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Riding indoors – whether on rollers or a stationary trainer – can destroy your bike tires in short order. That’s a sad life for nice tires.
Let’s talk about proper tire choice and placement/setup so you’re not wasting money.
Table of Contents
First, we need to see what the problem is. Why would a tire wear out faster from riding indoors?
Here are a few reasons why:
When you lock your wheel into the trainer, there’s concentrated pressure from the little roller. It’s pressing on one little spot.
And even if you’re riding rollers, the tire usually stays upright, so all the wear is directly on the center of the tread. (You’re not weaving around or cornering like you’d do outdoors.) This makes it visible faster; there’s going to be a noticeable flat spot.
Plus, a lot of heat builds up in the trainer and dissipates into your tire. That makes your tire wear quicker.
Finally, you might not pay as close attention to proper tire pressure. Think about it. If you’re going out for a ride, you probably top off your tires before leaving the house. But if you’re just hopping on your bike on the trainer, will you check to make sure your tires are at the right pressure?
When it comes to setting up rollers, you can’t really change the back wheel position.
On all the rollers I know of, the back two drums are set in place.
You can’t change the back drums, and there is no need to mess with them unless your rollers are defective. Your wheel is a circle and will naturally center itself between the two drums.
Some rollers, like the TacX Galaxia pictured above, even have conical drums that help to keep the wheels centered between the edges of the rollers.
Keep reading for more tips…
Stationary trainers are known for eating away at rear tires because of the pressure used to press it against the drum. Since the bike doesn’t move or lean like it would outdoors, all this pressure is concentrated on a very small portion of the tire’s tread, leading to a worn out tire.
You can’t completely avoid this, but setting up the trainer properly will help maximize tire life and riding comfort.
First, make sure things are clean. Wipe down the roller surface using isopropyl alcohol.
Wipe down your tires, too, if they’re dirty.
Second, inflate the tire to a suitable pressure. This varies depending on the tire. A good rule of thumb is to use the same as what you’d use out on the road.
Third, tighten down the roller.
Typically you tighten things down until the roller is just tight enough on the tire that it doesn’t skip when you ride. It should be no tighter than is necessary.
Start out by tightening it down some, just until the drum touches the tire. Then give the tire a quick tug and see if it slips. You should pull in the direction of rotation, i.e. up and back when pulling from behind. If the tire slips, tighten a bit more.
Once the wheel no longer slips when yanked by hand, get on the bike and ride. If the wheel skips, tighten the knob a bit more. Repeat as necessary.
Lastly, after your workout, loosen the drum so it’s not pressed against the tire. If you leave it tightened down when not in use, the tire will develop a flat spot and will ride terribly.
You’re going to get tire wear. That’s the nature of the beast known as the indoor trainer. If you’re using a lightweight, expensive tire on your indoor trainer, that’s a bad idea! You’ll waste a lot of money!
Your best defense is good tire selection.
You could use cheap, heavy tires – like these ones I paid $5 for – because they’ll be made of really hard, durable rubber. Terrible for twisty roads, but perfect for the stationary trainer.
Did you know they make tires specifically for riding indoors? Yep. You could invest in a Trainer Tire that is made specifically to last long on an indoor trainer.
Cheap tires usually work well, last a long time, and save money.
Dedicated trainer tires are even longer lasting – and quieter. Unfortunately, they are more expensive (about $35), and they can be extremely difficult to mount on your rims.
But it’s worth it if you need to keep the noise down.
Pretty much everyone makes trainer tires now: Continental, Tacx (pictured), Vittoria, Schwalbe, Kurt Kinetic.
Another cost-saving option is to save your sort of worn out tires for trainer use. If a tire is still usable, but not race-worthy, save it for use on the trainer. As long as it has some rubber left, it should be okay.
Especially if you’re using a hard-to-mount trainer tire, consider mounting it on a cheap wheel that can be ready to swap in anytime you hop on the trainer.
Or if you can afford it, get a direct drive bike trainer. You don’t need a rear tire – or a rear wheel at all – for these.
Readers wrote in asking about how to place your rear wheel on rollers and stationary trainers so your tires don’t wear out…
Need to know whats the distance or how the back wheel should be placed on a roller? Because the way I have now it’s wearing my back tire, thanks
Hi I have a roller but it uses up my rear wheel pretty much, could it be the the two back rollers are too far apart? Is there a way to place the to back rollers for a better ride? please help
thanks.
