DianaPowell
Member
Hi all,
What with self-isolation, I got the turbo trainer out of the shed a few days ago, and started doing a short session every day to replace my commute to work. I'm noticing some discomfort in my right knee which had big problems about 7 years ago (sorted with help from a lot of physio to improve various aspects of strength and flexibility). Normally I can ride out with my CTC Cambridge clubmates for a half day ride, or indeed go for a whole day with some breaks, with no knee (or other) discomfort at all. We are not a high speed club - maybe 35-40km in a 2 hour run to a cafe and then the same back is a typical ride speed, and I can do that on either of my touring bikes no problem.
The turbo trainer is a classic type with a wheel which runs against the bike’s rear wheel with constant magnetic resistance. It has an adjuster with 5 settings for resistance level.
I do notice that riding on the trainer is quite different from normal riding. It seems to me that there is a constant load on the pedals/cranks rather like climbing a hill or riding into a strong headwind. If I stop pedalling even in the lowest resistance setting of 5, the back wheel stops within a few seconds, whereas if I stop pedalling on a relatively flat road, the bike will coast for quite a while. So there is a constant drag on the pedals which is not there in steady speed road riding.
I searched round the internet and found a few theories for the issue such as the frame being held rigid, but I think for me it is about the type and amount of loading. Have others experienced the same, or can anyone provide some scientific explanations for this?
My hypothesis is that it is this constant pedalling against resistance which is the issue. In a normal ride on a road the loads would vary constantly with even minor variations of gradient up and down hill. I'm going to try switching to what feels like a very low gear for warming up, then vary the gear to simulate changes from super low (no effort) to moderate, all the time pedalling with intensity which feels "too little". Also, I will keep the session short - even outside in the garden with music or podcast it gets boring! Does this make sense?
What with self-isolation, I got the turbo trainer out of the shed a few days ago, and started doing a short session every day to replace my commute to work. I'm noticing some discomfort in my right knee which had big problems about 7 years ago (sorted with help from a lot of physio to improve various aspects of strength and flexibility). Normally I can ride out with my CTC Cambridge clubmates for a half day ride, or indeed go for a whole day with some breaks, with no knee (or other) discomfort at all. We are not a high speed club - maybe 35-40km in a 2 hour run to a cafe and then the same back is a typical ride speed, and I can do that on either of my touring bikes no problem.
The turbo trainer is a classic type with a wheel which runs against the bike’s rear wheel with constant magnetic resistance. It has an adjuster with 5 settings for resistance level.
I do notice that riding on the trainer is quite different from normal riding. It seems to me that there is a constant load on the pedals/cranks rather like climbing a hill or riding into a strong headwind. If I stop pedalling even in the lowest resistance setting of 5, the back wheel stops within a few seconds, whereas if I stop pedalling on a relatively flat road, the bike will coast for quite a while. So there is a constant drag on the pedals which is not there in steady speed road riding.
I searched round the internet and found a few theories for the issue such as the frame being held rigid, but I think for me it is about the type and amount of loading. Have others experienced the same, or can anyone provide some scientific explanations for this?
My hypothesis is that it is this constant pedalling against resistance which is the issue. In a normal ride on a road the loads would vary constantly with even minor variations of gradient up and down hill. I'm going to try switching to what feels like a very low gear for warming up, then vary the gear to simulate changes from super low (no effort) to moderate, all the time pedalling with intensity which feels "too little". Also, I will keep the session short - even outside in the garden with music or podcast it gets boring! Does this make sense?
