Hey all! Thought I’d ask the fine folks here on the TR Forum-I’ve had a KICKR SNAP for almost two years now and love it; it’s in my basement and I’ve primarily used my Trek with it. I acquired the trainer in like-new condition and since then have used it extensively, nearly every day-I think it’s safe to say I’ve probably overused it, but as it still connects to Zwift, Sufferfest and similar apps just fine I continue to use it.
A little over a year ago, my bike was having some issues and when I went to remove it from the trainer, it wouldn’t come out-evidently, it had acquired a fair amount of rust from sweat and lack of ventilation in the basement; luckily, a trip to the bike shop was able to get it removed, at which time they cautioned me and told me to use a dehumidifier so as to (hopefully) ensure this wouldn’t happen again. Since then I’ve moved my bike to a different part of the basement where there’s actually some windows I can open, have used a portable dehumidifier and have a fan aimed at the trainer as well-what I usually do is, at the very least, keep the fan running in between rides and the windows open in between rides as well. As for the bike, it had a number of issues when I finally got it out of the trainer, such as needing a new drivetrain, at which point the bike techs informed me that, although they could fix the bike, it would likely never be roadworthy again and would essentially have to live on the trainer. Not a big deal-this is the primary way I do my riding anyway!
Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do about me sweating, and since then more rust has built up. I’ve tried polylube and rust remover, and while the latter has worked as far as removing rust is concerned, when I pull the release lever, I can manage to move the release a few centimeters at best, but not enough to get the bike out. I can still get the bike out by using a wrench on the other side and turning the other bolt without the quick release lever, despite that side being rusty as well, but the quick release is quite stuck,
Any thoughts on a remedy? I love this trainer and, like I said, the electronics/Bluetooth all work perfectly, it’s just this issue that’s causing some distress. I don’t know if replacement parts would be necessary-at the end of the day, I would just like to know that I can get my bike in and out of the trainer if necessary. I can still use the trainer just fine with the bike stuck in there, but I’d love to be able to be using the quick release side and get everything a good cleaning so as to remove the rust. I recognize that at some point I may invest in a new trainer and bike, though I’d love to keep using the SNAP in particular for as long as possible. I’m sure I can get by with everything the way it is for the time being, but I’d love to be able to use the bolt/quick release side if at all possible.
Any thoughts?