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Indoor T rainer

theBlob

Bokeh master
Sep 28, 2011
3,014
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This typhoon is the last straw. i'm buying an indoor trainer.

Any advice from the peanut gallery about pros cons things to look out for in a decent trainer. I have a power meter so I don't really need a trainer that gives me data, just quiet and decent range of resistance. One you can stand on would be good too.

Thinking about this one.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tacx-satori-high-power-cycle-trainer/
 
I have a CycleOps Super Magneto Pro
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cycleops-super-magneto-pro-winter-training-kit/
and a set of Tacx Antares Rollers.

The rollers are good up to about 250W then you need to go to crazy cadences to get more resistance. I like these for easy recovery days and for doing pedaling skills drills. Pros: price, more of a road feel than trainer in terms of handling. Cons: noise (even with trainer tires), limited wattage, takes a bit of room

The trainer is sweet with a huge wattage range (4 settings). Easy to get set up and relatively quiet. You can stand, but the bike can not move side to side, so it does not feel very natural, IMHO. Pros: Good wattage range, very stable platform, comes with many accessories, relatively quiet, easier for storage?. Cons: Bit pricey, does not interface to PC/net like some of the newer systems.

I like the rollers for recovery, and trainer for harder workouts.
 
The Super Magneto Pro is the one I keep going back to. Does the fact that you have to get off the bike to change the resistance matter at all? If you could have bought the Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll would you have?
 
If you guys want a little more excitement in your lives, I've got a can of paint that you can have. Just paint it on the nearest wall and watch it dry.
Seriously though, I couldn't think of anything more boring than using an indoor trainer. They must be at about the same level of boredom as treadmills (god I hate those damn things so much).
 
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Not my setup- waiting for my wife to leave for work before I set up camp in the living room and take on Alpe d'huez:D

I have the ELITE REAL POWER CT RITMO will replicate grades up to 20% and wattage up to 1600w Ride anywhere in the world using Google maps and earth as well as your own GPS and REAL RIDES (using a smart phone you video the ride and then ride it virtual later) Plus comes with a whole host of real ride DVD's, live racing and conconi testing and training program related to your testings.......... 40 inch tv, drop the lights and enjoy the closest thing to riding outside.

Enjoy the paint boys :D

But on a more helpful note - seriously unless you are looking to do a lot of indoor work I would just get the cheapest set of rollers or turbo trainer you can find. A lot of the second hand bike stores have a lot to chose from and go as cheap as 6,000 JPY.

If you plan to do lots of work on them, then I suggest looking at something at the higher end of the spectrum - it is boring, trust me I spend hours on the bloody things and thus why I ended up going for the flagship Elite trainer.
 
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just quiet and decent range of resistance
Would also love to hear inputs about the quietest trainers around.
My apartment and neighbors are very quiet. When I tune my bike (i.e. work on the drivetrain) I can imagine them yelling "urusai".
 
You need to remember that the majority of noise is vibration and several of the manufacturers are moving away from a roller style system (rollers and turbo trainers)

Trainers that allow you to remove the real wheel and connected directly to the flywheel/fan are actually quieter as the noise they create is air movement and not vibration. If you are in the same room then the Lemond is noisy however my wife and kids don't hear me when they are down stairs or in the opposite bedrooms.

Curently the quietest trainer is the Elite Muin, go on youtube and have a look for videos - these are damn quiet!

You can reduce the sound of the classic turbo trainers by using the correct training tires and floor mats - also I've used a thick rubber sheet under the floor mat to reduce even further the noise of the trainer and can be bought by the meter at most hardware stores.
 
I'm looking at these, too --

Dedicated Trainers:
1) Elite - well supported in Japan, elastogel technology, good mounts, decent software including Conconi Tests and feedback assist motor (you get real power feedback)

2) Racermate (Computrainer) - industry standard. Good software, high precision, includes spin scan. Funky Japanese distibutor.

