The TravelTrac is performing exactly as I’d expect, and works equally well whether seated or standing. My early sessions have been steady state intervals and reminding myself how to pedal in circles. After a solid month away from any detectable riding (normal for my December), I’m starting up from square 1. Getting up to speed was easy – another plus of the simple design. The roller surface itself is textured to provide enough grip that tire slippage should never be an issue – it certainly wasn’t for me – which was nice since I’ve often found that slippage on smooth rollers a tad annoying. The roller offers plenty of area that should handle most tire widths – for road and mtb. Similar to the bike, it changes ‘gears’ via a cable which feeds into the motor.
It’s easy to operate and shifts smoothly – smoother than your bike. You can choose one of 5 resistance settings (1 is easiest) – or change on the fly simply by twisting the shift dial. The resistance can be controlled in two ways – one by shifting through the gears on your bike (I set mine on the big ring and in a middle cog on the back since I prefer a straight chainline), or by using the handlebar mounted shifter that is part of the TravelTrac. The adjustable resistance is the “Plus” in the name here – and they do offer a non-adjustable fluid trainer as well. Once warmed up – any internal slippage disappeared. I did notice that until the fluid warms up to a steady operating temperature, the resistance could be slightly uneven at times but only in the opening minutes on a session. Next to you, the resistance unit is the heart of this trainer, and while I’m not going to explain the full dynamics of how the internals work, I can tell you they did what I expected – delivering constant, controlled, and adjustable resistance through every session.
Once the clamping arm is locked in place, it’s not moving until you say it is. The last few years I’ve run a variety of trainers, including the CompuTrainer, CycleOps PowerBeams, and Blackburn’s TrakStand Ultra, but his was my first time on a real ‘fluid’ trainer – the kind that uses a viscous fluid to create resistance while you’re pedaling. Again, it’s easy-peasy, and the unit clamps in with enough force that I never noticed the bike moving around within the clamps.įinally, attach the shift lever to you bars with the quick release clamp and you’re pretty much set to get training. Then you place the bike into position, and clamp it into place with by locking down the big lever on the drive side of the trainer.