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With the autumn fully upon us, and winter headed our way soon, most of us are looking for indoor training options to retain the fitness we’ve been working so hard to achieve all year. Karl Etzel of Silicon Valley Cycling Center is going to be going over a few trainers and other indoor training options you might like to try.
Karl Etzel of Silicon Valley Cycling Center
Blackburn Trakstand Fluid Trainer Pro Review by Gary Lee
Like Blackburn’s Mag Trainer, the Trakstand Fluid Trainer is well constructed and also comes fully assembled right out of the box so you can immediately jump on the trainer. It is an affordable foray into the more popular fluid trainer ranks that won’t break the bank. And like some of the more expensive trainers Blackburn’s Fluid Trainer folds flat to about a slim 6 inches for easy storage under the bed or in the closet.
Setting up the bike on the trainer is fairly straightforward. You have to set the width of the adjusting knobs to fit the width of the rear of the bike and use the lock rings to lock them in place. And with the locking rings set you can easily return the bike to the trainer without much worry about how tight it needs to be simply by loosening only one side when you set up the bike.
Norridge, Illinois - IBDs can now help find the cure for breast cancer without even stepping into a laboratory. All they have to do is stock and sell the limited edition “Pink Road Trainer” from Kurt Kinetic which Lexco will have available beginning in mid-August.
Kurt Kinetic will donate a portion of every sale of the Pink Road Trainer to the Susan G Komen for the Cure, which for more than 25 years has played a critical role in every major advance in the fight against breast cancer.
The Pink Road Trainer is not some knock-off trainer either: It’s Kurt’s #1 selling trainer (in pink, of course) which is quiet, reliable and leak proof. In addition, the fluid-style trainer features medical-grade silicone fluid that is thermodynamically neutral which means the viscosity of the fluid does not change giving each rider a repeatable measurable work out. Other features of the Pink Road Trainer include:
Blackburn Trakstand Mag Trainer Review by Gary Lee
The Blackburn Trakstand Mag Trainer is Blackburn’s most affordable trainer and has 3 adjustable tension settings on the flywheel. Out of the box the unit is fully assembled and ready to go. It is well constructed, fairly light weight, works with a variety of bikes including road, hybrid and mountain bikes and folds flat to about a height of 7 inches for easy storing.
Initially setting up the bike on the trainer is a bit tricky only because, like all trainers, you have to adjust the width of the adjusting knobs to fit the bike. And with the locking knobs set you can easily return the bike to the trainer without much worry about how tight or wide it needs to be.
Adjusting the flywheel to contact the tire is pretty straightforward. The directions say once the flywheel makes contact with the tire rotate the knob about an extra 1-2 turns. I found that 1 to 1 ¼ turns was sufficient. Any tighter and the rear wheel won’t spin, and too loose the tire will, obviously, slip too much.
While on the trainer I did notice that the flywheel was louder than most of the other trainers we’ve tested. Also, the road feel wasn’t as realistic due to the higher than normal cadence. But I’ve tested more expensive trainers that spun similarly and they still gave me a good workout. The same can be said with this one.
I also tested out the 3 resistance settings on the flywheel unit. It’s easy to adjust by pulling outwards and turning the knob to 1 of 3 settings. After trying each out I found that keeping it at the highest resistance setting and just using my shifters to increase or decrease resistance worked best. But it was nice to know that I have that option if needed.
My only other concern about this trainer was with the possible tire wear over a long period of time from the contact with the roller of the flywheel. So I’d also recommend the use of a durable trainer specific tire when using this trainer. Then you don’t have to worry about tire wear on your high dollar race rubber.
Conclusion
Overall, this unit is a very affordable trainer for those that like to occasionally supplement their fitness with some high cadence spins when riding outside isn’t possible. With the trainer already fully assembled and solidly constructed out of the box it’s a nice first trainer that’s lightweight and easy to store. Although, if you like to jump on the trainer a lot for long spinning sessions you may want to look into the higher end brethren of the Blackburn lineup. But for those of you that would rather be outside and only use the trainer for rainy days, you may want to consider this affordable alternative.
Pros
Cons
Value
Overall
The Elite Fluid Primo is a US only trainer that utilizes a fluid resistance unit with the company’s Elastogel 45mm diameter roller in their CRONO frame. They tout it as the smoothest, quietest and easiest to use trainer ever built. So I put it to the test.
The preliminary impression of the unit is that it is light weight and well constructed. It is also easy to carry and the unit folds fairly flat for easy stowage under a bed or in a closet. This, combined with the advertised quietness of the Elastogel resistance roller and progressive fluid resistance, could make this trainer a good choice for someone that lives in an upper level apartment that doesn’t want to bother the lower level neighbors.
The setup was also fairly straight forward. You lift the arms in place and you place the bike between the arms and tighten the adjusting knob. But be sure to read the instructions, conveniently located on the arm adjacent to the adjusting knob, on how to properly secure the bike to the trainer. The adjusting knob is nice and large making it simple to hold the bike with one hand while tightening or loosening the bike on the trainer with the other hand.
My only issue, and a very minor one, is that the width between the two arms could be a bit wider for easier install and uninstall of the bike in the trainer. The rear derailleur cable would sometimes get caught on the adjacent adjusting arm making the positioning of the bike into the trainer tricky. But again, this was a very minor bother.
Once properly adjusted onto the trainer the weight of the rider automatically adjusts the resistance of the flywheel and the flexible support legs helped lend to the realistic road feel. As advertised, the Elastomer roller was very smooth and quiet. The smoothness translated into a higher cadence which provided an excellent Vo2 max workout. The subtle clamor of the trainer was also very prevalent, as advertised. Maybe not the quietest roller ever built but certainly in the top 2 or 3. But be sure that your tire is properly inflated. An under-inflated tire can wear on the Elastomer roller and your rear tire tread.
