Indoor Trainer - Help Please

I am fairly new to cycling, and am looking to purchase a trainer so I can ride indoors and stay fit during the winter. Not looking to spend too much money, preferably under $100. Can anyone recomend a reasonably priced trainer that is a great value and won't break on me? Winter is closing in fast!

Thanks very much.

At your price point, I suggest you make your purchase from PerformanceBike. If the trainer does break on you, their return policy is outstanding.

Performance brand (Travel Trac) trainers are made by Elite (some of them, maybe not all), a fairly reputable company known for making decent trainers. Travel Tracs are sold in US at a significantly lower price point than their 'Elite' cousins making them a much better value. I have one of their 2nd generation virtual reality trainers purchased several years ago and it's still going strong...ymmv

Or eBay, Amazon, etc...

Dave

^^^The return policies of some of the online retailers at eBay, Amazon, et al. leave a lot to be desired...If price were my only concern, I agree the online retailers would be the way to go...

Hmmm, I would suggest putting a little more than $100 toward a trainer. You can get some decent ones for a little more than $100 or maybe a really nice use one for just under $200.
I bought a very nice used trainer once for around $168.00.

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Dope,when training and talent just aren't enough.

if you want a new one start thinking of 300 usd

its a very good investment, i use mine year-round, its nice to have an alternative riding choice.

I have a Minoura "rim drive" trainer, which was in the low $200 range when I bought it a few years ago. Used, they are advertised for under $200. At the time, I was also looking for an entry-level trainer and would have preferred to spend less. But, I learned at the LBS that the rim drive is nice because the fly wheel is spun by making contact with the rim (braking surface), rather than the tire. There is no worry of tire wear and bikes with knobby tires can be used without a tire or wheel change. I wanted to be able to switch with minimal effort between actual riding and indoor spinning, so being able to keep the bike the same was convenient. I also like the large range of wheel sizes that it can accomodate. For example, mine is currently set up for a junior road bike with 24" wheels (trying to get a daughter in shape for a local cycling event).

Not sure any of this is relevant to your needs, but thought to share just in case.

I completely agree with the thought process here. If you anticipate using the trainer *a lot* during the winters as part of a training program then you should look at raising the budget some to get something that is going to work well for you. OTOH, if you're just trying it out or trying to maintain some minimal level of activity until the sun returns then a lower price range is probably okay.

If your situation is more like the former, then I can't recommend the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine (fluid) highly enough. They're out of your price range new, but they're bullet-proof and popular, so you might be able to find a used model closer to your range.

If you situation is more like the latter, then I would suggest looking at the higher end wind trainers with good, sturdy bases. The type of resistance unit mostly drives the price, with wind/fan units typically being the cheapest option. Wind units are the noisiest, but if price is really an issue then I'd put my money into a sturdy frame rather than an expensive resistance unit for occassional use.

Not sure where you live, but in southern New England, we ride outside until temps are in the mid teens. Cold, yes, but if dressed appropriately, beats sweating indoors on a trainer. Some folks in Alaska claim to ride in sub-zero weather.

Having said that, I do have--and like--my 1upUSA trainer (1upUSA.com)

9 out of 10 cosmetologists say that using indoor trainers can cause intractable brain rot.

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Sex is horrid
Pain is Fun
I cut my fingers off
One by one

Lol

Yeah, I agree that spinning indoors is not much fun. I tried listening to music, watching TV, adding a speedometer to the rear wheel .... after a few months, mine ended up in storage, where it sat for two years before being reactived for a junior bike.

Rollers sound somewhat more interesting, since you have to balance. Would like to try them some day just for fun.

Me too.

I got a Performance Bike catalogue in the mail today that is advertising $100 off on a Travel Trac roller trainer that is usually $399.99.

That sounds like a good price, the Travel Trac trainer we have has worked very well for several years and I think they make a decent product, but I don't have any experience with a roller style trainer.

If you're going to get rollers, these are the ones to get. Note I in no way endorse pedaling inside buildings. That's the sort of thing forced upon prisoners at internment camps.

__________________
Sex is horrid
Pain is Fun
I cut my fingers off
One by one

Not for under $100, but check out the fluid trainers at Performance. I paid like $130 for a Travel Trac V fluid trainer which seems to be holding up fine after lots of riding. No leaks or problems at all, and my son and I both use it a lot.

Fluid is nice because it gets harder to pedal the faster you go, so you "sorta" get a road feel.

Also, get some DVDs like "Rides" or Tour de France highlights to watch while you pedal. Makes the time go much faster. I've not done Spinervals but have heard they are pretty good, as are the Carmichael ones.

There is a website that I can't find right now that has lots of cool trainer programs. I usually gravitate towards "aerobic intervals" during the winter. Makes that baseline training in spring go really smooth. Basically it's a warmup of about 10 min followed by 4 min high intensity and 2 min "rest" repeated 5x with 10 min cooldown on the other end.