Home Chat General Chat

Trainer Tyre on the road?

I treated myself to a turbo trainer at the start of the winter and dilligently swapped my rear tyre for a heavy wearing trainer specific tyre. Now I want to get back out on the open road tomorrow morning but the thought of wasting valuable time (and motivation) on swapping my rear tyre over is starting to get to me. I will probably want to put the bike back on the trainer again during the week as I won't go out and ride it at on cold dark wet nights.

My question is...am I OK to ride on the road on my trainer tyre or is it not going to give me the grip etc? I don't particularly want to use up valuable training time swapping damned tyres over every time I want to swap between the Turbo and the road. It seems to make a mockery of the Turbo having a quick release/easy assembly if I take half an hour swapping tyres over each time I use it.

PS. I can live with the shame of riding with a black front tyre and red rear as red is obviously going to make me faster than a speeding bullet but I couldn't live with the shame of knowledgable roadies seeing me and laughing if I'm commiting some kind of cardinal sin by riding on my trainer tyre.

hmmm, any suggestions?

Comments

  • GHarvGHarv Posts: 456
    Don't ride with a turbo tyre outside you''ll die.
  • The best option, and the Tri option, so therefore the most expensive option, is to get a cheap rear wheel and cassette for the turbo with the tyre on, then it's only swapping the rear wheel when you go out on the ride.

    As GHarv said, out on the road on the turbo tyre "you'll die".

    The other option is that swapping the turbo tyre for the road tyre every time you go out, and back again during the week means that you'll be a dab hand and changing tyres should you ever have to during a race. I know it;s something we're supposed to practice, but how many actually do?
  • Well I definitely don't want to die

    I guess I'll hit the interwebs in search of a cheap rear wheel and just keep changing the tyre in the mean time. If anyone sees me at races this summer I'll be the one looking smug as I will be the fastest tyre changer in the west!

    I'll have to tell the WAT officer that it was either the new wheel or death. Anyone used that as an excuse for new kit before?
  • I did, a she chose the death option for me. Ho hum
  • AtomicAtomic Posts: 126
    El Dubya wrote:
    ]I can live with the shame of riding with a black front tyre and red rear as red is obviously going to make me faster
    You'll also be the faster reversing rider there
  • danny_sdanny_s Posts: 235
    Just put on a durable tire. Use it indoors and out. Nothing awful happens if you use a normal tire on a turbo trainer, just don't put insane amounts of pressure on it.
  • GHarvGHarv Posts: 456
    Would defo need to be a durable one.

    Tried this whe i first got a turbo and got a nice flat line all round the tyre. (Contis)

    Danny-s What tyre r u using.
  • danny_sdanny_s Posts: 235
    I'm pretty sure I've got the Conti Gator Hardshells on there. That or another "Hardshell" tire, I am pretty sure Bontrager makes one. Granted, I don't ride 200mi a week inside during the winter but I've never had any troubles with tire wear. If I was going to be exclusively inside for a month or two, then maybe a trainer tire might make sense.
  • huwdhuwd Posts: 228
    anyone know a good cheap rear wheel? cheapest I could find was £70
  • GHarvGHarv Posts: 456
    Its not easy to find a cheap wheel as every other cyclist has the same idea and don't tend to sell them.

    I used it as a good excuse to buy some new wheels and use the old one for the turbo.
  • GHarvGHarv Posts: 456
    Oh and remember you'll also need to buy a new cassatte for the turbo wheel.
  • huwdhuwd Posts: 228
    Ok I've found a better solution... buy a really expensive wheel and keep the current one as the trainer wheel...

    Or a pair of course
  • largeadelargeade Posts: 166
    Halfords. I bought a wheel and a freewheel for about 35 quid. Its cack, but it does the job.
  • I just change the tire each time i do use the turbo. I have got really speedy at changing tires, can do it in about 5 mins inc the pump up. Good practice too.
  • i just use the same tyre inside and out - continental gator skins are the way forwards! not the lightest tyre on the market, but the couple of grams difference can be saved by having a big dump!
  • AtomicAtomic Posts: 126
    gingertri wrote:
    i just use the same tyre inside and out - continental gator skins are the way forwards! not the lightest tyre on the market, but the couple of grams difference can be saved by having a big dump!

    You can save 2-3lbs by having a good dump. I know because I regularly weigh myself before and after
  • turbo tyre outside....great for drifting
Sign In or Register to comment.