# Trainer-Tire Wear



## thegr8bambino (Feb 23, 2012)

So I bought a trainer this last year and I have just started to use it to prepare for the season. My question is kind of a dumb one. I just have a rear tire mount Kinetic Mag Trainer. Should I really be worried about rear tire wear? It is so smooth I questioned that but any input would help.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Tire wear*



thegr8bambino said:


> So I bought a trainer this last year and I have just started to use it to prepare for the season. My question is kind of a dumb one. I just have a rear tire mount Kinetic Mag Trainer. Should I really be worried about rear tire wear? It is so smooth I questioned that but any input would help.


Trainers do tend to eat rear tires. Lots of people put old tires on their trainer for this reason, and there are even "hard rubber" trainer tires available (don't use them on the road - traction is poor). Some people talk about a coating of black dust that their trainer generates as it wears the rear tire, though some of that problem is due to improper pressure on the roller such that the tire slips too much under load.


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## willieboy (Nov 27, 2010)

They are hard on tires. I have a trainer wheel that I use.


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## Gimme Shoulder (Feb 10, 2004)

They look smooth for sure, but hour for hour, they'll square off your rear tire several times faster than the road. This is why some tire companies have come out with trainer specific tires.

Front tire should be fine though....:wink5:


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## BicycleBastard (Mar 5, 2011)

Im with the everyone else on this one. Throughout a season I stash used tires aside for training in the off-season. The tires are already cracked and worn flat so I have no worries about doing any more damage to them then what has been done already. So, ride your trainer now with the rear tire you have and when the season comes around make sure to head to your LBS for a replacement.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Kerry Irons said:


> Trainers do tend to eat rear tires. Lots of people put old tires on their trainer for this reason, and there are even "hard rubber" trainer tires available (don't use them on the road - traction is poor). Some people talk about a coating of black dust that their trainer generates as it wears the rear tire, though some of that problem is due to improper pressure on the roller such that the tire slips too much under load.


I spend my fair share of time on the bike, rollers, and trainer. I use Continental Gator Skins on the trainer and on the road. I don't notice much wear with these. I also make sure I have adequate pressure in my back tire when I'm on the trainer.


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

I have a tacx trainer tire.. It's much quieter than other non trainer specific tires. Plus it'll last a lot longer than softer rubber. I blew out an old Kenda tire on the trainer last year and it scared the hell out of me.. Put another old one one and promptly ordered a trainer tire.


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## simonaway427 (Jul 12, 2010)

+1 trainer tire.

Get a cheap rear wheel and a Tiagra 10 spd cassette (they're like 25 bucks new) and have it as a permanent trainer setup.

The trainer tire is a b**ch to mount


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## bocksta (Mar 22, 2008)

simonaway427 said:


> The trainer tire is a b**ch to mount


If you go with the trainer tire an do plan on riding outside your going to want a dedicated rear wheel. The conti trainer tire i bought took some time to get mounted. I cant imagine i would switch between the 2 tires just to use the trainer . 
I started with a gatorskin ,an you could see that the tire wouldn't last long if your going to put in more than 4-6 hours a week on the trainer.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

bocksta said:


> I started with a gatorskin ,an you could see that the tire wouldn't last long if your going to put in more than 4-6 hours a week on the trainer.


I routinely put more than 4-6 hours a week on my Gatorskins and they're still good after already having a year worth of riding on them.


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## bocksta (Mar 22, 2008)

spade2you said:


> I routinely put more than 4-6 hours a week on my Gatorskins and they're still good after already having a year worth of riding on them.


Mine squared off in less than month on the trainer. I didn't see the point of ruining the tire ,thats why i switched it out.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

bocksta said:


> Mine squared off in less than month on the trainer. I didn't see the point of ruining the tire ,thats why i switched it out.


Are you 100% sure you're using the right amount of tire pressure and trainer contact? Like I said, I have a year of riding on my Gator Skins with plenty of time in the trainer and I've probably got 4-5 months left on them.


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## BostonG (Apr 13, 2010)

spade2you said:


> Are you 100% sure you're using the right amount of tire pressure and trainer contact?


I don't have Gatorskins but my tire looks to be squaring off after about 3 months with about 4 hrs a week. 

What is the right amount of pressure?


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## smoothie7 (Apr 11, 2011)

I have been using rollers this winter and haven't noticed much wear on them but my buddy has a trainer that just eats up rubber.


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## eds211 (Mar 1, 2012)

Trainers do wear your tires out faster, especially if you are regularly accelerating.


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## velocanman (Jul 15, 2011)

BostonG said:


> What is the right amount of pressure?


