Trainer reivew wind vs Fluid
 

I will begin by saying I had used a Cycleops Wind Trainer the past 5-6 years in the dead of winter. Due to my recovery from broken hip and not able to run yet I am hitting the trainer pretty hard about 75 to 85 minutes a day. I am runner to so normally would do that and avoid indoor training that much.

On the wind trainer I average about 21-22 mph with heart rate at around 130-134 ( I am 54 in good aerobic shape). I can spin the wind trainer to up to 34-35 mph in a huge burst but cannot hold more than a few seconds. The wind trainer is loud but I don't care I am in the basement and do not do anything other and ride during my sessions. I had been think of getting a Fluid trainer thinking it would be quieter but would maybe have more road feel. Actually the wind trainer does have a pretty good road feel and I was hoping for better in a fluid. Well the trainer took a bite yesterday blew off the wind fan unit. I can get it replaced by Cycloeps but decide to go ahead and buy a new Cyceops Fluid 2 trainer.

Gave it a spin yesterday and this morning and it sure is different. First of all it is way quieter no doubt that is a plus. The odd thing is the resistance is a bit different. It seems that for the same given workout I cannot go as fast for sure, it has more resistance. Yesterday and today I was only able to average about 18.5 mph and my heart rate was the same 133 even felt like the workout was harder on the fluid. I manage to get only to 27 mph max speed before being wiped out the resistance seems to climb faster in the fluid and not have as much momentum. It also feels like at first the fluid trainer is easier then as it warms up the resistance gets harder.

After two days of this I can say in some ways the wind trainer if you don't mind the sound is fine. Maybe I was used to it but it was cool do get up over 30 mph during sprints but that is not going to happen much on the fluid. All in all I am not unhappy with the fluid trainer but relatively speaking I was less than thrilled. I am glad I got it but it is over twice the price. I notice my cadence on the fluid trainer was higher and I think it is due to the lower gears I was using. I guess I post this because of all the trainers
questions and what others are using. In the end can say do not underestimate a good wind trainer if all you want is it sweat and do not mind the noise. The fluid is fine to and if you want to listen to music or tv you have to have the fluid trainer, it does feel smooth and solid. I am guessing it is not much different that the Kurt Kinetic fluid which I would have bought but they carried the Cycleops and reviews said they were both good.

So what sort of mph do any of you average that happen to do like me and put the cycle computer on the rear wheel for inside information. I ride this along with the garmin 910x for heartrate infor.

Is there a reason why you are fixated on speed? Speed is pretty much meaningless when it comes to a trainer.

I am not fixated on speed anymore than heart rate or anything else. Speed is a function of work and I use the speed to compared the two trainers, has nothing to do with real world speed on the road as such. Heart rate and a power meter would tell the complete story but I just have to use heart rate no power meter, the speed is just what I observed.

Fluid trainers are made to produce resistance proportional to the square of speed, and thus more closely mimic flat road riding outdoors. In theory, wind trainers would be the same, but at high RPM they cavitate (stop moving air and free spin) and the resistance curve flattens.

Also, while it's impossible to reproduce real world conditions, the resistance levels (power curve) are set to approximate wind drag for a fictional "average" rider.

So low power riders may find them comparable, higher power riders will find that resistance ramps up considerably at high speed, and they reach the same kind of speed wall they do out on the road, though not necessarily at the same speed.

Run after a broken hip? Wishing you good luck! (speak from experience with a zickel nail--removed a year later)
http://www.orthopaedicsone.com/displ...pophosphatasia
As for trainers it is not a question of speed but rather how long you can stay on it at whatever speed at whatever effort you choose and hold!
A heart rate monitor is a great help to gauge your efforts, with water and a towel at last try to protect your bike.
Rollers are more beneficial to turn round the pedals, straight and balance.