However, the smoothness lent itself to a faster spin of the flywheel than you would on the road due to the low resistance. So my cadence was much higher than normal compared to other trainers. I averaged about 2 mph faster over a one hour training period than I usually do.
By: Gary Lee
Product Description:
Weight: 7.5 kgs (~16lbs)
Wheel size: 16″-29″
Type of Resistance: Centrifugal Pressure Resistance system technology
MSRP: $319
The 1up CPR-A2000 comes into our test lab this week with high expectations. The near perfect user reviews on our site set us up to expect more out of this trainer than others we have lined up. Initially, when I first saw the trainer in person I thought it looked odd. It didn’t strike me as being very refined with the aluminum materials and rectangular/geometric shapes of the tubing bolted to some round tubing. But first impressions can be tricky, especially with this trainer!
After going over it a bit closer you notice that the construction is actually top notch and well thought out. And the aluminum material actually makes the trainer lighter while retaining strength and integrity in the design.
The quick release mechanism is pure genius. It’s simple and easy to install any bike, unlike others where you had to hold the frame of the trainer up while somehow lining up the bike and then tightening up the knobs. With the 1up you can hold the bike and just use your feet to lock it in place. And once in, you turn the knob out of the way and with the stopper there is no way to accidentally knock it open.
Then there are the telescoping legs… The adjusting knobs are easy to operate just in case you have un-level floors. My only gripe is that there should be some sort of measurement marks on the legs so you can keep track of where you adjust the legs for ease of adjustment on future set-ups.
Other notable equipment and features on this trainer is the tool attachment and the fact that you can install almost any size bike on the trainer, even a kid’s bike. Not something that you can do with most other trainers. And when not in use it folds to a very flat 6” which makes it easily storable.
With the bike on the trainer the adjustment of the flywheel took a little getting used to. I would tighten it up and find that it would slip so I’d have to get off and tighten it up some more. But per the directions, you should take the time, about 30 seconds, to test out the trainer slippage before starting your workout. Not a big deal at all.
Once on, the road feel was excellent and the unit was even quieter than any other trainer I have tried. The bike also felt solid on the trainer and the PVC feet kept it from sliding around. And as the website states, when you spin up to 20 mph or so it actually feels like you are spinning at 20mph.
Another plus is the ability to change the resistance of the flywheel. It takes a little bit of mechanical ability but it is far from rocket science. Plus the only tool you need is already included and easily accessible on the frame of the trainer. Just don’t lose the small parts like the spring or the ball bearings! But if you want to simulate hard climbing, this is a nice feature. Just not something you want to change back and forth all the time. Read the rest of this entry
Fluid + Mag Hybrid Resistance System
Product Description:
Weight: 9.0 kgs (~20lbs)
Wheel size: 26″-29″
Type of Resistance: Hybrid (Uses a Fluid + Magnetic”)
MSRP: $249
Assembly Required:
The VFS-G came in more pieces than other units we’ve tested, but even though it took us a bit, was pretty straight forward to put together. It also came with the necessary hex wrench, this is important, because you’ll need to break down the unit and rebuild it depending on the type of tire/bike you’ll be using on the unit. There is a small cutout on the plastic frame to store the tool, so that you won’t need to go looking for said hex wrench.
So what did we think…
Once assembled, our initial impressions were favorable. It was easy to carry, folded flat, and was easily stored when not in use.
Upon setting up the trainer for the first time we found the adjustment handle and knob to be easy to use, setting up a bike was very quick and painless. The rubber surrounds and pad worked well and kept the unit from sliding around on the floor.
One of the new trainers we are testing out at the shop is the Tacx Cosmos. I’d seen this product at Interbike and it usually draws a crowd, especially with the Virtual Reality package hooked up. I’m always hearing people say “wouldn’t it be cool if you could ride a race course on your trainer” and I tell them, yeah, someone makes that…
My first impressions of the Cosmos are mixed. Disappointment #1 - as an MTB racer who trains a lot on the road I was really bummed to find that adjusting the rear wheel resistance unit to adapt to different wheel diameters requires disassembly and reassembly with an adapter plate under the motor mount. I often like to put my MTB on the trainer but with the Cosmos you pretty much have to select one wheel diameter and stick with it for a while. This is necessitated by the tight clearances between the wheel and the drum, as you can see in this photo. Other than that the mechanical setup was pretty easy.
On the plus side, one very convenient aspect of the Cosmos is that the rear axle clamp and the resistance unit are both on cam-operated clamps analogous to a quick release so once you get them adjusted it is a very quick step to lock in the wheel and clamp down the drum. Here is a shot with the blue lever pushed down and the resistance drum engaged.
That silver thing you see is no ordinary magnetic or fluid resistance unit, but rather a motor. This enables the resistance to adjust according to either the pre-programmed training routine or a race course (when using the VR upgrade package). The workouts are easy to create on your PC using the software that comes with the unit. You can set the profile by power, heart rate, or gradient. So far I’ve only tested power. I’m still trying to figure out which HR transmitter works with the Cosmos, more on that later. The product support information is silent on the subject. I have just about every brand available so I’m sure I have the right one somewhere in my pile.
Finally here are a couple of shots, showing the whole setup and a close up of the world’s largest handlebar unit. It has a solid feel and the buttons are easy to use when cranking hard, so I don’t mind the size although I wish the straps were a bit longer to wrap around the taped part of the bar. They go on fast though, using O-rings, similar to the crank magnet and the sensor, so setup is once again pretty easy. Tacx definitely seems to have done their homework on this aspect of trainer usage.
