Indoor Training
 

While I love going outdoors to ride I feel like lights, cars, etc. prevent me from getting in an intense anaerobic workout. I am an avid runner but after multiple stress fractures have taken some time off from running and gotten into cycling. I would like to ride indoors to supplement my outdoor rides but I am not sure what magnetic trainer to purchase. I would prefer a trainer to a stationary bike/spinning bike because I want to use the same bike that I ride on. I looked at trainers online and the prices ranged from about $70 to hundreds and I have no clue which one to purchase. I would like to to get a high-quality one that will be durable and last a long time but do not want to overspend on something unnecessary. Does anybody have any recommendations?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Kurt Kinetic Road Machine is one of the ones to own. Very well built unit, feels great riding it, and lets you convert speed->watts if you want to do some power based training.

It depends on how you define "unnecessary."

I own a Computrainer. It's an expensive piece of equipment, but it also allows allows me to be extremely efficient in my training. I can program ergometer workouts, so that I generate the exact number of watts that I want to for an exact amount of time just as easily as I can program in profiles of races courses that I have planned on doing.

I'd say it's the best single piece of training equipment I've ever bought (and it's going on 7 years old, so it's pretty durable).

I like trainers that use fly wheels. The problem with other kinds of trainers is if you slow your rpm even slightly the bike slows down IMMEDIATELY. A fly wheel will give the trainer the feel of having momentum. Having a momentum based feel seems far more like the road to me. Of course, other people will view it differently.

I have a Kurt Kinetic, and it's an excellent trainer.

But first try a spinning class.

You can also look at other exercise machines.
I like my Concept 2 rower (the only brand to get) a lot
better than my trainer. And it's one heck of a workout.
I got mine used, it can take some searching, but you
can find one for about half retail, and usually they've been
used as a clothes rack. It takes a month or two to slowly
build up to the point where you're getting a good workout, and
most people just don't hang in there.

They are also upgradeable, and their new computer has some
cool chase games that I badly wish I had.

Just as a what the heck, try and find an Octane machine to try.
I like those, can't afford them.
http://www.allellipticals.com/octane...consumers.html

I, OTOH, hate flyweels because they hide a flawed pedal stroke. I love it when I can hear the machine telling me that I'm not delivering a steady, even power level. My idea of training is to constantly pursue improvement. I use rollers with a resistance unit and very light rollers. If you can only have one machine, that's the thing to get. You get a good workout, improve your spin, and learn to ride a perfect line, all at the same time. Performance Bike has a good unit at a good price. I have many thousands of miles on my set.

I went with the cheapest trainer I could find, which ended up being a Performance magnetic trainer. Three years, and maybe 300 hours of use, it's a bit wobbly and worn, with a flaky adjuster. It gets the job done though, which is to get a workout in. I didn't have much money back then and it's served me pretty well. Now I mostly use rollers, but still break out the trainer when I don't want to worry about focusing too much.

If you've got the money, go with one of the suggested trainers above. Otherwise I say don't worry about it and just get the cheapest trainer you can find. Training indoors sucks, the trainer really doesn't do much to make it worse or better IMHO. I do recommend roller though, if you want to focus on getting a decent workout AND improving you're bike handling skills.

CycleOps fluid, super silent and very real feel.