Looking for a indoor bike exercising stand for my bike on raining or cold days. Looking for something under
$100 some from rei run over a grand cant see that, I would buy another bike first. I am reading on some but
don't know anything about them, which ones to stay away from etc. I appreciate this forum a lot of useful
information thanks. I got my bike in May and going on a 20 mile tomorrow, love riding.

You get what you pay for. $100 won't get you very much. I bought a Kurt Kinetic when I bought my original Trek bike two years ago. I've put over five thousands of miles on it since then. This model is calibrated to match the load characteristics of a road bike so you get a legitimate workout with it. Check your local Craig's List for the best bang for your buck.

Rich

Having been down the "I'm only stuck indoors for a few weeks under doctors' orders and should get an inexpensive trainer" route twice I suggest skipping that. Stretch your budget to $200 and get a used Kurt Kinetic, green so it's new enough in case you want the pro upgrade. It has much more inertia than other trainers so it feels better and your workouts aren't limited by muscle fibers you don't use on the road having problems getting through the dead spots at 6 and 12 o'clock.

Kurt with 6.25 pound stock flywheel + 12 pound pro upgrade on left, Performance Travel Trac Comp on right. A Cycleops Fluid 2 has just 2.75 pounds.



You also need an industrial fan (humans are at best 25% metabolically efficient, so at 200W you have 600-800W of waste heat to deal with which is like a personal space heater), something to prop the front wheel up like a trainer block, and a mat if you have carpet to protect from bodily fluids.

I have a Nashbar fluid trainer...i bought the basic one with the accessory pack...just checked and its still $169, but they regularly have 20-25% off sales.

I'm happy with it and have had no issues...I've put 2000 "miles" on it since I bought it and it seems to be doing fine. I should say I've never tried another model so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I have heard positive things about both kirt kinetic and cyclops...though they'll cost more.

In my research, the biggest complaint people seem to have about trainers is noise...if that's a concern, you might read reviews for any models you're considering. Fluid trainers like the Nashbar model I have seem to be relatively quiet.

I have a training stand I bought off of Ebay a couple decades ago for not a whole lot. I recently saw one of the same kind on Craigs List and it too was reasonable. I don't know the brand but it is rugged all metal frame with an iron pipe and cradle/bracket assembly that supports the bottom bracket. The rear wheel rests on a cylinder that has a round louvered type drum on both sides.
The only problem I have with the whole thing is how incredibly bored I become very quickly! I can be watching TV or listening to the stereo and I am still painfully bored. I try my hardest to NOT have to ride indoors. So much so I get rained on alot and will now ride in winter in temps down to 25 degrees. The only thing that throws me a curve is when it snows and I cannot ride the bike trail, but I have mapped out streets that will get me in a 20 mile ride.... They gotta plow the streets :-)

Max Bryant

+1 Used exercise equipment generally doesn't sell for much. Craigslist is good a well as yard sales. I bought my gently used CycleOps fluid trainer for $40.

I like to hit yard sale on my Friday bicycle rides. Of course I can't carry anything. But people will happily take a $20 and hold an item for me for an hour or so.

I'm happy with my Performance Travel Trac Comp Fluid. It's $199 now but frequently $129 or so.
Travel Trac Comp Fluid Trainer

Agreed. I have a supercraptastic 15 year old Nashbar trainer. It holds the rear skewer and provides resistance. That's all you need, and frankly that's all a trainer does, no matter how much you pay.

Saw an ad for a set of Kreitler rollers for $50 locally. IMHO, old school rollers would do a lot of recreational cyclists a lot of good.