I am shopping around for a trainer and noticed that Kurt Kinetics is bringing out a new trainer in 2006 that lets you add a 12 lb flywheel to the stock 6 lb flywheel for a combined flywheel mass of 18 lbs. See this at:
I have never used a trainer but everything I have heard and read about them suggests that the current generation of fluid trainers with 6 lb flywheels is capable of exhausting the strongest riders. So what is the training advantage of a heavier flywheel?
The flywheel doesn't really add to the resistance of the unit (except during accelerations), but rather helps to smooth out the ride by adding better coastdown to the resistance unit. A resistance unit without a flywheel kinda feels like riding a bike through mud or sand, where every inch of travel is heavily resisted. Having the flywheel allows the wheels to coast a bit while the pedals travel through the natural dead-spots at the top and bottom of the stroke.
All that said, I think it's more of a feel/comfort difference rather than a training difference. If you like to hammer the downstroke on the road rather than pedalling circles, then definitely get a trainer with a flywheel. I've got the 6 lb Kinetic and I'm pretty happy with the feel.
I've got the 6 lb Kinetic and I'm pretty happy with the feel.
Ditto.
Also, just to plug Kurt Kinetic a little bit here, I recently had a failure of the tension spring bolt (stripped thread) on my trainer and Kurt Kinetic shipped me a new one immediately at no charge. I was very happy with their service.
