Care to help me identify this trainer?
 

http://littlerock.craigslist.org/bik/2507185286.html

Seems like an older Cycle Ops mag trainer, but I'm not sure what the model name is (I'd like to look up reviews). Do you think it's worth $50 and a 30-minute drive? How loud is this thing going to be?

from what I remeber about my buddy's
The tripod was not the most stable for out of the saddle stuff
He welded a big hunk of iron plate to it....much better but now it was not portable
for just a workout, and for $50 buy it IMHO

On a scale of loudness, fan trainers are louder than mag trainers and mag trainers are louder than fluid trainers. The mag trainer I used to use was not terribly loud. I would think that a trainer that held you reasonably stable would be worth $50, and also worth a 1/2 hour drive to test drive. Good luck.

Its an old cycleops just like it says. Its the same trainer from the early spinnervals movies :). Didn't seem to loud there. Offer 25 bucks.