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Hi there. I want to buy a trainer for the winter months. I do not have a lot to spend with Christmas coming up (and I'm not going to wait for Santa to bring me a trainer). I'm looking at the following models and appreciate any reviews or comments.
Minoura Magturbo 850 (PricePoint Item #76003)
Travel Trac Century Mag Plus Trainer (Performance Bike Item #40-2319D)
Nashbar Mag Plus Trainer (Item No. » NA-MAGP)
Thanks!
I choise a fluid trainer based on reviews from here. Mine is a CycleOps Fluid 2 Trainer. Maybe some of the others who have tried more trainers will be able to help.
I have the Fluid2 also. Some CycleOps dealers have been having a deal on them this fall, where at least some accessories like the mat and block are thrown in for free. I really like mine. I found an even cheaper price than this deal my LBS was doing online at some site called the Fitness Store or something like that. Even if this model is still too pricey, check out their prices on other trainers. They tend to have a lot of discount coupons on top of a base price that's already lower than what I've seen in stores.
You could try Craigslist for your local area too. I got a Cyclops fluid trainer for $25 just by posting a wtb ad
We have the Kurt Kinetic Fluid trainer and really like it. Mags are a lot less expensive and should work fine. Kinetic also makes a mag, you might want to look into.
I have the Performance trainer. So far I'm very happy with it. It seems very stable and runs smoothly. It's also pretty well built.
I am not familiar with those three trainers but there are some definite questions I would ask before buying one - no matter the brand.
How is the power curve? Some trainers don't have a very realistic power curve (meaning that it doesn't closely mimic what you do on the road). In simple terms, increasing your speed from 5mph to 10mph in the real world requires less of an increase in watts than going from 20 mph to 25mph. So if you get one with a rather unrealistic power curve, then you may be in for a surprise going outside and trying to duplicate what you did indoors.
How big is the flywheel? Flywheel size is related to how you will feel riding the trainer in terms of the pedal stroke, momentum, etc. IMO, a smaller flywheel makes things harder - whether you want that or not, is up to you obviously.
Enjoy your trainer, they are very useful :)