The official cycling thread

[Yer Man]

Any recommendations on a road bike for the uk for about 1000-1500pounds? I guess driving to go mountain biking is not a essential travel.

I'd suggest losing a bit of weight first

[Petej]

Any recommendations on a road bike for the uk for about £1000-1500? I guess driving to go mountain biking is not a essential travel.

I'd suggest losing a bit of weight first

Thanks for your helpful suggestion.

[blindcider]

Any recommendations on a road bike for the uk for about 1000-1500pounds? I guess driving to go mountain biking is not a essential travel.

I'd suggest sticking with aluminium frame at that price - You'd get a Carbon bike at that price but with a stepdown component wise. In Aluminium, you'd be looking at 105 plus hydraulic disk brakes.

It depends a lot on how you want to use it but I reckon you can't go too far wrong in the UK with a gravel or cyclocross bike. loads of good bikes at around the £1000 price point as that was the cyclescheme limit

Edit to add: Disk Brakes make a hell of a lot of sense in the UK but only Hydro ones. Avoid mechanical disks as they are worse than traditional stoppers

[Spyglass]

We are all going to die. Might as well get a new bike. Just delivered today. My first ever NBD.

Nice, just in time from spring and solo rides Social Distancing

[Spyglass]

So what you guys are saying is I'm going to need new tires pretty soon.

It's pretty much the first "upgrade" you get to make with any bike, as it's the number 1 wear item.

Yep. I've run GP4000's for the last 10 years and really like them. My new bike has tubeless ready wheels, so I just switched over from the Specialized Turbo's that it came with to the GP5000TL, so far so good.

Only concern is the tires were so hard to get on, that I doubt I could fit a tube in an emergency situation on the roadside, so in the event the sealant can't seal a puncture, I'm carrying a plug kit and two CO2 cartridges. Fingers crossed it works as advertised

[clydecloggie]

has anyone actually gone tubeless? Friends and family are raving about it but it seems a bit of a hassle and not easy to get right without the right tools and being of sound mind - both of which may be an issue.

[johnstrac]

has anyone actually gone tubeless? Friends and family are raving about it but it seems a bit of a hassle and not easy to get right without the right tools and being of sound mind - both of which may be an issue.

Got a new Kuota last year which came with tubeless (not requested by me), at one stage I'd done more miles in the car back and forward to the shop trying to get the tyres to seal than I'd ridden! Eventually caved and went back to tubes although I'm also dreading the first p as the tyres (Gatorskins) were a bastard to get on.

[happyhooker]

has anyone actually gone tubeless? Friends and family are raving about it but it seems a bit of a hassle and not easy to get right without the right tools and being of sound mind - both of which may be an issue.

My mate, who regularly does ridiculous length rides (400-500k plus) went tubeless recently.

I was meant to ask him how it went, but somebody shut the fůcking pubs.

[farmerdave]

has anyone actually gone tubeless? Friends and family are raving about it but it seems a bit of a hassle and not easy to get right without the right tools and being of sound mind - both of which may be an issue.

Went tubeless about six months ago. Bought a new wheelset for my specialized epic to make it more trail than cross-country. So put the new ones together tubeless and it was easy enough so did the old ones too. No mess and had no problems, watched some YouTube beforehand, GMBN ones.
Having two hugely differring wheelsets has been a good way to change the bike without buying a second one. I like the xc set up for long single track type rides while having the bigger 2.4/2.5 tyres for playing with the kids and grandkids in parks. Was interested to find the heavier wheelset was a massive 1.5kgs heavier. 3.9kgs vs 5.4.

[DOB]

has anyone actually gone tubeless? Friends and family are raving about it but it seems a bit of a hassle and not easy to get right without the right tools and being of sound mind - both of which may be an issue.

I’ve biked with a couple of guys who had tubeless ready rims. When I asked about it, they said pretty much what you think. They found it a bit of a hassle, and the ride difference wasn’t worth it. This is a couple years back and maybe it’s easier now.

MTBs have been tubeless for years now. Not every tech that comes over is an improvement.

[booji boy]

has anyone actually gone tubeless? Friends and family are raving about it but it seems a bit of a hassle and not easy to get right without the right tools and being of sound mind - both of which may be an issue.

