[narayanang76]

Originally Posted by kat

Just for my understanding, can you please inform what is the tire life of trainer tires? I assume it should be about 5000 kms or so. And what happens if you ride with trainer tires on roads, do they wear out much faster?

I am using a trainer tire from Decathlon. Even after 2800 kms it's almost looks intact so I assume it can go much more than 5k kms.

Trainer tires are not meant for riding on roads, and I haven't tried it also so can't comment. The riding won't be smooth I presume.

I have seen some people using 'Training tires' for using both outdoor and indoor trainer rides. Training tires are designed for high mileage and minimum punctures, with thick, heavy tread in a hard rubber compound.

[Hunter3077]

Ok. This one is for the technical guys in the group.
So, I am planning on getting a home trainer. E;ite Qubo is a smart trainer that fits into my 25k budget but unfortunately it is out of stock all across the country. The next one is a whopping 55k (Minoura Kagura Wheel-on) and I dont intend splurging on it. The alternative is that I go for a 'dumb trainer', pair it up with a set of speed & cadence sensors and then connect it to Zwift (which, incidentally I have never tried but want to). Now some problems as follows:-

1. Will this process work seamlessly if I intend to practice on the Zwift platform?

2. I have a Garmin Edge 830 which I have been using since an year so my preference is to go for a set of Garmin Speed & Cadence sensors. Now the Garmin Sensors V1 are only ANT+ compatible and not bluetooth; this would mean that I need an ANT+ Dongle for the Laptop. Are there any alternative speed & Cadence sensors that would work for me in this scenario?

3. Please suggest compatible ANT+ dongle available in India.

4. Garmin Speed & Cadence sensors V2 are Bluetooth & ANT+ compatible. But could not find any purchase options in India. Any leads?

5. Any other suggestions on the overall set up? That is - the Home trainer (Minoura Magride 60r costing me 16k) , the Sensors and the ANT+ Dongle.

I am aiming for a 1200 km BRM in October first week and need to practice for that. The area that I have been posted to now is prone to daily rains and hence will dampen my ride practice.

Thanks.

[TravelMonk]

I ride this Fantom Terrano 29ER MTB.

The tires are worn out now and need replacing.
I'm thinking about switching to sleeker Hybrid tires as I've only ridden on trails and offroad twice till now, due to not-so-easy access to trails, hence don't need knobby fat tires.
I ride on the road most of the time which includes broken inside roads, well paved tarmac and sometimes the NH4, weekly mileage being between 50 to 200 kms.

Can anyone suggest any hybrid tires which can fit the 29 rim and a good shop where I can get them in Pune?

Also, I need suggestions for handlebar riser.

[Motard_Blr]

Hello!

I recently restarted cycling after I had stopped after finishing school, about 3
25 years ago. And what a joy it is! All the great memories from my childhood came flooding back. Including all times I had crashed! Ha ha!

It's been a few months since I restarted cycling on a borrowed Btwin Rock rider 340 MTB. Now that I have some experience of riding on the roads of Bangalore, I want to buy my own bike. I hope that more informed and experienced members here can help me make a choice.

Here are my requirements:
1. Type: hybrid
I realised that I don't need the ruggedness of the mtb and it's too heavy. My usage is limited to city rides and errands, with the max distance probably about 30 to 50 km.

2. Gears: at least 2 x 7.
Anything less isn't enough for Bangalore's hilly terrain. The Shimano derailleur on the Btwin Rock rider isn't great - missed and delayed shifts are common, even after trying to adjust the cable.

3. Size: large
To suit my 5'11" height

4. Suspension: no, unless the quality is really good.
I have realised, even with my limited experience, that good suspension can be expensive and cheap stuff doesn't work and just adds unnecessary weight. I weigh about 80 kg, if that helps with decision making.

5. Price: Less than 25k but I could stretch a bit further if the package is worth it.

Here's what I have shortlisted:
Btwin Riverside 500
Montra hybrid various models
Firefox hybrid models

The Btwin seems to have good reviews both in India and abroad, but it has only 9 gears. I am also not convinced about the effectiveness of the suspension.

Montra has so many models with differences that I can't interpret because I'm new to all this. From what I have understood, more expensive models seem to have higher range equipment. But I don't know if that really makes a difference to the cycling experience.

Firefox has 4 models in my budget. The differences are similar to those between the Montra models and I honestly don't understand them

Are there any others that I should consider?

Imported brands all seem well beyond my budget.

I would appreciate very much any help and suggestions on bicycles, components and even shops where to buy.

Thanks in advance!

[ast.ggn]

Originally Posted by Motard_Blr

Btwin Riverside 500
Montra hybrid various models
Firefox hybrid models

Are there any others that I should consider?

