Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)It's silent except for the sound of your tire rolling over it, and completely stable. There's really no need to buy the next more expensive one. I haven't felt the need for a mat. And the resistance truly is road like except without the bumps and traffic lights. It's a constant effort though, so you will get more of a work out in 45 minutes on the trainer than you would in double that time riding on the road.
You will want to accessorize however for a few reasons:
First of all, riding a trainer is the most boring thing ever. At the very least you will want to be listening to music, and ideally you will want to set up a TV to watch while you're putting in your time getting nowhere fast.
If you don't have water bottles and cages on your bike, this is the time to get them, and also a good way to practice drinking from them while riding.
You will sweat buckets, and don't want to soak your bike and the floor with it because sweat is highly corrosive in addition to being stinky, so in addition to the roughly $300 you will pay for this trainer you might as well spring for the the "Bike Thong" which Amazon also sells (with Free Super Saver Shipping) for about $22 (cheaper than CycleOps sells it for, and they don't give you free shipping). The bike thong will protect your bike from all that corrosive sweat and it comes with a handy pocket organizer to hold your TV remote control, iPod, Clif Bars or whatever you might want handy. Trust me, attempting to cover your bike with a towel wont work nearly as well either for the bike or you as you try to keep it in place.
You should also get a fan to blow air on you as you ride your trainer.
As for a climbing block to raise your front wheel for another twenty-something dollars, I've been using an old sandle and that has worked just fine. The first few times riding with the sandle under the front wheel I keep turning involuntarily, but got used to it. Honestly, I feel the climbing block is a waste of money, and that for the price of the trainer it should have been included.
This trainer does come with a DVD, but I haven't watched it yet because I don't imagine the most beneficial and boring task of riding a trainer every day is going to be made more beneficial or interesting by having someone tell me what to do. Instead, I recommend a DVD of Breaking Away or Top Gun--so you feel like you're flying.
Last point: if you're really into cycling rather than simply doing this as exercise, the bike trainer will help your technique. Any amount of wiggling around, or most any bad cycling habit, it soon eliminated after being amplified by your time on the trainer. You will also hear your bike better, and notice all those squeeks and strange clicks that you couldn't hear while riding for real (personally I feel a bike should purr).
Love it. Highly recommend it.
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CycleOps Fluid 2 Indoor Bicycle TrainerThe CycleOps Fluid 2 Trainer is a great way to keep your legs in tip-top condition during the off season. While many cyclists dread the indoor training season, ensuring proper bike set up will make any workout more comfortable and enjoyable.
This trainer features a new larger flywheel with twice the inertia for an improved, road-like feel. The power-band technology offers the widest resistance range--from easy spins to lung-burning climbs--without ever touching the unit. The infinite resistance curve ensures increased wattage as you increase speed for realistic statistical analysis at the end of your ride. The Fluid 2 is surprisingly quiet, and the self-cooling mechanisms--including a patented fan design--keep the unit performing better, longer. Includes a training DVD to help keep you motivated during your indoor exercise.
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