I got some money for my birthday, and would like to invest in a indoor trainer. Sometimes i just want to ride for 20 minutes, and I can't because it's too hot outside and I have to drive 30 minutes away to be in bike friendly areas.

I have narrowed it down to three and I wanted to know honest opinions of what you think.

Blackburn Trakstand Fluid Indoor Bicycle Trainer

Cyclops Fluid 2 Indoor trainer

Kurt Kinetic Road Machine

I know the Road Machine is a bit on the higher end, but I like Cyclops and it seem to be pretty solid, and little cheaper than the Road Machine.

What I need is the ability to change resistance as I go along, and from what I see is the Road Machine has a lot more range of resistance, but do I really need it all?

Background: Beginner Cyclist, recreational rider, doing it for fitness/lose weight, not for racing.

Two questions - Can I still use the trainer without clipless pedals? I will be starting some spinning classes that is BYOT (bring your own trainer) and it's $5 a class. However, I don't have clipless pedals. Eventually I will get them, but not now.

Secondly - Is any of the trainers okay to use on a carpeted area or does it have to be on hard floors? It's a consideration as I probably will have to rearrange my house a little in order to use the trainer on a hard floor.