Imported brands all seem well beyond my budget.

You can get some real good deals in your budget if you are open to used market, dig around a bit. eg: check Cyclops on Facebook. I myself got an excellent deal on a rarely used Scott.

If you are looking for new and out of the options listed by you, my suggestion would be to look into Montra Blues. There was a model 1.1/1.2 Rigid without suspension, if it is still on sale. I have owned Firefox in past and my close friend had Montra. On paper specifications were same, but Montra was smooth as a butter to ride. Do take a trial ride at store, before you make up your mind with any of them.

[Hunter3077]

Here are my requirements:
1. Type: hybrid
I realised that I don't need the ruggedness of the mtb and it's too heavy. My usage is limited to city rides and errands, with the max distance probably about 30 to 50 km.

5. Price: Less than 25k but I could stretch a bit further if the package is worth it

If you already are thinking of 50 km and you are willing to stretch beyond 25k, I would suggest you go for a road bike. You can get a brand new bike, albeit claris for about 35k and even a better groupset (used bike) at the same price point. Your riding experience will be altogether different with a road bike vis a vis an MTB or Hybrid.
Cheers

[Mi10]

After a long time (read 15 months) crossing the 50 km barrier !

[petrolHead_1609]

Originally Posted by Motard_Blr

Here are my requirements:
1. Type: hybrid
I realised that I don't need the ruggedness of the mtb and it's too heavy. My usage is limited to city rides and errands, with the max distance probably about 30 to 50 km.

2. Gears: at least 2 x 7.
Anything less isn't enough for Bangalore's hilly terrain. The Shimano derailleur on the Btwin Rock rider isn't great - missed and delayed shifts are common, even after trying to adjust the cable.

3. Size: large
To suit my 5'11" height

4. Suspension: no, unless the quality is really good.
I have realised, even with my limited experience, that good suspension can be expensive and cheap stuff doesn't work and just adds unnecessary weight. I weigh about 80 kg, if that helps with decision making.

5. Price: Less than 25k but I could stretch a bit further if the package is worth it.

I had the exact same set of requirements. Only city usage, so had to be the hybrid. I don't really use gears a lot but any bicycle at this price point has more than sufficient of them. My height is 6' so it had to be large, I am not keen on having suspension as with the city usage it just kills your momentum but a front shock absorber helps a ton with not letting every road crack reach your palms and thus shoulders. Price, I was not wanting to cross 20k as there was no specific purpose of the purchase, it was all leisure.

I started going through a lot of videos starting mid January and spent the whole first weekend (both Sat and Sun) of February 2019 looking around for everything available out there only to end up with the first bicycle I saw.

Montra Trance D!

It's a 29er and comes in two frame sizes 16.5 and 19.5.
I took the 19.5 and it really fits with height and looks in place. (Both add to the height, good for 5'11")
It has got both front and rear disc breaks with a good bite and I feel confident enough at 30-35 kmph (I avoid riding faster than that)
It's a hybrid. Those sleek tyres let you speed up in no time and cover more of a distance without breaking a sweat.
3X7 gears (both derailleur are of Shimano tourney and shifter was altus when I bought it)
It has got a slightly bigger diameter of crank, results in higher circumference of a single pedal rotation.

It is has been such a wonderful experience owning this bicycle, started out by leisure evening rides, is (read was, pandemic sucks) now a regular to my gym/swimming class and occasional weekend rides. Nothing feels as smooth as this in the price range and checks all the boxes.

Only thing is you have to be extra cautious with the weather, don't leave it out in rain. Keep it covered (if possible) and get it oiled every 2-3 months. (This is pretty much applicable to all but I feel montra seeks a little bit more attention)

I haven't had any issue in my last 15 months of ownership and I'd highly recommend to consider this one.

[Motard_Blr]

Originally Posted by ast.ggn

You can get some real good deals in your budget if you are open to used market, dig around a bit. eg: check Cyclops on Facebook. I myself got an excellent deal on a rarely used Scott.

If you are looking for new and out of the options listed by you, my suggestion would be to look into Montra Blues. There was a model 1.1/1.2 Rigid without suspension, if it is still on sale. I have owned Firefox in past and my close friend had Montra. On paper specifications were same, but Montra was smooth as a butter to ride. Do take a trial ride at store, before you make up your mind with any of them.

Thanks for your response!
I am open to used bikes and I will look out for good used bikes. I appreciate your opinion on the difference in feel between the Montra and the Firefox.

