I'm looking for a trainer to use this winter. I really don't know how to evaluate trainers. All I can say is that I've heard good things about Kurt Kinetic trainers. Thank you for your comment and recommendations in advance.
Bicycle Trainers
- Thread starter hyperliterate
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There are some trainers discussed in this thread: http://www.cyclingforums.com/t/497611/newish-rider/0_20 Another trainer--and one that gets great reviews--to add to the list is the 1UP Trainer
I currently have a Kurt Kinetic (basic model) & like it better than the Cyclops that I had previously - the only thing I don't like about the KK is the following : as you tighten down the screw on the non-quick release side of the rear wheel there's a small metal lever that engages with the screw threads and is meant to hold the screw from loosening - as you use the trainer this screw has a tendency to disengage and the screw has to be re-tightened - not a big deal but annoying - IMO the design could include a way to hold the lever in place better - their model up a level from the basic model could include this design ? - it would be worth a call to KK to verify - I would recommend the KK .
I must say though that the 1UP Trainer that Alienator posted looks very good .
I must say though that the 1UP Trainer that Alienator posted looks very good .
The 1UP is different in that it uses ball bearings and springs to generate resistance. So, as you pedal faster, the bearings move outward creating a bigger moment of inertia and thus more torque is required to turn the flywheel. Ideally it should change the torque required with a given speed as it happens on the road. On the road the torque required goes up with the square of your velocity, and on the 1UP the torque required goes up the square of the radius (where radius is the position of the bearings). It should be pretty quiet as a result of that and should generate significantly less heat than a fluid trainer.litespeedguy said:
I like the frame held pretty tight so that my primary requirement for a trainer , e.g. the 1UP would be that the holding cups can be tightened and resist loosening by pedaling movement ; I'm somewhat rusty with my dynamics recall & so I'll have to accept the other benefits of the 1UP that Alienator noted but again all in all it looks good .
Does not have to be apple/mac. We have software along with very high quality videos of famous European rides which fully supports KICKR (bunch of other trainers as well). The software is free and you can do structured workouts. Video cost money. look at http://veloreality.com
congrats, glad you're happy with it - and thanks for the follow-up post , nice to know the final choice .
Buy the best trainer which actually suits your purpose as there are lots of variety present in the market it must be with a wide base, and a low stance—so your bike and trainer are rock solid, and you can focus on nailing your training targets, instead of worrying about the trainer tipping over or creeping across the floor. Featuring fluid drives for progressive, speed-based automatically escalating resistance; or quiet mag units, with a user-tunable linear resistance
My cycleops power beam pro is superb.
Power measurement and workout creation etc etc.
9 out of 10 at least and I would buy again.
Power measurement and workout creation etc etc.
9 out of 10 at least and I would buy again.
IMO The best trainer is one that actually get's used. Have owned a few: Some rollers back in the day, a Blackburn Mag trainer, CycleOps Fluid 2, and one or two others which I cant remember but the one I have already put the most miles on in a relatively short amount of time are the E-Motion rollers from Inside Ride, really the closest thing to duplicating actual road feel. Def the most expensive one's I have owned, but the one which I have most looked forward to using. Quite a bit easier to use than regular fixed rollers, especially for a noob. There is a European version but apparently for some reason doesn't work quite as well, or at least that's what some reviewers say.
Have heard good things about the Lemond trainer too, except for the noise. You asked a month or two ago so maybe you got one already.
Nope, didn't get one yet. There seem to be so many good ones, it's hard to make a decision.Originally Posted by danfoz
IMO The best trainer is one that actually get's used. Have owned a few: Some rollers back in the day, a Blackburn Mag trainer, CycleOps Fluid 2, and one or two others which I cant remember but the one I have already put the most miles on in a relatively short amount of time are the E-Motion rollers from Inside Ride, really the closest thing to duplicating actual road feel. Def the most expensive one's I have owned, but the one which I have most looked forward to using. Quite a bit easier to use than regular fixed rollers, especially for a noob. There is a European version but apparently for some reason doesn't work quite as well, or at least that's what some reviewers say.
Have heard good things about the Lemond trainer too, except for the noise. You asked a month or two ago so maybe you got one already.
The noise is pretty low. I was worried as I have thin floors and got complaints from my last neighbor about "other" late night stuff <wink, wink>. The new downstairs neighbors have said it's not a problem at all. I can watch TV while using without having to raise the volume too much. I remember feeling pretty good about pulling the trigger as DaveRyan and Felt both confirmed the same on relatively low noise level when I was researching.
As far as resistance it has available settings of 0-3. I put it on "1" out of the box and haven't moved it since. Changing gears has been good enough for workouts up to my FTP and beyond, then again I'm certainly no powerhouse putting out less than 250 watts on a good day. Edit: "1" is enough resistance for me to put it in the big ring and stand on the pedals without feeling like I'm spinning out (and although I was riding seated sans support after about a minute or two, it takes a little practice to make it look as easy as the fella in the vid does).
One thing I would say is that using the power beam I can record my actual performance in watts and watt / kg over time and this is a fantastic motivator and encourages me not to miss sessions.
Yes, most of the mid-range and mid-high range trainers now offer Watts and/or full data output. This helps the number crunchers stay motivated.
Myself, I don't mind putting in 'junk miles' in the dead of winter.
Even conventional rollers with 4-1/2" drums will get you into a power range to make the legs ache. Add a flywheel, fan or both to rollers and it's like riding with the brakes dragging.
Somewhere around here I have a copy of Kreitler's Watt table, as correlated with an SRM. Let me see if I can find it.
Dan...banging those side-rollers on the e-Motion would freak me out! I can see why they put the additional rollers on the rear wheel. I've seen guys sprint off rollers an'it ain't pretty.
Myself, I don't mind putting in 'junk miles' in the dead of winter.
Even conventional rollers with 4-1/2" drums will get you into a power range to make the legs ache. Add a flywheel, fan or both to rollers and it's like riding with the brakes dragging.
Somewhere around here I have a copy of Kreitler's Watt table, as correlated with an SRM. Let me see if I can find it.
Dan...banging those side-rollers on the e-Motion would freak me out! I can see why they put the additional rollers on the rear wheel. I've seen guys sprint off rollers an'it ain't pretty.
I can imagine the pucker factor...
Long before heart rate devices made it out of coronary ICU's...I sprinted off the side of my Kreitlers and potato-chip'd the rear wheel of my first track bike. I went down, hard. I'm guessing 'Neil Armstrong-stepping-off-the-LEM' spike.
Long before heart rate devices made it out of coronary ICU's...I sprinted off the side of my Kreitlers and potato-chip'd the rear wheel of my first track bike. I went down, hard. I'm guessing 'Neil Armstrong-stepping-off-the-LEM' spike.
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