Okay, so I know that this has been asked before, and I’ve read through the previous threads, but I still can’t make up my mind.

I know that we’re all supposed to be awesome and ride 200 miles a week in the snow, but I work 4 blocks from my apartment, so commuting isn’t really happening this year, and somehow those 30-mile rides starting at 6am that I was in the habit of doing this summer just don’t seem as appealing when it’s freezing/dark/raining/snowing out.

So, I want to keep in shape and keep some of the muscle/endurance I built up this summer. Now, I think that I already know that most of y’all will say to go for rollers, but I thought I’d ask anyway.

I like the idea of being able to vary the resistance on a trainer, but I also like the idea of improving my spin on rollers. I don’t mind the boredom factor with a trainer (and in fact that’s one of the things making me lean toward going with a trainer) because it would be cool to be able to read/watch a movie while spinning.

My questions are, will either one be better/worse for my knee, which has been hurting like crazy lately? Also, which will give me a ‘better’ workout? I know this is probably a subjective question, but one of my objectives is to not get fat from sitting around all winter.

Is it all right to go with budget rollers/trainers? I’m blowing most of my money on clipless shoes/pedals, and don’t want to spend a whole lot more than $100. If I’m going super cheap, is it advisable to go with one over the other? Also, any specific suggestions for cheap rollers/trainers that y’all have used and liked?

Thanks, and sorry for the long post!