indoor trainer bike

[igs417]

If you had two road bikes, carbon and aluminium frames, of similar age and eqipment level, what would you do during winter?

A) Put the carbon one on the indoor trainer, saving it from harsh winter conditions, using aluminium one outdoors

or

B) Put the aluminium one on a trainer and just nice carbon bike on nasty winter roads?

[onemanpeloton]

For me it's less about frame material and more about value (monetary or sentimental) of the bike.

If the aluminium was my favourite/most expensive bike then I would keep it indoors in the winter

[igs417]

What about carbon frame vs. indoor trainer considerations?

You feel safe with the carbon bike on the indoor trainer?

[onemanpeloton]

Yes. I use my giant tcr on the turbo trainer, so far so good. Many, many people also use carbon on the trainer and there are very few horror stories out there

[AJS914]

I feel like I'm pretty gentle on the bike when on the trainer. I do mostly steady state work. Even intevals are steady state.

Now I could see someone really working the frame hard with out of the saddle sprints, out of the saddle simulated climbing, etc.

[TonyM]

It depends on how harsh are your winters - and how hard you use your bike on your trainer in the winter...

[TobinHatesYou]

If you use the trainer a lot, the bike on the trainer is going to have corroded fasteners and other alloy/non-stainless steel parts. Also the stress on the rear dropouts is going to be pretty high if you do OOS/sprint efforts on a wheel-off trainer. Wheel-on trainers are probably better as the stress is on the head of the steel skewer.

Personally I ride my outdoor bikes outdoors and I bought the cheapest, most disposable aluminum alloy bike from a no-name brand to put on my trainer.