Bike Trainer

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perfekta
perfekta Posts: 331 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone have a bike trainer? I was thinking about getting one to use during the winter so I'd have another option for workouts. Any magnetic ones you would recommend? Not sure if I'm coordinated enough for the rollers.

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  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
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    Rollers are scary...

    Nice and concise:
    http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2012/10/my-2012-trainer-recommendations-early.html

    Even more concise - buy a Kurt Kenetic.

    I personally have a Performance Mag+ trainer (recommended in the linked blog post)
  • ModoVincere
    ModoVincere Posts: 530 Member
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    Magnetic? I'd probably go with a cyclops brand trainer.
    For the best workout though, a fluid trainer is the way to go, and for that, I'd go Kurt Kinetic.....love my green machine. Heck of a workout.
  • glassxxballerina
    glassxxballerina Posts: 48
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    CycleOps is the way to go if you want a quality trainer with a lifetime warranty. I have their Fluid2 ($340), and it offers a lot better resistance than the mag one ($80) I first purchased from Amazon. I do triathlons, so I need a good trainer in the winter!

    Their front wheel risers are a lot better than the cheap-o versions, too. They're bigger and keep your bike at a less angled pitch, which means less soreness!

    With that being said, I'd recommend their Magneto ($279) or Wind ($159) [http://www.cycleops.com/en/products/trainers.html].

    What kind of bike are you using with it? Road or mountain? Also, the workout you get from it also depends heavily on how many gears your bike has.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    I used to have one and loved it. Sorry, I can't remember the brand, but I got it at ****'s Sporting Goods and was in the $100 range. I had to turn up the TV volume a little to watch and ride, but otherwise it was quiet enough to be usable without spending a couple hundred dollars. There's a couple bike websites where you can do some comparisons and read reviews. (Nashbar and performance bike are the two I can think of offhand).


    edit - D.I.C.K's sporting goods (MFP blocks that every time!!) :laugh:
  • Coltsman4ever
    Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
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    I have the CycleOps JetFluid Pro and I like it a lot.
  • perfekta
    perfekta Posts: 331 Member
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    Yeah I just have a mountain bike, nothing spectacular, so not looking to drop a ton of money on the trainer, I have no problem turning the TV up to drown out the noise. Thanks for the suggestions :)
  • bsix3
    bsix3 Posts: 291
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    In TX it doesn't stay cold long enough for me to heavily invest in a bike trainer so I got a TrackStand by Blackburn for about $150.
  • ModoVincere
    ModoVincere Posts: 530 Member
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    Yeah I just have a mountain bike, nothing spectacular, so not looking to drop a ton of money on the trainer, I have no problem turning the TV up to drown out the noise. Thanks for the suggestions :)

    If you put the mtb on a trainer, you might want to change the rear tire....that knobby tire makes a heck of a racket on a trainer.
  • PennStateChick
    PennStateChick Posts: 327 Member
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    I hve the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Fluid Trainer. I did A LOT of research back when I bought it, but now I cannot remember all the reasons we settled on this one. I try to use it a couple times a week so that I don't have the horrible "starting again" feeling when I get back outside in the spring.

    However, I'm really not a fan of riding inside. (This is no way is the trainers fault.) I love the treadmill and elliptical, so I'm not anti cardio inside at all. For some reason though, I just really don't like riding inside. I mention this because if cost is an issue, it's something you should think about because these things don't tend to be cheap.
  • PennStateChick
    PennStateChick Posts: 327 Member
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    Yeah I just have a mountain bike, nothing spectacular, so not looking to drop a ton of money on the trainer, I have no problem turning the TV up to drown out the noise. Thanks for the suggestions :)

    If you put the mtb on a trainer, you might want to change the rear tire....that knobby tire makes a heck of a racket on a trainer.

    ...and will ruin the tire.
  • perfekta
    perfekta Posts: 331 Member
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    Yeah I just have a mountain bike, nothing spectacular, so not looking to drop a ton of money on the trainer, I have no problem turning the TV up to drown out the noise. Thanks for the suggestions :)

    If you put the mtb on a trainer, you might want to change the rear tire....that knobby tire makes a heck of a racket on a trainer.

