Broke and need an indoor trainer...are the cheap ones worth it??

[VeloMel]

Hello, I'm looking to get an indoor trainer, an injury is causing me to do stationary workouts only. On e-bay I see a Bell trainer for about 75 bucks, is it worth it? Haven't really ever heard anything about that particular trainer. Not too sure if this is a "don't cut corners" purchase, I don't want to crash out in my livingroom on an unstable trainer!

[Blueberry]

I don't know anything about the Bell.

I have a Kurt Kinetic fluid and a cyclops mag. The mag works - but I really enjoy riding the fluid a lot more. Have you checked craigslist? I see trainers in the same price range as the bell quite frequently. Performance has some that I've heard are OK.

[kermit]

I had Performance bikes cheapest trainer for years, finally passed it on to my brother. They all work the same, some are just quieter and smoother, but any will get the job done. Make sure you use the rear wheel skewer it comes with and not the one on your bike. First off you will ruin the good one and if its tapered it will not fit correctly, thus the slipping out.

[Trek420]

They all work about the same. Higher cost gets you quiet and a more "road like" feel.

wind trainer ~ cheapest, noisiest of the bunch
magnetic trainer ~ costs more, quieter, more "lifelike" feel.
fluid trainer ~ quietest, most roadlike feel, highest cost

If you live in an apartment your neighbors will thank you for getting a fluid trainer. Look for deals at stores like Play it Again sports, local bike swaps, Craigs ....

[owlice]

Check your local Freecycle groups, too.

[Irulan]

yep craigs list, people are selling them all the time...

[sundial]

VeloMel, is there a chance that someone at your local bike shop is looking to upgrade their trainer and will sell their old one?

[RolliePollie]

VeloMel...long shot here, but you wouldn't happen to live in the Sacramento or Lake Tahoe region, would you? If so, I'll sell you my Blackburn magnetic trainer real cheap! There's nothing wrong with it...I am just not good an indoor workouts I guess. Unfortunately it would cost an arm and a leg to ship because it's quite heavy.

[MommyBird]

My husband used an inexpensive performance trainer from the late 80s to the early 2000s. He propped the front tire on a 2x4 to compensate for the added height of the trainer to the rear tire. Now I see many trainers come with a prop for the front tire.

The reason he quit using the cheap trainer is because he was given an early model Reebok spin bike from a gym he was working on when they upgraded their stable. He loves the geometry and it is a rock solid piece of equipment. He loves that he can stand and hoss on the pedals and feel perfectly stable. It is a real Plain Jane model and shows its age. I found a company that sells replacement parts and have purchased a new friction pad but otherwise it has worked great for about 6 or 7 years. He loves that he doesn't have to set it up and down all the time like the cheap trainer. It is also much quieter.

You may want to be open to a spin bike if you find a deal.

I would do research on the Bell trainer. Google it and see if it is a substandard product or a quality item.