I’ve biked with a couple of guys who had tubeless ready rims. When I asked about it, they said pretty much what you think. They found it a bit of a hassle, and the ride difference wasn’t worth it. This is a couple years back and maybe it’s easier now.

MTBs have been tubeless for years now. Not every tech that comes over is an improvement.

Yeah I'd say the biggest advantage for mtbing is being able to run the tubeless tyres at much lower pressures without worrying about pinch flats. The lower pressure adds to the cushioning and suspension on rough, rooty trails and can improve traction. The weight saving benefits are completely negligible in my opinion so I'm also not sure that you'd gain much on a road bike apart from perhaps avoiding punctures that you might get with an inner tube.

[dinsdale]

has anyone actually gone tubeless? Friends and family are raving about it but it seems a bit of a hassle and not easy to get right without the right tools and being of sound mind - both of which may be an issue.

A chap I have done a number of cycle tours in Asia with went tubeless few years ago and swears by it. One issue he did mention is that you now become dependent on the porosity of the tyre rather than the tube. He had to send one batch of tyres back to the supplier.

He rides many thousands of km per year on variable roads so I rate his experiences.

[rustycruiser]

We are all going to die. Might as well get a new bike. Just delivered today. My first ever NBD.

Nice, just in time from spring and solo rides Social Distancing

Yep. Although I do have a small fear about crashing and ending up in hospital at a not so opportune time. Maybe not bomb any descents for the next few months

[blindcider]

That Canyon is lovely, post up a pic of the finished build so we can pick holes in your saddle height/stack height/pedal choice etc.

[cheese cutter]

I got a gravel bike last year (yes, I know it's the equivalent of a 4x4 that never gets muddy) that came with tubeless tyres with that white goo. After a couple of months of having to pump the pluming back tyre up every f**king day I but a kevlar Schwalbe on it and haven't had a problem yet. I had them on my last cross bike and never had a puncture on it after I fitted them, so I am nconvinced about tubeless.

[Leffe]

We are all going to die. Might as well get a new bike. Just delivered today. My first ever NBD.

Lovely.

Si shifting? Best thing I ever bought on a bike.

[ticketlessinseattle]

so I panic ordered a "HOMCOM Folding Bike Trainer Cycling Roller" - it was the last of any such trainer left that I could find ; only thing is that I'll be literally spinning my wheels with no idea of distance travelled ; story of my life ; is there anything you can order ? thanks much

[Petej]

has anyone actually gone tubeless? Friends and family are raving about it but it seems a bit of a hassle and not easy to get right without the right tools and being of sound mind - both of which may be an issue.

A chap I have done a number of cycle tours in Asia with went tubeless few years ago and swears by it. One issue he did mention is that you now become dependent on the porosity of the tyre rather than the tube. He had to send one batch of tyres back to the supplier.

He rides many thousands of km per year on variable roads so I rate his experiences.

For mountain biking. So much better grip even at same pressures and I used to go through a lot of inner tubes so I'm a big fan of tubeless.
SGS do a good small compressor for about £70 which is well worth it and makes it easy to set up tubeless.

[DOB]

so I panic ordered a "HOMCOM Folding Bike Trainer Cycling Roller" - it was the last of any such trainer left that I could find ; only thing is that I'll be literally spinning my wheels with no idea of distance travelled ; story of my life ; is there anything you can order ? thanks much

Any bike computer (cateye, sigma are 2 brands you can look at) can be hooked up to your back wheel. Edit; but on your rollers you should be fine to set up with the sensor on your front wheel.

If you have a gps head unit, they can be paired with a wheel sensor, cadence sensor etc. My home trainer setup is just my bike on a fluid trainer, with a Garmin and a speed/cadence sensor.

[ticketlessinseattle]

so I panic ordered a "HOMCOM Folding Bike Trainer Cycling Roller" - it was the last of any such trainer left that I could find ; only thing is that I'll be literally spinning my wheels with no idea of distance travelled ; story of my life ; is there anything you can order ? thanks much

Any bike computer (cateye, sigma are 2 brands you can look at) can be hooked up to your back wheel. Edit; but on your rollers you should be fine to set up with the sensor on your front wheel.

