Hi all,
I want to get an indoor setup I can use in the house - the ability to just pop into the spare room in the evening while the kids are asleep upstairs would be very efficient.
Looking at all the options - the Kickr Shift is probably the best option in a dedicated smart bike, but I cannot justify the cost over a Zwift Ride setup with a Kickr.
The only downside is this setup will leave an exposed chain on show - and I want to try and avoid any little hands coming in and touching it - both from a safety and cleanliness point of view. It would just be so much nicer to have everything covered over - this is where the Kickr bike wins hands down, but there’s no way its worth a £1000+ premium just for that!
Is anyone aware of a chain guard that would work with this setup - it would really make this a great solution for a dedicated indoor training bike. As it will be a dedicated setup, there’s no worries about taking bike on/off etc. so whatever guard goes on there can be left on (assuming there’s a design feature to allow chain lubrication).
It doesn’t have to be a commercial solution - quite happy with any 3d print designs that anyone may have came up with to solve this niggle!
Any options very much appreciated before I take the plunge!
Ive no experience of chain guards but from a cleanliness point of view Id look at waxing your chain. I use drip wax once its dried its pretty clean and I suspect that a full wax treatment will be cleaner still.
Thanks - I wax the chains on my road bikes (wax every fortnight, top up in between with Bananaslip Tungsten which is excellent). I expect ill use Bananaslip indoors as it is zero flake, but with all the benefits of wax. Im more worried about the little ones coming in and just having access to a bare chain - id like it covered if at all possible for that reason - much like an exercise bike or smart bike - there’s no exposed parts.
I just cannot and will not deal with that level of ugliness in my house
The Atom is by far the most beautiful indoor bike available - I would just buy it if it wasn’t for the ERG issues and the fact its a bit noisy from all accounts.
The more I look at photos of the Zwift Ride, a very simple 3D printed panel that sits into the rear triangle would be a fantastic solution - could be designed to protrude slightly where required.
Its ideas like this that really make me want to get a 3D printer!!
Something to consider: Perhaps a more simple solution is to talk to your children about it, even if they’re very little. I keep my bike in our dining room (small house stuff) and our daughter, even from the very beginning of her being able to move barely bothered with it. OBVIOUSLY every child is different. When she did exhibit curiosity about my bike I would use the opportunity to talk to her about it. I explained what each component is, how it functions and let her touch. Not shockingly, she grabbed the chain and got black grease all over hands. It really only took a couple of times before she realized it wasn’t a good idea. Now the bike is a normal part of her environment and she doesn’t even seem to notice it at all.
There’s no talking to an 11 month old who can walk and loves wrecking everything in sight!
Aesthetically, some sort of back triangle cover would be good - the sleeker and more integrated I can make it look the better.
How about go to a fabric store and get some cotton fabric, or even nylon fabric and putting some velcro tabs on it and throwing it over the whole thing to hide it. It would save on dust too. the other option is to exercise better parenting and establish boundaries. I’ve trained puppies to stay out of and away from areas before. If you are consistent, it will eventually set in. Or go ‘ghetto’ and use cardboard because you don’t want to spend much money fixing it? You have put yourself in an interesting place. (I’d go the fabric option)
On the Ride idea, there were some people wondering if the Ride could go chain-less, and the big holdup appears to be early opinions that the crank and bottom bracket are ‘not standard’. That was from early info prior to wider availability, so maybe it’s not so proprietary now. I get the cost angle for why Zwift didn’t go belted with it, but given that the system doesn’t physically shift anything, belt drive would be perfect for that device and make it the quietest and least expensive options. It’s a shame they didn’t do a belt for it as an option (with the corresponding Hub). Some had suggested Zwift offer a ‘Ride Pro’ with belt drive.
Tangent: Wouldn’t the Zwift Ride be the perfect traveler option for training on the go with a Kickr Core in another suitcase (only ~40 pounds). Sure an airport baggage gorilla could still figure out a way to break/bend either/both, but no brakes, no gears, simple construction, seems like a winner…
