Bicycle Trainer Suggestions?

[Haven]

I''m a recreational cyclist, I ride mostly on paths and streets during the warmer Chicago months. I ride the Trek 7100, which is their entry-level hybrid, and I''ve had it for several years. I also have a road bike and a mountain bike, but I plan on using the Trek indoors, I can easily switch out the rear tire for a smooth one if it will work better with the trainer.

I want to ride in the winter! Any trainer recs? I''ve read good things about these, but I''m not sold yet:
Elite volare Fluid Trainer
Giant Cyclotron Auto II
Minoura VFS-G-R
Cyclops Fluid 2 Trainer

I''m scared to use the rollers, so I definitely want a trainer. My big question is do I go for wind, mags, or fluid? My budget is $300.

Do you have a trainer? Have you used them? Which have you liked? Which have you disliked?

Thanks for your help!

 

[neatfreak]

Depends on what your objective is. Wind are the cheapest, but also the loudest. Fluid are the smoothest and quietest but most expensive. Personally, out of the ones you listed I would get the cyclops because it works very well, it''s easy to get parts for, and the company is local here in Madison and treats their staff and customers really well. It also will have the best resale value if you don''t use it as it''s a well known brand. Also, you can change the resistance by just changing your gears, with some other trainers you need to get off the bike, adjust a knob, and do it that way.

This comes from my 5 years working in a bike shop in college and high school, so if you have other questions let me know! And you will want to switch out the back tire for a smooth one, it''ll be much quieter.

 

[Haven]

Thank you, Neatfreak! I did some really rough research the last few days and was totally overwhelmed. We have a few good bike shops around here, but none of them carry many brands, so I always feel like I need to be educated before I go in so I don''t end up missing something.

As for my objective, it is totally recreational. I''m not a racer or anything, I just love to ride. I''d like to get back into working out, and as you know it''s hard to do that outdoors during the winter here in the midwest. DH and I are going to try cross country skiing, and I jump rope a lot, but I know myself and I typically only stick to a cardio workout if it means I can bike or rollerblade.

I use my hybrid bike most often, but I do have a street bike and a mountain bike. I prefer the hybrid because it''s the most comfortable.

Would you recommend any other trainers that I didn''t list here?

Neat, you are such a wealth of information! I bet you kick arse in Trivial Pursuit!

 

[neatfreak]

Lol, I do have a lot of semi-useless knowledge...but I always lose at TP because my husband has much more useless knowledge than I do!

Anyway, the ones you have listed are certainly the mainstream ones. There are some others that will be cheaper, but IMO if you are comfortable spending the $300 you are better off with one of the ones you listed. I really think the fluid is the best of the bunch in that pricepoint and IMO it's not really worth jumping higher. But I do think there is a large difference between the basic magnetic/wind trainers and the fluid.

And you can surely use your hybrid with these trainers, you can use any bike you want, but it is a good idea to trade out the back tire for a super smooth one as it'll be so much quieter.

If it helps I have a fluid and love it.

And I have tried most of the ones you listed at the shop I worked in.

 

[just looking]

Personally, I would try Ebay and look for what is called a Computrainer. This is a trainer that you can hook-up to a computer and actually ride cources that are throughout the US and europe, you can even train/ride against people online. It is much less boring than just sitting on a stationary bike watching TV

Typically they run around 1K new but Im sure you can pick up a used one for much less.

regards,

 

[Petunia]

Haven, I’ve been a ‘recreational’ road cyclist for many years now. I don't enjoy cycling outdoors when the weather gets real cold, however. A few years ago I purchased a cyclops fluid trainer on ebay to use when it's too cold to ride or on any rain day. I like it. I have a second road bike that remains attached to the trainer year round in our finished basement. I don't find it to be too loud/noisy. It does help to have a fan nearby. When cycling outdoors, the sweat isn’t as noticeable as it is when you are on the trainer.

Keep in mind though, for me, the joy of cycling outside cannot be replicated indoors on a trainer. I can ride 40 miles every day outside quite happily but not so much indoors. It’s a nice alternative to the gym, especially when I don’t feel like leaving my warm home but I cannot ride on the trainer every day. The computrainer Matt suggested does sound interesting though.

Good luck in your selection.

Helen

 

[hoorray]

I have the magnetic Cyclops and my DH has a fluid Kinetics. We got both of them at REI, and are happy with both. I don''t really feel a difference, and mine was about $100 cheaper. Both make noise, but are not overwhelming. They are both very stable and nice and smooth, the 2 criteria that were most important to me.

