brian669

looking to purchase my first indoor trainer. did some searching and really didn't find much. i've been reading a lot of reviews and the cycleops fluid 2 trainer looks pretty good but it still gets reviews for not having enough resistance which is a concern. i'm only using it over the winter to begin my base training but to get my heart rate where i need it to be i'll need a good bit of resistance. i'm also a little cramped for space so i want something nice and sturdy. i read somewhere some trainers would give and people would go flying across the room. that would be very bad in the room i'm going to be using! but i also know there's a lot of idiots out there so i'm taking those reviews with a grain of salt.

so i'm looking for recommendations on good, solid trainers. thanks.

Sprocket Man

My recommendations from another thread:

I have the Cyclops Fluid 2 as well and I'm finding that it doesn't have nearly enough resistance. I also own a Blackburn Trakstand Fluid Trainer (https://www.coloradocyclist.com/product/item/BLATTYKD) that offers more resistance than the Fluid 2, but doesn't feel as smooth or realistic. It may be because it has a relatively small flywheel.

Cyclops now offers a fluid trainer with more resistance than the Fluid 2 (https://www.coloradocyclist.com/product/item/CYCTTRSH) If I didn't already have 2 trainers, I might give this one some consideration.

Kurt Kinetic also has a really good trainer (https://www.coloradocyclist.com/product/item/KURTTRJH). I've never tried it but I've heard good things about it.

brian669

hmm thanks. i searched this board for like 20 minutes and didn't find much at all. i wasn't real sure where to even put the post.

the blackburn looks good as well but it sounds like they don't have a good cust service reputation. i'm assuming a fluid trainer is the best way to go?

rangerdavid

I've seen some rather good deals on the Kirt Kinetic trainer. Does anyone here have any experience with one? Resistance, dependability, etc???

brian669

they are def the most expensive of the bunch, it appears, so there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of feedback on them. i'm not concerned with the cost if it does what i want it to do. if i didn't have an ergometer i'd prob be looking at computrainers. i'm actually scouring the net for some info on the kinetics right now.

ch3n207

Don't get one!!!!!it sucks and its so f***ing boring.

Sprocket Man

According to much of what I've read, the fluid resistance units are better at simulating the power curve that a rider would experience on the road. Some older fluid resistance units, as well as off-brand fluid resistance units have been known to leak, though.

Also, many have said that fluid units tend to be quieter than magnetic ones. This seems to be true with my two trainers, though the difference in noise level isn't very significant.

I_Like_Bike

I have never use a trainer but have heared that the fluid trainer to get is Kurt Kinetic Road Machine(https://www.kurtkinetic.com/), which has an Unconditional lifetime warranty and is Guaranteed not to leak.

brian669

thanks sprocket.

as far as indoor training being boring, that's the way it'll have to be. i don't have the luxury of being in nevada for the winter this year like i normally am and that's when i do my base training so i'll have to deal with it. i'll do some cadence workouts on the ones at my gym and i don't even turn the tv on. i just throw my ipod on random and go at it. doesn't bother me a bit.

brian669

i also see they have options on what flywheels you can use. at least the pro does any way. i don't really get wehat the cyclone does though! i'm starting to lean toward the pro from them.

e2py

I have a Kurt Kinetics Road Machine with one winter's use on it. Yep, it can get boring (anything over an hour is a challenge), but it's a good break from 8-mile outdoor runs during the crappy winter months. I did find it to be very useful on upping my average cadence from the low-mid 80's to mid-90's over the course of a few months (lots of snow on the roads here), and also useful for experimenting with different adjustments/positions.

Resistance is claimed to be close to road resistance and I would agree. It's well made and simple. I have to say that it is also much quieter than I expected, so good if you have an apartment or like to work out at odd hours when others in the house are sleeping. If you get one, get a mat for it. You will also find that you should have a good large box fan in front of you while riding a trainer to help give the "feel" of riding and to help sweat evaporation.

late

I also have Kurt Minetic trainer. It's rugged and reliable. You will find the resistance adequate.

They also will have a computer that estimates watts on a computer under a $100.
https://www.kurtkinetic.com/power-com...c-22-l-en.html

brian669

great, thanks guys. never thought about a fan, either.

that comp looks interesting. i was checking it out earlier. i'm wondering if it will be integrated with garmin or polar monitors or if they will have their own. i'm also curious of how it estimates watts. for $100 i would check one out and see how close it compares with the ergometer.

Tortuga!