If you have a gps head unit, they can be paired with a wheel sensor, cadence sensor etc. My home trainer setup is just my bike on a fluid trainer, with a Garmin and a speed/cadence sensor.

cheers DOB, much appreciated ; it looks like the internet is sold out of them at the moment ! I did see something about some not being compatible with certain wheel sizes which seems wrong - I know fcuk all about this stuff (more of a runner for cardio) so feel free to talk to me like a 5 year old....I'm a munster fan so shouldn't be a stretch for you; this one seems to do the trick....
cateye-velo-wireless

[DOB]

so I panic ordered a "HOMCOM Folding Bike Trainer Cycling Roller" - it was the last of any such trainer left that I could find ; only thing is that I'll be literally spinning my wheels with no idea of distance travelled ; story of my life ; is there anything you can order ? thanks much

Any bike computer (cateye, sigma are 2 brands you can look at) can be hooked up to your back wheel. Edit; but on your rollers you should be fine to set up with the sensor on your front wheel.

If you have a gps head unit, they can be paired with a wheel sensor, cadence sensor etc. My home trainer setup is just my bike on a fluid trainer, with a Garmin and a speed/cadence sensor.

cheers DOB, much appreciated ; it looks like the internet is sold out of them at the moment ! I did see something about some not being compatible with certain wheel sizes which seems wrong - I know fcuk all about this stuff (more of a runner for cardio) so feel free to talk to me like a 5 year old....I'm a munster fan so shouldn't be a stretch for you; this one seems to do the trick....
cateye-velo-wireless

Cateye are basically the Nokia of bike computers. They made straightforward, pretty much indestructible simple to use tech through the 90s and 00s, and they’ve been left behind a bit as GPS and power meters and touch screen full-colour smartphone tech have taken over. But that one you’re looking at will absolutely do the job.

[Spyglass]

has anyone actually gone tubeless? Friends and family are raving about it but it seems a bit of a hassle and not easy to get right without the right tools and being of sound mind - both of which may be an issue.

See my post above. I converted three weeks ago and have about 500 miles on GP5000TL's. They'e 25mm wide and I run them 75/85 psi, ride is good considering I have a very stiff frame. My main motivation for the change to tubeless was to hopefully avoid the flats I get around here from small sharp rocks, wire, staples, etc. Theoretically the sealant should seal these types of punctures.

The installation was more difficult than a tubed tire, but still doable for the average home bike maintenance task. First tire took about one hour, including fitting rim tape, tire on/off twice and sealant. Second tire was 10 or 15 mins. Tire was definitely hard to get on rim, but can be achieved by hand, without levers, using soapy water and the right technique. Both inflated first time with only a regular floor pump.

Tires lose about 10-15 psi per week

[ticketlessinseattle]

so I panic ordered a "HOMCOM Folding Bike Trainer Cycling Roller" - it was the last of any such trainer left that I could find ; only thing is that I'll be literally spinning my wheels with no idea of distance travelled ; story of my life ; is there anything you can order ? thanks much

Any bike computer (cateye, sigma are 2 brands you can look at) can be hooked up to your back wheel. Edit; but on your rollers you should be fine to set up with the sensor on your front wheel.

If you have a gps head unit, they can be paired with a wheel sensor, cadence sensor etc. My home trainer setup is just my bike on a fluid trainer, with a Garmin and a speed/cadence sensor.

cheers DOB, much appreciated ; it looks like the internet is sold out of them at the moment ! I did see something about some not being compatible with certain wheel sizes which seems wrong - I know fcuk all about this stuff (more of a runner for cardio) so feel free to talk to me like a 5 year old....I'm a munster fan so shouldn't be a stretch for you; this one seems to do the trick....
cateye-velo-wireless

Cateye are basically the Nokia of bike computers. They made straightforward, pretty much indestructible simple to use tech through the 90s and 00s, and they’ve been left behind a bit as GPS and power meters and touch screen full-colour smartphone tech have taken over. But that one you’re looking at will absolutely do the job.

cheers

[rustycruiser]

has anyone actually gone tubeless? Friends and family are raving about it but it seems a bit of a hassle and not easy to get right without the right tools and being of sound mind - both of which may be an issue.

