Indoor Trainers, are the cheap ones ll horrible?

[Forfunzies]

Hi All,

 

I am a noob in the MTB riding world and I would like to ride indoors and get fit. Which indoor trainer should I buy for under R3000? There are hardly any reviews online for any of the cheaper ones.

 

Thanks

[Iwan Kemp]

Hi and welcome to Bike Hub. 

 

We need to work on some reviews of the sub R3k trainers now that you mention it! I won't say they are bad. In fact for that money you will be able to buy a trainer that will last many a season, will be sturdy and offer some form of remote resistance settings. 

 

Going beyond that ads other forms of resistance, system integration and high tech functionality - that's where the extra money goes.

[nazmo]

I played with this idea for a while, then reality set in that I hate spin bikes, gyms or any mind numbing form of exersize. Make sure you ok with solitary confinement before investing.

 

I ended up getting a relatively cheap "Smart trainer" Tacx Satori Smart. Its a bit more than your budget, but having some form of interaction (Zwift) makes indoor training bearable if not fun.

Just something to consider

[Veebee]

also a bit more than your budget, Cycleops Fluid2 is a good choice. Keep your eye on the classifieds for a used one.

[V12man]

If you do buy a cheaper one - consider a second hand quality one - some of the cheapies don't make enough resistance to be useful at all.

 

Good trainers don't break easily - so an older quality one will last for ever - been trying to break a tacx manual one for about 20 years - still perfect and wins the ride most times.

 

I do have a fance electronic one - but my normal training space in the garage has rubbish wifi signal - need to pay attention to that soon.

[Martin PJ]

I have Tacx rollers. Better than spin bike or magnetic trainer. Also relatively cheap (I paid R2200 from CW cycles a few years back). You need a road bike for rollers. MTB is too noisy.

 

The rollers seems to help the balance on the MTB a lot. Reckon if you can balance comfortably on rollers, then anything off road should become easier.

[the nerd]

https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/195430-tacx-booster-ultra-high-power-t2500-trainer/

[Spirog]

also a bit more than your budget, Cycleops Fluid2 is a good choice. Keep your eye on the classifieds for a used one.

What he said...

[HdB]

The cheaper ones are fine, just boring if you don't have something to watch or a specific workout you are doing.

 

My dad is perfectly happy with his old Elite fluid-type, with no resistance setting. He rides while watching a movie, and just changes gears on his bike to change the resistance.

 

The more you can stretch your budget the better, of course, or if you can find a decent one like the one "the nerd" linked to above.

[Shebeen]

I have Tacx rollers. Better than spin bike or magnetic trainer. Also relatively cheap (I paid R2200 from CW cycles a few years back). You need a road bike for rollers. MTB is too noisy.

 

The rollers seems to help the balance on the MTB a lot. Reckon if you can balance comfortably on rollers, then anything off road should become easier.

cheap rollers?? click play and head to the kitchen with your powertools in hand 

 

[Reden]

also a bit more than your budget, Cycleops Fluid2 is a good choice. Keep your eye on the classifieds for a used one.

I have the older model. Can't complain about it.

One can even get some indication of watts from it by reading a graph that shows speed vs watts.

Not accurate but still something.

 

And get something to watch while on the trainer and a fan to cool you down. I can handle 2h max.

[rouxtjie]

I played with this idea for a while, then reality set in that I hate spin bikes, gyms or any mind numbing form of exersize. Make sure you ok with solitary confinement before investing.

 

I ended up getting a relatively cheap "Smart trainer" Tacx Satori Smart. Its a bit more than your budget, but having some form of interaction (Zwift) makes indoor training bearable if not fun.

Just something to consider

This x 10000000

 

Its not that the cheaper ones are badly made or fall apart, its more about that they won't support interactive workouts which make indoor training bearable 

[Jocklaw]

Hi All,

 

I am a noob in the MTB riding world and I would like to ride indoors and get fit. Which indoor trainer should I buy for under R3000? There are hardly any reviews online for any of the cheaper ones.

 

Thanks

I'd rather give up cycling than ride on a trainer!! Supremely effective but b.o.r.i.n.g.

 

The one V12 recommended I get is for sale at half price !!

 

No comments necessary, V12!! lol!

[Martin PJ]

cheap rollers?? click play and head to the kitchen with your powertools in hand 

 

 

I did make my own rollers before buying them. My advice is that it is possible to make your own, however, if you are not an engineer, don't bother. The roller part with the axle and bearings has to be perfect. If there is any kind of flex or speed wobble on the roller, the roller quickly gets destroyed when you train on it.

 

Surprisingly enough the elastic is easy, just use an old tube and tie a knot in it.

[Cylon]

If you can stretch your budget by a grand I would highly recommend the Kinetic Road Machine. Doesn't come with interactive features but it's bomb proof and portable. The gold standard for non-resistance type trainers.

 

There's one currently for sale in the classifieds: https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/191911-kinetic-road-machine-indoor-trainer/  

[deanbean]

Nothing wrong with bthe cheap trainers, I've got a Giant trainer, and have tried hard to break it. If you use high intensity intervals, it is too tiring to get bored, just make sure that you've got a bucket next to you to vomit into

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGGvKt8vWho

 

http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/killer-cycling-workouts