Talk to me about indoor trainers

[Irulan]

( not rollers, haha)
magnetic, fluid...very confused. I am definitely going to purchase SOMETHING for this winter. I'm tired of the whole "reserving a spin bike" thing at the gym. I was thinking home spinner, but now I'm not so sure. I like the idea of putting it away in the off season for indoor training.

I'm a mountain biker, not a road rider for the most part, if that makes any difference.

I.

[Veronica]

We used a mountain bike in our Kurt Kinetic trainer the first season we had it, before we had road bikes. We just put a slick tire on the back.

Veronica

[Irulan]

I'm interested in what are the differences in feel, performance, between the different kinds - magnetic, fluid etc. thanks. I know you can put mtbs with slicks on any of them. Why would you choose one over the other?

[andtckrtoo]

For some reason my MTB does not work well with my Cyclops Fluid. It does not get small enough for the tire (even with the knobby on it). I don't know if it's simply MY trainer, or a more wide spread issue. On my previous Cylcops trainers, this was not a problem.

Fluid is supposed to be the quietest. If you're trying to watch a Spinervals or even just a movie to ride to indoors, then the quieter is better. They are also the smoothest. Having had all three (wind, magnetic and fluid), if you can afford it, go with the fluid.

[Becky]

I agree on the recommendation for fluid. I've owned or ridden all 3 (wind, mag, fluid), and fluid feels most natural to me.

If at all possible, I'd try to ride a few different models. Not all fluid units are the same. For example, we had a Blackburn fluid set up in the shop for awhile, and the staff felt that it was stiff, jerky, and didn't "coast" well, which exacerbated its jerkiness. Evidently the customers felt the same way- we didn't sell many of them.

DH and I have 2 Cycleops fluid units, a older Fluid 2+ and the newer one is a Tempo. Both have been wonderful. I've also heard good things about Kurt Kinetic trainers, although I have no firsthand experience.

[F8th637]

I and a few other TE'ers have the 1up bicycle trainer (http://www.1upusa.com/bike_trainer.html) and while it might be pricier than other ones out there it is really a great piece of engineering. There is no fluid and there is no magnet and I still get plenty of resistance. It's not terribly loud, in my opinion. The other great thing I like about it is that when it's not in use you can lay it flat and store it under a bed or desk or something. If you put slicks on your bike, it'll be quieter. I have pictures of my bike on it here: http://ryanandangel.smugmug.com/gallery/4412583_qXMgh

[Becky]

That 1up trainer looks really nice! And no more expensive than a Cycleops fluid....something to remember next time we're in the market.....

[roadie gal]

2+ on the fluid trainers. I also had a Blackburn that I didn't care for. It was jerky and there was a noticeable difference in tension at different cadences.

I had a Performance Travel Trak that I liked a lot. After about 2 years of hard use (6 month winters around here) it started to get jerky. I called Performance and they're going to replace it. I just mailed it off 2 days ago. We'll see how long it takes to come back. But I do like that customer service.

[sundial]

CycleOps fluid trainer is very quiet and can be folded flat-ish to be stored. I highly recommend fluid over magnetic trainers.

[Geonz]

They're horrible and boring :) Put on layers and keep riding!

I have a magnetic one and it's okay.

[sundial]

Lol! :d

[TsPoet]

I and a few other TE'ers have the 1up bicycle trainer (http://www.1upusa.com/bike_trainer.html) and while it might be pricier than other ones out there it is really a great piece of engineering.

+1 on the 1up. I had a cyclops that I never got to work right. The 1up doesn't have all the bells and whistles and works better for it!
It also works great on several different sized wheels.

[VeloVT]

I really like my Kurt Kinetic Road Machine. Very smooth and quiet. I think it folds up too?

Bright obnoxious color though (slime green). Defintely doesn't blend into MY decor.

Agree that it's pretty boring (probably about the same as a treadmill, maybe even worse), and somehow seems harder than riding outside. Ipod helps. Sadly I don't really have the ability to set my bike up somewhere that I can watch DVDs... but I'm sure that would help a lot. However, it is a good way to get in miles in the winter, and a good opportunity to do drills and such.

[kie_fujo]

we have 2. one is a bell trainer we got for like $70 on amazon and it works just fine. the other one we got on sale. it was originally $175 but i don't notice a difference between it and the bell. the bell is going for $79.99 on amazon now with free shipping!!

http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Motivator-Indoor-Bicycle-Trainer/dp/B000AAYBWS

[Irulan]

we have 2. one is a bell trainer we got for like $70 on amazon and it works just fine. the other one we got on sale. it was originally $175 but i don't notice a difference between it and the bell. the bell is going for $79.99 on amazon now with free shipping!!

http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Motivator-Indoor-Bicycle-Trainer/dp/B000AAYBWS

how quiet is is? that is going to be a real factor in any purchase I make.

[michelem]

I have the CycleOps Fluid2 (got in on sale). It is very quiet. At first, I used my mountain bike on it and it worked very well. (However, my ill-fitting mountain bike has since been hung up in the garage until I can find someone to take it off my hands.) Since then, I purchased a road bike (with perfect fit, all my pains have melted away!). I think my mountain bike actually fit the trainer BETTER than the road bike.

Anyway, I think the fluid trainer is the way to go. I could never get through a trainer workout without dvd's and the wind and mag trainers just seem way to loud for that.

[kie_fujo]

i don't find it to be very loud, but i have never tried any other than the two i have. i generally throw on my ipod when i ride or turn the tv up a couple extra notches, but my bike is also across the room from the tv.

[milkbone]

Lots of good info already....I have a CycleOps Fluid and love it... : )