See my post above. I converted three weeks ago and have about 500 miles on GP5000TL's. They'e 25mm wide and I run them 75/85 psi, ride is good considering I have a very stiff frame. My main motivation for the change to tubeless was to hopefully avoid the flats I get around here from small sharp rocks, wire, staples, etc. Theoretically the sealant should seal these types of punctures.

The installation was more difficult than a tubed tire, but still doable for the average home bike maintenance task. First tire took about one hour, including fitting rim tape, tire on/off twice and sealant. Second tire was 10 or 15 mins. Tire was definitely hard to get on rim, but can be achieved by hand, without levers, using soapy water and the right technique. Both inflated first time with only a regular floor pump.

Tires lose about 10-15 psi per week

The tubeless setup loses that much? Just sitting? My new rims came tubeless ready, no rim tape needed, valves in the package. I will probably run the bike initially with the tubes and GP4000s that came on the bike as they are 28s and cant fit on my tri bike. But will give tubeless a shot after the tires die. My frame is certainly not as stiff as your Venge, so am hoping a tubed setup will be cushy enough

[rustycruiser]

That Canyon is lovely, post up a pic of the finished build so we can pick holes in your saddle height/stack height/pedal choice etc.

Will do. This working from home shit is taking all my time though, haven't built it yet. Am waiting to hear back from Canyon customer service about a small mark that looks like a paint crack but I am paranoid could be an actual crack. I think it is fine, but just covering my ass. The mark is from a hole that holds a clip that keeps the DI2 wires from rattling in the downtube

Edit: added a bigger pic

Spoiler: show

[blindcider]

That Canyon is lovely, post up a pic of the finished build so we can pick holes in your saddle height/stack height/pedal choice etc.

Will do. This working from home shit is taking all my time though, haven't built it yet. Am waiting to hear back from Canyon customer service about a small mark that looks like a paint crack but I am paranoid could be an actual crack. I think it is fine, but just covering my ass. The mark is from a hole that holds a clip that keeps the DI2 wires from rattling in the downtube

Spoiler: show

It is probably a crack in the paint or lacquer. You could try the coin test - Tap it gently with a coin and compare the noise with tapping elsewhere on similar tube shapes. If the sound is different then you might have some delamination - Its something we use in aerospace (a bit more tech than a coin obviously) so should be similar on a bike frame although bikes are often more complex shapes. Obviously a proper inspection is preferable so get a decent bike shop to take a look if you want more confidence.

[Womack]

I've been tubeless on MTBs for a long time. It's worthwhile for grip (because you can run lower pressure without risking pinch flats) and improved puncture resistance (as the gunk seals little holes from thorns etc).

Only real difficulty is getting the bead to seat when first fitting tyres. I made a Coke bottle compressor (guides can be found online) which works really well. Only needs pumping to about 50psi to get the tyre to seat.

Once fitted, they're pretty much fire and forget, I've had pairs on for the best part of a year before and still had gunk in them when they needed changing or a tube putting in (always carry a spare tube for holes that are too big to seal).

I use Stan's valves and their gunk or the doc blue stuff.

Not sure if I'd bother on the road, but might be worth it for ride and puncture proofing

Edit: It changes your attitude to tyre pressure, I used to run MTB tyres at around 35-40psi, once tubeless I just used to let them lose pressure until down to about 15psi. Only then would they start burping and I'd put some air in. Didn't noticeably affect speed on or off road. At lower MTB pressures they don't lose pressure that quickly.

[Spyglass]

has anyone actually gone tubeless? Friends and family are raving about it but it seems a bit of a hassle and not easy to get right without the right tools and being of sound mind - both of which may be an issue.

See my post above. I converted three weeks ago and have about 500 miles on GP5000TL's. They'e 25mm wide and I run them 75/85 psi, ride is good considering I have a very stiff frame. My main motivation for the change to tubeless was to hopefully avoid the flats I get around here from small sharp rocks, wire, staples, etc. Theoretically the sealant should seal these types of punctures.

The installation was more difficult than a tubed tire, but still doable for the average home bike maintenance task. First tire took about one hour, including fitting rim tape, tire on/off twice and sealant. Second tire was 10 or 15 mins. Tire was definitely hard to get on rim, but can be achieved by hand, without levers, using soapy water and the right technique. Both inflated first time with only a regular floor pump.

