CycleOps Mag Trainer w/o Adjuster

A trainer is better if it closely replicates an actual cycling experience. Hence, the graduating complexity and cost of fan, magnetic and fluid drive trainers. The more you pay, the closer the experience is to replicating the inertia of what happens in a real ride. You want the trainer to feel as if it takes more exertion to get up to speed, but also want it to "coast", when you stop pedaling. This trainer is a mag drive, and does a good overall job, but doesn''t coast well. I find myself pedaling all the time, as if I were hill climbing. That''s OK for getting exercise, but not good for getting in a sustained ride. Those brief periods of coasting help the muscles recover and allow longer ride time. I could stop entirely for short periods, but that''s not how I want to ride. I do use the gears to vary pedaling speed, but can''t use the high gear and standing to vary the working muscles enough on the trainer; the resistance doesn''t go high enough for that. I haven''t tried a fluid drive, so don''t know if it would be much better. I suggest trying a trainer somewhere before buying. All said and done, I would probably buy this same trainer again, as it is solidly built and with a smooth tire on the bike, quiet enough. Now, if someone put a 20 lb weight on the spinner...

I''ve owned this for about two weeks, and have used it several times already. Assembly took about 20 minutes and was very easy. In the two weeks I''ve had this, I agree that using it is noisy, but I believe it is due to the tread on my mountain bike tire. I''m going to try switching to a smoother road tread to see if the noise decreases. Either way, I''m very happy to have bought this as I''ve already lost weight and am able to ride for a longer time at a higher speed than I was with the first few uses.

I recommend buying a block for the front wheel, too. Not for balance, but to level the height of the front wheel with that of the back wheel.

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I have owned several mag trainers over the last decade and I have no doubt that this is the best one on the market as far as sturdiness, but it is not without its limitations. Briefly, like all mag trainers, it is still loud and it doesn''t generate a lot of resistance. I have never used a fluid trainer before and can''t afford one, but if it actually is significantly quieter and you have the money I''d recommend it, particularly if you live in an apartment or shared dwelling.

Here are the reasons why it compares favorably with all the other mag trainers I''ve owned: (1) It was easy to set up. I have read some reviews to the contrary and I simply can''t agree. I think it took me all of 10 minutes. I suppose if you have never used one before and seen how the resistance unit is meant to fit and function, it could be less intuitive. (2) It feels sturdy, with no noticeable rocking back and forth, even when standing and/or applying quite a bit of force. Unlike some trainers I''ve owned, I don''t feel afraid that I''m going to go rocketing across the room if I try to stand up and sprint. (3) Many of the surfaces I use it on are slightly uneven, but by extending and/or shortening the "feet" as needed (done simply by twisting them in or out) it is quite easy to make the trainer level and stable. In these three respects it performs exactly as expected.

That said, this one didn''t meet my admittedly high (by virtue of the price and the manufacturer''s reputation) hopes, in two key respects. (1) Make no mistakes about it, mag trainers are loud and this one is no exception. While spinning at low resistance and high cadence the vibration and noise are tolerable, about as loud as, say, a stand mixer; but when turning the big ring at about 70 RPMs in an enclosed space -my 1 bedroom apartment -it throws off enough noise that I need to turn the pumping house music on my closely fitting headphones all the way up to the max to drown it out. Using it on a weeknight -the purpose for which I bought it -is absolutely out of the question without probably drawing complaints from my upstairs and downstairs neighbors. It''s perhaps 5-10% quieter than mag trainers I owned 3-5 years ago, but still not quiet enough that I would feel comfortable using it in an apartment without concrete walls, in a single-dwelling house, or in a basement or garage. (2) It just doesn''t generate very much resistance. I am not a particularly strong cyclist, but even on the highest setting, I have to put it in the fourth or third hardest gearing to generate enough resistance to get a zone 4-5 workout while spinning at 70 RPM. I''m not sure I could even get the resistance up high enough to really "grind," i.e., 50-60 RPMs. It doesn''t matter so much for me right now but if I got significantly stronger I could see it really being an issue.

I don''t know how much I''ll end up using this. If I had the extra money and knew that a fluid trainer would be significantly quieter, I''d go that way instead.

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I spent well over $200 for this item in a regular bike store, as of today, Amazon has the best price.

It''s a solid build, folds up nearly flat when not in use (a big plus for me with small space!), holds the back wheel steady and doesn''t produce a huge amount of noise.

The guy at the store set it up for me, it took under 5 minutes. I folded it up and brought it home. Now I use my bike indoors everyday.

Make sure you don''t overadjust the tension, or it will create too much heat. Just use your gears to adjust resistance. Other than that, everything is pretty much as simple as it gets.

I really reccomend it.

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I''m not a hard core cyclist but I like to bike to stay in shape. It creates a little noise but it''s not bad at all. This trainer works really well and it''s really nice for the price. I''d recommend getting the stabalizer for the front tire to keep everything sturdy and to lift up the front end.

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