voodoo said:Quoted message said:
Fluid trainers are best as they are very quiet. Get yourself a slick, and a spare rear wheel, but
be warned, trainers are the most boring devices ever invented. I lasted less than a week with
mine. It still sits in the closet.
Voodoo has it right. Normal trainers are really boring and never motivational. I understand you're
looking for cheap, but for others reading this thread might take note...
Moving up the food chain you'll get a lot more use out of an electronically controlled trainer which
can help you zero in on specific workout zones & types (heartrate, power, or slope). In addition, a
few trainers connect directly to your computer and store the workout info there. This can be handy
for incorporating the data into your year-long training diary. Some trainer brands (in $US):
Performance Axiom $400, Cyclops eTrainer $450, Tacx I-Magic $550, and Computrainer $1400. Prices
include the software that make them fully functional. No sense arguing over what the base cost is,
if it doesn't do anything without all the necessary add-ons.
If you have enough cash for a very large piece of cheese, a virtual reality capable trainer setup is
the ultimate choice for indoor training, especially when it's sub-zero outside and there's 3 feet of
snow piled up. The VR stuff is fun enough and keeps the mind a little more occupied than watching I
Dream of Genie reruns.
We hooked up our iMagic trainer to a laptop w/internet connection, bought a bunch of NetAthlon VR
courses from Fitcentric.com and rode throughout the winter with guys from all over the US and
Europe. That's what got me out of bed early or off the couch at night... online rides with the guys.
Come springtime, I had actually lost weight over the winter and hit the early season rides with lots
of power. Compared to the last few seasons with a "dumb" trainer, the electronic trainer was a vast
improvement in indoor miles and 3" less on the belt.
A couple of links: NetAthlon screenshots: bryan_im.home.comcast.netnetathlonOpen ↗ NetAthlon
software site: fitcentric.comfitcentric.comOpen ↗ NetAthlon user's group:
groups.yahoo.comnetathlonbicyclistsOpen ↗ Tacx iMagic trainer:
tacx.nlframeset.cfmOpen ↗
BTW: I have no affiliation with any product mentioned here.