Static Cycle Trainer

in message <[email hidden]>,

(' ') said:

What model of trainer would you recommend for use with my Mountain
Bike.

I'm old and decrepit. I've passed on all my bikes cept the mtb which
I've not ridden for two years.
I have a pelvic problem, damaged sacroiliac joints from having sat on
my tailbone when racing on xc skis over the years and rough riding in
the days before suspension.
So I didnt ride, got unfit, couldnt ride, got even unfitter, then got
nervous and convinced myself that
at 72 I was too old to wander the wild country on a bike. Its easier
to sit here and watch the racing on the small screen.

Wandering wild country on your bike, and riding a turbo-trainer, seem to me
to be very far from one another. Dust off that mountain bike and take it
out on some quiet, gentle rural roads and trails. You'll enjoy it far
more. Turbo-trainers are very, very boring, and not even a bit rewarding -
may be OK for maintaining base fitness over the winter if you're really
dedicated, but not for anything more than that.

Exercise has to be enjoyable, or else you just don't do it - in my
experience, anyway.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

[ This .sig intentionally left blank ]

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>,

(' ') said:

What model of trainer would you recommend for use with my Mountain
Bike.

I'm old and decrepit. I've passed on all my bikes cept the mtb which
I've not ridden for two years.
I have a pelvic problem, damaged sacroiliac joints from having sat on
my tailbone when racing on xc skis over the years and rough riding in
the days before suspension.
So I didnt ride, got unfit, couldnt ride, got even unfitter, then got
nervous and convinced myself that
at 72 I was too old to wander the wild country on a bike. Its easier
to sit here and watch the racing on the small screen.

Wandering wild country on your bike, and riding a turbo-trainer, seem to me
to be very far from one another. Dust off that mountain bike and take it
out on some quiet, gentle rural roads and trails. You'll enjoy it far
more. Turbo-trainers are very, very boring, and not even a bit rewarding -
may be OK for maintaining base fitness over the winter if you're really
dedicated, but not for anything more than that.

Exercise has to be enjoyable, or else you just don't do it - in my
experience, anyway.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

[ This .sig intentionally left blank ]

I agree with Simon. I had my 70th birthday on my recently finished annual
cycle/camp trip ( this year from Nemours to Narbonne). It was the shortest
trip I have done - because of cycling injuries from last year and new medical
discoveries ( like a heart murmur). Some days early on were very short ( about
50kms -- but with a too heavy trailer) but I just trundled along and pushed
up a few very long hills when the legs gave up. But I enjoyed feeling myself
recovering a bit of fitness day by day and every day was travelling -- seeing
a new road I had never been on before, swearing at a very long ( not too
steep) drag -- stopping in a small cafe for a coffee -- perhaps toward the end
of my days travel with "un quart du vin blanc" or a Pastis!

All in all far better than sitting on a turbo trainer. I have only done about
1500 kms on this years trip but I kept cycling in short all last winter even
though recovering from injuries -- so my mileage this year is down by about a
1000 miles but I am now back on my velo on home territory ( surveying the mud
from the flood along the river Don

Ten miles on the road is far more interesting than the same on a turbo
trainer!

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

What model of trainer would you recommend for use with my Mountain
Bike.

BUT its TdeF time, and sunshine, the traditional time of year when I
used to get new bike catalogues and admire the shiny goods in the bike
shops, so just perhaps a static trainer might
help in reducing stagnant body fat and building back strength in
dormant muscles and tendons.

Mike

Don't do it! Against advice from members of this newsgroup, I bought a
turbo trainer four years ago. It's had four or five days' use and currently
languishes in the attic. There's no substitute for being outside. Using a
turbo trainer is mind numbingly boring, sweaty - there's no wind to cool you
down and the scenery is monotonous ;-)

In article <[email hidden]>, Trevor A
Panther
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I agree with Simon.

Me too - if you've been used to 'proper' cycling then trundling a few
miles may not seem much of an achievement, and can be disheartening or
even intimidating if you've been off for a while, but that has to be
nothing compared to the tedium of a static trainer. Its only advantage
is that at any point you can stop and slump in your comfy chair, but
just start off very gently on the road (or off the road) and gradually
build distance.

and try a recumbent bike (or trike) if your 'tail' doesn't like being
squashed on a saddle....

If I'd not given my personal comments would you guys have given me a
reply.

At the medical practice they'd suggested I should swim in a pool or
ride a static bike at a gym but I cant
walk that far, theres up stairs and down steps at these places.
Remember when you tried to get a child to ride a twowheeler for the
first time, you had to hold them upright
with your hands under their armpits well I'm at the other end of the
scale. We got two burley guys to hold me
upright while I tried to pedal but each time I put weight on a pedal I
got stabbing pain.
Still, that principle of pedalling against least resistance seems
workable.

My idea was to set it up in the garage with the side door open onto
the terrace and garden. If I overdid it I could
lower myself onto a nearby sunlounger.
The most difficult thing would be to get the sat aerial cable out
there so I could watch Eurosport International.

So, what model of trainer would you recommend for use with my Mountain
Bike in these circumstances?

