CarlB

My wife has a fixed-speed, coaster-brake bike that fits her. But my trainer is designed for a bike with a cassette and quick-release skewered axles. The axle on her bike is short (6" long with no cassette) and held in by bolts on either side (no quick-release). Is there a trainer or a trick that would let her use the bike indoors during our snowy weather? Many thanks!

veganbikes

You cannot have a fixed gear with a coaster brake however you can have a freewheel with a coaster brake and that could be a single speed. You can use rollers quite easily but any trainer that isn't direct drive could potentially work, Saris/Cycleops, Tacx, Kinetic...all make some fine trainers.

Mikefule

Rollers are easier to use than you might think. Modern ones have "waisted" rollers which draw the wheels back towards the centre. Riding on rollers requires a certain amount of concentration and is therefore not completely boring. Rollers can be adjusted to fit any bike.

Fredo_Adagio

Regarding riding a fixie on rollers, I do it all the time. I also sometimes ride my fixie on a wheel-on trainer. The difference is that the rollers require concentration to avoid crashing. On the trainer, I can zone out and watch TV while I ride.

Regarding rollers, there are several varieties. Most brands have straight cylindrical rollers - Minoura, Inside Ride, TruTrainer, Kreitler, CycleOps, Masvis, Rock Bros, & Saris. The TruTrainer and Inside Ride rollers are available with small wheels on a vertical axis that serve as bumpers to keep the front wheel of the bike from going off the roller. Some brands have rollers that are straight cylinders with a flare at either end to catch the wheels before they go off - Elite, Tengma, & Souzier. One brand has rollers that taper down in diameter toward the middle - TACX. Another brand has rollers that taper up in diameter toward the middle - Crown.

That TACX and Crown have adopted opposite solutions for keeping the wheels on the rollers is perplexing. I have TACX rollers and can attest that I can easily ride off the ends of the rollers; however, TACX rollers do seem to be popular with YouTubers who do bike roller stunts. I'd like to try the Crown rollers, but they are pricey.

bmwjoe

I have been riding my fixed gear on the trainer for the last 3 weeks as I am recovering from pacemaker surgery. With any luck I can ride outdoors next week.


Fixed gear on trainer

Riding indoors as I am recovering from pacemaker installation

veganbikes

Good luck with recovery...I like the new training duds from Rapha!

bmwjoe

If you don't like that outfit I have my night riding attire...


Night Training

veganbikes

Keeping safe. Good idea. Never know when someone might sideswipe you

CarlB

Thank you, Veganbikes, and others for clarifying my use of words.
Her bike is not truly a 'fixed gear' bike. It's a simple one-speed, with coaster brakes. Bolts on either side hold the 6" axle in place. The sockets on my trainer (into which the quick-release mechanism on my road bikes slide) don't come together close enough to grab the short axle on her bike, and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be comfortable with rollers.
Thanks again for recommendations/solutions!

ofajen

Can you swap in a longer axle? That might help. The other issue is that most basic trainers have sockets that are shaped for QR, so hex nuts might not fit as securely.

Otto

Ils

Just got a saris m2, currently using with 120mm rear track wheel. The trainer cups fit fine without qr scewer, using 15mm track nuts on the wheel. I would guess they use the same cups for all their trainers and checking on line they fit 120mm wheels for most of the trainers.

veganbikes

No worries, happy to help. You could be dealing with a 110mm rear spacing which is a bit narrow for most trainers. I probably wouldn't do rollers with a coaster brake anyway I don't know how well that would go. You may consider reaching out to the manufacturer of the trainer and see if they make anything. Other than that you might look at a normal 120mm spaced single speed which for some trainers will work or find a single speed mountain bike (or convert one) and that should give you enough space. A longer axle may work but you would still need a way to secure it and you may need a stronger axle as less will be supported by the frame.