3) Cyclops - 'walled garden' software, great quality, good Japanese support, improving software. They are releasing a whole slew of new stuff - so that means either the old stuff can be bought cheaper o you can get the newer stuff which integates more smoothly with Wahoo, etc.

Hybrid Approach:
1) Trainer Road and PowerTap on cheap trainer. You can't directly race your buddies, yet - but the workouts are awesome. The only thing missing is the real power feedback.

2) Rollers and PowerTap - same thing as above, but the rollers give you a bit more 'reality' training and help with stroke smoothness, core strength , etc. Most rollers have capability to add a resistance unit, btw.

Stand Alone Approach:

1) Cyclops - Pro units are super solid. PowerTap / Joule, etc.
2) Proform - tilts and stuff. Pretty cool , but setup is geared more to TT / Tri
3) LeMond - Revmaster has cool adjustments, great feel and narrower Q than most.

I'd say just start with a used Minoura and then see how much you like / stand it. Then, when you figure out your indoor routine optimize towards that. There is a pretty big gap in price between 'functional' and 'feature-ful' . The mid-range doesn't really seem to offer much other than small improvements. So - I think a 6000 yen used Minourra is as decent as a 100,000 yen Kinetic and not until you use an Elite Ritmo at 120,000 yen does the indoor trainer really take a new step up.
 
The Super Magneto Pro is the one I keep going back to. Does the fact that you have to get off the bike to change the resistance matter at all? If you could have bought the Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll would you have?

I've never changed the resistance setting on mine. Just shift gears, it gets harder.... works for me.
 
I'm going to train outside I think, my house has wooden floors and I think there is nothing that will stop the sound echoing through the house. I have space outside to set up a space and I just need a cover to run off the back verandah.

Anyway thanks for the advice, I'm going to look into that quiet one anyway...

Next question cheapest place to buy?
 
I use the Satori with a "trainer specific" tire. I have a room just for bike stuff, so have laid the floor with rubber floor mats from Costco. It's pretty quiet. Noisiest thing is the rider huffing and puffing. I listen to cycling podcasts to beak the boredom.....well, if you are using the trainer correctly you should be killing yourself so boredom shouldn't be a problem!
 
Yeah I've never had trouble using trainers in the gym, as long as I have my power numbers I think I'll be fine to keep motivated for an hour or so.
 
I recently started using TrainerRoad for indoor rides and it's anything but boring. I don't even need video. Outside is definitely a better experience but indoor is very efficient before work in the morning and so far very painful. TrainerRoad has you tracing power graph targets thoughout the workout and I find it really tough. I'm currently using the Lemond Revolution and I have to say that I love it:D
 
Wexford, if you like Trainerroad, you'll <hate> it even more when you drop in the Sufferfest vids. Also - you can create your own workouts and I think soon they'll have the video synch thing working. They use the Sufferfest XML, btw.
 
Regarding sufferfest - I'm not worthy to even pretend to hang off the back of a pro let alone close gaps to them etc yet. Perhaps if they had a video where I had to outrun a mama-chari and a couple of cop cyclists I'd feel it matched more what I was capable of currently :) That said, I'll probably try it at some stage;)

Wexford, if you like Trainerroad, you'll <hate> it even more when you drop in the Sufferfest vids. Also - you can create your own workouts and I think soon they'll have the video synch thing working. They use the Sufferfest XML, btw.
 
Trainerroad seems to be compatible with all the big named trainers but with varying degrees of accuracy for power estimations, as far as I can tell.

Even without 100% on the nose power readouts I am sure you would still get a damned good work out.

@wexford do you have a power meter or rely on their calculations? I know @WhiteGiant has a power meter and is enjoying using trainerroad, too.
 
The Super Magneto Pro is the one I keep going back to. Does the fact that you have to get off the bike to change the resistance matter at all?

Like theDude says, set it for the resistance range of the day's particular workout, and use the bike gearing to change the resistance within that.
 
Like theDude says, set it for the resistance range of the day's particular workout, and use the bike gearing to change the resistance within that.

Thanks. One reviewer mentioned having to get off and change it by hand. I wondered why that was needed.
 
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