Problem solved!
Put these tips into action each time you set up your indoor trainer and you should have less hassle, more comfort, and increased tire life.
Coach Levi
Levi Bloom is an experienced endurance athlete who has been training and competing for over 17 years. A former Cat 1 road and mountain bike racer (professional class on the regional circuit), he is now a cycling coach (USA Cycling Level 3 Certified) and sports nutrition coach (Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified).
coachlevi.com
Tags: affiliate, indoor trainer, stationary trainer
Whether you’re avoiding the weather, avoiding people, want a quick workout or the perfect sweat-inducing addition to your training plan, getting a cycling trainer and riding your bike indoors is a great investment. Here are a few tips for how you set up your space for indoor cycling while keeping your bike and home in pristine condition.
First thing’s first, you’ll want to make sure your bike fits you. Depending on what type of indoor cycling trainer you choose, you can hook up your mountain bike, road bike, gravel bike, or hybrid to ride indoors. But no matter what bike you are riding, proper fit will go a long way to ensure a fun and comfortable spin. Unlike riding outdoors, you will not be moving around on the bike as much, so issues with saddle height, bar width, brake placement, etc will be even more pronounced. We always recommend getting a professional bike fit, but here are some bike fit tips that will give you a great place to start.
The thing about riding indoors is, you sweat a lot! Without the wind in your face, stuffed up in a room in your house, you’ll heat up quickly – even if you’ve decked out your space with multiple fans. It’s best to choose a room with a hard floor surface. Sure, carpet will work, but protecting your floor from pools of sweat will be even more important.
A yoga mat (or two) will do the trick, but a trainer or workout-specific mat with a little more substance will give you the added benefit of noise and vibration reduction.
There are two things that can damage your frame and components while cycling indoors:
If using a rear wheel-mounted trainer, use the steel skewer that was included with your trainer rather than the one in your bike. To avoid wear to your rear wheel, the best option is to use a spare wheel equipped with a trainer-specific tire and a sturdy cassette for a quick swap before riding indoors. If you’re using a direct drive trainer, it’s also best to purchase an extra cassette to keep permanently on your trainer. But, don’t forget to keep an eye on your chain wear! Replacing your chain often will ensure the other parts of your drivetrain remain in good condition for longer.Rear Wheel-Mounted Trainer
This type of trainer is cheaper and may or may not be “smart” (Bluetooth-enabled to modulate resistance with the help of online training apps like Zwift). As the name implies, you keep your rear wheel on your bike and attach it to the trainer at the rear axle. Follow the instructions on your trainer to adjust the contact with your rear tire and ensure everything is tight before getting on your bike to ride.
There are a couple of important things to note:
Direct Drive Trainer
These types of trainers came onto the market in 2010 and are a bit more expensive but are generally “smart” trainers capable of connecting to online apps and make riding inside feel more like riding outside. Following the instructions on your trainer, install a cassette that is compatible with the drivetrain on your bike. Remove your rear wheel and install your bike directly onto the trainer.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when purchasing and setting up a direct drive trainer:
Rollers
Rollers are indoor training devices where you balance your bike on three cylinders – one in the front and two in the rear. It can be a challenge to get used to rollers, but once you do it boosts your bike-handling skills and keeps indoor riding engaging. Rollers are not generally “smart” capable, though there are a few options out there.
Want to learn more about rollers? Check out Allysa Seely’s guide to riding rollers HERE!
It’s ideal to have a designated space for your indoor cycling trainer. If possible, make sure you can keep your trainer, block for your front wheel, a towel, floor protection, fans, and your entertainment all in the same place. That way, all you need to do is hook up your bike when you’re ready to ride. If you are planning on using a smart trainer with an online cycling program like Zwift, you’ll want to ensure you have an outlet handy as well as a either a TV or table where you can set your laptop, phone or other Zwift-equipped device. Want to get the ultimate setup? Check out these different Zwift setups on BikeRadar.com.
If you don't have a smart trainer or Zwift, load up your favorite playlist, television show, or movie and those trainer miles will fly by.
When purchasing a bike machine to keep fit in the winter season, you have to think everything in advance.
It is very important that the machine would bring not only benefits, but also be practical and convenient. Of course, you can do without special equipment, but it's all about convenience, right?