I think the answer depends on your tire and trainer. Most trainers have a small roller, and the tire can slip under standing efforts.

I use 100 psi on the trainer. This is slightly less than I ride with on the rear tire, but not so low as to cause a lot of deflection. You might have to experiment a little to find the right pressure for your trainer.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Minus 2 on trainer tire!! You don't need a trainer tire, all you need is a tire no longer suited for the road, then clean the tread real well and pick out debris stuck in the tire. If the trainer is adjusted correctly you shouldn't have any additional wear then you would riding on the road, nor will have shedding rubber anywhere. Save your old road tires instead of throwing them away because they got thin and flats increased, clean and pick out debris and save for trainer use.


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## Fantino (Jul 30, 2008)

I think I'm in the minority on this and have never really seen abnormal wear on the trainer. Got a cheap dedicated rear wheel when I got my Kirk Kinetic road machine. But I stopped switching the wheel out 'cause I never saw black dust, shredded tires, etc.

I think velocanman is right - depends on the trainer, tire, & pressure. FWIW I run "road pressure" on the trainer and tire life seems to be pretty much the same (road vs. trainer miles.)


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## PMC (Jan 29, 2004)

I have a conti trainer tire I've used for a few years and it still looks great. When I used a computrainer I got a much more consistent tire interface with the trainer tire versus just rolling a worn out road tire.
I like it on my Kurt as it's quiet and with two and a half twists after tire/trainer contact the wattage is the same from session to session for a given speed.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

I don't bother changing my tire. For one thing, I often ride to my spin class.

I do think wear is accelerated. If I had a bike I was going to keep inside and ride only on the trainer, I'd probably either get a trainer tire for it or just use it to finish wearing out tires that I couldn't/didn't want to use on the road anymore. As it is, I use the trainer for an hour at a time every now and then. I guess with what tires cost vs. what cheap wheels and cassettes cost, it wouldn't be too crazy to buy a whole spare wheel, but meh. Come to think of it, I've been meaning to put a slick tire on my 'cross bike and use it that way until late summer...

The first time I used my own trainer, I didn't tighten it enough. That put the nail in the coffin for the tire I was using - black dust everywhere, worn to the threads in a couple of spots. Luckily it was already very worn and I already had picked up a new tire to put on when I finished wearing it out, so I don't think it actually cost me much use. But it would have sucked if it was a new tire.


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

I also recommend buying a dedicated trainer wheel. Buy as cheap as you can get that still fits the bike and group you are using and make sure the wheel is true and round with little "hop" in the rim.

Tire is not as important, though buying a dedicated trainer tire is a good idea if you plan to do a lot of indoor training. The trainer tire will not wear out as it is made of heavy rubber, and once you buy it, you won't need to replace it.


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## BlueGrassBlazer (Aug 4, 2009)

Fantino said:


> I think I'm in the minority on this and have never really seen abnormal wear on the trainer. Got a cheap dedicated rear wheel when I got my Kirk Kinetic road machine. But I stopped switching the wheel out 'cause I never saw black dust, shredded tires, etc.
> 
> I think velocanman is right - depends on the trainer, tire, & pressure. FWIW I run "road pressure" on the trainer and tire life seems to be pretty much the same (road vs. trainer miles.)


I'm with you. I put a cheap Vittoria Zaffiro tire on the back of my trainer running 'road pressure. I've got my old Cannondale hooked up to my Cycle Ops Fluid trainer and I've never seen dust and the Vittoria looks like new after several hundred miles. 
I've had the cycle ops for 4 or 5 years and I don't ever recall seeing squaring or dust.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Not sure why you would need a dedicated trainer wheel unless all you have is CF wheels then maybe. The trainers come with a cheap steel skewer, all you need to do is remove your good skewer so you don't mar it or damage it and replace it with the steel one...just remember to switch it back when you're going to ride outside. I haven't had any issues with wheels nor any issues with non trainer tires as I posted earlier.


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## pdh777 (Oct 7, 2005)

I do not see the purpose in spending $30.00 + for a "trainer tire". I spent $12.00 at performance for a Forte that has logged several thousand miles on the trainer - no problems. It's cheap quality and not great on the road, but serves it's purpose just fine.


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## dudigrinfeld (Aug 18, 2010)

thegr8bambino said:


> So I bought a trainer this last year and I have just started to use it to prepare for the season. My question is kind of a dumb one. I just have a rear tire mount Kinetic Mag Trainer. Should I really be worried about rear tire wear? It is so smooth I questioned that but any input would help.


I have bought a cheap rear wheel and I put on it an old tyre I don't use and I use them on my Tacx.


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