I think you are wishing to use your mountain bike as a means of getting
fitter rather than getting a trainer to help you ride a mountain bike.

I which case I wouldn't buy a turbo trainer attachment for the bike but get
a stand alone exercise bike, a basic exercise bike would be cheaper. I think
it would be more stable and easier to get off and on (no top tube to get
your leg over). You can find these second hand (for reasons explained by
other posters) you could probably get one for free if you can get it
collected, a good source would be your local FreeCycle Community
http://freecycle.org/display.php?region=United%20Kingdom

There are also recumbant style exercise "bikes" but these are very pricey,
(e.g. http://www.johnlewis.com/jl_assets/gallery/230333968.jpg ) I have only
seen these in gyms.
Jim J

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

If I'd not given my personal comments would you guys have given me a
reply.

At the medical practice they'd suggested I should swim in a pool or
ride a static bike at a gym but I cant
walk that far, theres up stairs and down steps at these places.

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

If I'd not given my personal comments would you guys have given me a
reply.

At the medical practice they'd suggested I should swim in a pool or
ride a static bike at a gym but I cant
walk that far, theres up stairs and down steps at these places.
Remember when you tried to get a child to ride a twowheeler for the
first time, you had to hold them upright
with your hands under their armpits well I'm at the other end of the
scale. We got two burley guys to hold me
upright while I tried to pedal but each time I put weight on a pedal I
got stabbing pain.
Still, that principle of pedalling against least resistance seems
workable.

My idea was to set it up in the garage with the side door open onto
the terrace and garden. If I overdid it I could
lower myself onto a nearby sunlounger.
The most difficult thing would be to get the sat aerial cable out
there so I could watch Eurosport International.

So, what model of trainer would you recommend for use with my Mountain
Bike in these circumstances?

Maybe you'd be better off starting with something like this

http://www.benefitsnowshop.co.uk/products/Exercise_Equipment/Pedal_Exerc
isers/Deluxe_Resistive_Pedal_Exerciser.htm

http://tinyurl.com/3y6s2z

Quoted message said:

So, what model of trainer would you recommend for use with my Mountain
Bike in these circumstances?

Tricycle?

James

in message <[email hidden]>,

(' ') said:

If I'd not given my personal comments would you guys have given me a
reply.

At the medical practice they'd suggested I should swim in a pool or
ride a static bike at a gym but I cant
walk that far, theres up stairs and down steps at these places.
Remember when you tried to get a child to ride a twowheeler for the
first time, you had to hold them upright
with your hands under their armpits well I'm at the other end of the
scale. We got two burley guys to hold me
upright while I tried to pedal but each time I put weight on a pedal I
got stabbing pain.
Still, that principle of pedalling against least resistance seems
workable.

My idea was to set it up in the garage with the side door open onto
the terrace and garden. If I overdid it I could
lower myself onto a nearby sunlounger.
The most difficult thing would be to get the sat aerial cable out
there so I could watch Eurosport International.

So, what model of trainer would you recommend for use with my Mountain
Bike in these circumstances?

OK, I'm still being serious. If you really, really want a turbo trainer a
Tacx iMagic is less boring than most, but a lot more expensive. It links
to a computer display and lets you race imaginary races against other
riders, a bit like a video game. The basic Tacx trainers work OK, too -
but, as I say, very boring.

However, how about these alternatives - seriously:

http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/standard_trikes/t.htm
http://www.anthrotech.de/Pages-e/index-e.html

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; L'etat c'est moi -- Louis XVI
;; I... we... the Government -- Tony Blair

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>,

(' ') said:

If I'd not given my personal comments would you guys have given me a
reply.

Quoted message said:

At the medical practice they'd suggested I should swim in a pool or
ride a static bike at a gym but I cant
walk that far, theres up stairs and down steps at these places.
Remember when you tried to get a child to ride a twowheeler for the
first time, you had to hold them upright
with your hands under their armpits well I'm at the other end of the
scale. We got two burley guys to hold me
upright while I tried to pedal but each time I put weight on a pedal I
got stabbing pain.
Still, that principle of pedalling against least resistance seems
workable.

Quoted message said:

My idea was to set it up in the garage with the side door open onto
the terrace and garden. If I overdid it I could
lower myself onto a nearby sunlounger.
The most difficult thing would be to get the sat aerial cable out
there so I could watch Eurosport International.

Quoted message said:

So, what model of trainer would you recommend for use with my Mountain
Bike in these circumstances?

I can relate to your situation to some degree. I'm recovering from a
shattered patella amongst other things, I was hit by a car. It's
painful when I pedal on an exercise bike and I've read and been told
it's best not to put too much weight through my pedal action due to
the destructive effect it has on the knee joint and it's surfaces. A
recumbent exercise bike is probably the best bet, as there is a lot
less weight bearing involved, and also you'd be a lot steadier,
something like:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/York-C760-Recumbent-Platinum-Cycle/dp/B000N3T0NW/ref=pd_sbs_dscm_2/026-4442918-2348441?ie=UTF8&qid=1183935514&sr=1-14

Cheers
Jon