[Abb94]

I am in the market for a trainer. Not that I can use it anytime soon (must let my knee heal first).<br><br>
Any suggestions? I cannot spend a HUGE amount of money, but I don't want to get a cheapie that I won't be happy with.<br><br>
Thank you!

 

[kburnell]

I bought a Road Machine made by Kurt Kinetic this winter and have had good luck with it. I paid around $300 for it at the LBS if I remember correctly.

 

[LookiLoo]

<br>
Kinetic would be my vote, but I don't have any experience with other trainers, I'm just very happy with mine. Check e-bay, Craigslist, etc - you may be able to find something cheaper. Are you an REI member? You can use the 20% member discount until the end of the month, and that's a huge chunk out of a $300 item....

 

[TriBob]

I have had a performance mag trainer for 10 years and still works fine. It has thousands of hours on it. Maybe close to 10k hours. New mag trainers are around $100.

 

[LeftRightRepeat]

Another approach to consider.. I bought a simple mag trainer on Craig's List for $35. I went cheap as I wanted to convince myself I'd get some use out of the thing before spending beaucoup bucks. I used it about 5 times this winter. That's not enough use, for me, to justify any greater expenditure so I'll stick with it a bit longer.

 

[niemsco]

On the Kurt Kinetic, you can also purchase a $35 dollar power computer which could be very useful. It doesn't matter whether its 100% accurate or not, but you can establish a baseline of wattage that you can build upon. It can add a whole new dimension to your training. Good luck!

 

[Thor]

GREAT point.

 

[hobey]

Love my Kurt Kinetic.

 

[3chilipeppers]

I just got the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine. I've used it twice so far and love it. I looked at several different ones in person, and the Kurt Kinetic and Cyclops Fluid 2 were the 2 I was considering. I read slightly better reviews on the Kurt. Compared to the others I saw in the store, the quality is definitely superior on these two!! I also didn't want to spend too much, but I also didn't want a cheapo. It also came with a Spinervals DVD with 3 workouts on it (30 mins. each)<br><br>
I got my Kurt on ebay for $250 and free shipping. There are a few places that have a Buy it Now Or Best Offer. That's what I did. I might have been able to go lower, but I didn't try because I had offered even more to another dealer and it got denied. I bought mine from zenfit73. It shipped out the day after I paid for it, and it arrived in 3 days!! There are also some '07 models (same machine, different color) out there, but most are the same price I paid for the '08. I know there was one on amazon.com, though. REI has it for $309, plus you can get 20% off until the end of March. I almost did that, but with the tax, it made it more than the one I got. Here's the link to the ebay one:<br><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/KURT-KINETIC-08-ROAD-MACHINE-FLUID-BIKE-TRAINER-NEW_W0QQitemZ230235722721QQihZ013QQcategoryZ36141QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.com/KURT-KINETIC-08-...QQcmdZViewItem</a><br><br>
Oh, I got the Kurt so I can add on the computer later. I might do it sooner rather than later. <img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif">

 

[bcc594]

I have a Tacx Satori. It's not bad. It's a mag trainer, and can be a bit loud at times. The tension that it produces is fairly consistent - it doesn't vary with effort like a Fluid trainer. Tacx says that I should be able to hit 400 watts on it, but I have no way of knowing whether that's true or not. It's a fairly stable unit, so standing and sprinting on it are nice and safe. As for price, I bought it in Europe, so what I paid is most likely irrelevant to a North American consumer.

 

[NBjunkie]

ABBIE--I have the Kurt Fluid--and love it (but have nothing to compare it to)--and than I purchased a computer that has a rear mount (so I can use it inside and outside) for $30---love the computer too---I can give you the pc name and stuff if your interested! hang in there with your injury!! thinking of you!

 

[Abb94]

Thanks guys, this is GREAT information!!!! I really appreciate all the time you guys took to give me input. I am leaning toward something a bit less than $300, but I may just want to go ahead and invest in something good. Living in the south, we don't really have an off-season, so I probably would not use it as much as those of you in the north, so that is why I am a bit hesitant to spend a ton of money.<br><br>
I'm more wanting it for the convenience factor - with a 3-year-old, it's sometimes hard to get out more than once or twice a week, and with the trainer I could probably get some more bike time in after the little one goes to bed. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><br><br>
Thanks again!!

 

[pete_72]

I got a tacx flow one recently. v happy so far. Lots of variety of settings (13 resistance levels multiplied by 20 gears on the bike gives a load of options) and it has power/cadence/speed/kcal options.<br><br>
AND The hummy noise is great 'cuz it keeps the cat away! Don't want her in the room getting caught up in the wheel; there'd be fur everywhere...

 

[3chilipeppers]

EXACTLY my situation. I live in Texas, so weather isn't an issue. Preschooler, on the other hand, is an issue! My son is 2 1/2, plus I have two 6 year olds. So, getting one ride in when they are asleep or something is a good thing. Plus, I can get some better bike workouts in on the trainer that I can't do outside (tempo, intervals, etc...). Like I said, I only paid $250 for my Kurt (I'd offer less on ebay and see what happens -- you find out immediately, so you can just make another offer). It is VERY good quality (DH and I are all about quality) and it came with some Spinervals DVDs. I can easily get my bike on and off, and it folds up really nice so I can put it away when I'm not using it (it's in the playroom, so this was a must) I was wanting to stay closer to $200, but I couldn't find anything used, and anything else close to that price just wasn't the same quality as the Kurt. If I had more money to spend, I would have gotten the Tacx Flow, but it was more than I wanted to spend. By the way, I don't need the riser at all with my Kurt because the back wheel is only about 1/2 an inch off the ground the way I have it set up. Plus, everyone here said to use a phone book if you need it. That saves you $20!<br><br>
I think spending extra money for a good one is wise, but like you, I'm not using it THAT much. On the other hand, once a week is kind of a lot, and if it means one more bike workout and getting faster on the bike, it is a small price to pay. It will last forever!

 

[jroden]

just as a clarification, when you are in ergo mode (i.e. set watts and forget it) gearing doesn't matter, nor rpm's, the load is consistent as long as you have at least one bar showing on the graph. in slope mode, the faster you ride, the harder it is. also, make sure to calibrate that thing before you ride and keep the tire pumped up, feel free to ask flow questions, the users manual is awful

 

[pcsronbo]

Computrainer <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">