Thinking of buying a trainer but not sure what makes a good trainer from a crappy one. Any suggestions or things to look out for?

Im curious as well. Ill keep an eye on this thread.

check out kurt kinetic or cycleops. I have a kurt kinetic from a few years back and have been very pleased. Never heard anything bad about cycleops though.

+1 on the KK Road Machine... it's a fluid drive model. (How much noise a trainer makes is a big factor to consider.)

go with either

this: https://www.kurtkinetic.com/road-machine-p-198-l-en.html

this: https://www.cycleops.com/en/products/...&category_id=3

or this: https://www.cycleops.com/en/products/...&category_id=6


Personally i'd go with the rollers.

There are really 2 main players that have a lot of user data for trainers. You should pick one or the other - Kurt Kinetic or Cycleops Fluid2 (or higher).

There are other good ones, but these have the biggest userbase, most familiarity, and most reliability because of it. They also will likely have highest resale value in case you decide it's not for you after a year or two. They hold their value extremely well - see how high they go for on Ebay.

I'm looking at the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine and the Rock and Roll. I'm kinda giving the edge to the Rock and Roll but not completely convinced. Hopefully, we'll see more feedback.

The nice thing about fluid trainers, such as the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine, is that they are quieter than wind trainers and the resistance curve is parabolic (the harder you pedal, the more resistance you generate).

I have a RM and I'd definitely recommend it. It's a sturdy winter companion. And the green looks nice!

A good trainer will be quiet, provide a good range of resistance, and is reliable. The first trainer I had was a Blackburn which was neither of those, and while it was usable its shortcomings became pretty apparent after daily use during the winter months. I have a KK Road Machine and highly recommend it because it's been great and the fact I can store it in a small closet helps since I live in an apartment. The different levels of resistance work really well but what I like the most is that it coasts down really well which does simulate riding on the road. I haven't tried the Rock and Roll but the idea looks pretty interesting, however it's size is what kept me from going that route simply because I don't have the space for something like that.

If you want to drop $500, the new Lemond Revolution trainers look pretty nice... but I'm really happy with 3 winters of use on my Cycle Ops Fluid 2. Well, as happy as one can be on a trainer. Which is, not very.

I have owned Cucleops Fluid II, KK Road Machine and a few lighter duty trainers. Don't waste money on the lighter trainers like Blackburn. If you are aggressive with interval training the lighter trainers tend to spread and drop your QR. My favorite (if there is such a thing) is the KK. Smoothest and quietest, good resistance and well built. Virtually leakproof.

Tacx!

Tacx Sirius

This is a great trainer for me. It was a mid level purchase when starting out.

Kurt Kinetic Rock n' Roll. AWESOME. Lifetime warranty is a plus, guaranteed leak proof? Heck yes! Spins smooth and quiet. And I personally love the green...

I have a Minoura trainer with a remote. It's actually made in Japan and not China which is a small plus. It's a middle of the line trainer but does well for what I need it for. It is very quiet and very sturdy. At one point Minoura made trainers for quite a few companies but I don't know if they are still doing so. According to their web site, they were the first to introduce the portable trainer to the cycling community. I wasn't cycling or had any interest in cycling at that time so I can't comment on it.

My shop sells lots of trainers, but uses the Kurt exclusively for all fittings etc and we recommend it over anything else. It's not cheap, but has a great feel and lasts forever.

My wife and I are both in need of winter indoor training - we have been considering a spin bike. Not meaning to hijack the thread, but is a trainer (or two) a better option?

Anything but Black Burn. I'm on my 3rd Techfluid (the newest version) all of them have issues, noise, vibration, inconsistent resistance etc... Blackburn considers these issues as "features" and "normal". Well they're junk.

So KK or Cycleops. If you have the money and the noise would not be an issue I would go for the Lemond Revolution. I would if I had the funds.

I have a Kurt Kinetic Road Machine as well as a Rock and Roll. Both very nice trainers that I love. Get the Road Machine. Rock and Roll is nice, but doesn't collapse, and is hard to store (I live in a small apartment). But it's great for my girlfriend who need to learn to get out of the saddle.

Their build quality is excellent, and lifetime warranty offers great peace of mind. Liquid trainers are nice, but some of them leak over time. Kurt seems to be the best about this (not leaking).

I have tried Cyclops trainers at the store, and Kurt just seemed nicer.

They keep you on your own bike so, yes. At least that works for me.

it's a big one to consider if noise is an issue

+1 on fortius. I have a Tacx Satori, which is nice and portable to use anywhere, but I stop into the bike shop and ride their Fortius all the time. Haven't tried the virtual rides but the live video rides are incredible, and just a great workout. But it is an expensive rig, and requires a pc. Thinking of getting it over getting a new bike.

Tacx live video tours are nice to ride to, and they tell what resistance to set the trainer to match the grade on the video. Hint: the Alps ride leaves the trainer on 10 for 120 minutes. Who would have thought?

I'd go with two...That's how my wife and I do it...That way we train together and stinkify the basement once...

Another vote for rollers.

Think about it.

Minoura is what I have as well and never had an issue.