Yes. Anything with a flywheel gets really hot. The magnetic drive TACX Neo seems not to get as hot, but still I wouldn't touch the metal plates. But - for example - a Wahoo KICKR flywheel gets mighty toasty. The CycleOps Hammer is pretty fully enclosed so there's nothing you could touch that gets that hot.

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

Lol. Sit it on the porch, patio, screened in for 15min after use. No issue.

Nice to have an excuse for a new one, but an excuse not founded in logic.

Not to mention how dangerous all the moving parts are when he's actually riding the trainer. You'll have to keep the kid away from it while you're using it, so might as well figure out how to keep it away from it for 15 minutes longer while it cools off.

tacx neo has a fan.. you can hear it ... if you try

I fully endorse you getting a new trainer.

BUT - when they are little they don't move. My son was great at napping to the fan/trainer noise safely buckled into a bouncy chair. In between the "independent movement" and "the little bastard actually understands/listens/does what you say" phase I just don't ride the trainer when he's around (ie either other parent is home/or he's asleep).

But if you really want a trainer, don't tell your spouse any of this and go buy something shiny and new.

As a follow on does it only take 15 min for your trainer to cool down? I train in a garage and my trainer takes a minimum of 1hr to cool down in the summer before it won’t burn you. On a hot day it’s more like 1.5 hours and even in the middle of winter when it’s near freezing you need to wait 30 min.

The trainer is as simple as they come it has no flywheel or external moving parts so all the energy is contained in the small fluid unit that is mainly metal as it would melt plastic. The compounding issue is it’s difficult to move when hot because it’s a scolding hot box and two support legs. That makes it a bit of a landmine in the garage. So really a 15min cool down time would be a significant improvement.

Honestly I don't know how hot my smart trainer gets as I've never checked. But my old Cycleops Fluid2 I use a small fan pointed at the resistance unit to keep the temps down. One time I fogot to turn on the fan and the unit leaked fluid. Replacement resistance unit did not leak but I was more diligent to turn on the cooling fan.

But it is easier to just block out the area where the trainer is once the kid is mobile. Although they will eventually figure out ways to get where they want. Just let them get their curiosity out and they won't venture in when your are in the midst of a session. My boy who is a toddler mostly doesn't try to to get to me when I'm on the trainer. But once I stop he is on his way over. Right now have one of those outdoor play fences blocking where my trainer/treadmill is.