Indoor training question

[SunnieG]

Hi. Don't know if I am in the correct area for posting this question but here it goes...I cycle with a mountain bike outdoors in the summer but in the winter I want to keep cycling. I am debating over the following: Invest in a spinner bike which are quite expensive. Or, purchase an indoor trainer. Now I do have an indoor trainer that was given to me by a company that makes automatic bikes. At anyrate I don't like it because it makes WAY too much noise and it TOO hard to peddle. I don't know if it has to do with the fact that I have a mountain bike with thick wheels. So is there an indoor trainer that works well with various bikes and doesn't make a lot of noise and isn't HARD to peddle?
Either that or the standard indoor cycler only I don't want a recumbant one because I don't think I would get the best workout..meanwhile there are is so much **** equiptment out there I don't want to make a mistake - been there done that!
Thanks a lot!

Sunnie

 

[daveryanwyoming]

...So is there an indoor trainer that works well with various bikes and doesn't make a lot of noise and isn't HARD to peddle?...

Check out a Kurt Kinetics Road Machine or better yet Road Machine Pro model. Buy an inexpensive street slick for your mountain bike rear wheel to reduce noise and save wear and tear on your regular knobbies and you're good to go. The KK is a very good trainer, not too noisy and not ridiculously expensive.

 

[SunnieG]

Check out a Kurt Kinetics Road Machine or better yet Road Machine Pro model. Buy an inexpensive street slick for your mountain bike rear wheel to reduce noise and save wear and tear on your regular knobbies and you're good to go. The KK is a very good trainer, not too noisy and not ridiculously expensive.

Thanks! So this road machine would you say would be a better investment than purchasing a spinner? The spinners run in the upper one hundreds while I notice this road machine pro is under five hundred. It does look quite similar to the one I have - which was about a hundred dollars and from a company that makes auto shift bikes. That one, well it is noisy as I said to a point where nothing dissolves it. Also it is very hard to peddle...no matter what I do. So I would love to try a better one out but then I think - for five hundred dollars - would I be better to shell out another two hundred or so and just buy a spinner????

 

[daveryanwyoming]

Thanks! So this road machine would you say would be a better investment than purchasing a spinner? The spinners run in the upper one hundreds while I notice this road machine pro is under five hundred. It does look quite similar to the one I have - which was about a hundred dollars and from a company that makes auto shift bikes. That one, well it is noisy as I said to a point where nothing dissolves it. Also it is very hard to peddle...no matter what I do. So I would love to try a better one out but then I think - for five hundred dollars - would I be better to shell out another two hundred or so and just buy a spinner????

I sure didn't pay $500(I assume we're talking USD) for my KK road machine. Amazon has them here for about half that price: http://www.amazon.com/Kurt-Kinetic-Machine-Trainer-Spinervals/dp/B000AL8FFG This is the model I use but some folks like the oversized flywheel you get with the Pro model. Personally I think this rides awfully well without the oversized flywheel.

-Dave

 

[SunnieG]

I sure didn't pay $500(I assume we're talking USD) for my KK road machine. Amazon has them here for about half that price: http://www.amazon.com/Kurt-Kinetic-Machine-Trainer-Spinervals/dp/B000AL8FFG This is the model I use but some folks like the oversized flywheel you get with the Pro model. Personally I think this rides awfully well without the oversized flywheel.

-Dave

Is this good with a mountain bike too? The bike I have is just a simple Huffy bike they don't even make anymore. The wheels are thicker. The other trainer I had was difficult to peddle and made such a loud noise...blasting the tv couldn't drown out the sound.
So I don't mind paying the money now...because come the off season when I cannot go out onto the bike trail I want to do something inside...as long as it rides smooth and is quiet.

 

[daveryanwyoming]

Is this good with a mountain bike too? The bike I have is just a simple Huffy bike they don't even make anymore. The wheels are thicker. The other trainer I had was difficult to peddle and made such a loud noise...blasting the tv couldn't drown out the sound.
So I don't mind paying the money now...because come the off season when I cannot go out onto the bike trail I want to do something inside...as long as it rides smooth and is quiet.

The KK and most rear wheel trainers out there will accomodate a mountain bike wheel just fine. But they'll all be noisy and rough if you ride them with your standard mountain bike knobby tires. Have you tried installing a street slick like this: http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=Tom+Slick+Folding+Mountain+Tire&vendorCode=RITCHEY&major=2&minor=28

If you haven't, I'd definitely try riding your existing trainer with a smooth tire before investing in a new trainer, even the best trainer will feel awful and make a lot of noise if you ride your knobbies on it.

-Dave

 

[SunnieG]

The KK and most rear wheel trainers out there will accomodate a mountain bike wheel just fine. But they'll all be noisy and rough if you ride them with your standard mountain bike knobby tires. Have you tried installing a street slick like this: http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=Tom+Slick+Folding+Mountain+Tire&vendorCode=RITCHEY&major=2&minor=28

If you haven't, I'd definitely try riding your existing trainer with a smooth tire before investing in a new trainer, even the best trainer will feel awful and make a lot of noise if you ride your knobbies on it.

-Dave

I think I might just purchase an indoor cycler instead. I was looking into a spinner or maybe just a regular stationary bike. I think if I am going to start investing and then changing tires and all that - I would be better off buying something that will sit downstairs year round.
Thanks for all the input!