SoonerLater

Fall is upon us. I'm still riding a lot, but I can see the time when I won't be able to ride nearly as much as I'd like. What are the factors to look for in trainer? (The kind you use with your existing road bike). I'd like to be able ride long and hard enough to get a good workout. Outside of that, I'm clueless what to look for. Any suggestions?

staehpj1 

There have been a number of threads on this so you may want to use the search function.

I have an old trainer from Nashbar that is maybe 25 years old and have never used it all that much. I didn't like the feel of the bike being locked in position. I wound up using a rowing machine much more (not very bicycling specific, but good for maintaining general fitness).

I just purchased a set of rollers so I can work on my cadence and bike handling over the winter. I will still wil ride outdoors on weekends, but don't feel too motivated to ride in the dark when the days get short.

For me I think the rollers will be more satisfactory. I can always add a resistance unit if I find I need a more intense workout. Time will tell if rollers are the right choice.

NzAndy

In a nutshell, the trainers that clamp your rear wheel fall into 3 categories: wind, magnetic, and fluid. Rollers are slightly different in that the whole bike is involved. Wind tend to be cheapest but make the most noise too. Magnetic are the most popular because they are quiet and usually have variable resistance settings. I have one of these and a good hour can count as a decent workout. Fluid trainers dont usually have resistance settings but are the quietest. They tend to be the most expensive.

You can get some that have brackets to replace the front wheel and other options. Basic models work fine to keep you in the saddle IMHO but its what you want in the end.

Portis

There is more than enough info if you search. The only thing I might add is that trainers can be waaaaaaaaaaay more boring than you can possibly imagine. I own one, but didn't spend much on it. I might suggest that you not buy the most expensive one you can find until you find out if you can stand to ride one.

I can't stand it for long and generally ride outdoors as much as i can.

late

http://www.kurtkinetic.com/reviews_links.php

As was said, search the threads, Cyclops and Kurt Kinetics
are popular. Also look into SPinervals. Most of the time I throw
a dvd of a tv show or a movie and spin while watching that.
It's a good way to get some base miles in. The Spinervals are
a once a week thing for me to keep my legs from turning into complete
mush. The first year I couldn't stand it; but hang in there, you get used to it.