I've had a 1Up for five years now. I'm no 400w monster, but it's served me well. Even my engineering challenged wife has no problems with it.

https://www.1upusa.com/bike_trainer.html

Eclectus

My 1UP works well. It's only available from the mfr. Lifetime warranty, generous test-and-return allowance (they pay for return postage, so a trial is totally free!). They'll gladly sell you a KK, and Blackburn uses their resistance design under license, so it's a quality company.

This being said, indoor "riding" is boring. I really like winter outdoor riding much better, enough that I'm getting studded tires for ice and snow days that kept me indoors previously. A trainer is better if you're short on time, because it can take 30-40 minutes just to figure out your kit for today (I see it's 24 and dropping, winds 15-25, overcast and dark so I need full set of lights on), make coffee or other warm fluids, etc.

mrbUSA

Atari-Tarmac 1000

djohannsen

I've got a Kurt Kinetic Rock & Roll trainer. I've put about 1000 miles on it and have been very happy. The resistant unit is the standard Kurt Kinetic Road Machine, so you don't need to spring for the extra $300 for the rock & roll to read my comments. Anyway, the resistance of the fluid is (according to manufacturer claims) matched to a road rider (something like a 165 pound rider on a 1% incline). I find that the speeds that my bike computer registers are similar to the same effort on the road (slightly slower on the trainer, but that may be due to being less enthused while sitting in the garage). Also, the max sprint speed that I can attain on the trainer is slightly lower than I can hit on the road. The spin up and down is not all that realistic, but working your way up through the gears is still a pretty good approximation of the effort on the road (as compared with my magnetic unit, where I could easily pass 40mph in the sprints). The drawback to the Kurt is that removing and installing the bike in the trainer is not the easiest. There is a nice "quick release" to disconnect the trainer and skewer, but there is no easy way to move the roller from the tire. I now simply deflate the rear tire before either installing or removing the bike, and life is much easier. In short, I have been very happy so far with my Kurt Kinetic.


Dave

MadGrad

I'll chime in to say I love my Kurt Kinetic Cyclone. Very durable and effective, but LOUD.

You should look online at ebay or Craigslist. Many people buy a trainer, hate it, and sell it cheap and barely used. Much better than paying the full $200-350 price tag for a new trainer...

JPJR

+1 on the Kurt Kinetic road machine. I just bought one last week and it seems to be quiet and sturdy. Kurt also has a published power curve for the cyclone, road machine, and other models so it can give you a vague idea of how many watts you may be possibly putting out. I think the variables they used to establish the road machine's power curve were a 165 pound rider on a 1 degree slope plus wind resistance but I'm not 100%.

It's 286.45 here: https://ypsilanticycle.com/page.cfm?P...ils&sku=WT1500

If you go to pricepoint.com or jensonusa.com they can perform a price match.

1upusa has it for $319 shipped: https://www.1upusa.com/kurtkinetictrainer.htm

paulbb

+1 on the Road Machine as well. I rode mine last winter with a box fan and found it much quieter than my previous CycleOps Fluid 2 model. The resistance is pretty uniform and I used some interval work to keep the bordom at bay, but with resistance there do seem to be so many variables. I swim a lot in the winter, so I usually only ride 3 times a week during the months of white roads in MI.

Second Mouse

I bought a KK Road Machine from bikesportmichigan for about $260 shipped. Their current deal, here, is probably $280 or so including shipping. No complaints at all, and Kurt is known to have figured out a way to avoid the leakage problems that have plagued some of the Cyclops trainers. I was a little suspicious of the linked bikesports web deal, but you can phone them and they'll confirm what you're getting on the phone, they just can't do it on the web for some legal reasons.

Trainer = boring, yes, so the other cash outlay has been racing DVDs--TdF, Giro, Vuelta and some of the one-day races. Not a bad way to pass an hour or two on the trainer.

brian669

appreciate the replies guys thanks a lot. getting a road machine from a guy on ebay. kurt lists them as an authorized retailer and you get a dvd with it for like 289.

wanders

Sorry I'm late to the party. You will be very happy with the KK. I've had one for about 18 months. Quiet and solid. Enjoy.

vontan

I just got a kurt kinetic rock & roll trainer and am very happy with it. I used it today for the first time and I couldn't get over how quiet it is, makes no noise at all. I just set it up in my garage, opened the door, and I have a big room circulating fan pointing at me, and its the next best thing to being on the road, if you can't get out there. Yes its boring, but no more boring than any other home exercise equip.

Nachoman

I did the "secret" deal, from the same place about a year ago.