Favorite Indoor Cycling Trainer...?

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Rocbola
Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
With this bitter cold snowy weather, i am missing my bicycle. I was thinking of either buying a spin bike, or an indoor cycle trainer.

I've been seeing some ads for the real high end indoor bikes, with TV screen attached, and they seem really awesome, but they are also very expensive. Anyone find it worth the price?

For those who cycle indoors, at home, what's your favorite indoor riding method/product?

Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    I think I'm about to get a set of Tacx Galaxia rollers.

    Rollers are like a trainer, but also not. They're a set of three drums, and you balance the bike on them. Then you can ride it indoors. You don't have to clamp your wheel. They feel more like the road than a trainer. They punish sloppy pedaling technique, which means they force you to spin well, so by the time spring rolls around, the theory is they'll have improved your technique. Most rollers don't offer a range of resistance (so you just have what your gears will produce), so they're more for spinning than mashing, more for maintaining fitness than working on a breakaway sprint.

    Rollers.jpg

    Notice the nubs on the ends of the drums. It's possible to fall off, those are there to help prevent that. People say they require more engagement from you, and are less boring as a result.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    I was considering one of those after i saw it on a GCN video, but i have to admit that i'm a bit intimidated by it. I can imagine that it would help with form and finesse.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,840 Member
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    I use a fluid trainer I've had since about 2003 or so. One day I might upgrade, but at the moment, it still works. My husband has rollers and can do them fairly well ... but I see me on rollers as an accident waiting to happen.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    I use a Cycleops smart trainer with Zwift. I think it is well worth the money.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    I use a fluid trainer I've had since about 2003 or so. One day I might upgrade, but at the moment, it still works. My husband has rollers and can do them fairly well ... but I see me on rollers as an accident waiting to happen.
    Not a bad option for the price. I was definitely thinking about a fluid trainer, given the ease of use, ability to put it out of the way during summer, and the price isn't too bad.


    TimothyFish wrote: »
    I use a Cycleops smart trainer with Zwift. I think it is well worth the money.

    Oooh, that looks nice. That is an option. Thanks for replying.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
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    I'll drop this dc rainmaker indoor trainer round up here. That said I really like my Wahoo Kickr Snap. I bought it in January or February because a then recent knee surgery meant no riding outside for months and I needed a new trainer anyways. I also have rollers which I like in theory but there is a steep learning curve. Mine fold up so their footprint is the more or less the same as the Kickr when it's not in use and it's lighter.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    aokoye wrote: »
    I'll drop this dc rainmaker indoor trainer round up here. That said I really like my Wahoo Kickr Snap. I bought it in January or February because a then recent knee surgery meant no riding outside for months and I needed a new trainer anyways. I also have rollers which I like in theory but there is a steep learning curve. Mine fold up so their footprint is the more or less the same as the Kickr when it's not in use and it's lighter.

    I like the way the Wahoo Kickr Snap folds up. That makes that one an option. Any word on the sound level?
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
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    I use a CycleOps fluid trainer(not a smart trainer) and I have a Trainerroad subscription. I usually follow one of the TR winter base building plans during the indoor season. Not a very exciting app, but it is very effective at delivering systematic improvements. Several of my friends use the Wahoo Kickr Snap and love it.

    I also attend a power based spin class once or twice per week, since I generally produce better results when doing high intensity riding while in a group setting.

    For those considering rollers, I know a few people who use them and they all started by riding while positioned in a doorway. This allows you to easily reach out and grab onto the door frame if you're losing your balance while on the rollers.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
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    The Kickr is pretty quite actually, more so than my Kurt Kinetic Road Machine that it replaced. I can and do watch TV while using it. Ray Maker has a review of the new version which is currently on the market here and if you watch the youtube video he does talk about it about seven and a half minutes in. In short, it's under 70 dB. Oh also if you're using it or any of the other smart trainers with a computer you will need an ANT+ USB dongle. You can buy them from amazon.

