Indoor trainer question(s)!

[HBK]

Hi everybody,
Well, I need help. My husband and I were making great progress, cycling everyday around New York City. Getting fit, losing weight etc... then tragedy struck. I suffered a retinal detachment at work and had to have emergency eye surgery. I have now been sidelined for months. No excersize allowed above and beyond regular walking. Now, finally my doctor says I am recovered enough to ride but it is ice cold outside. My peripheral vision is still not great but it probably will be OK by spring. I would like to buy an indoor trainer so I can begin to get back into shape and maintain some sort of routine. I have done a lot of reading on the internet and have almost decided on a Kurt Kinetic trainer. Can ANYONE give me some feedback about these machines before I buy? I would like to develop an indoor training regimin so that I am able to keep up with my husband who is doing great. He is cycling over 100 miles a week even in the ice cold weather. I would also like to use the opportunity to get used to using clipless pedals too.
Thanks in advance, I need all the help I can get!

[Veronica]

I love it, it's great and durable. Do a search on the site and you'll find a few threads discussing the merits of various trainers.

Veronica

[LoneStarGal]

I just bought a new trainer, and I really like it. Now dont get me wrong, riding on the trainer sucks!! but it definitely beats not being on the bike at all. I work at a shop, so I had the advantage of trying several out before I bought anything, but I found that CyClops is prob the best out there. There is a quick release where you mount your rear wheel (and it comes with an extra skewer), so there is no screwing in/out or centering your rear wheel. I believe CyClops owns the patent on this design, b/c it is the only trainer out there that I found that has this option.
As far as what type of trainer you get, a lot depends on what you want. I would NOT suggest a Wind trainer b/c they are pretty loud and not very smooth. Mag trainers are pretty nice, and you can buy them with the option of a remote to increase/decrease the resistance. Mags are much quieter, and smoother, but it can get annoying when you dont have the progressive resistance. The Mags are probably the most economical way to go. The FluidII trainer (which is what I have) is nice b/c of the progressive resistance. But, they are much more expensive. If I did not get mine at wholesale price, I probably would have gone with the Mag+.
Google Cyclops if you want to find the different trainers on the net, and find out what prices you can get from performance or colorado cylists, and then head to your local shop and see if they will match the price. Most shops will match, or quote slightly above, internet prices, plus you dont have to pay shipping/handling. And, it is SOOOO important to support your local bike shop!!
If you have any other questions, let me know! Good luck, and good for you for wanting to keep fit after hitting a little bump in the road....

[HBK]

Gee thanks everyone,

Sounds like my instincts are good so far. You all have been very helpful. Any advice on how to get one's training program off to a good start? I think I will do fine with music or TV as a distraction. (I had a Racer Mate in the 80's so I am used to the monotony aspects.) But if I have to be on the thing for an hour a day or so I would like to maximize the effort.

Holly

[LoneStarGal]

My FluidII trainer came with a training video... it kicks my butt!!! I am sweating in the first 15 minutes...
There are other training videos out there as well... if you are wanting to get a tough workout, I would suggest getting one. Or you can just do intervals... but it is a little harder staying motivated if you dont have something in front of you that is acting as a quasi-coach.

Good luck!

[HBK]

It certainly sounds like video workouts and music are the way to go. I wonder if these things are on DVD yet? My VCR (also from the 80's) is almost kaput. In the meantime, my brother who is an excersize physiologist has agreed to do some more research for me before I buy. He is lucky. Living in Midland TX he can bike all year round. No trainer needed.

[Veronica]

Spinervals are on DVD now.

V.

[2Crossings]

Hi

For those of you that make use of indoor trainers, we have launched a
new set of DVD based training programs that may be of interest. These
are guaranteed to make your next training session more interesting.

You can find out more at : http://www.2crossings.com

We are also running a first time buyer promotion. Details are on the web site. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask us.

We look forward to hearing from you.

[HBK]

Thanks 2Crossings. I will continue to check this out. I am in the US and may need a different format. Looks like just the thing though.


Holly

[administrator]

2Crossings, while your product is likely of interest to many forum members, please be aware that commercial posts are prohibited on this forum (see http://forums.teamestrogen.com/faq.p...q#faq_policies ).

It is acceptable to contribute to the forums on a personal basis and then to have a link to your commercial site in your profile and in your signature line.

[2Crossings]

My apologies to all. Offence not intended at all.

[caligurl]

i hate my trainer! lol! yep.. can't stand it! hate riding inside! but that said.. i have to agree that the cyclops fluid 2 is the best. that is what i have and what my hubby has.

spinervals are a great way to go (hate coach troy, too! he's mean! lol!)

spinervals are on sale for 19.99 at nashbar right now.. not sure how long they'll stay on sale!

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

you can read about them at the spinervals site to see what they are all about and their difficulty level!

i've also just ridden on the trainer watching tv or a movie.. ugh... i dislike that as much as coach troy (but i work harder with coach troy than i do just watching tv!)

get one.. it's a love/hate relationship!

[HBK]

I have been riding my new Kurt Kinetic bike trainer for a couple of days now and I am really pleased with it. It was easy to set up, is built to last into the next century, provides a realistic ride and is SILENT. The only noise is from my moderately treaded tire whirring over the roller. I am riding it while watching TV or listening to music which is a drag. But much less of a drag than sitting on my can on the couch doing those things. The weather is warming in New York, so soon I will be able to mix and match my indoor vs outdoor rides. The best thing is to be able to spin when the weather is bad. No lost time, YAHOO!! Also, one problem with urban riding is all the stopandgostopandgostopandgostopandgostopandgostopandgo... Using the trainer I think I will actually get a better over all work out which will really help with weight loss.

Thanks everybody. You have been so helpful. I am going to consider getting a bike computer and a DVD player now!