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trading in a computrainer for a powertap

lesley gilottilesley gilotti
in General Training Discussions

 So  I am very new to EN and don't use power yet. I do have a computrainer which I really like but it was suggested to me to sell that to finance a powertap. So here comes a dumb question, if I have a power tap on the bike, all I will need then is a basic trainer? What kind of trainer would you recommend and about how much is it? Just trying to figure out the total damage if I go this route. My computrainer is only a year and a half old. I see them on ebay. I should be about to get around $800 for it I think. 

Comments

  • Michele CellaiMichele Cellai
    Lesley- do a search on trainers. We've had several threads discussing what type and why.
    Personally I rode on a no name thing from Nashbar for about 8 years. Just broke it last month.
  • Nemo BrauchNemo Brauch

     Little tip, if you search on "trainer" alone you'll be swamped with too much.  Search on "Trainer" in the Subject only and it will be easier to find what you are looking for.

     

    Here's one thread to get you started:

    http://endurancenation.us.dnnmax.co...fault.aspx

  • Linda PatchLinda Patch

    I would hope to NEVER have to sell my CT. (Caveat--no question PT more important than CT in the grand scheme. I'm thinking you can beg, borrow, steal to have both. )

    To ride a PT on a regular trainer in the winter is my definition of hell. The CT gives me a road feel, different terrain to ride to practice keeping the watts steady. It is an pleasure to ride on a CT as opposed to a PT on any kind of fluid/magnetic/what-have-you trainer. It makes indoor training immensely more enjoyable. I have my indoor CT watts in the winter, retest outside with my PT in the spring, and VOILA! Good to go in both venues.

    If you can do both, you can have the best of both worlds if you ask me. I heart my CT indoors, and there's nothing mire effective than the PT outside.

  • lesley gilottilesley gilotti

     Thanks for the input everyone. 

     

    Linda, I so luv my computrainer but thoughtt it was almost redundant to have both. But I don't know what it is like to ride a bike with a powertap on a trainer but I suppose it isn't as easy as dialing in X watts and going. I can swing both financially but getting old and getting married in the fall and might have kids next year so don't know if it is smart to put the money in. 

  • mattsullmattsull

    I had the CT first and bought a PowerTap when I joined EN. I'm glad I have both and would not get rid of my CT. If I had the PT first I doubt I would have bought the CompuTrainer though.

  • CNIDogCNIDog
    I have both a CompuTrainer and PT as well. Had the PT first and spent a winter O/S (pre-EN) riding with it and a fluid trainer. No problems doing that whatsoever. Just took more thought/focus perhaps than just running an ERG file, pedaling and holding on when things get rough. Subsequently bought a CompuTrainer the next year to try to help keep the long winters of riding on the trainer a little more interesting. I looked at it as a long term investment living in NE and knowing theres at least 5 months of indoor riding for me. Have had the CompuTrainer and the PT for 3 years now. I'm of the same opinion as Linda on this one. Call me spoiled perhaps but after doing the majority of my trainer rides on the CT the few occasions where I've had to ride a fluid trainer with PT have been hell. I don't think they're redundant but rather complementary. There was a thread quite some time back (perhaps in the old EN forums) discussing PT vs. CompuTrainer vs. PT + CompuTrainer. Nemo would have to come to the rescue here to find it. The comment that stuck with me was that CompuTrainer (ERG) + PT makes for very efficient training.

    If you can swing both financially you may want to pick up the PT first, borrow someone's trainer if you can and then see what you think of riding with PT/trainer before you sell the CompuTrainer.
  • mattsullmattsull

    I also didn't mention that I do almost all of my riding on the CT doing EN intervals using the Coaching Software in ERG mode. I love it. I program my intervals and then hang on for dear life. Very, very efficient training. I almost never ride any courses anymore. I believe Linda does though. Nice to know they're there as an option.

  • Linda PatchLinda Patch

    Matt's right, I do ride courses--and use ERG. I switch it up. I don't often ride the CT pre-made courses--but I do like their TT courses and the TT Central Park one. My DH and I often load our own. Brad Culberson has Course Creator II (cc2.bradculberson.com), and we map out rides we like locally and afar and use those.

    Anyway, here is a blog post that I wrote in 2008 about my observations re using the CT, and my thoughts on the skills and feel it helps transfer to the roads come spring. Rich gave me some props on it at the time.

    It sounds like you have the long review and an ongoing commitment to riding and training. And if you're looking at having kids--and needing to stay efficient and have indoor riding pleasant--I really believe you will not go wrong having both.

  • Tony StockerTony Stocker

    I also have both a CT and PT and I wouldn't trade in my CT, I'd take the debt hit for a few months to get a PT instead and pay it off over the course of a season or something.  During the OS I mainly use the CT in ERG mode, but occasionally throw in some of the IRCV IM videos on the weekend to break it up and just see the courses, plus it kind of motivates me.  I use the 40k TT flat course for my indoor FTP tests.  Plus at this point I have something like 3 years of CT workouts for historical (or hysterical depending on your pov ) analysis which gives me a way to track changes in my fitness at real, functional metrics.

    If money is a big issue though and you can ONLY afford one or the other, then you have to go with the PT - can't ride the CT outside afterall.  But if there's any way to swing both, I personally would make every effort to do so.

  • KitbooKitboo
    I have a CT and a Quarq. The CT came first (it's 8 years old) and if I had to chose between the CT and a powermeter...I'd have a powermeter. My DH has permanently parked his bike on my CT for the last 3 winters so I ride a Kurt Kinetic Fluid trainer with my Quarq. It's certainly not as smooth as the CT, but my eyes/attention are so locked onto the screen of the powermeter CPU that I don't really miss my CT.
  • lesley gilottilesley gilotti
    thanks guys. I just ordered the powertap today and will keep my computrainer. i do love that thing.
  • tgarsontgarson
    I know you've already made your decision, but you can count me in with the others, I have both a CT and a Quarq. I got the CT first and the Quarq second, and again like most everyone else if I already had the power meter I probably would not have been able to sell myself on the CT but if you live anywhere with iffy weather or long winters and can afford it, it really is nice to have both.

    During the winter I mostly live in the Coaching Software in ERG mode, but I also have some of the IM IMRCVs which I run to break things up, and you still can in fact do EN style intervals while riding the RCVs, you just have to manage your effort accross the more varied terrain. I also have a few ErgVideos that I run and while you are much less in control of your overall workout, I find it a whole lot easier to convince myself to get on the trainer by using an ErgVideo session every now and then as bait.

    Having both is definitely a luxury not a necessity, but theres a place for both if you can afford it.
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