    I used it a lot with Zwift last Spring and it's significantly more enjoyable than a non smart trainer. That said I get that not everyone can afford or wants a $600 bike trainer. This year I'm in a similar situation in terms of not being able to bike outside because of knee surgery (the other knee this time around) and will likely be using the trainer with TrainerRoad. Zwift keeps my attention far longer but having used both and given that I'm hoping to do a fairly hilly century ride towards the end of June, TrainerRoad just makes more sense.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Rocbola wrote: »
    With this bitter cold snowy weather, i am missing my bicycle. I was thinking of either buying a spin bike, or an indoor cycle trainer.

    I've been seeing some ads for the real high end indoor bikes, with TV screen attached, and they seem really awesome, but they are also very expensive. Anyone find it worth the price?

    For those who cycle indoors, at home, what's your favorite indoor riding method/product?

    At the moment I use an old Tacx dumb trainer and use Sufferfest videos for some structure. I've been thinking about getting a smart trainer, either Tacx Vortex of a Kickr Snap. With that I'm more likely to go the Zwift route.

    That said, my local gym is getting WattBike, so a membership becomes more attractive.
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,492 Member
    edited December 2017
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    I'm blessed. My gym is literally right across the street and they have keiser spin bikes.

    They're actually okay, although I prefer the road.

    Grab a towel, a bottle of water, ipod dialed-in, clip-in and hit it for an hour (or more).

    no worries.
  • bshedwick
    bshedwick Posts: 659 Member
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    I use a $150 Ascent dumb trainer with my road bike and a Zwift subscription.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    Rocbola wrote: »
    With this bitter cold snowy weather, i am missing my bicycle. I was thinking of either buying a spin bike, or an indoor cycle trainer.

    I've been seeing some ads for the real high end indoor bikes, with TV screen attached, and they seem really awesome, but they are also very expensive. Anyone find it worth the price?

    For those who cycle indoors, at home, what's your favorite indoor riding method/product?

    At the moment I use an old Tacx dumb trainer and use Sufferfest videos for some structure. I've been thinking about getting a smart trainer, either Tacx Vortex of a Kickr Snap. With that I'm more likely to go the Zwift route.

    That said, my local gym is getting WattBike, so a membership becomes more attractive.
    @MeanderingMammal

    If you go down the gym/wattbike route then it's worth investing in a seat post bracket (c. £25) so you can quickly mount your own saddle.
    The WattBike itself is a nice piece of kit but the saddles have been designed by a man-hater. :(
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    i have a kurt kinetic that i use with either trainerroad or zwift - i bought it in 2009 and so far have trained for 2 ironmen and multiple other triathlon races - so def. gotten value out of money - i think it was $330
  • jopapgh
    jopapgh Posts: 19 Member
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    Just got and hooked up a Tacx Vortex Smart trainer ($410). Set up to work with Zwift on AppleTV. So far, so good.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,249 Member
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    I have an old Kurt Kinetic Road machine (fluid trainer) that, like the Energizer Bunny, just keeps on going. I don't think you'd go wrong with either a Tacx or Cycleops either. There are some very cool smart trainers out there but I haven't justified spending $2,000 for one, I spent my money on a power meter that I can use all year 'round.

    I haven't signed up for Zwift yet but i have friends who use i regularly & it loos like fun. I tend to use free Youtube videos for interval work and just watch a movie for my LISS rides.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    I have a Kurt Kinetic road machine 2.0 fluid trainer. Winters here are short and I prefer to be out on the road, so I can't justify a smart trainer at this point.

    If you want to use something like Zwift, you can set up a classic indoor trainer to do so with a power meter or speed/cadence sensor...

    https://support.zwift.com/hc/en-us/articles/203968635

    I pretty much either do YouTube virtual rides or YouTube spin classes...and during football season I'll ride for a quarter or half while watching the game.

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