In addition to what my apparent soul mate @handynzl has to say, I would argue it might be beneficial to have different positions and promote slightly different muscle recruitment and strength.
Its not like we always maintain the exact same positioning on our bikes in the real world. I think of it like micro cross-trainingš
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A second cheap dedicated trainer bike is definitely an interesting proposition, although Iām going to deviate from what others have said about frame geometry not mattering. It matters, just not as much. For example, there is no way for me to replicate my more aggressive riding position on my previous endurance road bike than on my new aero road bike.
So if you like the position of your current road bike, get a cheap, aluminum road bike with the same type of geometry (e. g. a Cannondale CAAD12/10/8). The drive train should be in decent condition, but if you get a smart trainer IMHO it wonāt matter whether you have a 10-speed or even a 9-speed drivetrain. In fact, you could convert it to 1x to simplify maintenance. (TrainerRoad and most manufacturers of trainers recommend that you use the inner ring anyway.) You might invest a bit of money in the contact points, though. But keep in mind, aluminum is fine. The 3T Ergonova handle bars I have on my old bike are great.
@JustinDoesTriathlon mentioned the possibility of a dumb fluid trainer. There exist also wheel-off/direct drive fluid trainer. I have one, an Elite Volano. It works great, although I wish its resistance curve would be a bit more aggressive, more akin to the Muin. However, for dumb trainers the number of gears and gearing might matter. In my opinion direct drive trainers are always preferable to a wheel on trainers, unless we are talking about e. g. portable indoor trainers.
Overall it is a great idea if you have the space and permission from your SO. (My wife has a strict N = 2 policy for me, and we donāt have space for an additional bike.)
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Reach should be similar, but drop is a little less important.
@mcneese.chad made a good point awhile back. When riding outside, the wind lifts you up just a tad, so itās actually harder to hold the same low position indoors. For this reason, I use a taller front wheel block so that the bike isnāt exactly level.
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Itās nice if you can get reasonably close to matching the bike setup. But I donāt think itās essential to nail it to the millimeter.
I use an endurance road bike on the trainer, and race 2 MTBs, 1 road, 1 gravel bike and sometimes my Tri bike all based upon the one bike setup. It might not be ideal if I was really aiming for performance on one in particular, but I donāt think k most of us need the super fine level of specific layout.
Close is good enough IMO.
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To the OP - I think all your injuries are getting overlooked in some of the comments. Get a bike that is similar to your comfortable one and get it setup in whatever way is comfortable.
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Itās all about convenience and lowering the barrier for getting on the trainer. I would recommend a second bike with similar geometry (you can always adjust with the stem to match geometry) and a trainer with PM so that you donāt have to switch the pedals. Assiomas allows you to adjust power in the app - if you have big discrepancies just run them for a while on the trainer and dial them in to match the trainer.
Added benefit of a second bike: you have a back up in case of repairs maintenance on the cervelo.
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I never put my āgoodā bike on the trainer. I donāt want to stress the frame or wear out the exotic (expensive!) drive train. I put my old bike (same frame style i.e. road bike) but it uses an old 9-speed drive train that is very inexpensive to replace.
For me, the choice of the trainer type was more important than the bike used. I had no idea what things like āERGā mode meant when I started but now I canāt live without itā¦ Having a wheel-off trainer was important as I didnāt want to burn through tires and didnāt want to be constantly doing spin-down calibrations. Being a āsmart-trainerā was a must as I wanted maximum flexibility to interface to a variety of training apps.
The one thing I did splurge on was getting a second identical saddle. While I could adjust the touch point geometry easily enough, my derriere definitely has a preference for one style of saddleā¦
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I have an older frame with 2014 drive train on a Sarris H3. I have the seat height, tilt and bar width the same as my road bike. Stem is shorter by 10mm and therefore reach is better for the static nature of indoors.
Family is important. Put that first and everything else will come together as needed.
Wow. Thanks guys!
Iām sorry for the late response, but the overwhelmingly positive and expert advice was, wellā¦overwhelming!
Being very very new to the sport (since my original post and processing through all your excellent replies) Iāve learned a lot in a few short months relative to where my knowledge was. Both about my needs indoors and outdoors. Itās allowed me to better understand your suggestions and learn a little bit about what I prefer personally in terms of comfort and performance. Iāve even completed a few centuries including a 115 mile 7000ā foot ride this past Friday.
Based on my current knowledge, needs, body issues and desires Iāve come to a few conclusions:
The custom cycling shoes I had made were a GAME CHANGER. Custom carbon fiber cycling specific medical footbed in a custom molded Bont Vaypor S was worth every penny.
A proper bike fit and, particularly rifling thorough saddles, was similarly a game changer. (I know, duh)
And based on my temporary move to LA and my current abilities and goals, I think Iām gonna forgo the trainer for now; at least in LA. Iāve been invited to compete in LOTOJA this September and so I now plan on actually doing a lot of outdoor riding while Iām in LA. If Iām not able to achieve the level of effort Iād like down there, Iāll revisit a temporary trainer solution while in Cali and think more calculated and longterm about a proper indoor training setup at home for the long haul and winters. Aka, donāt rush it.
Thoughts?
Thanks for all the kind words yāall!! Much love!