Cyclists - tell me about your experience with indoor trainers

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m tossing around the idea of getting an indoor trainer for my bike. I’ve actually been thinking about this since last year when I started riding, but at the time I couldn’t justify the expense until I was sure I’d stick with cycling for at least a couple-few years.

From what I gather, trainers are one of the following types, with the following attributes:
Fan - cheap (<$200), but loud
Magnetic - quieter than a fan, ranges from a bit more expensive than a fan-based trainer to very expensive (> $1000), depending on the feature set you are looking for and how computerized/automated it is.
Fluid - very realistic feel, generally reasonably at < $400, but can also get expensive. Leaking appears to be the most common problem.

At the moment, I’m thinking about a fluid based trainer, but I have some questions that are difficult to get answers to:
Leaks
[ul] How much of a problem is leaking, really? A little drop here, a little drop there? [/ul]
[ul] Is it only a problem when its been run at high speeds (> 25 mph) for extended periods of time (> 3 hours)? Or can it be an issue going at 17 mph for 4-5 hours?[/ul]
[ul] Any brands better than others for not leaking?[/ul]
[ul] How much are they to repair if they start leaking? [/ul]

Realism
[ul] I can understand the fluid trainers feeling very realistic in that they get more difficult as speed increases - but that seems to me to be quite different than difficulty due to ascending a hill. I suppose if you are good with maintaining a specific cadence it doesn’t really matter much whether the difficulty is due to speed or going up a hill. Is that true? [/ul]

What am I missing?
[ul] My main focus is improving my cycling ability (duh) - primarily because the bike is the weakest part of my racing in triathlons. Right now, my bike (a hand me down, which I got for the right price of $0) is heavy at 33 lbs. I can’t justify the expense of a new bike at this point, so I’m thinking a trainer is the best option, for a myriad of reasons - I can use it when the weather gets cold, days get shorter, rainy days like we’ve been having, can practice pedalling form with clipless pedals, etc. I’ve done some 50 mile bike rides and tend to average around 15 mph - I’d like to be able to average closer to 20 mph. I’m hoping to do at least one century this year, but marathon training currently takes precedence - so we’ll see how that goes. My idea for using the trainer is basically to be down in the basement in front of the TV and DVD player for a couple hours while on the trainer. That is the major reason I’m thinking fluid vs fan. [/ul]
[ul] Based on what I’ve mentioned above - what might I be missing in terms of what I should look for in a trainer? Am I thinking correctly that a fluid trainer would be the best match, or am I unfairly passing over the fan based type? Or are my goals such that within a couple years, I’ll be wishing I had one of the higher end ones? Obviously this is a difficult question to answer - but I guess by asking this question, I’m trying to find out whether buyers remorse can be common with a certain type of trainer within a short period of time.[/ul]

Thanks for any reviews, help, advice and stories from experience!

2

Rollers.

I have a Blackburn magnetic trainer, I used it for warming up for time trials and criteriums. Now I use it mostly as a work stand.

When I want to train and can’t hit the road or trail, I hop on my rollers. A trainer will have me bored to tears in about 15 minutes, but I can ride the rollers for an hour or more. My rollers also have a belt driven magnetic resistance unit on it and it works fine, but if I were buying new rollers I’d try the ones with a fan that blows on you. As it is now, I have a box fan to keep me cool when I’m on the rollers.

Threre is a bit of a learning period to use rollers, but after about a week you can hop on them without any aid.

3

I’ve heard great things about the rollers too. Personally, we have a VR Tacx, but unless you’re willing to spend $2000+, I won’t recommend it (but it’s SO COOL to ride the Tour de France in real time!).

As for increasing your average speed and stuff, just wanted to say to make sure you’re not just riding along, no change in anything. Get some good hard interval work in there, and don’t forget to do heavy weights to increase your power.

4

Thanks for the replies so far…
I had come across rollers when I was looking at trainers - but they didn’t seem as popular. Maybe they are relatively new to the field.

Thanks for the ‘endorsement’ of the Blackburn trainer :smiley: It was a Blackburn fluid trainer that I was kinda looking at.

How are rollers more entertaining than trainers, and thus allow a longer period of time before getting bored? I find that any time I end up in the same place (treadmill, endless pool, etc) - I can easily get bored. I do better if I am doing intervals or have something to distract me a little bit (thus the idea of watching a movie).

Any features to look for in rollers - aside from one that has a built in fan? I haven’t researched them at all, but they seem to be in the same general price range as a decent fluid trainer - so rollers are definately something I’d be willing to look into.

I’ve seen the trainers that are $2k that allow stuff like riding in the tour. Definately seems like it’d be cool as hell. But I’m not anywhere near the point (and dont necessarily expect I ever will be) where I can dump the cash on that. However if I saw a good used one for like $600 I’d be all over it :slight_smile:

5

I use a Travel Trac Century fluid trainer. I think it is the cheapest of all the fluid trainers. I’ve averaged about four hours a week on it for two years now (incidentally, also for triathlons) and its been fine - no leaks, no breaks. Because of my schedule and location, I can only bike train outdoors on the weekends so I use the trainer during the week. I set it up on a towel with a book under the front wheel and watch a DVD for an hour. I’ve gone up to 2.5 hours but that is only as a last resort when the weather is really, really bad and I need to get a long ride in.

I find the biggest benefit is maintaining a constant and steady cadence. It won’t make you a monster hill-climber but you can definitely increase your stamina and power. Still, nothing replaces the road.

In any case, the only real way to get better at cycling is TITS (time in the saddle). The trainer (and rollers) are great for that when your time is limited.