When you train for a long time on a bicycle machine, you will notice that ordinary rubber has increased wear. The fact is that it is not intended for use on a bicycle machine. Rubber crumb flies on the back, under the bike and all over the room, it takes a long time to clean up. It's not very pleasant to find such a baby in your bed, for example. What to do in such a situation? It was for this case that a special tire for a bicycle station was invented. nine0005
Compared to a conventional tyre, the training tire has a number of significant advantages:
Of course, there are many standards for road bike tires: the height is generally 700mm ETRTO or 28".
And what if the bike is not a road bike, but, for example, a touring or even mountain bike? , and even the types of wheels, and therefore, the rubber parameters differ, but this is not a problem at all. There are different sizes of tires from manufacturers Tacx, Continental, Vittoria, Schwalbe: 26", 27.5" and 29"In addition, there is also the ETRTO standard. Its value consists of two numbers, for example, 700x23.
The American marking, in turn, uses an inch measurement system. In any case, tire dimensions are usually indicated in two values \u200b\u200bat once. But how to understand
The photo shows the size of the tire in inches (26x13.
8) and in millimeters (36-622). you should be guided by these indicators when choosing.It may happen that tires of exactly the same parameter are simply not on sale.In fact, they are quite interchangeable within certain limits: you can buy rubber that will differ by a few millimeters, and then you get it set, but only when it comes to width, a 27.5 tire would be big for a 26" rim. But if the old rubber was, for example, 26x2.0, then it is quite possible to install a tire with parameters 26x2.2 on this rim. nine0005
What should I do with the tube when replacing it with tires for a bike rack? Will an old camera work? If the tire for the bike rack is the same size as the road tire, then the tube can not be changed. What if the size is different?
As with tires, there are two types of sizing for the tube. The standards do not differ from those used to designate tire sizes, so choosing a bike tube is very simple. So, if this is a bike tube for a road bike, then you can see the dimensions of the tire according to the ETRTO standard.
In general, bike tubes are made to be compatible with several types of rubber. For example, the following value is written: 700Сх18 \ 21. In the case of the 18\21 marking, it becomes clear that such a tube is well suited for all tires with a width of 18 to 21mm. nine0005
What about tubes for touring and mountain bikes? The only difference is that the American standard is more often used here. Otherwise, everything is extremely simple: you just need to find the dimensions indicated on the tire and choose the right camera. Just like road bike tires, mountain bike tires also have compatibility. If the previous tube was 27.5x2.2, then the 27.5x2 \ 2.5 tube is perfect for a tire with a width of 2 to 2.5 inches.
Accordingly, the choice of tire for the bike rack is a very important part of training. Not only comfort, but also the overall effectiveness of the workout depends on it. After all, the more comfort an occupation brings, the better and better it can be performed. A specialized tire was created for just such a workout on a bike rack.
With it, there will definitely not be any unpleasant surprises during training. nine0005
As already mentioned, plain rubber is not suitable. Of course, you can train like this. But in this case, there is no guarantee that there will be no breakdowns. It is always better to play it safe and be 100% sure of the result.
Tubeless tires can hardly be called the know-how of the bicycle industry, however, they still raise questions for many. The topic itself, as a rule, is surrounded by a lot of skepticism and distrust, which are more often explained by a lack of understanding of basic things and a lack of experience in riding such wheels. To dispel all these doubts, we answer the main questions related to tubeless technologies. nine0005
These are bicycle tires that do not have a tube. At the same time, tubeless technology is not only about tires. We are talking about a whole wheel system, which also includes a special rim and a sealant that gives the wheel anti-puncture properties.
The tubeless concept makes the bike more comfortable to use and improves its riding performance, which will be discussed in order.
How long ago did this technology appear and can it be trusted? nine0005
Those who hear about bicycle tubeless for the first time usually tend to be suspicious of them. You can dislike this technology for subjective reasons, but you definitely shouldn’t distrust it. Tubeless tubes have been massively used for cars and motorcycles for several decades, and during this time they have not given reason to doubt their reliability.
The first tubeless systems for bicycles appeared in 1999, when the French rim brand MAVIC collaborated with tire manufacturer Hutchinson to present their concept of a simple and effective tubeless wheel. In the 2000s, this technology remained the prerogative of mainly professional athletes, who quickly appreciated its main advantages: lighter weight, more air in the wheel, good "traction" and durability. nine0005
In recent years, tubeless has finally ceased to be perceived as something exotic.