    Thanks for the heads up.
  • perfekta
    perfekta Posts: 331 Member
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    I hve the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Fluid Trainer. I did A LOT of research back when I bought it, but now I cannot remember all the reasons we settled on this one. I try to use it a couple times a week so that I don't have the horrible "starting again" feeling when I get back outside in the spring.

    However, I'm really not a fan of riding inside. (This is no way is the trainers fault.) I love the treadmill and elliptical, so I'm not anti cardio inside at all. For some reason though, I just really don't like riding inside. I mention this because if cost is an issue, it's something you should think about because these things don't tend to be cheap.

    Yeah I wish I could try one out before I buy it. :( I think if I go for one of the cheaper models it's worth a shot, and if I totally hate it, I'll just sell it on Craigslist.
  • PennStateChick
    PennStateChick Posts: 327 Member
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    I hve the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Fluid Trainer. I did A LOT of research back when I bought it, but now I cannot remember all the reasons we settled on this one. I try to use it a couple times a week so that I don't have the horrible "starting again" feeling when I get back outside in the spring.

    However, I'm really not a fan of riding inside. (This is no way is the trainers fault.) I love the treadmill and elliptical, so I'm not anti cardio inside at all. For some reason though, I just really don't like riding inside. I mention this because if cost is an issue, it's something you should think about because these things don't tend to be cheap.

    Yeah I wish I could try one out before I buy it. :( I think if I go for one of the cheaper models it's worth a shot, and if I totally hate it, I'll just sell it on Craigslist.

    Most bike stores, not chain stores (like ****'s), but real bike shops use trainers when setting up new bikes. When I bought my road bike, they hooked it up to a trainer to make sure it was the correct size and everything. While I'm not suggesting that you need to buy a new bike or need to buy your trainer at a bike shop, you could go visit on and tell them you are interested and ask to try it out. I think most would let you in hopes of a sale. :-)
  • karenfaber
    karenfaber Posts: 13 Member
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    Yeah I wish I could try one out before I buy it. :( I think if I go for one of the cheaper models it's worth a shot, and if I totally hate it, I'll just sell it on Craigslist.

    Figure out what you want and buy it on Craigslist. A lot of people buy them, decide it's too hard and sell them practically brand new. I got mine (CycleOps fluid) for about 1/4 of the retail price, and know a couple other people that have found similar deals.
  • ModoVincere
    ModoVincere Posts: 530 Member
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    I hve the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Fluid Trainer. I did A LOT of research back when I bought it, but now I cannot remember all the reasons we settled on this one. I try to use it a couple times a week so that I don't have the horrible "starting again" feeling when I get back outside in the spring.

    However, I'm really not a fan of riding inside. (This is no way is the trainers fault.) I love the treadmill and elliptical, so I'm not anti cardio inside at all. For some reason though, I just really don't like riding inside. I mention this because if cost is an issue, it's something you should think about because these things don't tend to be cheap.

    Have you tried using any of the Spinnerval or similar dvd's?
    Not exactly like riding outdoors, but can definitely help with the boredom of the trainer.
  • jamfan
    jamfan Posts: 124 Member
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    I have a basic Graber mag trainer I bought at D.I.C.K.'S. sporting goods. If you have a mountain bike you may want to swap out the rear tire w/ a a smooth one so it's quieter. I like it because it's basically an exercise bike that's your bike. That said it's better than a gym exercise bike but not anything like really riding. It's good for interval training which is what I mostly use it for in the winter. I personally wouldn't go & spend crazy money at a bike shop for a fluid trainer. You can changed pedaling resistance by shifting.
  • susanp57
    susanp57 Posts: 409 Member
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    Go with a fluid rather than magnetic. The one mentioned earlier from Performance is reasonably priced and adequate for most purposes. Do get some kind of workout dvd or audio training. For whatever reason, trainer riding is massively boring.

    You can buy special trainer tires. I save my old ones for that purpose.
  • perfekta
    perfekta Posts: 331 Member
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    Checked out Craigslist, none. Bleh. I will def. get a new tire. And stop by the bike shop and try some out if they let me. Thanks for the tips.

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