Trainer Recommendations?

[mayanorange]

I have a cycleops fluid trainer and I like it. Yes, they all wear your tires eventually. You definitely need something under the front tire otherwise you feel like you're going downhill the whole time. I picked up a front tire block cheap, but before that, had a chunk of wood under there. The resistance on mine is adjusted with a knob- tighten it and it holds the wheel firmer and you have to pedal harder. Mostly I set it to what it recommended- 2 turns past when it touches the tire, then just shift to a different gear to increase the workload.

[Norse]

Save your good tires and use cheap or worn ones on the trainer. Because I sometimes use the trainer during the season, especially as a morning before work work-out, to save time I bought a used wheel with the same make of cassette as my "good" wheel and put the crappy stock tire that came with the bike on there and that's what I use.

[Irulan]

I picked up a a trainer specific tire for $5 at the LBS.

Where you will get frame damage is if you sweat a lot that drips on the frame and you don't clean it off.

I have a Kenetic fluid trainer that has a flywheel - as you increase cadence the resistance increases.

Just shift gears to maintain cadence/resistance.