Trainers hard on bikes?

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

Quoted message said:

I have been using a Minoura trainer for the past 3 winters.

Yesterday on the trainer, out of the saddle, putting a lot of strain on the bike the right nut
cover broke on the rear skewer.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether trainers are hard on bikes?

Several people have opinions, but I don't think anybody can answer for sure. ISTM that you are
putting significant twisting loads on the rear triangle that are not there in normal riding, which
over extended periods of time *may* cause a fatigue failure, especially with a light bike. Whether
it would actually happen in real life is another question, but it seems to me that it would be
possible. I would think a heavier-framed bike would have no problems other than those caused by
sweat dripping on the frame and corroding it.

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

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

Quoted message said:

I have been using a Minoura trainer for the past 3 winters.

Yesterday on the trainer, out of the saddle, putting a lot of strain on the bike the right nut
cover broke on the rear skewer.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether trainers are hard on bikes?

I think it's a really bad idea to ride out of the saddle on most trainers. It's really not
necessary, either.

Yes because you never use those muscles on the road so why bother training them in the Winter.

Quoted message said:

I think it's a really bad idea to ride out of the saddle on most trainers. It's really not
necessary, either.

On Mon, 2 Feb 2004 09:35:30 -0500, David Kerber

ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net said:

Several people have opinions, but I don't think anybody can answer for sure. ISTM that you are
putting significant twisting loads on the rear triangle that are not there in normal riding, which
over extended periods of time *may* cause a fatigue failure, especially with a light bike. Whether
it would actually happen in real life is another question,

I've wondered about this too. My Ascent trainer came with a special wheel QR skewer that you are
supposed to use with the trainer instead of using the one that comes with the wheel. I think this
may be partly because it is shaped to fit more securely in the retaining bolts. I don't know if that
would reduce possible twisting forces or not.

MP

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

Quoted message said:

I have been using a Minoura trainer for the past 3 winters.

Yesterday on the trainer, out of the saddle, putting a lot of strain on

the

Quoted message said:

bike the right nut cover broke on the rear skewer.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether trainers are hard on bikes?

For sure a rear-wheel trainer can be hard on the QR. Your entire weight is being supported by the QR
skewer, not the wheel as is normally the case. Some QR's are simply not designed for this. Look at
skewers with plastic caps over the metal nut. That thing is toast if you clamp it in a trainer.
However, apart from this, I've argued here before, perhaps incorrectly and unsuccessfully, that the
trainer is not significantly different than riding on the road for the most part.

Scott..

"Peter Cole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:BxtTb.209118$xy6.1072522@attbi_s02...

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

I have been using a Minoura trainer for the past 3 winters.

Yesterday on the trainer, out of the saddle, putting a lot of strain on

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bike the right nut cover broke on the rear skewer.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether trainers are hard on bikes?

I think it's a really bad idea to ride out of the saddle on most trainers. It's really not
necessary, either.

"Peter Cole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:BxtTb.209118$xy6.1072522@attbi_s02...

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

I have been using a Minoura trainer for the past 3 winters.

Yesterday on the trainer, out of the saddle, putting a lot of strain on

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bike the right nut cover broke on the rear skewer.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether trainers are hard on bikes?

I think it's a really bad idea to ride out of the saddle on most trainers. It's really not
necessary, either.

Wha ...? Huh?

Sheesh.

I have a fluid trainer that has a $150 Mongoose connected to it. My plan is to keep my road bike in
good shape by beating the devil out of the "cheapie." True, I don't have the same gearing to play
with but I sure can sweat myself to death!

Cost of a new Trek...too many chips with the wife. Cost of beating the tar out of a "dime store"
bike...priceless.

Tom "Peter Cole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:BxtTb.209118$xy6.1072522@attbi_s02...

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

I have been using a Minoura trainer for the past 3 winters.

Yesterday on the trainer, out of the saddle, putting a lot of strain on

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bike the right nut cover broke on the rear skewer.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether trainers are hard on bikes?

I think it's a really bad idea to ride out of the saddle on most trainers. It's really not
necessary, either.

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I think it's a really bad idea to ride out of the saddle on most trainers. It's really not
necessary, either.

Yes because you never use those muscles on the road so why bother training them in the Winter.

Oooh, sarcasm alert! FWIW, a lot of riders never ride out of the saddle. Most of the muscles
used are the same, it really doesn't do anything special (unless you buy into all that spinning
class hype).

Of course I can't say that the trainer caused the failure, but the bike I use on my trainer broke
last July. It didn't break while on the trainer, but the next day. I probably put about 25 hours of
trainer time per year on this bike for 4 years. I do stand on occasion and use the Computertrainer
3d package. Doing a 7% grade for 5 minutes means you want to stand and stretch a bit. I try not to
rock the bike, which would aggrevate the problem. This was a Raleigh frame with 531 steel stays.
Here's what happened...just riding along....

photos.bitrealm.comchainstaysm.jpgOpen ↗

I had not been inspecting the stays, so it's hard to say how long it took to snap.

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

Quoted message said:

I have been using a Minoura trainer for the past 3 winters.

Yesterday on the trainer, out of the saddle, putting a lot of strain on the bike the right nut
cover broke on the rear skewer.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether trainers are hard on bikes?