do love his rants. Good advice though
But what about cycling on seashore? When sea side wind has salt whole year?
9/10 when I see peoples indoor setup they are using an inadequate fan and that’s why they are building up so much sweat. Get a proper fan, something industrial. Coupled with a base layer and head band there should be barely any sweat if you’re cooling adequately.
Are the shifter clamps really aluminium? I thought these are mostly steel, covered with some shiny material (nickel? chrome?).
I think it is indeed Steel, except on dura ace where it is titanium
I don't understand why anyone would use an expensive bike on a trainer.
Because it's light?
Aero?
Corners really nicely?
Aluminium brake lever clamps?
Please link to such a thing....
Why anyone uses their expensive carbon bike on a trainer is a mystery to me. Why not use a super cheap beater bike set to the right fit? Who cares what it looks like when you're indoors and who cares how much it weighs because you aren't going anywhere.
I put an old carbon frame on my trainer because I had it lying around after an upgrade. Now this has probably done north of 4000miles on the road and was a few years old, but was otherwise fine. It lasted 3 years on the trainer and then I became aware that the frame was moving about and flexing a lot more on steep virtual gradients than it had been before. Never found any cracks in the carbon I could see, But it was becoming clear that the frame getting weaker and it was progressing so retired the frame.
Now it lasted a long time but it was enough to tell me to never put a carbon frame on a trainer. I’m sure it wore out faster than it would have on the road just because the bike couldn’t move side to side causing the frame to flex a lot more than it would in normal road riding and over time got weaker.
Hey - I'm 102 kg and 6'7". I have my old 2005 Specialized Allez Elite (alloy frame with carbon rear triangle and fork) on my turbo trainer; I'm noticing a lot of flex in my frame, is this normal?
Best tip ever, if you have the space, is to permanent place an old bike on the smart trainer.
In my bike shed, old bikes retire to the trainer. Brakes, tires, aesthetics... all don't matter. Some good shifting is all I need. Right now my Zwift Hub is sporting its second cyclocross bike.
Not having to put my precious road bike on a trainer saves me time and money. Working that old bike hard on the trainer gives ease of mind, and your bike can rock 'n' roll in its second life.
With winter around the corner, this being my first winter season as new cyclist looking to work out and slowly start training:
Would you recommend I spend money on a whole winter kit, or would I be better off investing in an indoor zwift setup?
Just cycle outside, it's not as if you need a LOT of winter kit. Just good gloves, really.
I commute to work all summer on my bike and I do have some warmer clothes for Fall/Spring to extend the season, but during the winter I prefer Zwifting. I'm sure in some places it makes sense, but with the snowfalls we get in Canada (I assume you're also in PQ? :P ) and the unpredictability I like training indoors a lot more (even though I used to hate it). Zwift keeps things interesting and I'm always excited for the "switch" between indoors/outdoors
Things will last longer inside.
@@felixbelanger2659 so you don't go to work during winter or how does this work?
@@climatechangedoesntbargain9140 car and good winter tires... We are well equipped to deal with snowstorms. 30 cm / 12" of snow in 24 hours is not unheard of, so you just have to adapt!
titanium frame, tacx triangle thingy and babywipes
Is there an indoor trainer compatible with fixed gear or do I need to use rollers?
Any degradation of seat stays?
Using old tires is alright. But when they cause the tube to blow, it definitely causes a jump in my heart rate.
I know you are all about road but do you think waxed chains are any good for MTB or even E-Bikes in general?
For MTB a waxed chain is very good. It makes cleaning easy and the dirt will not stick to the chain.
Thanks for the prompt replies, looks like I’ve got some thinking to do. 🙏
Waxed chains for all ! Our Mtb buddies on GMBN have given it a go 👉ruclips.net/video/yVkewoCYono/видео.html
wax drip lube works great for me, super clean, and it lasts pretty well as long as it's not actively raining hard
I disagree that a waxed chain is good for indoor training. Outside, sure, because you leave the wax flakes in a trail behind you. But indoors, those flakes just fall all around you - on the floor or the frame which is a pain to clean. But a bigger concern are wax flakes getting into the bottom bracket or the trainer, causing them to seize up. I recently swapped my trainer bike from wax back to a standard drip lube (IRL bike stays on wax). And when I think about that, it’s fine really as my basement is a zillion times cleaner than the great outdoors, so I don’t need to be as concerned about forming a grinding paste on the chain
Yes I'm going to have to strip my Direto and vacuum out the wax.
A massive ventilator, that is the most effective sweat reducing device for me
I was a bit disappointed to learn that my 2023 Scott Addict Gravel is not approved to be used on a direct drive trainer.
Groan. Just go outdoors and save heaps of money. Just don't get the indoor thing. Everyone seems to get bored after an hour. I concede uk winters suck, but it makes you appreciate the summers...
Wrap the bars and top tube in plastic wrap from your kitchen!!! Easy!!!
One huge advantage of using a trainer tire is that it will not throw a jet of tire rubber across the room and up the wall behind you!
lol
Setting up a trainer would be a good video @gcntech - my elite trainer is a ballache with what seems to be a screw that screws into the bolt keeping the freehub on (you can just pull the freehub straight off, for whatever reason) but it won’t fit in. Annoyingly so. Please help!
I use 2 fans in front of me. It results in no sweat dripping on my bike :)
Right on dude 💪🤓💪
Wahoo have destroyed RGT that's for sure- shuts down from November....
I have been looking at an indoor trainer and all my current tech (gps, hr monitor, etc) is Garmin. However I really have been looking at the Wahoo Kickr Core. Would you anyone recommend staying all Garmin or getting the Wahoo for indoor training?
Also what do people think about the free version of Wahoo training (Wahoo RGT)? Or is getting a paid (either zswift or wahoo) subscription a must?
Your garmin will all be compatible with other smart trainers no need to buy new stuff.
Wahoo RGT has now been discontinued.
Wahoo RGT is shutting down this month
Oooof, really everyone is pushing towards subscription based apps/programs. Ok thank you! Good to know!
I have Garmin everything for bike sensors/ head unit and a Wahoo Kickr Core and everything plays together perfectly on Zwift. If you don’t mind the used market is flush with smart trainers right now and you can get a barely used flagship Kickr for less than a new Kickr Core
@@serendipityrecordco9380 yeah I wouldn’t mind getting the flagship Kickr! Any suggestions where? A lot of stuff I usually buy used is from Facebook marketplace. Is there any specific websites where people might buy/sell used trainers?
Cycling caps... Whilst there is no situation in which a cap looks ok (!), in the garage to soak head sweat whilst on the turbo is perfect