Hi there, this past year was my first year of triathlon training, now with winter around the corner, I’d like to invest in a bike trainer.
I don’t know much about them, researched just a bit, but there seems to be many options.
First off, which type of trainer seems to be the best? Fluid, wind, etc?
Secondly, what makes would you guys recommend?
Thanks for the help!
I’d recommend the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine (Fluid Trainer).
I would recommend a fluid trainer such as the Kurt Kinetic or the CycleOps Fluid2 (I use this currently). Trainers such as these typically provide the best resistance curve for trainer rides. They “bite back” so to speak when you’re riding on them.
Hope this helps.
Awesome, thanks for the help guys.
From the research I had done, the Kurt Kinetic seemed like the popular choice, glad your posts agree.
I bought a KK Road Machine last winter and love it. I do not regret getting it at all.
Now, just get a laptop and some vids (sufferfest.com) and you are ready for a great indoor season.
Depends on alot of factors - where it’s going to be used, how heavy/frequently, your budget…
I used a Minoura Mag trainer for 4 yrs, never had an issue with it, using it to train for 2 IMs, so up to 6hr trainer rides. It was stable, smooth and (relatively) quiet. To the last point, however, I used it in a basement, on a concrete floor. Fluid trainers tend to be quieter, so if you’re going to use in an apartment, it may be a better choice.
Last year, I bought a Kinetic Road Machine trainer from someone I knew, hardly used. I can’t really say that I noticed much of a differnce, but I didn’t put it through heavy use. I’ll really find that out this coming Winter. I DO know that I paid < $100 for the Minoura at the time, so definitely got my $$ worth. The Kinetic - up here, anyway - is alot more $$.
Do you know if you like riding a trainer? Some people would rather poke their eyes out, while others can go 4, 5, 6hrs…
I use an old cateye cyclosimulator (15+ yrs old) that has a wattage reading. Old, clunky, but works well to give an idea of effort with the wattage readout.
regardless of the trainer you get, get a good set of video workouts. Sufferfest was my choice last winter and will be again this year.
Another vote for the KK. It folds quickly for easy storage/movement, and is easy to take along for warmups, etc.
John
The Kurt Kinetic is the #1 recommendation I always see. I went with the CycleOps Fluid2 because I could find it on sale, so it was $80 or so cheaper than the KK. Great trainer as well, no problems so far.