For example, today a significant part of the MTB and almost all touring cars come with such wheels as standard. A wide variety of sealants are also available on the market, and the number of those who are discovering the benefits of tubeless technology is steadily increasing.
The tubeless system provides a special rim and tires that are labeled tubeless ready or TR. However, the rims themselves are easy to distinguish visually - they have a low side and characteristic walls with recesses, forming a kind of lock in which the tire cord is wedged when air is injected. Due to this, in the inflated state, the rubber reliably and hermetically “sits” on the rim, without breaking off the wheel even at low pressure. The rim itself is additionally glued with a sealing tape, after which the nipples are installed separately. nine0005
The benefits of tubeless wheels are revealed no matter how often and what kind of bike you ride: whether it's weekend trips, extreme downhill or long-distance touring.
Nevertheless, for certain categories of cyclists tubeless still open up more opportunities: first of all, we are talking about those who are seriously passionate about off-road.
When actively driving off-road with tubeless tubes, you can ride on lowered wheels and at the same time not be afraid of such an unpleasant type of puncture as a snake bite. Low tire pressure, in turn, gives better handling, dampens vibrations more effectively and generally provides more comfort on difficult tracks. If we are talking about cyclists, then they appreciate tubeless for their anti-puncture qualities. nine0005
Road bikes also use tubeless wheels. Moreover, they are the pioneers of this technology. But road tubeless tubes are a different story: they are designed for different operating pressures and have tangible design differences. Therefore, further we will talk mainly about those tires that are put on mountain, touring and city bikes.
These are the two rim formats that define the features of a tubeless wheel assembly.
BST is a standard that involves the installation of a special sealing tape that prevents air from leaking through the holes in the spokes. This is the most common version of tubeless systems. nine0005
UST is a blind rim in which an additional bridge isolates the spoke holes. Thus, there is no need for laying a sealing tape. In practice, this greatly simplifies life, because when installing a tire (especially without proper experience), the tape tends to crush, which is why you have to reassemble the wheel. It is easy to guess that such rims also have a drawback - their price.
The tubeless system in the form in which we wrote it above is already a full-fledged wheel, it can be installed on a bicycle and hit the road. But there is an important nuance. First of all, tubeless tubes are valued for their anti-puncture qualities: for this, a small amount of a special liquid, a sealant, is poured inside the tire. nine0005
Yes, you can.
But you should not do this. Firstly, this is illogical: for no reason you are depriving yourself of the main advantage of tubeless - the anti-puncture effect. But more importantly, it is very difficult (or even impossible) to inflate such a tire in a completely flat state with a portable pump: to do this, you need either a strong floor pump or a booster. Naturally, no one will take such bulky things with them on the road. Filled with sealant 95% of punctures "seal" without a critical loss of pressure, and in most cases there is no need for even light pumping. Thus, the probability of being with a flat tire is very low.
So, if you put tubeless, sealant is still needed. Such fluids are easy to find in any bike shop, they are inexpensive and require replacement on average once every three to four months, so there is no need to talk about any inconvenience. Yes, in order to cope with the fill, you need to acquire a certain skill, but this is much easier than constantly changing broken cameras.
In addition, sealant can be replaced once a season in a specialized service. nine0005
Bicycle sealants are based on fine particles (rubber or polymer fibers) suspended in a liquid carrier. Inside the wheel, the sealant does not polymerize: it is in a liquid state and is distributed along the inside of the tire during movement. When a puncture occurs, the air flow begins to push the solution out. A fine suspension clogs the hole, and the sealant dries quickly. Thus, there is a reliable "sealing" of the puncture. nine0005
If we talk about typical punctures - collisions with thorns, wires, small glasses - such damage is self-healing without a noticeable loss of pressure. Usually, a puncture can only be guessed from a small spot on the surface of the tire. Naturally, the sealant works with more complex damage. You can count on it even if you pierce the wheel with a thick nail, 4-5 mm in diameter. If you don't understand how a liquid can seal such holes, you can watch numerous crash tests on YouTube that demonstrate the miraculous properties of sealants.
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The consumption per tire is from 50 to 100 ml. If we are talking about standard MTV tires, the golden mean is about 60 ml per wheel. The exact dosage will always be written on the bottle. It is difficult to get confused even for those who do not like to read instructions: most sealants have measuring containers or a dosage scale on the bottle itself.