Tires lose about 10-15 psi per week

The tubeless setup loses that much? Just sitting? My new rims came tubeless ready, no rim tape needed, valves in the package. I will probably run the bike initially with the tubes and GP4000s that came on the bike as they are 28s and cant fit on my tri bike. But will give tubeless a shot after the tires die. My frame is certainly not as stiff as your Venge, so am hoping a tubed setup will be cushy enough

Yes I'm surprised it loses pressure, I was under the impression that the sealant would take care of any minor leaks. Before I put the sealant in I left the tires for an hour or two to allow the beads to set and the tires to settle into their actual shape. During this time they went down to about 20 psi. I can't figure out where the leak is as there are no tell tale signs of sealant.

[rustycruiser]

has anyone actually gone tubeless? Friends and family are raving about it but it seems a bit of a hassle and not easy to get right without the right tools and being of sound mind - both of which may be an issue.

See my post above. I converted three weeks ago and have about 500 miles on GP5000TL's. They'e 25mm wide and I run them 75/85 psi, ride is good considering I have a very stiff frame. My main motivation for the change to tubeless was to hopefully avoid the flats I get around here from small sharp rocks, wire, staples, etc. Theoretically the sealant should seal these types of punctures.

The installation was more difficult than a tubed tire, but still doable for the average home bike maintenance task. First tire took about one hour, including fitting rim tape, tire on/off twice and sealant. Second tire was 10 or 15 mins. Tire was definitely hard to get on rim, but can be achieved by hand, without levers, using soapy water and the right technique. Both inflated first time with only a regular floor pump.

Tires lose about 10-15 psi per week

The tubeless setup loses that much? Just sitting? My new rims came tubeless ready, no rim tape needed, valves in the package. I will probably run the bike initially with the tubes and GP4000s that came on the bike as they are 28s and cant fit on my tri bike. But will give tubeless a shot after the tires die. My frame is certainly not as stiff as your Venge, so am hoping a tubed setup will be cushy enough

Yes I'm surprised it loses pressure, I was under the impression that the sealant would take care of any minor leaks. Before I put the sealant in I left the tires for an hour or two to allow the beads to set and the tires to settle into their actual shape. During this time they went down to about 20 psi. I can't figure out where the leak is as there are no tell tale signs of sealant.

Would maybe over inflating them (for tubeless) to say 110-120 PSI allow you to track the small leak via sealant leak? Thats kind of a PITA, more leakage than you get out of a tubed setup.

[Spyglass]

Yes I'm surprised it loses pressure, I was under the impression that the sealant would take care of any minor leaks. Before I put the sealant in I left the tires for an hour or two to allow the beads to set and the tires to settle into their actual shape. During this time they went down to about 20 psi. I can't figure out where the leak is as there are no tell tale signs of sealant.

Would maybe over inflating them (for tubeless) to say 110-120 PSI allow you to track the small leak via sealant leak? Thats kind of a PITA, more leakage than you get out of a tubed setup.[/quote]

Not a big issues as I'd normally have to top up my tubed tires week to week by about 10 psi, but it's surprising nevertheless. Good idea, I'll give the higher pressure a try

[ticketlessinseattle]

so now that I've got my bike rollers/trainer....anyone got any tips for how to stay up on the fcuking thing ! its a piece of shite tbh ; the spanner doesnt fit the screws and the cable isn't correctly attached.....but its mostly me

[ukjim]

so now that I've got my bike rollers/trainer....anyone got any tips for how to stay up on the fcuking thing ! its a piece of shite tbh ; the spanner doesnt fit the screws and the cable isn't correctly attached.....but its mostly me

rollers are great.
start off with a couple of chairs on either side to hold on to.
focus on an object etc that is parallel with your eyes (stare at a dot on the wall or something).
keep your head straight and you will get there within a few minutes.
once you are comfortable with riding on rollers practice taking one hand off at a time.

eventually you get gud

[DOB]

A trainer mounted to the wheel ought to be pretty stable, I would've thought.



