The other day I was using my magnetic trainer doing intervals - I live on the 4th floor of an apartment building and my downstairs neighbor came upstairs pounding on the door freaking out and swearing. I was using it at a reasonable hour (7pm) but this guy is a nurse and works odd hours. I have lived in other apartment buildings and never had a problem with my trainer disturbing the nieghbors but clearly not the case here.
So, what can I do to dampen the noise? I already use a ruber mat but that’s clearly not enough. Would a hydraulic trainer be quieter/give off less vibration? How about rollers? The guy was behaving like a complete d-bag, but I’d rather not have him kill me in my sleep.
*PLEASE DO NOT WASTE TIME AND ENERGY POSTING IF YOU DO NOT INTEND TO ANSWER MY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
Perhaps another pad with softer foam? Not sure on the noise difference vs other trainers but my rollers are a lot quieter than my mag trainer and they’re a cheap set from Nashbar.
Obligatory dick response…was this guy an athlete? If not, tell him to fuck off and get some exercise. If so, well then he should understand. He lives in an apartment complex…ya have to expect some noise…
Or you could ask for his work schedule so you can change your whole life for his benefit…
Most complexes have a range of hours where a certain noise level is acceptable. It’s his issue if hes on thirds and lives in an apartment complex. I did it for two years, its not reasonable to expect dead silence while your sleeping. Even though hes being a dick I would still try to work with him, he is your neighbor after all. Is it possible to move your trainer to another room not immediately above his bedroom?
The other day I was using my magnetic trainer doing intervals - I live on the 4th floor of an apartment building and my downstairs neighbor came upstairs pounding on the door freaking out and swearing. I was using it at a reasonable hour (7pm) but this guy is a nurse and works odd hours. I have lived in other apartment buildings and never had a problem with my trainer disturbing the nieghbors but clearly not the case here.
So, what can I do to dampen the noise? I already use a ruber mat but that’s clearly not enough. Would a hydraulic trainer be quieter/give off less vibration? How about rollers? The guy was behaving like a complete d-bag, but I’d rather not have him kill me in my sleep.
*PLEASE DO NOT WASTE TIME AND ENERGY POSTING IF YOU DO NOT INTEND TO ANSWER MY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
Thank you
You need a sound deadener like cork. I’d try your rubber mat over a layer of cork if possible. Also, you could try moving it to a different area.
I sympathize, ceiling sounds and wall sounds are one reason I bought a house two years ago.
Tough situation, but every building is not the same. The resonance of a spinning trainer can be surprisingly loud and annoying. Plus, some folks are particularly sensitive to sound in general. Perhaps you’re pissing-off more than just him(?).
I’d try to find another place to train - basement, gym, rec area, outdoors, etc.
Exactly why I’ve been seriously considering the Lemond Revolution trainer, with no wheel and just the direct drive fan I’m quite certain there should be less noise transfering into the floor.
I found that carpet scraps worked well for me. What ever you layer under your trainer with just make sure its still solid and doesnt move much or you will be buying new skewers often if not a new frame.
I had a mag trainer many years ago. They can be loud, very loud. Get a fluid trainer. I have a cycleops 2. I can spin in the garage and my night owl son can sleep in the room next to the garage without any problems. My cooling fan makes more noise. Add some padding like the other have said and you should be good to go.
Sorry to hear about your situation. I live on the 3rd floor but luckily have a Fluid 2 which is much quieter than my previous wind trainer. Hopefully you can get his resolved. I’d hate for the guy to go to the office and file a complaint. I know sometimes your contact might have an excessive noise section for tenants stating that you need to be mindful of your neighbors peace and quiet (something like that). At least that’s what mine has.
I agree on the fluid trainer. I also live in a fourth floor apartment in an old building with wood floors. I use my KK Road Machine frequently with a Yoga mat under it and have never gotten any complaints.
My first suggestion is to try to figure out what noise is getting through. Is it “contact” noise between the feet of the trainer and the floor? Is it the overall hummmm within the room? Is their a resonance that is happening? Your breathing to heavy :)? Don’t know how you will measure this though sorry.
Certainly putting down something like a cork base, then covering with a rubber mat should eliminate a lot of vibration and noise transfer.
But, I have a set of rollers and they produce a howl to the extent that if I use them in the basement, people can hear me 2 floore up.
I know this is not an exact answer to your question, but once upon a time when people lived below me, I used the laundry room(in the basement) of the apartment for biking. When my neighbors knew what I was saving them in annoyance they didn’t mind the awkwardness of me being there when they did laundry. My apartment was small though, more of a quad.
I have a KK fluid trainer and get complaints from downstairs as well. I’ve found that for my case it’s not so much a fault of the trainer, but the very slight imbalance in the wear pattern on the tire tread that causes “washing machine type noises” (direct quote). This type of vibration propagates through the floor much easier than the higher frequency buzzing from the spinning wheel, moving parts on the flywheel etc. So your problem may not go away by switching to a fluid trainer.
I use a rolled up towel under the rear feet and put books under the two folding feet, it seems to have dampened the noise enough.
I have also heard that trainer tires (like the conti yellow ones) are quieter.
The main noise problem is the vibration on the floor, get a 1 inch thick sheet of workout matt, glue it to both side of a 1’’ sheet of plywood, this should lower the vibration levels. You can also add other things to the mat to increasing the dampening abilities. I also bought a powerbeam pro and it is very quiet. I also asked the people under me which side of the apartment they are not on in the evenings/mornings, that way i can be on the right side of the apartment which might lower the residents perception of noise.
