SlowOlympian

So my father volunteered to buy me a trainer since ive hit 1k mi on my bike, and now the rainy season is here . He agreed to buy me a run of the mill used off craigslist(awesome!), but he soon changed his mind and decided to get me a brand new one(YESSSS!!!!!). Sooo...

He found the Kinetic Road Rage by Kurt, all i can find is good news about it, but before we pull the trigger, are there any other makes & models that are comparable, or even better? the price on amazon for the RR is $330 w/free shipping, so thats about my budget.

Thanks in advance!

RobertL

I have the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine fluid trainer and believe that there are none better. You'll also want to get a riser block/ring for your front wheel while your bike is in the trainer.

SlowOlympian

Hmm, ok, ill see about that, i figured they have a purpose, but how big of a purpose i wasnt sure. care to enlighten me? doesnt seem like an inch or two would matter much on how level the bike is, but then again people say .5cm is a nice sized jump in seat position so who knows I'll run it by my dad, thanks!

roadwarrior

Saris. They are the best and it's all we carry in the shop. Super Magneto has four power bands. It's like four separate trainers.
Lifetime warranty.

rangerdavid

KK Road machine. I've had it two winters now, going on a third. No problems at all so far.

aham23

KK road machine, but perhaps you should invest in some rain gear and a six pack of HTFU.



later.

JaceK

Money is better spent on rain gear, I actually enjoy riding in the rain. There is far more rain gear than trainers, that should be a tip off.

simonaway427

If a trainer is absolutely necessary - Kurt Kinetic Road Machine or Rock and Roll.

/thread.

garciawork

^This.

K&K_Dad

You could use some old phonebooks and get the same thing, but without something to raise the front wheel off the ground you'll constantly feel like you're falling forward. Or that could just be me.

blastississimo

I currently use a Cycleops Magneto Pro -- it's a definite workout!

billykmd

I have the rock and roll and it's great. The fact that there is no torque on the frame (carbon) which the road machine could do with a fixed unit, I went with the rock and roll. Downside is that it takes up more space and more expensive

eippo1

The Kurt stuff is the most durable and has great road feel. The Cycleops fluid has a tendency to leak. Cyclops rock and roll is awesome, but awesomely expensive. Get the KK, our shop uses them exclusively for fittings (and it's not because of a deal w/ the manufacturer). The block is helpful because otherwise you will have a ton of weight on your taint and hands. It's also helpful if you like to adjust your fit while on the trainer - can't adjust things for level if the bike isn't level.

Seattle Forrest

I'd rather have a rain bike than a trainer.

mvnsnd

+2

merlinextraligh

I've got a Kurt Kinetic Road Machine, and a Cycleops Fluid 2. There really is very little difference. The KK is probably better designed than the Fluid 2 with regard to potential for leaks. However, since they re did the seals on the Fluid2 a number of years ago, leaking hasn't been an issue.

I'd buy whichever of the 2 you can get cheaper. If no meaningful price difference then the KK.

merlinextraligh

One other point, given that you're apparently new to cycling, there would be an advantage to Rollers, in terms of developing your spin and balance.

If you get smaller diamter rollers, or an additional resistance unit, you can get a good workout on Rollers, as well as improving form.

hhnngg1

KK or Cycleops Fluid2. Whichever is cheaper. They have pretty much the same power curve, stability, and userbase.

These things really work, too. Due to an infant last year, I was on my bike outdoors for a grand total of 6 times in a 4 months period despite great weather. I did about 2-3 indoor bikes per week with 2-4 outdoor runs on top while training for a triathlon last week.

Averaged 23.3 mph on a 40k course on a TT bike with no aero helmet, no aero wheels, and no drafting. And that was after a pretty high intensity swim for me. There's no way I would have been that fast on a bike if it weren't for my trainer work, which was done in the same racing-aero position, and with a lot of high-intensity intervals (Spinverals and Sufferfest videos.) When you've got an infant, you can't afford to lose training time on downhills and coasting, and the trainer allowed me to jam my bike workouts into really limited time.

I LOVE riding outdoors (and I live in arguably the single best biking area in the entire country for year-round riding) but if I'm looking for results in limited time, the trainer rules.

hhnngg1

Rollers are interesting as well - I've got a pair and can definitely get a hard workout on it. The only catch for me - I don't feel like the roller-specific technique gains translate into my real-world riding, at least for me. My main issues with rollers:


Rollers only teach you to go straight - they do NOT enable you to learn to corner better whatsoever. If anything, they force you to ride near-dead-upright all the time, so you'll actually feel more uncomfortable than usual going into a tight corner where you have to learn to some degree.

I did learn smoother accelerations - rollers definitely help with that. Those are useful for group paceline type riding, but if you'rea criterium-style breakaway acceleration, you DON'T want a smooth, easy-to-follow acceleration. If you're going to make a gap, you're going to want to hit it HARD, so nobody will come along for a free ride.

If you can't hold a straight line on your bike outdoors, yes, the rollers will help. However, I'd wager that if you can't even hold a straight line on a flat road, more time on the bike will help even more - holding a straight line on a bike is NOT a hard task, contrary to what roadies say. You aim the tire, and you go. If you're getting bumped off the line by road debris, cracks, etc., rollers won't help with that either compared to actually riding over those things repeatedly.

The single most valuable skill I've learned from my rollers having learned to ride them in almost all permutations, is holding a straight line while 'checking for cars' over my shoulder. I was amazed at how much sweve that manuever caused me at first, as I assumed I held a steady line on the road - apparently not! But after learning to look over my shoulder on rollers, I ride a dead-straight line even with my head over my shoulder looking back. That's been extremely useful in group riding.

And the biggest deal-breaker for me - I just can't equal my all-out efforts on the trainer intervals on rollers vs trainer. I have to save at least part of my mind/effort to not jump off the rollers while doing intervals, and that limits my effort slightly, but significantly. Of course, if you don't ride your trainer hard enough that you're nearly blacking out during intervals, this is not an issue.

joe_5700

Do not get a cheapo $100 magnetic trainer. I have one and use my smallest gear 50/12 to get any kind of a workout out of it. I also have a cycleops magnetic trainer and it is 100 times better. With the cheap magnetic trainers (my cycleops included) you really cannot simulate hills well. They are good for burning calories and keeping you light and that's about it. I am moving to Seattle in 7 days and I will be wearing rain gear and riding so long as it doesn't freeze.

ahson

Which one will be better, the KK Road Machine or the KK Rock and Roll?

tcwayne

I got a Kinetic by Kurt used for $300 from a guy that works at a LBS. I got a mat and the lifter thingy for the front wheel. Works like a champ. Great deal

handz98

+1

scrap 2 x 4 = riser block and you're all set

EdIsMe

I've done workouts on my Minoura roller where I've lost my concentration enough to throw me off the roller. You can get quite a lot of resistance just by going into a really high gear.

That being said, I hate riding on the roller. Although it has helped me considerably with handling to some extent, it doesn't beat going out and riding. I've also found that since you're not moving on the trainer, you'll end up overheating and losing power much faster than if you were actually riding with wind. This is a big factor, for me personally anyway, when doing intervals as I generally do them at max or close to max effort level.

hhnngg1

Both are excellent. The Rock and Roll has gotten mixed reviews in terms of the "rock and roll" part - some find it fun, and others find it a complete waste of space. Either way, the power curve and resistance is the same on both and excellent. I don't have either, but as a diehard Cycleops Fluid2 user, I'd just get the KK Road Machine as it costs less - I try not to 'rock and roll' with sloppy technique on the trainer whenever possible.