Here, too, everything is conditional and depends on the characteristics of the specific composition and intensity of punctures. In the absence of serious damage that entails the leakage of a large volume of sealant, you can easily skate a whole season on one fill. Some cyclists prefer to do an incomplete start-up gas station and gradually add 20-30 ml of fluid every two to three months. You can also navigate by how effectively the sealant works: if you see that small punctures are sealed with a strong deflation of the wheel, it may be that the composition is no longer enough and it needs to be added.
Be that as it may, sealant is a very economical thing that lasts for a long time. nine0005
The sealant inside the tubeless tends to dry out, forming a characteristic film. Whether or not to clean the tire cavity is up to you. This is a purely aesthetic moment, which does not affect the operation of the anti-puncture fluid. The sealant can simply be added as it dries and not bother with unnecessary worries. It is more likely that the tire will completely wear out than it will have time to completely clog with dried filler.
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Serious damage - large diameter punctures, small cuts, run over nails with subsequent tire rupture - are repaired using special repair worms. These are rubber or fibrous bands that are inserted into the hole to reduce its area and allow the sealant to seal the puncture.
With long longitudinal cuts it is more difficult. Here you need to either sew up the dissection with nylon threads, or stick a patch on the inside of the tire.
You don’t have to worry about the tightness of the repair site - the sealant will do this work, of course, if it does not have time to leak out. But being able to inflate a completely flat tire with only a portable pump will require skill. nine0005
In fairness, we note that such complex injuries are rare for most cyclists. But for those who are seriously passionate about off-road, it is better to play it safe with a spare camera. In this case, having caught a cut, you can always drain the sealant, unscrew the nipple from the rim and install a regular camera. And in order not to drive with a “hernia” protruding outward, we recommend placing, for example, a bill folded in half under the cut on the tire.
Tubeless allows you to forget about such an unpleasant form of damage as a "snake bite" forever. It usually happens when at full speed you catch a pothole in the pavement, unsuccessfully jump onto a curb or run into a stone on a downhill.
Hitting the edge of a hard object, the tire is crushed, and the rim walls work like incisors, damaging the chamber in two places. In tubeless wheels, this scenario is excluded, because. there is nothing to break through here. Of course, it can be assumed that the rim will cut the tire itself, but this should be a blow of enormous force, which is almost never encountered in practice. nine0005
Rejection of the chamber increases the volume of air in the wheel. This changes the contact patch (it becomes flatter) and allows the wheels to better absorb off-road bumps. Add here the ability to ride at low pressure, without being afraid of a snake bite, and it becomes completely clear why tubeless lovers of hard off-road riding so idolize. Soft tires with a large contact patch "fit" all the bumps in the road, giving excellent traction on rocks, forest primers and other off-road. nine0005
In addition to traction, tubeless tires improve shock absorption, dampen vibrations better, and generally provide more off-road comfort.
At the same time, to get the most out of this rubber, you need to experiment a lot with tire pressure, trying to find the indicators that will best suit your individual riding style.
Finally, the camera is extra grams. By refusing them, you can save an average of 70-100 g of weight on each wheel. For some, this may seem like a formality, but it is worth considering the fact that extra grams on the periphery of the wheel have a stronger effect on driving performance. This difference is especially felt on road bikes: road bikes, gravel, touring. nine0005
They also exist. Moreover, it is far from formal. First, it's the price. The difference becomes especially noticeable when you buy tubeless systems separately: rims, tires + small things (tape, removable nipples, sealant). For tubeless you will have to pay an average of one and a half times more than for ordinary wheels, plus or minus the same class. And if we are talking about more advanced UST rims, then this means another + 30-40% to the cost.
With tubeless by default, everything is more difficult in terms of installation (here we are talking about conventional BST systems). You need to learn how to properly glue the tape, accurately insert the nipples, carefully install tight rubber, making sure not to displace the tape and not fill everything with sealant. On the other hand, all this comes with experience, but what you will always have to put up with is the difficulty with pumping a completely flat tire.
A tubeless tube cannot be inflated until its landing board snaps into place on the rim. To do this, you need to sharply introduce air into the tire. The tire should straighten up and fall into the grooves with a characteristic click - then it can be safely pumped further. This all sounds simple if there is a compressor in the garage. Putting a tubeless tube into the grooves by pumping air with an ordinary floor pump is quite difficult, and almost impossible with a portable bicycle pump. nine0005
All this makes life much more difficult.
