Trainer is eating my tires badly - is this a bad trainer, or what?

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2009-09-15 9:32 AM

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Subject: Trainer is eating my tires badly - is this a bad trainer, or what?
I have a Minoura Mag 500 trainer that I use starting this time of year, because it is too dark to ride in the mornings.  Previously, I had issues with this trainer eating tires.  Now, I know trainers are hard on tires, but this is ridiculous.  I bought a special trainer tire ($42.00) and it is ruined after only six hours of use.  Clearly I cannot afford that. 

I have had enough experiences with tire wear on this thing that I know not to overtension the roller.  Each time I get ready to ride, I release the roller completely, spin the wheel and then slowly tighten until the roller starts turning steadily.  Then I get on and ride.  Previous experiments with higher tension made the matter worse, not better.

After six hours, the crown of the tire is completely gone, and the outer rubber surface is worn through.  I suspect in one more hour or so, the tube would be exposed.  So, the tire is done.

So, the question: is this just a bad trainer?  Or am I much more of an idiot than I previously supposed?  (Of course, it could be both ...)

Scott

2009-09-15 9:37 AM
in reply to: #2407012

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Subject: RE: Trainer is eating my tires badly - is this a bad trainer, or what?
They have special trainer tires that will  last for years. They are made out of a different compound than regular tires. You can not ride them outside so if you do trainer and outside riding on same bike you will need to swap out tires.

There are a couple brands of trainer out now.

I like getting things from probikekit.com  as stuff is great prices, free shipping and no tax.
2009-09-15 10:22 AM
in reply to: #2407012

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West Windsor, NJ
Subject: RE: Trainer is eating my tires badly - is this a bad trainer, or what?
Hmmm. Odd one here. What kind of trainer tire did you buy? I have a CompuTrainer and I use the Continental Home Trainer tire. Although its a massive PITA to put on and take off, it has survived two winters of pretty hard spinning. It doesnt sound like you are overtensioning the tire, and I am assuming that you are checking tire pressure before every ride? Its probably the type of tire you are using.
2009-09-15 5:41 PM
in reply to: #2407012

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Subject: RE: Trainer is eating my tires badly - is this a bad trainer, or what?
Yeah, I agree...that does sound odd....especially if you're using a trainer tire.  My husband has a Tacx trainer tire and uses that on a Kurt Kinetic trainer, and after 1 full winter of use...the tire still looks brand new.  I'm guessing he'll get several more years out of it.   What what brand of trainer tire did you use?  At $42 a pop for a trainer tire, I can see why you'd be concerned.

Edited by nscrbug 2009-09-15 5:42 PM
2009-09-15 6:07 PM
in reply to: #2407012

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Modesto, California
Subject: RE: Trainer is eating my tires badly - is this a bad trainer, or what?
I would troubleshoot from simple to expensive:
1.Make sure its not overtightned,screw it until it touches and then add two or three more turns.
2.Make sure wheel is true, if it is and the tire is wearing out evenly its not the rim.
3.Tires,are you buying them all from the same source? try something different,different store,different tire,etc.
4.Try different trainer, its possible that when you sit on the bike its leaning too much on roller, shouldn't do this but it might be.
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