Originally Posted by Hunter3077

If you already are thinking of 50 km and you are willing to stretch beyond 25k, I would suggest you go for a road bike. You can get a brand new bike, albeit claris for about 35k and even a better groupset (used bike) at the same price point. Your riding experience will be altogether different with a road bike vis a vis an MTB or Hybrid.
Cheers

Thanks for your response!
I am not inclined towards road bikes at the moment as I am not used to the riding posture. But I will definitely consider buying s road bike of I decide to buy a second bike. Hybrid bikes seem more practical in city riding.

Originally Posted by petrolHead_1609

I had the exact same set of requirements. ...

...

Montra Trance D!

It's a 29er and comes in two frame sizes 16.5 and 19.5.
I took the 19.5 and it really fits with height and looks in place. (Both add to the height, good for 5'11")
It has got both front and rear disc breaks with a good bite and I feel confident enough at 30-35 kmph (I avoid riding faster than that)
It's a hybrid. Those sleek tyres let you speed up in no time and cover more of a distance without breaking a sweat.
3X7 gears (both derailleur are of Shimano tourney and shifter was altus when I bought it)
It has got a slightly bigger diameter of crank, results in higher circumference of a single pedal rotation.

...

Nothing feels as smooth as this in the price range and checks all the boxes.

...

Thanks for your detailed response!
I did some more research yesterday on the different components used on bikes in my budget. I found out that the entry level Shimano Tourney is known to miss shifts occasionally. The upper entry level Shimano Altus or Acera derailleurs are better, according to many cycling review websites.



I also learnt a bit more about the other parts, such as wheels, brakes, etc. I can see now what the extra money buys in a premium bike. A casual reading of a few cycling websites will show that the reviewers did notice a difference. But the question is, will I notice a difference, too, since I am inexperienced and a recreational cyclist.

I am planning on visiting a couple of shops tomorrow to try out some bikes.

I would appreciate comments and suggestions on my quest for a new bike.

[kat]

Originally Posted by Hunter3077

1. Will this process work seamlessly if I intend to practice on the Zwift platform?

Yes it will. Only that the resistance changes corresponding to the gradient of the road/drafting etc. cannot be simulated. You just pedal at default cadence/power. Maybe you can adjust the resistance manually using a small remote, but then you don't need zwift for that.

2. I have a Garmin Edge 830 which I have been using since an year so my preference is to go for a set of Garmin Speed & Cadence sensors. Now the Garmin Sensors V1 are only ANT+ compatible and not bluetooth; this would mean that I need an ANT+ Dongle for the Laptop. Are there any alternative speed & Cadence sensors that would work for me in this scenario?

ANT+ dongle is the way to go. There are cheap speed/cadence senors (BT ones) from Aliexpress, but I am not sure if you can order them now. None of them are available in India right now based on google search.

3. Please suggest compatible ANT+ dongle available in India.

A google search says no ANT+ dongles available for purchase in India. Alternatively, there are some smartphones which are ANT+ compatible - mostly from Samsung. You can check in this link if you have a compatible phone. Seems, you can pair an ANT+ device from the BT settings itself.

https://www.thisisant.com/directory/filter/~/60/~/

4. Garmin Speed & Cadence sensors V2 are Bluetooth & ANT+ compatible. But could not find any purchase options in India. Any leads?

As of now, many cycling related accessories/products are out of stock. Maybe ask some retailer to order one and get it, but it might take a month or so.

5. Any other suggestions on the overall set up? That is - the Home trainer (Minoura Magride 60r costing me 16k) , the Sensors and the ANT+ Dongle.

I would suggest you to go for a full blown direct drive smart trainer. You won't get bored easily, also it will serve you well for a good 3-4 years.

I am aiming for a 1200 km BRM in October first week and need to practice for that. The area that I have been posted to now is prone to daily rains and hence will dampen my ride practice.

All the more reason to get a proper smart trainer. I am sure you will get super bored riding at same cadence/power for hours together. Elite Suito is about the cheapest at around 65k but then you will need to order and wait for it to arrive as well.

After about 3-4 months' consideration, I am getting a smart trainer as well. A Minoura Kagura LSD9200. I know a friend, who hurriedly got a basic Btwin wheel-on trainer some 2 years back. Till date, he has ridden just 1 ride in it, that too for 1 hour only.

[aneezan]

Continuing from my earlier post. Just completed a month of consistent riding. There were a few days here and there with no rides because of either rain or fatigue.
The distances and average speed over the duration and the results have been encouraging. Moving from a heavy MTB to a Road Bike(RC120) definitely has helped, but i would definitely like to think the daily efforts are paying off.

[pdma]

Originally Posted by aneezan

A little help here. I am looking to buy my next bike.
1) Scott Sub Cross 40
2) Ridley Cordis 2
3) Montra Blues 1.2D
4) Bergamont Helix 1.5 i
5) Btwin Triban RC120


Thoughts?