If it's rollers, those just take practice and balance, from what I've heard. Never used them before.

https://hongsenbike.en.alibaba.com/prod ... ainer.html

[ticketlessinseattle]

so now that I've got my bike rollers/trainer....anyone got any tips for how to stay up on the fcuking thing ! its a piece of shite tbh ; the spanner doesnt fit the screws and the cable isn't correctly attached.....but its mostly me

rollers are great.
start off with a couple of chairs on either side to hold on to.
focus on an object etc that is parallel with your eyes (stare at a dot on the wall or something).
keep your head straight and you will get there within a few minutes.
once you are comfortable with riding on rollers practice taking one hand off at a time.

eventually you get gud

cheers, yeah, I think its just practice ; would be ironic that I just got the rollers in case I can't go for a daily run if I was to to end up in hospital with a broken collarbone !
yup, DOB I tried to get those mounted ones but all sold out on every site, cheers

ps I might just try and learn to make that omelette

[redderneck]

A trainer mounted to the wheel ought to be pretty stable, I would've thought.



If it's rollers, those just take practice and balance, from what I've heard. Never used them before.

https://hongsenbike.en.alibaba.com/prod ... ainer.html

About to pull trigger on a Kickr Snap which looks to be the one on the left in pic above. Reviews seem good. Pal was virtual pub zooming his basement set-up last night, and he has a top-end direct drive Kickr which he raves about, hooked up to a bike which looks like it cost more than my car and enough screens on stands for it to look like he was pedal powering the first space shuttle to the moon. He uses Zwift. Raves about Kickr & Zwift. Serious triathlete though. That kit would be wasted on me - I hope.

Would the wheel-on versus direct drive start to annoy the shit out of me? Would I be kicking myself that the Snap was a false economy? The Snap is at the upper range of what I was hoping to spend frankly.

I am firmly a very-ex rugby player on a bike, not a cyclist. Bought the bike 5 years or so ago and did decent regular mileage for a couple of years; dropped off gradually as new work ramped up its demands. Appreciate any steer.

[DOB]

About to pull trigger on a Kickr Snap which looks to be the one on the left in pic above. Reviews seem good. Pal was virtual pub zooming his basement set-up last night, and he has a top-end direct drive Kickr which he raves about, hooked up to a bike which looks like it cost more than my car and enough screens on stands for it to look like he was pedal powering the first space shuttle to the moon. He uses Zwift. Raves about Kickr & Zwift. Serious triathlete though. That kit would be wasted on me - I hope.

Would the wheel-on versus direct drive start to annoy the shit out of me? Would I be kicking myself that the Snap was a false economy? The Snap is at the upper range of what I was hoping to spend frankly.

I am firmly a very-ex rugby player on a bike, not a cyclist. Bought the bike 5 years or so ago and did decent regular mileage for a couple of years; dropped off gradually as new work ramped up its demands. Appreciate any steer.

If I were in the market for a trainer today, I'd be going direct drive. But then I'm a cyclist as much as I am a rugby player. And the reason I'm not in the market today is that I get by on a fluid trainer.

I don't know the shelf-life on the direct drive smart-trainers' software or electronic parts, but I've had my dumb fluid trainer for over 10 years now, I've left it out in the rain and had it sit idle in the garage for years on end, and it still works fine. For the difference in price between the Snap and a direct drive, you could get yourself all the power meters etc you could need to get on zwift and throw them on your regular bike. The advantage of that is they come with you when you go out on a ride.

If you want to get on zwift and get the real feel of going up the Alps or Dolomites or Comeraghs, and compete against your mate, it's worth it to get the direct drive. If you're just looking to spin your legs for 30/45 minutes in the evenings, maybe with a structured workout of some kind, the Snap will more than do the job.

[redderneck]

About to pull trigger on a Kickr Snap which looks to be the one on the left in pic above. Reviews seem good. Pal was virtual pub zooming his basement set-up last night, and he has a top-end direct drive Kickr which he raves about, hooked up to a bike which looks like it cost more than my car and enough screens on stands for it to look like he was pedal powering the first space shuttle to the moon. He uses Zwift. Raves about Kickr & Zwift. Serious triathlete though. That kit would be wasted on me - I hope.

