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Protecting Tires on Indoor Bike Trainer

23K views 38 replies 24 participants last post by  DaveG 
#1 ·
Anyone tried the new product on Amazon called BTT Bike Trainer Tape? It protects your good tires while riding on the indoor trainer so you don't have to swap out wheels when you want to switch from indoor riding to outdoor riding.

Robin
 
#5 ·
I just use a wheel that has a tire that I wouldn't trust to ride outside on. (worn thin)
If there is a dry day, I just swap out the rear with another wheel with a good tire (takes 30 seconds)
 
#8 ·
Man, just when you think you've heard of every silly, pointless bike-related product, along comes one more......I'm assuming these will go the way of the $10 titanium water bottle bolts, and the skewed saddle for people who ride on heavily-crowned roads......
 
#11 ·
I didn't think BTT would be popular with very experienced cyclists who have no problem keeping a garage full of bike parts and changing tires and wheels very quickly; however, for the rest of us who are new to cycling or Triathlons both of those options are not convenient or quick. If all I have to do is peel off tape to switch to outdoor riding then its worth it to me. I ordered Bike Trainer Tape and will post a review next week.

Thanks for all of the feedback
 
#16 ·
I didn't think BTT would be popular with very experienced cyclists who have no problem keeping a garage full of bike parts and changing tires and wheels very quickly; however, for the rest of us who are new to cycling or Triathlons both of those options are not convenient or quick.
Then make it convenient and quick. Get a spare wheel set and practice. You can find decent wheelsets for $100 or so bucks, especially if you go used, and you will likely very much like having it handy (many, many times I've noticed/had a tire issue right before a ride and just grabbed another wheel and gone). It's one of those things that's nice to have around, along with a good box of tools.

Not being able to change a wheel quickly is just silly.
 
#12 ·
I'm with Spade, have never had issues with normal tires on a trainer. Maybe not my 'A' tires but I certainly use any other tire I'd train on or do a Group ride or Century on.
On a related note, do those trainer tires make a noticeable difference as far as noise goes? I use a Cycleops Fluid trainer.
 
#14 ·
On a related note, do those trainer tires make a noticeable difference as far as noise goes? I use a Cycleops Fluid trainer.
The noise is caused by the "polishing" of the tire against the smooth roller. The solution is to either scuff the tire up with some sandpaper periodically or go ride on the road for a few miles if possible. Repeat as necessary. I had such a "squeaky" problem on both the trainer and rollers and this cured it.
 
#24 ·
I would agree that new tires get noisy on my Cycleops. I usually don't have this problem. I generally put on new tires in the spring and try to avoid the trainer as much as possible when I'm able to bike without a jacket.



IDK, I might not want to use a 1,000g race frame a bunch in a trainer. I have a heavier frame with pretty strong wheels as my every day bike for indoor and outdoor use. I've been beating the heck out of this frame since 2011 on the trainer. The back wheel has been abused on the trainer since 2009.
 
#21 ·
OP,

There's a simple solution to this issue, it's called N+1. Buy another bike, then you have a dedicated trainer bike and one to ride outside. No more swapping wheels/tires as the amount of time spent doing that is far more considerable then the expense of another bike.

Yes, this post is tongue in cheek. Consider the swapping of wheel/tire as practice for dealing with flats out on the road. The more you practice the better you get and are less likely to hold up the rest of the group while they wait for you.

EEC
 
#23 ·
I've been using the same tires for the trainer and the road for several years. I just wipe off the rear tire before mounting the bike on the trainer.

What problem have I not been noticing?

Sorry, I don't hang out here much, so I can be a bit out of the loop on conventional road biking wisdom.
 
#28 ·
Same tire used on the road is used on the trainer during the winter, Michelin Pro 3's.... they have been holding up very well, indoors and out!
 
#32 ·
I was a bit bored, so I looked some more…


Robin looks to be Steve Haidar’s wife. Her facebook profile is here: www.facebook.com/rabab.shaar.1 Steve’s is here: https://www.facebook.com/steve.haidar.5 They even post the same pictures of each other. They have a Bike Trainer Tape Facebook page, where only she and a few “Friends of Steve” post about the tape. The "Tava Jo" person seems to be the co-founder of his Tri group, she seems to be he only other person pushing the tape. https://www.facebook.com/biketrainertape/


Robin seems to be using her maiden (and non-anglicized) name on Facebook so she can post positive things about this product on every forum they find without being detected as Steve’s wife.

Here are a few other places where she posts:
http://www.bikeforums.net/training-nutrition/614411-duct-tape-tire-trainer.html (Same user name, at least be a little more inventive. The only post in that forum as well.)
https://www.reddit.com/r/bicycling/comments/5m27lg/anyone_use_bike_trainer_tape (Only post from this user? Hmm….)
https://tapatalk.com/topic/23058-roadbikereview-com/358506-protecting-tires-on-indoor-bike-trainer
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=545358&posts=10#M5209102 (Same exact post, but she actually mixed up the user name to TriBike01 this time!)
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=542166

Nice deceptive marketing.

 
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