I need a trainer but know nothing about them. Not sure if this makes a difference but i'll probably use a geared bike and my fixie. I'm confused about the magnetic bit and the resistance levels etc. Anyone have any advice?

looking forward to kicking some gold sprint ass

I use a CycleOps fluid trainer. It works well with a geared bike, you use the gears to set your resistance level. The trainer gives a set level of resistance, by varying your gearing you can control how hard it is to pedal. The wind trainer is a bit louder than the fluid trainer, probably a bit too loud if you live in an apartment above someone else.

they're that loud huh? What about that Blackburn trackstand one? i've seen quite a few on ebay and Craigslist and i can probably get one for around $100

It's not that they're terribly loud (the wind unit), but they generate quite a bit of vibration that will travel through the floor if you're not on a concrete slab. I have no idea about the blackburn unit, my advice would be to go to a bike shop and try out the different models and see which one you like best. I have nothing but good things to say about the CycleOps fluid, even though it mostly serves as a display stand for the blue deer

Edit: I used my fluid trainer for two years while living above a family in an old SF apartment with no complaints. I rode it every morning from 6am to 7am. So I don't think you'd have a problem with noise as long as you get the fluid version.

https://www.kurtkinetic.com/reviews_l...8bf02e2091b9c8

terror in pink, begin by having a look at these two threads-

'talk to me about rollers (pardon my ignorance)'
'Rollers on a track bike?'

as for rollers, these seem like a decent value to me (folding version here, for an extra 40 dollars).

and then of course there are the premium, kreitler rollers with aluminum drums. world class has them for what is very probably the lowest price you'll find.

i use a tacx mag trainer. i like it a lot - except for the annoying fact that i shred tires on it. little shards of rubber all spit out the back... i think this might be more a function of the tire than the trainer though.

/hijack_ : anyone use a tire known to not shred on a trainer?

Michelin Pro Race did fine on my trainer, a little expensive though.

Do those roller things work? They look prone to unexpectedly letting you ride off into your living room or falling over...
(not sarcasm, I'm curious how they hold you in place)

thanks for the links to the rollers. I think i'd rather get a trainer. those rollers are kinda big and if i don't get an attachemnt i can see myself riding through my wall. I guess i just want something that has the following features:
easy on/off
doesn't damage bike
fluid
quiet
several resistance levels that are easy to access

I also recommend the CycleOps fluid trainer, meets all the items on your wish list. Resistance levels that are as easy to access as shifting gears (if you have them) or you can get off and turn the knob and put more preasure on your tire. Works best with metal skewers.

do they come with beer coozies?

I use the Cateye CS-1000 which has an integrated cyclo-computer with speed, distance, calorie count and power output in watts. Its probably over your budget, but the best I've used. See here

Rollers are great, but unreasonable in a small apartment.

Focus only on the magnetic trainers, since the wind trainers make too much noise.

I have used Minoura, but have heard very good thing about the Cycleops that Judah recommends. The Tacx look good too, especially their ergotrainer, but $$$. With the Blackburn stands on eBay you should use a geared bike to make easy changes to resistance. Also its a good idea to use a front wheel support to keep your bike level with these types of trainers.

For Gold Sprints and such kind of events it would be great to have some device to give you feedback on your training. Since these races are based on time or distance.

On the cheap you can buy one of the used standalone trainers (Cycleops, Tacx, Minoura or Blackburn) off ebay and buy a cyclo computer like the Cateye Astrale which has a rear wheel sensor to keep a record of your efforts based on speed, cadence, distance and time.

With a trainer ($100-125), front wheel stand ($20-30) and computer with a rear wheel sensor ($30), you are under $200.

I've never heard of this. What kind of tires do you use??

For me, I've used my training tires, Specialized Armadillos (in the past) or Continental 4 Season Gatorskins (currently).

No shredding.

haha! you're never going to give me a break from the drunkard status are you? That's okay, i don't really mind it.

damn, thank you

yea, that can happen. but you don't have much momentum so it's not that bad. I usually keep a chair next to me to put my hand on when I start to loose control.

I also use the CycleOps Fluid2. Make sure you get the Fluid2 as I heard the original Fluid had leaking issues. The nice thing about the newer CycleOps trainers is the quick release lever. I tried the CycleOps Magneto (not Mag) as well and it was one of the better magnetic trainers I tried. It just doesn't give as high a resistance level.

Big ups on the rollers. I scored some Kreitlers on eBay for about half of their retail price a while back. They were coleslawesome all winter.

First things first, you cannot ride off your rollers and suddenly smack into a wall at 25 mph. If you ride off, you ride off to one side or the other and just kind of slowly fall over. I ride in a doorframe so that, on the off chance that I start to tip over slightly, I can just prop myself up with my elbows. That having been said, I haven't ridden off them in a while.

Second, they're not really that much bigger than a trainer if at all. They fold up real small (i.e. the diameter of the roller tubes x less than half the length of your bike) and when unfolded they have the same footprint as your bike anyways (15-20 inches x slightly longer than the length of your bike).

Anyhow...

Good stuff:

1) Will help your spin and get you to pedal in circles.
2) Forces you to hold a really straight line.
3) Feels more like "the road" than a trainer

Not so good stuff:

1) Harder than a trainer
2) Requires more concentration than a trainer.
3) Probably won't be able to hold your line very well while wearing your beer helmet.
4) Prohibitively expensive. You pretty much have to get them used. Good news is that the cheaper Challenger model is better than the smaller more expensive ones and my roommate's dad, who's a world-class track sprinter type, swears by them.

Wait, are you talking about the beer helmet now?

that is actually, i think, a positive attribute, and the main reason i'm debating on purchasing a set rollers. i get so bored on my cycleops trainer. it's just not engaging enough - and for that reason - it really doesn't require concentration of any sort. being inside and stationary is bad enough. being supported makes it feel so artificial. if i could concentrate, as i do while i'm on the road, i think i'd have no problem going for upwards of 40 minutes, whereas with my trainer, i'll usually go 20.

i just park the thing in front of the television. i find soccer works particularly well - 45 minutes, no commercials, and it doesn't matter if you can't hear the dialog.

problem is, it's hard to sing and drink beer while riding

i drink beer and ride all the time, not on rollers but on the street. the trick is to drink enough out of the can so that you can squeeze it in the middle so that it's skinnier and hold it between your pointing and index fingers and rest the remainder of your hand on the bars. You need to live in a place like Oakland though, i know i'm not used to living in city where cops have nothing to do. I sing too, last night i sang "my love is like a hurricane" in the rain while riding to the bar, chorus only because i don't know all the words. I think classic rock songs work real well.

i found some guy on craigslist that has the cyclops fluid trainer for 175 you guys think that's a good price?

I bought my Fluid2 for $120 nearly new with the front wheel block.
Not sure if you can find an equivalent deal but for $175, it should be at least a Fluid2.

For $175 you can get a new Magneto, https://www.performancebike.com/shop/....cfm?sku=15701.

There's another guy selling a Fluid for $100, https://www.craigslist.org/pen/bik/64708363.html