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Trainers (xpost in lounge)

mobius

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
2,158
0
Around DC
So i've come to the conclusion not living in the mountains and riding downhill everyday and being back at college is killing my cardio. I am interested in getting a trainer for my road bike and mountain bike to get my cardio back since its getting cold and i hate running.

What is a resonably priced trainer and what kind? I know nothing about them but im looking to get one for xmas but it needs to be resonably priced. I'm not looking for anything fancy just something thats affordable and works good.

Thanks a bunch
 

JRogers

talks too much
Mar 19, 2002
3,785
1
Claremont, CA
The only trainers I have used much are Cycleops and Minoura. I like the action and feel of the Minoura better, but the Cycleops ones I've used are decent. Get a fluid or magnetic trainer or rollers; don't bother with wind. Too loud, not enough options or adjustments (in general).

Have you ever used a trainer before? It's a lot of fun:rolleyes: Well, it's not too bad, I guess. I don't like riding in the cold (below about 20 degrees out) so trainers are a must here. My college cycling team has a room in the gymnasium we keep some trainers in. No insulation or anything in there; it's cold as balls....but once you start pedaling it's fine. Riding a trainer makes me sweat like nothing else except running in high heat.
 

Pau11y

Turbo Monkey
...And to add to Mobius question, trainer vs rollers: which one? I'm thinking about winter cardio work too. Sometimes there's just too much cold related stuff to go outside on a roadie (I'm mainly worried about ice).
 

bluebug32

Asshat
Jan 14, 2005
6,141
0
Floating down the Hudson
the main reason I'm inside during the winter is because it's dark by the time I get home at night. With the trainer, I can decide when I want to ride not when mother nature dictates it to be a good time. And there are ways to mix it up like really sprinting during commercials etc.
 

MtnbikeMike

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2004
2,637
1
The 909
Blackburn has some that are around $150, and they seem pretty solid. I have a Cycleops Magneto, which is supposed o be the first ever mag trainer with Progressive resistance(what the fluid trainers have). It works fine. It was around $200 and it's the 'Trek' version, which means it just says Trek on it and costs less.
 

jacksonpt

Turbo Monkey
Jul 22, 2002
6,791
59
Vestal, NY
Pau11y said:
...And to add to Mobius question, trainer vs rollers: which one? I'm thinking about winter cardio work too. Sometimes there's just too much cold related stuff to go outside on a roadie (I'm mainly worried about ice).
I've been doing a bit of research on this as well. From what I've read, rollers are a better workout as you also have to balance - i.e. using more muscles/coordination than on a trainer which holds you upright. The people I know who have used rollers swear by them. That being said, I'll probably go with a trainer simply because it's so much smaller - rollers in a house with 2 kids and 2 dogs would get in the way in a hurry.
 

Wumpus

makes avatars better
Dec 25, 2003
8,161
153
Six Shooter Junction
jacksonpt said:
That being said, I'll probably go with a trainer simply because it's so much smaller - rollers in a house with 2 kids and 2 dogs would get in the way in a hurry.
Why? My rollers fold in half(some fold smaller) and store out of the way easily. When your bike is on either, the area taken up is about the same. We have two dogs and two kids, too. I usually ride them in the workshop with the door cracked so I feel like I'm outside.

From the other post since it got buried:

When looking at rollers there are two extremes -- Big drums(4.5") are for easy spin type workouts and usually have some type of fan attachment if you want a tougher workout and then there are small drums(2.25") that are pretty tough. Now Kreitler makes a 10" wide drum(normal is 15") that will really keep you on your toes.

Other thread
 

-dustin

boring
Jun 10, 2002
7,155
1
austin
i really want a trainer or rollers. some days i want a trainer so that i can zone out, other days i want rollers to help with being smooth. decisions, decisions.
 

JoeRay

Monkey
Feb 19, 2004
228
0
In Squalor
firetoole said:
I am in the process of building rollers out of 2 2x4s and 3 print cylinders from my work :D
You've given me an idea. I'm going off to *ahem* borrow some conveyor belt idlers from work.

Off hand I think they are 3-4 inches in diameter, might run a tape over them tomorrow.

Jeez I might even get the boiler maker at work to knock me up a frame. That would really be pushing the 'borrowing from work' envelope.
 
Aug 11, 2003
34
0
I've got both a Minoura Mag Trainer and a set of rollers. I find that the rollers are much more stimulating for me to ride because I have to concentrate on balance and smoothness. It seems like an hour on the rollers is a nice workout, whereas an hour on my trainer is torture (boring...). My rollers are 4.5 diameter which doesn't provide as much resistance as the smaller diameter rollers but they do the job.

If I could do it all over again I would just get rollers.

Simon
 

Pau11y

Turbo Monkey
HOLY CRAP! I just got me some rollers and had a go at it (Critter Challengers - sic) and it's HARD! First, for me to stay on pretty calmly (reads not a lot of side of roller to side of roller, or off entirely), I had to be moving at 22mph (per my Vetta HR100 - new install so accuracy is suspect). But once I get to that pace, I can just sit there and watch my movie. Currently, being off the bike for like 3 mos now, I can only do 20 mins of this. I'm hoping to be able to do an entire movie of average length like this until the weather changes. But DAMN you get smoking hot really quick!
 

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,157
355
Roanoke, VA
Paully, it is imperative that you get some air moving over your body. I reccomend at least 2 big box fans, one at chest level and one aimed at your legs. Drink more water than you think you need as well. It wouldn't hurt to turn off the heat and open a window as well.
 

-dustin

boring
Jun 10, 2002
7,155
1
austin
got me some rollers and did my first "ride" on them today. wasn't nearly as hard to get going as i thought it was going to be. i guess it took me all of 2 tries to get rollin' without pulling over to the side. riding on my Egg Beaters with running shoes wasn't fun. tempted to try and clip in.

got the CycleOps aluminum rollers.