Recently picked a Scott Sub Cross 40 for a friend, paid 35K. He is new to cycling and he is really enjoying the bike. He completed 450+KM in the last 3 days, shows that the geometry is comfortable for anyone to adopt.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by Hunter3077

The alternative is that I go for a 'dumb trainer', pair it up with a set of speed & cadence sensors and then connect it to Zwift (which, incidentally I have never tried but want to).

Kat has already answered your individual questions.

I had borrowed a Btwin Inride 100 from a friend and had trained on this for a month before upgrading to Wahoo Kickr Core. I had used my ANT+ speed/cadence sensor to interface with Zwift. Though it served the purpose of workout, it was very boring. As the power in Zwift (and hence the speed on Zwift) is correlated from the wheel speed and as Zwift does not know the resistance setting on the trainer, the ride was completely disconnected. I would be riding at a wheel speed of 30kph, but Zwift would show 20. As there is no feedback from Zwift on gradient, you could be riding comfortably at a lower resistance, on the steepest gradient in Zwift. Due to all this, the maximum I could ever ride was an hour at a time.

Once I upgraded to Wahoo Kickr Core, it was a total shift. Riding on a smart trainer feels more connected and almost feels like riding on the road. With the Kickr Core, I have done 90km training rides without getting bored. Also, doing structured training workouts helps a lot in improving your endurance and FTP.

So, my advice. Instead of investing in a dumb trainer and end up not using it, increase your budget and get a smart trainer. It will help you a lot in improving your performance and endurance.

[itisravi]

Just sharing my experience regarding my smart trainer (almost a year now since I got it) since there are a lot of queries of late on indoor trainers. I spent probably around 6 months researching the topic to death early 2019 and waiting for the killer deal before I bought one, so this might not be of much use to the urgent buyer.

- My primary reason to get one was to do structured workouts (max 1.5 hours) rather than zwift rides . To that end, I wanted a trainer with ANT+ FE-C control and ERG mode where the trainer resistance (power) will automatically be controlled via the app depending on the workout intensities.

- I did not want a fluid trainer because from whatever I gathered, I found that the fluid viscosity and thus the resistance will change with various factors like climate, ageing etc and will affect the accuracy of the power and you will need to change the fluid after a few years. In that respect, the ones with electro-magnetic brakes were apparently better, even though they also report only virtual power. This also meant I could keep the trainer unused for months if I wanted and not worry about it rotting.

- My budget was 25K and since the ones available locally were priced beyond that, I decided to purchase it online from abroad.

-There is always an inherent risk with importing because you can't return the item. (well you can but the shipping cost will be exorbitant as the item is bulky). So I wanted something that is more or less repairable should the need arise. Purchasing from your local bike shop is advantageous in this regard as warranty claims are so much easier, although you pay even a much higher mark-up.

- The trainer that checked all of this criteria was the Tacx Vortex Smart. Both GPLama and DCRainmaker had a good opinions about it on their review. It also comes with a riser block for the front tyre - one less accessory to purchase.The only long term issues which I found online on various forums about the Vortex were the roller noise issue and the 'superglue fix' which I could deal with by myself.

- Every now and then, this model used to be on sale on various websites abroad. I scourged various websites (CRC, Evans, bike24 and bike-discount.) and when the price was just right, I ordered it from bike24.com. The item took about a month to come from Germany. I had to pick it up from the local post-office after paying the import duty. The total expense I incurred exceeded my budget only by a very small margin. The other purchases included an ANT+Dongle from aliexpress, a used rear wheel from the LBS and a trainer tyre from Decathlon.

- I was initially skeptical about the max. power output and gradient of budget trainers because I do not have a power meter and for some reason, I thought the 950 Watt max power output would be a limiting factor. But all those doubts where quickly squashed when my FTP tests returned numbers less than 200 (<insert shame emoji here>). So even if you are a seasoned rider, you don't need anything beyond 500 watts for 'recreational training'.

- Since lock down though, I am not using it as I am already indoors all the time and its boring to do yet another activity that is indoor bound. I cancelled my Trainer Road subscription, so right now it is just sitting there looking pretty:

[Hunter3077]

Originally Posted by itisravi

Just sharing my experience regarding my smart trainer (almost a year now since I got it) since there are a lot of queries of late on indoor trainers. I spent probably around 6 months researching the topic to death early 2019 and waiting for the killer deal before I bought one, so this might not be of much use to the urgent buyer.

- Since lock down though, I am not using it as I am already indoors all the time and its boring to do yet another activity that is indoor bound. I cancelled my Trainer Road subscription, so right now it is just sitting there looking pretty:

Thanks for the detailed response. I will keep looking with a revised mandate. By the way, is your trainer up for grabs as you are not using it anymore?