Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

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Le Velo
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Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

Postby Le Velo » Mon Jun 10, 2013 6:01 pm

Just recently got a cycleops fluid trainer to compensate training on the rainy days but have been struggling to get the resistance right to the point that I can't push the numbers up or maintain a certain wattage as I would usually on the road when doing intervals or not enough where the back wheel is slipping and not able to get the wattage up also .... Within 20minutes my legs feel broken :shock:

Any ideas? Suggestions? On how to get the resistance a bit more road feel like would be great ....
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thearthurdog
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Re: Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

Postby thearthurdog » Mon Jun 10, 2013 6:28 pm

A lot of people struggle to maintain the same watts they can on the road on a trainer; regardless of how it is set up.
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Le Velo
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Re: Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

Postby Le Velo » Mon Jun 10, 2013 6:36 pm

thearthurdog wrote:A lot of people struggle to maintain the same watts they can on the road on a trainer; regardless of how it is set up.
Damn it ! Now I feel like I've wasted my money buying the trainer :oops: ....
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vander
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Re: Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

Postby vander » Mon Jun 10, 2013 6:52 pm

I have the same trainer and agree it is a tough trainer, a few tips I tighten the trainer up a fair bit that assures the wheel doesn't slip (which it shouldnt really at any speed). Use your gears, easy to get overgeared on the trainer. Make sure you have a good quality fan heating up is a common issue. Give yourself time to get used to it. First few trainer sessions you can never put out the required watts. After a while you will get better it takes time to adjust to the inertial load. I spend so much time on mine now I struggle on the road unless its a constant uphill because I like something to push against. Ignore your watts go on RPE and HR for the first about 5 sessions and then start to worry about it.

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Le Velo
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Re: Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

Postby Le Velo » Mon Jun 10, 2013 10:05 pm

vander wrote:I have the same trainer and agree it is a tough trainer, a few tips I tighten the trainer up a fair bit that assures the wheel doesn't slip (which it shouldnt really at any speed). Use your gears, easy to get overgeared on the trainer. Make sure you have a good quality fan heating up is a common issue. Give yourself time to get used to it. First few trainer sessions you can never put out the required watts. After a while you will get better it takes time to adjust to the inertial load. I spend so much time on mine now I struggle on the road unless its a constant uphill because I like something to push against. Ignore your watts go on RPE and HR for the first about 5 sessions and then start to worry about it.
Thanks Vander .... When you refer to the fan is that for the flywheel? ... I'll try to just ignore output for the next few sessions and just go on feel maybe as suggested and see how it goes .... Cheers
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brett.hooker
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Re: Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

Postby brett.hooker » Mon Jun 10, 2013 11:16 pm

No, just a pedestal fan to blow air on you...

I find my trainer really hard to use, even in winter, without some air blowing over me. I over heat very quickly.

Also, get the smoothest road tire you can. Every time I switch back to my puncture resistant tyres, I notice the rolling resistance on the trainer more.

Recommend using your gears to find a happy cadence and work through it.

I definitely find the indoor (fluid) trainer a lot harder than the road...

I had a magnetic resistance trainer last year; and it was "easy" to dial down the resistance, but of course, it never felt like a quality workout either. At least with the fluid trainer I know I am working my ass off (literally in my case)...
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vander
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Re: Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

Postby vander » Mon Jun 10, 2013 11:37 pm

Yep as Brett said I am talking an actual fan to blow air on you, I would recommend something close to industrial strength even in winter it is necessary.

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Re: Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

Postby mjd » Tue Jun 11, 2013 6:56 am

Workshop strength fan is a must I think for quality indoor work. I will do 2 or 3 hr sessions if needed on the ergo not all at high intensity but will do zone 1 & zone 2 rides for these lengths if its dictated by weather especially.
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Crawf
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Re: Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

Postby Crawf » Tue Jun 11, 2013 2:58 pm

The trainer would have got a good workout yesterday? :)

steve-waters
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Re: Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

Postby steve-waters » Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:35 pm

If you are going to work out indoors there are couple of things that as mentioned above are critical I use my trainer a lot even when it is not winter for efficiency.

- Big fan
- Power Meter or HRM (if you are using training zones it will pay to do a test on the trainer and use that to set your training zones for the trainer)
- A plan or at least a workout session known before you get on the bike (you will loss interest quickly if you just hop on to go for a ride like you would outdoors)
- An easy access setup so it does not take longer to get going if you have to pack it away and frigg around before you get started it may become all too hard

Resistance trainers are gold for intervals (some can do longer slow work but I am not a fan) - your legs will get stuffed as there is no hiding or rest when on the trainer no-one to draft or hills to coast.

For information and training plans you could try - http://www.cycling-inform.com/
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twizzle
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Re: Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

Postby twizzle » Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:41 pm

brett.hooker wrote:No, just a pedestal fan to blow air on you...
You obviously don't make enough heat. :P

I have a 3500 CFM 70cm drum fan. It requires noise-cancelling headphones as well. :roll:

But..... BOOOOOORING. I hardly use the trainer, I can't STAND the bloody thing, I'd rather ride in the rain. Plus it sends my nads to sleep.
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Re: Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

Postby steve-waters » Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:48 pm

Twizzle - gold man I get the same thing I always need to remind myself to shift around a bit more in the saddle stand up every now again (Kurt Kinetic Rock n Roll)
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trailgumby
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Re: Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

Postby trailgumby » Tue Jun 11, 2013 5:24 pm

twizzle wrote:
brett.hooker wrote:No, just a pedestal fan to blow air on you...
You obviously don't make enough heat. :P

I have a 3500 CFM 70cm drum fan. It requires noise-cancelling headphones as well. :roll:

But..... BOOOOOORING. I hardly use the trainer, I can't STAND the bloody thing, I'd rather ride in the rain. Plus it sends my nads to sleep.
That's why you need a Sufferfest or Spinervals vid to watch to keep your mind focussed and busy..

I can't do more than half an hour on the trainer without something like that to take my mind off the discomfort.

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Le Velo
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Re: Fluid trainer resistance adjustment

Postby Le Velo » Tue Jun 11, 2013 5:47 pm

Wow .... plenty of infos thanks heaps ..... fan ... yep .... agree with that as it becomes a sweatfest within 10minutes

The sets to be done on the trainer are very specific just like I would do them on the road ..... the only time I go out and just ride is when I do a recovery spin which is usually 1 hour to 1.5hours anyway and worse case scenario the weather would be too bad then I would just skip the trainer all together and have a full recovery day off the bike anyway I think.

More tweaking needed by the sound of it and adjustment to get the setting in the correct zones
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