6

Sorry, I wasn’t clear - as far as trainers go, the Blackburn is a fine unit. My comment was more for trainers in general as they can be boring to ride, especially alone (at least warming up for a race you have people around to talk to). And a trainer really does make a good workstand (unless you are working on the rear derailleur). I’ve only owned the magnetic type though, so I can’t comment on the fluid or fan types.

As for rollers, you have to pay attention to avoid falling off. When you first try rollers you are not going to like it very much. Most people have to put it next to a wall or something to brace themselves with to get started, and you will fall off a few times. Unlikely you’ll hurt yourself. You do have to adjust the front roller based on your wheelbase to get the best handling. Once you master the rollers you’ll be able to start without using a wall or other prop (that may take a week) and not fall off while riding (you’ll figure this out in the first 30 minutes). Other than that, it’s not that they are particularly entertaining (I usually listen to music through headphones) it’s just that the little bit of attention you have to pay to ride them beats the heck out of the complete mindlessness of trainers.

7

I too am a triathlete who is weakest on the bike. I have a relatively cheap fluid trainer that I got from Performance Cyclist. It works fine, although I had to get a special tire to use on the trainer. The others get very hot and gradually disappear.

To relieve the boredom, I only use it when watching something on TV. Football games work well, because you can do some kind of drill during the commercials, and they last long enough.

8

I can’t answer your question but I’m currently researching Inside Ride E-Motion Free Motion Rollers $795

I’ll be keeping an eye on your thread…

9

Getting a bit off topic here, but one other thing to consider is joining group rides with road racers (not other triathletes). Most tri guys tend to train at one speed (say 22-23 mph or so) for a long time. Road racers will ride a bit slower (about 19-21 mph) most of the time but kick it up to 25-27 mph or more for short sections of the ride. That’s where they drop most triathletes (and yes, we do it on purpose and enjoy it). A triathlete that can cope with the wider pace swings of road racers can usually do better on the bike in a triathlon than those who cannot.

edited to add: But don’t take (or at least use) the aero bars on the road rides.

10

I have a magnetic trainer - an el cheapo Minuro that I got years ago from Performance bike. It does what I need it to do, but it does not feel like the road at all. My wife has a Kurt Kinetic trainer that is way more comfortable to ride, but I didn’t see the point in upgrading since riding on the trainer is going to suck either way.

There is a triathlon board I go to, slowtwitch.com, and the members there suggest the Kurt Kinetic or the “angry badger” secret trainer deal from Bike Sport Michigan. Loading...
The angry badger might be the Kurt Kinetic, but the posters on slowtwitch won’t say for sure.

11

I currently have a 1up USA trainer, which I like better than the low-end fluid trainer I used to have (CycleOps, I think). It has a centrifugal friction system - a set of balls on the flywheel presses on the friction plate, so the friction increases with speed. There’s no fluid to leak, and it’s as quiet as my old fluid trainer.

I don’t use it much anymore though. I just can’t stay motivated on a trainer for very long. Having a physical destination is so much more satisfying.

12

This is the correct answer. The 1up is the best trainer out there. It’s not so good that you’ll suddenly enjoy riding indoors, but it works good, feels good, stays quiet and won’t break. Worth the investment, absolutely.

Rollers will probably do more to “improve your cycling”, but that’s another debate. (And you can’t ride them bleary-eyed and half asleep)

13

I would add to this that fan and fluid offer progressive resistance whereas most magnetic trainers do not. There are some higher end magnetics that do, but I am not sure how it works.

I also read that the weight of the flywheel is a factor to consider. I think a heavier flywheel simulates a road better. Maybe the momentum of the flywheel is intended to simulate a moving bike’s momentum.

And I’ll second the suggestion to get a special trainer tire for the back wheel.

14

Based on this thread and reviews on various sites, it sounds like most people are pretty happy with the purchases they have made - be it an expensive trainer that can simulate all kinds of road conditions automatically, or a cheap-o fluid trainer that is just used to keep in shape with the help of a distraction (such as TV) to relieve boredom.

I think I like the idea of rollers vs a trainer, all else being equal. At the moment, I’m thinking about this set of rollers - but I know virtually nothing about the brand, and whether some of its ‘features’ could be problematic (PVC drums vs metal, for example).

Thanks for the insight! It will be a few months yet, so I have time to do more research - but I certainly appreciate the thoughts and considerations.

15

The price they have for the Kreitler Challenger 3.0 Rollers is pretty good and you get aluminum rollers. Currently out of stock though.

16

How do rollers adjust difficulty - are they like fluid trainers where it gets more difficult as speed increases?

17

Kreitler makes rollers in three diameters. The smaller ones require more effort, but yeah the faster you go the harder it gets, even on the big rollers. Rollers can also be equipped with fans, flywheels, or resistance units. My performance rollers have a magnetic resistance unit attached (belt driven). If I had to buy new rollers, I’d get the fan since I need one to keep cool anyway.

18

One time, while I was riding, I got a flat tire and then, later, I crashed and fell down. (Yes, on an indoor trainer.) :rolleyes:

19

It’s funny you say that - because it did occur to me, after watching a video of someone on rollers, that it might be possible for a tire to pop off the roller and then you go careening into the nearest wall ahead of you.

(ok, it might take an extreme set of circumstances to get a tire, especially the rear one, to find its way off a roller - but the mental image is akin to the Beavis and Butthead skit where they ramp up the treadmill to high speed and then jump on it).

20

I, apparently, wasn’t locked in all the way on the trainer and crashed into the couch. Tweaked one my spokes as well.

This is not a story I generally tell.