new to trainers. going to pick one up asap.
is the riser ring/block or the mat necessary? looks like about $20 & $50, respectively.
seems like a whole lot for a rubber mat to me? can i just buy a yoga mat? is this ‘trainer mat’ anything special? are they firm or bouncy? 
I’ll be using this puppy in my living room by the way, no basement in my apartment.
Thanks
I don’t know if you really need a riser, but I’ve got one. I’m sure you can find something else that will work just as well…
As far as the mat, pretty much anything will work. Just know that if you don’t put something under the bike, you’re going to wreck your carpet from all the sweat.
I use a piece of 2X4 under the front wheel. If you live in a decent sized city a phone book will work. I don’t mind the sweat on my basement floor. Any mat should keep the sweat off the floor. If you have people living in a floor below you having a rubber mat between the trainer and floor would be a good idea.
Neither are anything special. If you want to protect your carpet and don’t want to buy the mat, put something else underneath your bike/trainer. If you want your bike level and don’t want to buy the riser, put something else under your wheel.
DIY cheap way. Brick or two for riser ($ 1.20) or two phone books (free)Mat to protect the floor use a piece of masonite or 1/4" plywood ($5.00)
Use a phone book.
just spend the money…they both last a lifetime.
buy a camping pad from Walmart for about $7. I change mine out every year cuz it gets funky. Phone book or whatever for riser.
Get the riser and use a towel for a mat.
jaretj
I probably went overboard, but I set up a workout area in my garage with some of these:
https://www.softtiles.com/content/view/28/39/
Every couple weeks or so I will clean the mats with disinfectant and paper towels to avoid any bacteria from all the sweat.
and I use the CycleOps riser block…
I had a camping mat before, but it didn’t do much for the noise, and I’ve had a lot of problems with my neighbors from riding the trainer in the past.
Since then, I’ve bought the cyclops mat, and it’s much much denser rubber–I think it’s a pretty good investment and it really reduces the vibrations (rather than the noise) that drove neighbors crazy. Course, if you don’t live in an apartment I don’t think it’s necessary, really.
no and no
I use books/magazines/piece of wood depending on which bike is in the trainer.
For a mat, I just throw a towel down. (Or a carpet square)
Try to find those squares you see in weight rooms for your mat…they are very tough and absorb tons of vibration, which will allow you to avoid cranking your tv/stereo and annoying your housemates, neighbors, etc.
Be sure to get a fan, that is most important, IMO.
The risers are silly. A 2x6 works perfectly. I can’t speak to mats and any noise issues they solve, but a towel traped from the stem and over the top bar catches most of the sweat. My trainer is either in the garage or in the basement, so I only use the towel to protect my bike from the fast amount of sweat I generate.
A fan is a great addition!
Victor
pick up a used riser for cheap, go to home depot or lowe’s and pick up a mat for $10 or so (just look around, I found a rubber mat made for a garage that’s thin and rolls up when not in use. I can just hose it off if it’s soaked in sweat). That’s what I did.
A large beach towel works great.
A riser block is not necessary but you may be able to find a riser block that is easier to move around and store than the alternatives (phone book, pile of wood etc) so if you are taking your bike down after every ride, ease of movement and storage may trump cost savings. (BTW, the beach towel is a heck of alot easier to store than a mat).
Head out to your local farm and ranch store - should you end up wanting a mat - and get a stall mat. Thick, durable and a lot less $$. I put my front wheel on a 10 ton hydraulic shop jack; tire fits nicely in the cup and up and down for changes are no problems…even with heavy water bottles on the bike.
the specific riser is cheap enough, one other minor benefit besides just the lift (compared to a simple block) is it’ll cup the front wheel a bit more stable/straight while standing, dicking around with the TV remote, etc; not that it’s a huge issue anyway, but…
Risers? Mats? Fans? You pampered little girls blouses will buy anything, really. High time some of you left the luxuries behind and got primal…shut the door and turn out the lights, put your head down, bury it…
I recommend both the mat and riser. Your ride will feel more stable and level with the riser and your floor will not get the smell that comes from sweaty things. Any mat will do as long as it is sweat proof and cleanable.