I noticed my back tire is worn and is a little flat instesd of curved. I feel as if I am struggling to keep it in ERG mode and im wondering if this could be affecting things. Thanks
Just a thought, but are you releasing the trainer from the tire after the training sessions? So that the roller does not constantly press the tire.
And, I’m quite sure that you are frequently checking that there is enough pressure in the tire when you train?
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Ideally before each ride your check tire pressure (pump to max tire pressure allowed), and do a spin down calibration after the trainer has warmed up. For me and the kickr snap, I do that after 10 minutes. When I first got the kickr snap I had a lot of issues with consistency until I bought a trainer tire and started checking tire pressure. I would imagine if those variables are not consistent that would affect ERG.
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Yep, if a normal tire is used, it wears off way faster that a tire which compound is designed for trainer use.
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This has been discussed many times.
My advice: 120 psi (max); clean, sticky, totally smooth race tyre; much more roller tension than you think is needed. If done right, you should have next to no wear at all. Continental Ultra Sport 2 works for me - cheap, durable and sticky.
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I’m personally using a Conti trainer tire and could have saved myself some grief if I started using it sooner. No more complaints of black “dust” all over the room since and much quieter to boot. The trainer tire looks like it will last forever, and even shows less wear on the trainer drum.
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I’m 1 year into my Tacx trainer tire and it looks as new as the day I bought it. Zero slipping or wear issues.
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+1 for trainer tires. I have near 100 hours in a Conti 23c “Hometrainer” tire (always run it at 110psi)… the bead has barely worn off the center tread. I’m on Feedback sport Omnium so it’s rollers, but still… I’m impressed. Much better than the Conti Hardshells I normally run as a “winter” indoor/outdoor tire.
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My conti training tyre has started to crack. Looks like it has “dried” out. Micro cracks down the centre line. Guess it is about 3-4 years old.
The black dust is back 
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I bought a cheap wheel $50 and a trainer specific tyre with a more durable rubber compound.
Put on a close ratio cassette to make gear changes very smooth and to make it easy to match the various power requirements.
So much better. Still going strong after 10,000 miles.
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But by the tire being squared rather than the way it should be rounded, would this affect ERG??
If the tire is getting squared, it may be slipping when you ride, especially during the sprints etc. If so, apply more tension from the roller to the tire.
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The squaring isn’t the problem; correlation here, not causation. More likely, as the tire and trainer warm up, you’re seeing more resistance because the tire isn’t suitable, and that could effect erg mode. Years ago on my fluid I saw this happen and actually burned through a road tire on my trainer during some intense intervals. I may be one of few people to ever flat indoors.
I echo the recommendations to find a cheap wheel and put a dedicated trainer tire on it. I’ve used the same Conti Hometrainer tire for years. It stays cool, keeps the trainer drum cool, and it is much easier to swap the wheel for outdoor rides than to change tires. Well worth the investment if you’re a regular indoor rider on a wheel-on trainer.
Note: installing a trainer tire the first time is the closest equivalent to childbirth that most men will ever get.
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Another +1 for Conti Hometrainer. I got about 800 hours on mine over the course of 3 years before I needed a new one (due to a bit of deformity on one spot).
I’ve been on the same Conti for maybe… A decade? It’s been an extremely long time. It has small cracks all the way around, that have been there for the last few years at least, but still no issues. I’ll ride it until it dies. However that may be.
I have put on a new trainer wheel and tightened tension a little more but I just feel like when im in my above threhold interval it just isnt as smooth as it should be or as smooth as it used to be. Only thing left i can think of is the fly wheel on my smart turbo is worn in the middle and that may be causing it.
I use the Vittoria Zaffiro Home trainer tire and it works great. Then I don’t worry about ruining expensive road tires when I ride the trainer.
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I’m using a new (2 months) conti trainer tire (110-120 PSI) on a KK road machine and 3.5 turns on the resistance wheel. I’m starting to see very very small cracks/ on the center of the tire. Is this normal? Is this just a matter of time before this goes away? My average cadence is 100 and higher for vo2max/anaerobic stuff. I clean the tire every two weeks with window cleaner. It’s not causing any issues but i was just curious.
My tacx trainer tire blew up after 1800km of trainer duty, hopefully that was just bad luck.
I just use worn out GP4000s that have gotten a bit old for use on the road. Current one has been on my Kicker Snap for about a year I think…
I think the idea of a trainer specific tire is a bit overblown. Especially when a trainer tire costs about what a regular tire does.
Further…I actually tried using a couple far more durable, commuter type tires. GP4000 has had zero slip issues, whearas the harder rubber commuter tires constantly slipped if I didnt ride as smoothly as possible.
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