Bike Trainer Stand ?

caseysmomgo

Cathlete
I was just reading the spinning thread and a bike trainer was mentioned a couple times. Being clueless as I am, I didn't even know such a thing existed!...and all winter I'm bummed because I can't ride my bike... :mad: So I got online looking for a trainer and there are so many at so many different price points...

So for those of you who have one, are there certain features to look for? are cheaper ones just as good as a more expensive one? Any advice would be appreciated! You're all so knowledgable and I value your opinions. TIA!

(Once I get the bike trainer, I guess I'll have to cave and get some cardio coach!)
 
Denise

I have one and have had it for a really long time and up until recently it has sat in my closet. I love biking but find that sitting inside looking at a wall is way too boring. Mine makes too much noise to watch TV but now that I have discovered Cardio Coach I love it! We got ours through my DH's cousin who is a Masters olympic cyclist... I am sure that it is pretty good quality. I'll have to go look but I am sure that they have changed . Ours folds up and is very portable but made from a very solid metal. the bike easity fits into it and has snapping pieces that fit to the rim with pressure. I would say look for a quieter one than ours.

I had a pool of sweat on the floor last time I did cardio coach with it. Before I was bored after 5 minutes on it but with CC I did the full 40 minutes.
Good luck
Heather
 
Thanks for the input, Heather! I've been looking online and it does seem like noise is a big problem with a lot of them. I'll have to do my homework and look for the quietest one.

More $$ to spend... gotta stay off these forums!!!:)

Thanks again!
 
did you ever find a trainer for your bike?

this is an old post but I am just now seeing this...I ride a trainer a lot during the cold/windy/wet months when I am not able to ride outdoors. I have had mine for 4 years now and it is just the basic one from Performance. www.performancebike.com

I ride road and mtn, and am usually training for an endurance mtn bike race, so my coach has specific drills designed for rides done on the trainer. you can really get some great training in on the trainer if you have set purpose vs. just getting on the bike and riding, which can get boring.

I don't have trouble w/ the noise because I am usually wearing my iPod. I prefer to not have the tv on, too distracting. good luck to you & keep cycling!
 
In general, fluid trainers will be the quietest and have the closest "road" feel to them. I personally recommend the Kurt Kinetic fluid trainer - it's highly recommended, has a crazy good warranty, and is simply a wonderful piece of equipment. I love, love, love my bike trainer. If you go this route, I also recommend checking out Spinervals workouts - they are designed for competitive cyclists, but plenty of fitness minded folks use them as well. He's got a big selection of competitive workouts, and another line of slightly easier fitness series workouts. The competitive series will make you feel like Cathe's HiiT's are meant for your grandmother on an easy day. :)
 
I totally recommend CycleOps trainers...I have one and I love it, the resistance is great and it's really smooth riding. I rode mine last night after Superbowl, because I was all wound up that the saints won and so I burned some energy on my trainer....felt so good!
 
Thanks for revising this thread, ladies! I did some research last year on all the different trainers out there and my head started spinning (instead of my bike!) so I stopped looking.:(

I just looked into the ones you've just mentioned, and they all look great. The CycleOps Fluid 2 looks pretty good, and the price seems reasonable. Definitely worth checking out.

Thanks for your input and advice!
 
I have the CycleOps Fluid 2 as well and I really like it, although I have heard wonderful things about the Kurt Kinetic, too. I chose CycleOps simply because I wanted to support the local economy and the cycle shop where I bought mine didn't have the Kurt Kinetic.

And definitely get some Cardio Coach workouts!! They go great with the bike. Coach Sean is a spin instructor and his workouts were tested on his spin class students. I tried Spinervals -- they are EXCELLENT workouts, but to be honest, I didn't even understand most of the instructions :eek:. I almost think you need to be a bike pro to use them. And he's a bit boring, too. Coach Sean is much more... inspirational, and he pushes you beyond your limits.
 
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The CycleOps Fluid is also an EXCELLENT trainer - between the two (Kurt, CycleOps), you are looking at the best there is. Can't go wrong with either of them.

Spinervals are definitely focused on the competitive cyclist - Coach Troy is motivating, but not in the "feel good" way that Sean is. I can absolutely see non-competitive folks preferring Sean and CC over Spinervals. They are very different with a very different focus.
 
I have a Kurt Kinetic Rock N Roll Pro Trainer, the movement feels exactly like riding outdoors, and I highly recommend that you get the turntable for the front wheel. The pro models comes with an extra 12 pound flywheel in addition to the 6 (18 pounds) which is awesomely smooth for long rides. Its a great feature because you can take it on and off in 10 seconds and ride with a 6 pounder on lazy days. I would stick with the fluid trainers if noise is an issue and KK's are so smooth to ride on.
 
I have a Kurt Kinetic Rock N Roll Pro Trainer, the movement feels exactly like riding outdoors, and I highly recommend that you get the turntable for the front wheel. The pro models comes with an extra 12 pound flywheel in addition to the 6 (18 pounds) which is awesomely smooth for long rides. Its a great feature because you can take it on and off in 10 seconds and ride with a 6 pounder on lazy days. I would stick with the fluid trainers if noise is an issue and KK's are so smooth to ride on.

Sorry, I did not quite get it. Do you mean KK's is not fluid trainer? How loud is the noise? My Treadmill is pretty loud. I don't mind because I usually had my ipod on. But my husband could not take it even though he was in 2nd flr and I was in basement (3 level apart).

How much price different between KK and Cycleops?

Thanks
 
I just purchased a CycleOps 2 Fluid Trainer about a month ago and I highly recommend it. I was in your position last year too, reading all the reviews and trying to decide until I became overwhelmed and didn't get anything. This year while in a nearby sports store, they had the CycleOps Mag Trainer, the CycleOps 2 Fluid Trainer and the Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll Trainer sitting side-by-side for you to try.

The Rock and Roll was interesting and I did like it, but it was also louder and quite a bit more expensive then the CycleOps 2. The CycleOps2 Fluid trainer was much so smoother than the CycleOps Mag trainer. For me, the fluid trainer was definitely the way to go.

Before this, I had a Schwinn exercise bicycle with 12 programs and heart-rate monitor, etc. It didn't feel at all like riding a bike. I have already spent more time on my trainer in one month than I did in three years of the Schwinn.
 
Sorry, I did not quite get it. Do you mean KK's is not fluid trainer? How loud is the noise? My Treadmill is pretty loud. I don't mind because I usually had my ipod on. But my husband could not take it even though he was in 2nd flr and I was in basement (3 level apart).

How much price different between KK and Cycleops?

Thanks


Yes, its a fluid trainer also. I don't consider it loud at all and it will also depend on the tire you are using, the optimum being a trainer tire designed for spinning.

I don't know how much the Cyclops cost, but the KK has different price points depending on the model ranging from $350 to $670. Those are list prices too and one should NEVER pay list prices :p.
 

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