I don''t have any other comparison, since this is the first I have ever purchased, but I was pleasantly surprised when I received it just two days after I ordered with FREE shipping.
The trainer itself is solid and works better than I could have hoped for, cost a lot less than buying an exercise bike.
I am not a cyclist and bought this to simply turn a regular bike into an exercise bike.
There was zero assembly required, just unfold it and place your bike in, super easy, when you want to ride the bike out on the street, it''s free in less than 30 seconds.
The only con I would say about this, is that it is loud if you have nobby treaded tires, from the previous review, I can see how a smooth tire would quiet it down, You do or can get use to the noise of it, However, you can also release the tire from the tension roller an ride like a regular bike.
Highly Recommend, I don''t think you''ll be sorry on this one.
This is just what it should be, really, and maybe it deserves 5 stars for that. The instructions were confusing because there''s an extra unexplained part, but I figured it out (you don''t need the extra axle). I am not a serious biker; this is just to get some exercise w/o buying an expensive piece of equipment.
What I''d totally forgotten about what the noise a bike trainer makes (and this is the main reason I''m posting, in case you''ve also forgotten or didn''t know). Looking online just now, I''ve seen it likened to vacuum cleaning, and that''s about right. I''m not sure that any other bike trainer would be better on this front... maybe the rim trainers are. (Note: see the other review that explains that if you get other tires for your bike the noise will not be an issue. Me, I am not "serious enough" to buy other tires, much less change them.)
Bottom line: this is fine. If you can deal with the noise, get it.
Update (a few years later): I don''t use this much any more, as I got an elliptical machine (which I prefer)... but I''ve realized this will be great for my summer away when I''ll have my bike with me anyway. And if it''s raining and I''d like some exercise, I''m all set.
To answer the question from the comment, it''s quite easy to put the bike in and out. If you look at the picture, there''s a faux axle squeezed between two pins/clamps at the top. The faux axle was the part that confused me. (Thanks to other helpful reviewers, I now know that this is provided to protect your real axle from scratches, if you have that sort of a bike). Your bike goes there, and you just tighten the pin/clamp things to hold the bike in place. The wheel rests on the part at the bottom which might need adjusting for your particular bike, but once that''s set, your bike will go in and out without much fuss.
Buy Bell Motivator Mag Indoor Bicycle Trainer Now
I was happy to find that there is no assembly required. It was very easy to set up. It works fine, and is a very sturdy and good-quality piece of equipment. However, it is noisier than I thought it would be. Well, I did choose the cheapest bike trainer I could find, so maybe you get what you pay for.
Read Best Reviews of Bell Motivator Mag Indoor Bicycle Trainer Here
This is a very basic trainer with very little resistance. This really is best for beginner bikers.
In addition, the tension adjustment knob is made of cheap plastic which stripped and cracked within a few weeks. When I called the company for support they said that they didn''t have any extra ones that they could send me. They told me I would have to mail in the entire unit to have it replaced. It certainly wasn''t worth the cost shipping for a 30-cent piece of cheap plastic.
I haven''t done it yet, but I''m going to take it somewhere to have a metal crank welded on to replace the cheap plastic adjustment knob. Until then, I have to use a pair of pliers to adjust the tension.
The unit is easy to setup and to get the bike setup on it. I didn''t need to use the extra skewer that was provided but you may if you have an older bike.
I recommend you buy slick tires to use with this (and any other) trainer. I very quickly went out and bought slick tires for my mountain bike because the knobby tires makes too much noise. Even with the slicks the noise is louder than I would like, but this is not the unit making the noise it''s the vibration from the tires which you will have with any unit. Another thing that helped was setting up the trainer and bike on a set of foam floor pads to reduce tranmission of vibrations to the rest of the room.
Want Bell Motivator Mag Indoor Bicycle Trainer Discount?
There are trainers with more features than the Bell but you will pay a lot more. If you are new to indoor biking then the Bell Trainer is the perfect way to start. You can always upgrade to a $500 trainer later if you feel the need. There is no adjustable resistance mechanism on the Bell. You adjust the resistance using your bike''s gears. Simplicity is a good thing IMHO! Some reviews have complained about noise. I''ve heard noiser Trainers than the Bell. My exersize cycle makes way more noise. In comparison the Bell is rather well behaved in that regard. The build quality on the Bell is VERY solid. The bearings seem to be of high quality. The flywheel is machined and polished steel. It comes out of the box already assembled. Mounting the bike on the trainer was easily done alone. A skewer type quick release hub is included if needed (I needed one). Amazon''s low price and free shipping makes it a steal and is the best deal I could find anywhere. I absolutely love my Bell Trainer and highly recommend it.
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