on the trainer // setting it up

This is the second post in the series, on the trainer.

I still remember putting my bike on the trainer for the first time; I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, and to be honest, I still ask Nick to double check that I’m doing it right. That said, it really is simple (and, I’m going to stop second-guessing myself all the time!).

So, now that you have the trainer essentials, let’s set it up.

Note: This is how I set up my Kinetic Road Machine; if you have a different trainer, it could be vary a bit 🙂 

1. First, pick a spot for your trainer + bike; ours are a permanent fixture in our living room so we can watch DVRed HGTV, Biggest Loser (did you see the triathlon they did last week and the finale this week?!), the Daily Show and movies.
2. Lay down your yoga mat, and place your trainer at the end of it.
3. Next, swap out the regular skewer for the trainer skewer. Don’t tighten the skewer too tight; it should have a little give to tighten just a bit more.
4. Move your bike to the trainer, front wheel on the riser, position the skewer in the cone cups.
5. Using the adjustable cranks on the sides of the trainer, tighten the trainer onto your bike. Tighten the non-cassette side (if you’re on your bike, the left side) into place (on a Kinetic, there’s an inside washer as well that helps tighten and hold it into place). 
6. Place the skewer into this side and tighten the other side of the trainer (the cassette side) onto the skewer. Be sure to tighten it enough, as it’s what’s holding your bike on the trainer. You don’t want it to wobble (or, even worse, fall off!)! It’s a fine balance, though… be careful to not tighten it too tight, especially on a carbon frame, as that could potentially crack it.
7. Next, tighten the flywheel on the rear tire… it should be tight enough that the rear tire doesn’t slip/move forward or backward easily. I keep my trainer tire around 90 psi, which is a bit less than what I ride outside (110-115 psi).
8. Hop on, and you’re ready to ride!
9. Also, when you’re done riding, be sure to loosen the flywheel completely so there’s no pressure on the tire. 

Here’s a quick bird’s eye view video (via the GoPro) of how to set it up… I’m still cringing at the sound of my voice and how I look on camera, but it gives you a general idea 🙂

And, a simple 60-minute workout:

20:00 warm-up
3 x (5:00 hard + 5:00 easy) … hard = your perceived hard… maybe it’s 90 rpm or grinding it out at a low cadence!
10:00 cool down

Happy biking, friends!

Up next: Combating trainer boredom!