The Old Faithful

Bikers query concerns old aluminium bike and the new carbon bike. For a biker, his bike is almost a part of him. It is hard to put away a bike no matter how old, and the aluminium bike was good for 10 years. The shop owners advice was that he should use the old bike on a trainer. To sell or not to sell the old bike was not an issue, since the old bike was worth only $600. How best the bike could be used was the question to be dealt with.

The choice of using the old bike on a trainer would be the most sound because you would be able to build and hone your bicycle skills. Using the trainer also keeps you in good shape. Since cycling makes use of the leg muscles, these must always be exercised to keep them supple and strong. A trainer basically has a frame, a clamp to secure the bicycle, a roller that presses against the rear wheel and a mechanism to provide resistance to the pedals.

The two most popular kinds of bicycle trainers are: the Kinetic Road Machine Fluid Trainer, and the CycleOps Fluid 2 Trainer. Since the trainer is fitted indoors, the environment is a highly controlled one and terrains can be simulated. For example, if you are training yourself for hill riding, then you can simulate and size of hill as well as any steepness. Trainers can be equipped with sensors to monitor the performance of the rider.

Cadence, virtual speed, power output and heart rate can all be calculated and analyzed. This would greatly help the rider improve his riding technique. No matter whether the frame is made of carbon, steel, aluminium or titanium, the stress on the bike frame is the same. Therefore, instead of using the new carbon bike on a trainer and subjecting it to stress it would make better sense to use your old aluminium bike on the trainer.

A point to remember is that while riding on the trainer, the rider is bound to sweat, and sweat being corrosive, it is always a good idea to cover the top of the bike with a towel. The old bike could be used outdoors in bad weather. If need be, it could be fitted with mudguards, to protect the wheels. The new carbon bike could be used in dry, warm weather, as well as for all racing and other important events. Thus, you would be using both your bikes.

In any case, having your old bike as a stand-by is a sensible thing to do, especially if you are a bicycle aficionado and enjoy biking in all weathers. In case there is a problem with one bike, you will always have the other one handy.