# Indoor Trainer Tires



## Wood Devil (Apr 30, 2011)

Until I can wrangle up enough cash to pick up a nice direct-drive Wahoo Kickr or Hammer, I'm stuck with my Cycleops Powerbeam. Since I've been on this trainer I have had issues with the tire skidding out on the resistance roller. I first started out with a Vitoria Zaffiro home trainer tire. Then I moved on to a Continental trainer tire. The latter proved to hold up better to allow for higher wattage, but it cracking and degrading along the part the meet the trainer and needs to be replaced. Perhaps this is due to someone's recommendation of running a lower psi (60 instead of the 100). 

So, two questions. First is what tire do you guys recommend? And second is what psi due you all typically run? 

The way I look at it is that if I run 100 psi in the tire, that's going to create less contact with the resistance roller, and thereby allow for more traction issues. Too low and other issues arise.


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## cdhbrad (Feb 18, 2003)

I use Continental Gatorskins on the bike I put on my Kurt Kinetic trainer. I inflate it to regular amount I use on the road, about 115#. On the Kurt, you tighten the nut for the resistance roller until the roller makes contact with the tire, then about another 3/4 turn. I don't have any problems with the tire slipping and no excessive tire wear either.


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

I use the continental trainer tire on a Kurt Kinetic road machine - tightened 2 to 2.5 turns after contact with the tire and inflated between 100 and 110psi. There's probably 3000 miles on it and no issues yet. I did have a flat once from a tube failure, then went to the next size up on tubes and no issues since.


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## cdhbrad (Feb 18, 2003)

I don't think I could tighten the nut on my Kurt 2.5 turns. 1 turn is tight enough on mine.


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## bmach (Apr 13, 2011)

I just use the old tires (Conti GP
) that I take off my bikes. No problem yet.


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## Wood Devil (Apr 30, 2011)

Yeah, I threw a near new Conti Gatorskin on that I had in reserve. I gave it a quick test run last night and it seems to perform better than the "trainer specific" tires; lots of grip, and no slippage like the others.

I've got a long 3 hour Sweet Spot ride tomorrow. I figure that should be the true test on whether a regular tire will hold up.


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## cobra_kai (Jul 22, 2014)

I've always used whatever tire is on my bike at the time, so typically Michelin Pro4 endurance since I usually use my commuter on the trainer. I've never had slipping issues nor have I noticed any premature wear that some people complain about.


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## jamesh75 (Apr 12, 2011)

I have had the same problem the original poster is speaking of when using an old Kenda tire on the trainer. I now have an old Vredestein tire on and it seems to have much better grip and doesn't slip on the trainer. So I think it's just the compound of the tire that caused the slippage. BTW, it's a CycleOps trainer and I turn it in 2 1/2 turns with the tire at 110psi.


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

cdhbrad said:


> I don't think I could tighten the nut on my Kurt 2.5 turns. 1 turn is tight enough on mine.


Some time during the Winter months focused on upper body strength may help that..... 

Seriously, the manual that came with mine says 2 full turns to set up, I added a half to prevent slippage with the trainer tire. Even my older road tires need that extra half turn to keep it from slipping on hard efforts.


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## November Dave (Dec 7, 2011)

I actually have and use a Powerbeam. The only time when I pump a tire up to 100 is for use on that, or on rollers. At 100 psi, plus turning the knob until it clicks twice, I don't have any slippage and the tires don't wear any more quickly than on road. Probably less quickly. I think the 60 psi inflation is the heart of your issue. 

The Powerbeam was acquired to do wheel testing and then became more useful once Zwift came out. I quite like it.


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## Wood Devil (Apr 30, 2011)

Well, the Gatorskin at 100 psi didn't work out so well. 

I had an old patched tube in before, and it was bump, bump, bump. I though I was feeling the bump of the patch. So I switched the tube, and the tire is still bumping away. Lowered the psi a bit during the ride, and it seemed to alleviate the bumping to some degree, but not entirely.

I'm switching back to the old worn out Conti trainer tire. And I'll be going back down to 60 psi.

I can' figure what the problem is with this trainer. I've been on it for two years now and have had numerous tires and have used various tire pressures. However whenever the wattage gets high, the tires skid. 

Once I get the money, I'll be upgrading to the Hammer or a Kickr. Take the rear tire right out of the equation.


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## hfc (Jan 24, 2003)

Tacx trainer tire on a Kickr Snap. 120 psi and I tighten down 1 3/4 turns. If I do less the tire will occasionally slip when I get out of the saddle.


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## loxx0050 (Jul 26, 2013)

You're running the tire pressure way too low. 

I have a Conti Home Trainer Tire and use it with a Cycleops Fluid2 trainer (so same type of tire contact). Going on year 4 with the same tire and no issues and no slippage unless at max effort sprints (20 second bursts or less but only for initial mash of the pedals but doesn't after that). 

I run my tires at around 120psi. Forget where I read it but it was recommended to run the trainer tire at that pressure (don't recall if it is right or not...but it works for me and no issues). 

I do clean the roller every now and then when it accumulates rubber from the tire. Noticed that it tends to slip a little if the contact area is dirty. An alcohol pad and my fingernail to scrape it off does wonders. 

Have you considered that trainer "roller" is not round or off balance? It might explain the bump you are experiencing. Otherwise I go nothing. See if CycleOps will check it for a warranty claim (could be defective too).


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