biketrain

I got this trainer recently and it worked pretty good with my 8 cog MTB bike but shifting was sometimes a big problem with it not shifting or the chain coming off when I was doing hilly road simulation. It seems like there is not enough room to put enough spacers to accommodate/align my 8 sprocket MTB bike but I'm not 100% sure. I sent the company an email but in the meantime I was hoping maybe somebody had any advice on this issue - or - maybe it would be easier to get a super cheap bike I can use only for training on this trainer? I'm 5'4" female and appreciate any tips on super cheap compatible bikes again that I'd only use for the trainer. I assume I couldn't just put/fit a larger cog cassette on it and might not be compatible?? Sorry, I'm so confused and frustrated...

Sy Reene

Have you tried posting and querying on the Direto Facebook page?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1380212845399014/

BlazingPedals

I don't have knowledge of that trainer, but I can hazard a guess. Most trainers are set up for road bikes; and if your mountain bike has 135mm spacing in back and the trainer is set up for 130, there will be some mis-alignment. In the past, I've dealt with that by installing 2mm shims on each side of the wheel, bringing the wheel (trainer in your case) up to 134mm and close enough to work. The other thing is, you may have to re-adjust the derailleur as it may not exactly match the wheel it replaces.

Of course this all assumes that the trainer will accept the 8-speed cassette that would go with your bike. If you've got a 9-speed cassette on it and expect to just use 8 gears, it won't work because the spacing between cogs is different.