CycleOps Spin Trainer on CL
 

I'm going to pick this up this weekend and I was wondering if there's anything I should be checking to make sure it's working properly and everything? Do these things wear or is there anything specific I should be looking for to make sure it's a good deal?

Here's the link: http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/bik/775981928.html

I'm assuming this is a good price for something like this...I've never used one before but I want to keep cycling during winter and it seems like a good option.

Thanks for your help

It's an old model - one I've never seen before. If it's a fan-based resistance unit, I'd steer clear because fans are really loud and the wind generated by the fan won't do a thing to cool you off unless it was built specifically to blow air at the rider (that one wouldn't). If it's a magnetic resistance unit, it may be worth it. Check the condition. It certainly doesn't look like a fluid-resistance unit.

All said and done this would end up costing me about $70 gas and all so I'm trying to decide if it's worth it.

I guess I don't really care if it's loud or if it cools me off, I care more about it just working and being an adequate training tool for cheap. I emailed him and this is what he said:

It is fan based and it has a knob you turn to increase the resistance against the wheel.

Worth it for about $70?

Look for a magnetic or fluid trainer. You'll like it much more than the old fan style.

When he's referring to the know to increase resistance, does he mean the black knob at the bottom? If so, that's the knob that adjusts the pressure of the resistance unit against the tire. If used properly, it's not supposed to increase/decrease the resistance. It's only function is to keep the resistance unit from not pressing hard enough on the tire (where it slips) or pressing too hard on the tire (where there's too much friction).

There are adjustable resistance units, but they don't adjust by pressing harder/softer against the tire. There's an internal mechanism that adjusts the resistance in those types. You'll see them in magnetic and a few fluid units. Like RonH said, skip anything with a fan unit.

Given the fact that you'll have to drive a very long way just to see it, I'd pass.