 

[just looking]

Helen,

They are really cool. The computrainer even adjust''s according to hills and you can program wind as well. So in essense, when the trainer shows that you are on a flat stretch then you can visually see a hill coming up, it adjusts to the incline and decline of that hill. You can even make your own course and program to do cyclic...they are nice.

regards,

 

[NewEnglandLady]

We are recreational cyclists as well and we have the CycleOps Fluid 2. We just wanted a trainer that we could use for an hour or so a day while we watched TV--something quiet and good, but not too fancy. We love them and use them every day (in the winter).

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

Between the age of 15 and 23, I was a relatively good racer on the road. In those days, no heartrate-monitors, GPS, and all the other cool techniques.

Some eight years ago, I bought a virtual cycling-trainer that could be hooked to your computer. It was the I-Magic of the Dutch company Tacx. I do not know if this one is available in the U.S., but it is really fun to use. you have various virtual courses that you can ride with the friction adjusting to uphill, downhill and wind. You can even use racing-simulations, in which it adjusts when you are in the wheel of an opponent. What is really fun are the extras that you can buy, mostly courses of real road-races or mountain-climbs. Also, all data are saved, so you can race yourself on the same course a week later and compare heart-rate, watts produced and speed.

The newer model of Tacx is called the Fortius, which is supposed to have even cooler effects.

If Tacs is distributed in the U.S., I would definitely check it out.

Live long,

 

[Petunia]

I sincerely don’t mean to threadjack……

There are some threads on bikeforums.net and cyclingforums.com discussing these trainers (computrainer, tacx fortius trainer) for those that might be interested. If I wasn’t the only one in the family using it, I would definitely invest in it without thinking about it too much. As it is, the thought has been planted and who knows

These trainers would add a new twist to cycling indoors.

Matt, do you have a computrainer or have you used one?

Helen

 

[just looking]

Helen,

Yes I have a computrainer. To make a long story short, weightlifter/bodybuilder turns roadracer. It sounded like a great idea at the time to do my cardio workouts so I built a LiteSpeed titanium bike tricked out with carbon for a total weight of 16.25 lbs. Thats pretty good for a large size frame. I took to it very well using the computrainer, it really helped me keep track of my heart rate, times and my rotations per min.

Unfortunately I just dont like cardio...lol but the computrainer is a wonderful tool for someone that really enjoys cardio or wants to improve their endurance on the bike.

regards,

 

[Petunia]

Matt, road racing seems pretty intense. I wish you well with it. That’s a heck of a light weight bike you crafted too. I believe your feelings for cardio emulate my feelings for weight training. I prefer cardio any day over weights.

Well, if I go down the path of Computrainer or other similar device in the future, I’ll start a new post and seek you out. Thanks for sharing.

Helen

 

[just looking]

Helen,

Well like I said, that was the plan. I soon found out that my body size was not intended for that type of sport. But at the very least the bike looks really good on the wall and serves as a really expensive clothes hanger at times

I''ll stick to weight training...lol.


Regards

 

[lyra]

Hi Haven, don't know if you've made a decision yet but my husband has used both the Elite Fluid and now the Cyclops. He's training for a Ride for the Cure marathon in June, so he's out in the snow some days, and in the garage when that's impossible. With the Fluid, he often rode right out of the thing, and found that it would "flutter" during a decent workout (not very fluid!

) He just got the Cyclops on loan yesterday, and the difference is night and day apparently. He loves it, and it doesn't dislodge him. Also, it doesn't require that the bike be slanted downward like the Fluid. Good luck!

 

[Haven]

Lyra--That is GREAT input, thank you.
I haven''t bought anything yet because I''m the slowest person to spend money, so I am really glad you responded.

 

[elrohwen]

For what it''s worth, I have the cycleops and love it. Then again, I haven''t tried the others so I can''t compare. I do know that FI researched it a lot before he bought it for me (I just told him I wanted a bike trainer and left it up to him) so I''m sure he read wonderful things about it before he bought it.

 

[basil]

I don't know if you've made this decision yet, but I have this one: Travel Trac Century Fluid trainer. I've ridden about 800 miles on it without any problems, and it's a lot cheaper than the Cylops. It feels very sturdy, and I haven't ever had an issue with falling or riding off, which was my biggest fear!

One thing I'd suggest, though, is to buy a new cheap rear tire to use on it, because my trainer balded my road bike tire pretty quickly. You'll want a new one to use in the spring.

You can also buy videos that are sort of like spinning classes to entertain/motivate while you ride. The ones I have are Spinervals, but I'm sure there are others.

ETA: Definitely get a rear-mounted cycle computer so you can at least see how fast/far you are going.