Would the wheel-on versus direct drive start to annoy the shit out of me? Would I be kicking myself that the Snap was a false economy? The Snap is at the upper range of what I was hoping to spend frankly.

I am firmly a very-ex rugby player on a bike, not a cyclist. Bought the bike 5 years or so ago and did decent regular mileage for a couple of years; dropped off gradually as new work ramped up its demands. Appreciate any steer.

If I were in the market for a trainer today, I'd be going direct drive. But then I'm a cyclist as much as I am a rugby player. And the reason I'm not in the market today is that I get by on a fluid trainer.

I don't know the shelf-life on the direct drive smart-trainers' software or electronic parts, but I've had my dumb fluid trainer for over 10 years now, I've left it out in the rain and had it sit idle in the garage for years on end, and it still works fine. For the difference in price between the Snap and a direct drive, you could get yourself all the power meters etc you could need to get on zwift and throw them on your regular bike. The advantage of that is they come with you when you go out on a ride.

If you want to get on zwift and get the real feel of going up the Alps or Dolomites or Comeraghs, and compete against your mate, it's worth it to get the direct drive. If you're just looking to spin your legs for 30/45 minutes in the evenings, maybe with a structured workout of some kind, the Snap will more than do the job.

Lovely. Don't need the bells and whistles of higher. Cheers DOB.

[dinsdale]

About to pull trigger on a Kickr Snap which looks to be the one on the left in pic above. Reviews seem good. Pal was virtual pub zooming his basement set-up last night, and he has a top-end direct drive Kickr which he raves about, hooked up to a bike which looks like it cost more than my car and enough screens on stands for it to look like he was pedal powering the first space shuttle to the moon. He uses Zwift. Raves about Kickr & Zwift. Serious triathlete though. That kit would be wasted on me - I hope.

Would the wheel-on versus direct drive start to annoy the shit out of me? Would I be kicking myself that the Snap was a false economy? The Snap is at the upper range of what I was hoping to spend frankly.

I am firmly a very-ex rugby player on a bike, not a cyclist. Bought the bike 5 years or so ago and did decent regular mileage for a couple of years; dropped off gradually as new work ramped up its demands. Appreciate any steer.

If I were in the market for a trainer today, I'd be going direct drive. But then I'm a cyclist as much as I am a rugby player. And the reason I'm not in the market today is that I get by on a fluid trainer.

I don't know the shelf-life on the direct drive smart-trainers' software or electronic parts, but I've had my dumb fluid trainer for over 10 years now, I've left it out in the rain and had it sit idle in the garage for years on end, and it still works fine. For the difference in price between the Snap and a direct drive, you could get yourself all the power meters etc you could need to get on zwift and throw them on your regular bike. The advantage of that is they come with you when you go out on a ride.

If you want to get on zwift and get the real feel of going up the Alps or Dolomites or Comeraghs, and compete against your mate, it's worth it to get the direct drive. If you're just looking to spin your legs for 30/45 minutes in the evenings, maybe with a structured workout of some kind, the Snap will more than do the job.

Lovely. Don't need the bells and whistles of higher. Cheers DOB.

I have found an indoor trainer (Elite Drivo for me) with Zwift very motivational. You only need to feel keen for a few minutes and you are on the bike. I switch between solo rides where I push myself quite hard and group rides that are a bit easier but more sociable so the time passes quickly. I'm currently aiming for an hour a day and probably averaging slightly less than that.

[Seez]

You will get rubber dust from the tyre as it degrades with a wheel-on trainer. Worth getting a trainer tyre if you use it a lot, which won’t degrade but can’t be ridden outside. i’ve had mine for over 10 years and used it heavily. I have it on a very cheap training wheel so to ride outside I can change the wheel not the tyre, because it’s a plum of a job trying to get it off.

Like DOB, I have an old fluid trainer (a kurt kinetic), but with a cheap speed sensor that your phone / pc can communicate with, apps can calculate virtual power and give you a very high standard training programme. I use TrainerRoad, which puts your target and actual power for the interval at the bottom of the screen so you can watch Netflix or Prime without slacking off. Zwift and Sufferfest are also worth trying to see which you prefer, i think they all give you a free trial month.

[Seez]

Also, towels and a fan, with no wind chill you will sweat like a horse