Another Indoor Trainer post

[Dave Pace]

So after looking at the many of many Trainer post's I still have 1 question that really has not been answered. The noise. While i am looking at a magnetic trainer I keep seeing that they are "noisy" Nosier then the Fluid. Are we talking bike gear noise, whinny noise, hum noise? What could I compare it to?

 

[CAMPYBOB]

Dynamo hum?

Fluid trainers offer some noise damping over mag trainers, but tire and bearing noise is still about equal IMO. Fan trainers create more decibels than either, but my Kreitlers will drown out all of the above. Tire noise is going to be about equal with the wind/mag/fluid trainers and bearing noise and resistance source causing the remaining noise source...as amplified or muted by the housing and frame assemblies.
Frankly, I think they are all noisy, some just a bit louder or less loud than others.

A decent rubber mat under the trainer helps attenuate some of the noise. Since indoor training generates body heat and there's no breeze to cool you down, either I stick the rollers down in the cool basement, out in the cool garage where noise is not an issue and I have the stereo or radio blasting anyways (or headphones, sometimes). Indoors, in a room in the house, I always ran a fan to cool me off a bit...adding more noise!

 

[jhuskey]

I have a Proform TDF that is virtually silent but is is a little more expensive than some others.It is magnetic but the last trainer I had was a Cateye mag trainer and it was noisy especially with the fan attachment.

 

[Dave Pace]

So easily drowned out noise is what I am getting. ok. Ty all.

 

[alienator]

So easily drowned out noise is what I am getting. ok. Ty all. 

Fluid trainer noise is easily covered with video or music sound. Mag and wind trainers require the tv or the stereo be cranked pretty high to be heard. Air turbulence from the fans is just loud. The kind of loud is supposed to be the Lemond trainer. Think the fan it uses is actually a prop off a Cessna 172.

 

[Dave Pace]

Originally Posted by alienator .


Fluid trainer noise is easily covered with video or music sound. Mag and wind trainers require the tv or the stereo be cranked pretty high to be heard. Air turbulence from the fans is just loud. The kind of loud is supposed to be the Lemond trainer. Think the fan it uses is actually a prop off a Cessna 172.

Low or high pitched for the Mag trainer with no fan?

 

[alienator]

Low or high pitched for the Mag trainer with no fan?

Without a fan, magnetic trainers aren't any noisier than fluid trainers, but they don't replicate road feel quite as well.

 

[oscacom]

I use an Imagic Tacx indoor trainer.
I am putting aside a foam to prevent vibration. Then I open the window to air out a bit and the room with the door closed. So far no neighbors have complained.

 

[alienator]

I use an Imagic Tacx indoor trainer.  I am putting aside a foam to prevent vibration. Then I open the window to air out a bit and the room with the door closed. So far no neighbors have complained.

The best option for damping vibration on an indoor trainer is a rubber mat. There are some mats made specifically for vibe damping, but pretty much any rubber mat would do if it were sufficiently thick. I'd say any rubber mat with a thickness on the order of 1/4" to 1/2" would be ideal. Hardish rubber is good as it will resist being compressed by the bike/rider/trainer weight.

 

[oscacom]

Sorry, I'm spanish and my english is poor, I understand better than talk or write ( sorry).
My rubber mat has an important measure, it is the one I use in my camping travels to sleep .

 

[alienator]

Sorry, I'm spanish and my english is poor, I understand better than talk or write ( sorry). My rubber mat has an important measure, it is the one I use in my camping travels to sleep .

In English that would be a "ground pad" or a "sleeping pad".