are trainers hard on the frame ?

Hi I just got a bike trainer...a friend of mine said that they can be hard
of the frame or hard on the head set.. is this true ?

Rob

"Rob" wrote in message
news:73v8c.901566$ts4.127382@pd7tw3no...
Hi I just got a bike trainer...a friend of mine said that they can be hard
of the frame or hard on the head set.. is this true ?

Rob

We go through this every few months. Try a google on this and you'll see.
I firmly believed that it was not significantly different than riding the
bike normally, but some knowledgeable people here have tried to convince me
otherwise and succeeded to some degree. I still don't think it's a hugely
different situation than normal riding, but there IS a difference in forces
being applied to the frame. Some people have broken frames on trainers, but
they've also broken frames while riding having never used a trainer. So, I
guess I'm saying buy rollers and don't worry about it!! ;-) No, I think
the trainer will be ok for you provided you don't put a million miles on it.
I've put probably 5 hours a week on mine for 1.5 years and no sign of
cracking yet.

Cheers,

Scott..

"Rob" wrote in message
news:73v8c.901566$ts4.127382@pd7tw3no...
Hi I just got a bike trainer...a friend of mine said that they can be hard
of the frame or hard on the head set.. is this true ?

Rob

We go through this every few months. Try a google on this and you'll see.
I firmly believed that it was not significantly different than riding the
bike normally, but some knowledgeable people here have tried to convince me
otherwise and succeeded to some degree. I still don't think it's a hugely
different situation than normal riding, but there IS a difference in forces
being applied to the frame. Some people have broken frames on trainers, but
they've also broken frames while riding having never used a trainer. So, I
guess I'm saying buy rollers and don't worry about it!! ;-) No, I think
the trainer will be ok for you provided you don't put a million miles on it.
I've put probably 5 hours a week on mine for 1.5 years and no sign of
cracking yet.

Cheers,

Scott..

Rob wrote:
Hi I just got a bike trainer...a friend of mine said that they can be
hard of the frame or hard on the head set.. is this true ?
Rob


A rear wheel trainer (one that attaches to the rear hub) does a good jo
of chewing up the rear quick release over time, and if you ever-watc
some one peddling under load, the bottom bracket flexes quite a bit...
use my older beater with a rear wheel trainer


-

Rob wrote:
Hi I just got a bike trainer...a friend of mine said that they can be
hard of the frame or hard on the head set.. is this true ?
Rob


A rear wheel trainer (one that attaches to the rear hub) does a good jo
of chewing up the rear quick release over time, and if you ever-watc
some one peddling under load, the bottom bracket flexes quite a bit...
use my older beater with a rear wheel trainer


-

"Rob" wrote in message
news:73v8c.901566$ts4.127382@pd7tw3no...
Hi I just got a bike trainer...a friend of mine said that they can be hard
of the frame or hard on the head set.. is this true ?

Good question, I'm not sure if anyone knows the answer. Modern trainers clamp
the rear axle. This can generate forces that normal riding doesn't,
particularly if you stand on the pedals. I don't know if those forces could be
enough to damage a frame, but to be conservative I don't stand up on a
trainer. As far as I can recall, nobody has posted an instance of a frame
actually breaking while being ridden in a trainer.

"Rob" wrote in message
news:73v8c.901566$ts4.127382@pd7tw3no...
Hi I just got a bike trainer...a friend of mine said that they can be hard
of the frame or hard on the head set.. is this true ?

Good question, I'm not sure if anyone knows the answer. Modern trainers clamp
the rear axle. This can generate forces that normal riding doesn't,
particularly if you stand on the pedals. I don't know if those forces could be
enough to damage a frame, but to be conservative I don't stand up on a
trainer. As far as I can recall, nobody has posted an instance of a frame
actually breaking while being ridden in a trainer.

Cipher wrote:

A rear wheel trainer (one that attaches to the rear hub) does a good job
of chewing up the rear quick release over time, and if you ever-watch
some one peddling under load, the bottom bracket flexes quite a bit... I
use my older beater with a rear wheel trainer.

Use the QR that comes with the trainer (e.g. Tacx). More stable
clamping action, and made of solid recycled Tirpitz. Weight weenies can
put the nice one back on for riding on the road.

Cipher wrote:

A rear wheel trainer (one that attaches to the rear hub) does a good job
of chewing up the rear quick release over time, and if you ever-watch
some one peddling under load, the bottom bracket flexes quite a bit... I
use my older beater with a rear wheel trainer.

Use the QR that comes with the trainer (e.g. Tacx). More stable
clamping action, and made of solid recycled Tirpitz. Weight weenies can
put the nice one back on for riding on the road.

On 25 Mar 2004 06:22:25 -0800, (O. Simonsen)
wrote:
"Rob" wrote in message news:73v8c.901566$ts4.127382@pd7tw3no...
Hi I just got a bike trainer...a friend of mine said that they can be hard
of the frame or hard on the head set.. is this true ?

On the frame(rear triangle) - maybe!!, depends on how smooth you pedal.

....or if you get out of the saddle and really honk.

On the headset - no I can't imagine that..unless you don't clean it afterwards.

That would be the cause of headset problems -- sweat getting inside
it.

Also, the trainer eats rear tires.

I've got a worthless beater rescued from somebody's garbage. It
probably hasn't got on it a single part I'll ever want to use. It's
perfect for the trainer. I'm even using otherwise useless tires on
it.

I'm going to hack some fenders onto it and ride it in the rain, so I
never have to worry about wet roads washing the grease out of the
bearings on a nice bike. If I had thought of this sooner, I could
have used it on salty winter roads too...the ultra-beater. Most
people become emotionally attached to their beaters, it seems. This
one attracts no attachment, but is not bothersome to ride either.
--
Rick Onanian