Commuting - OT probably - trainers

Hi...sorry if this is off-topic, but after looking at the other categories I wasn't sure where to go with this, and this is my "home" category, so here we are. Winters coming, and I found out last winter that as much as I enjoy a 15 mile commute when it's nice out, I don't need anything to do with biking when it's 10 degrees out. So, to stay in shape, I'm going to purchase a trainer...but I know nothing about what I should look for in a trainer. I see in the latest Performance catalog that there are a bunch in the $300 range, some by CycleOps, some that seem to be private labeled by Performance. Can anyone give me info on what to look for, what features are considered must haves (price range notwithstanding), and what some favored brands/models are?

Again, sorry for the probably off topic post. But damn, it took forever to get my legs back into shape last spring!

if no-one here knows, training and nutrition is probably a good place to ask for input.

Hi...sorry if this is off-topic, but after looking at the other categories I wasn't sure where to go with this, and this is my "home" category, so here we are. Winters coming, and I found out last winter that as much as I enjoy a 15 mile commute when it's nice out, I don't need anything to do with biking when it's 10 degrees out. So, to stay in shape, I'm going to purchase a trainer...but I know nothing about what I should look for in a trainer. I see in the latest Performance catalog that there are a bunch in the $300 range, some by CycleOps, some that seem to be private labeled by Performance. Can anyone give me info on what to look for, what features are considered must haves (price range notwithstanding), and what some favored brands/models are?

Again, sorry for the probably off topic post. But damn, it took forever to get my legs back into shape last spring!

Do you want a trainner or rollers? For trainners I'd go fluid, and cycleops (if in price range). I wish I had bought rollers instead , buy some people like trainners more

Hi...sorry if this is off-topic...
Have you looked in the Training & Nutrition (http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=148) forum?

Can anyone give me info on what to look for, what features are considered must haves (price range notwithstanding), and what some favored brands/models are?

rog:

I am partial to kreitler rollers, with a headwind unit.

I am probably going to get a 1up trainer this year http://www.1upusa.com/bike_trainer.html
which is supposed to give a really nice feel.

rog:

I am partial to kreitler rollers, with a headwind unit.

I am probably going to get a 1up trainer this year http://www.1upusa.com/bike_trainer.html
which is supposed to give a really nice feel.

I'll second the kreitler suggestion, but I haven't used the headwind unit. I got the middle sized rollers and they provide plenty of resistance for me, but I'm not a racer, I just ride them for fitness.

Rollers are good to help you maintian balance and hold a line. If you are really good on them, you will have no need for a trainer (if you have a resistance unit). If you are like me though, you will find it quite difficult to really hammer out an interval on rollers without falling off, or coming close to falling off, so that is where a stationary trainer really helps.

Rollers are a little more fun than a trainer, but Id still say 30 min on a trainer = 60 min on rollers = 3 hrs on the road in terms of time perception.

Oh, and I had a blackburn fluid trainer that was horrible. Others with that model said it was fine but mine was NOT smooth or quiet. I've heard nothing bad about cycleops trainers, so I'd go there, even though they are a little more $$$ (unless you go rollers, which are even a little bit more).