Indoor Trainer ( part II )

Hey everyone,

Like the previous post, I have some questions on getting a trainer, only my problem is to find the best one that would be as quiet as possible. Also I'm trying to figure out which type (wind,magnetic) is the most effective.

Currently looking at:
1. CycleOps Mag-Plus (includes RealRides Race Day training DVD).-- online
2. Kurt Kinetic (lime green)-- LBS

Thanks,
-Greg

Wind trainers are effective, but they are loud, and the magnitude of their effects are much smaller than fluid trainers. Mag trainers can be effective, but they don't really provide the right resistance curve, and at a certain point, their resistance decreases.

Fluid trainers are the best trainers for the money, right now. The provide the same type resistance as riding a bike on the road, i.e. the the velocity squared dependent force that aero drag has. It's not the same magnitude, but it's great for indoor training, if such a thing can be great. Fluid trainers are the way to go.

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The guys at my local bike shop say the same thing.

Ya might want to look at rollers. Quiet, trains you to ride straight, w/ even round pedaling. Not hard to learn, makes the time pass more quickly. VERY simple. Metal drums and cart bearings and it'll last for decades.

I bought the Performance Bike Travel Trac model rollers. Sturdy alloy construction, seconds to set up, nice and quiet and cheap ($139). It's a nice introduction to rollers. The nice thing too, is all you need to do it unfold them, grab a bike, hop on and go. And they don't eat my skewers either...

I recently tried out both:
- kurt kinetic pro (the one with the heavy flyhweel)
- cycleops supermagneto pro

the KK was way quiter and a little smoother. however, the resistance was not high enough for me since I'm only using a single chainring up front (maybe not an issue for you)
the cycleops had a much greater resistance but it was a little louder than I expected. it created this buzzing sound that the KK did not have. with earplugs it was not an issue.
hope this helps

Thanks everyone,

I did try out both fluid and mag trainers, and would love to get the rollers. The noise on both trainers isn't so bad in the store. I like the CycleOps because of the remote that goes on the bars to control resistance so no need to get off the bike to change it. The Kurt kinetic (lime green) feels more realistic, but to change resistance you have to get off. Is it a pain to have to stop your training every time you want a different level?

Generally you just shift gears when you want to change load or cadence; no need to reset anything on the load unit. I have an old Blackburn Windtrainer and a Performance mag unit, and much prefer the non-adjustable windtrainer because the fan load is "aero"and can't vary as the unit heats up or ages: 20 mph on the trainer feels just about like 20 mph on the road.

The disadvantage of the little squirrel cage fan and flywheel is of course the noise, but pedalling alone in a garage or basement that isn't really an issue. It's "white noise", like pedaling next to a roaring mountain stream. When the noise becomes objectionable, I just slow down

No. The faster you ride (ie, use higher gears), the more resistance you get. So, for an interval workout you'll do your work in the 53x15 gear, then downshift to the 53x23 to rest. On the KK, it'll provide more than enough resistance, assuming you have a large chainring.

Adjustable resistances are to shift the entire curve up or down to suit riders of greatly different abilities.

Has anyone bought a set of E-Motion rollers from Insideride.com ? If so, what do you think of them.



There's also another that is being made under licence by Elite. Does anyone have a price
on this?

for older guys like me, i'll stick with my Fluid trainer

bathroom pause, no problem
change the tv channel, no problem
answer the telephone, no problem
give yourself a small break (you know, a few seconds, without descending off your bike), no problem

while still keeping an eye on your heart beat and cadence. Damage on skewers is minimal, just the painting, maybe the wear on your rear tire could be a fact... not for me so far, pedal action feels just as great

PeterF, what makes the resistance on those rollers?

Is it adjustable?

After the initial 5 minute thrill of learning to ride on rollers, they are every bit as mind numbingly boring as any other type of stationary trainer.

For any extended session rollers don't allow you to stretch particularly easily and numbness can and does become an issue.

Finally it depends on what you want to get out of stationary training, but for me personally, I'm looking to develop power that is difficult to replicate on the road (or track), rather than just maintaining some aerobic base. Use rollers extensively (rather than a mag or fluid) and you'll see your wattages drop.

What rollers are fantastic for is light recovery spins, working on leg speed while maintaining stability and pre-race warm ups and downs. I religiously take mine to the track for warm up and warm downs.

PS if its a consideration for you, riding hard on the rollers will shred both front and back tire, as opposed to back only on a mag/fluid.

Just shifting to a bigger gear makes it harder. It does not provide a good climbing-like resistance, but I still prefer the feel of the rollers. Plus it forces me to pedal in circles, keep a smooth and high cadence and a still upper body. All translate well to riding/racing on the road.

Ok that's great, then I am definitely getting the green KK trainer. I just thought that to change difficulty level, you had to get off and twist the knob in the back. That's why I liked the Cycleops mag+, cause it had the 5-level remote.