All bike trainers have one thing in common, they allow you to train on your own bike indoors.
Look for a strong and solid construction using a triangular frame set on a wide base. The trainer allows the cyclist to train in an upright position withoug any forward movement by inserting the rear tyre of the bike into the trainer lifting the tyre of the floor. With the rear tyre of the floor and the bike in an upright position the cyclist pedals the bike as usual.
So when the days get shorter, the weather turns colder, or when the riders are unable to get outside, the cyclist simply connects his own bike to the trainer and still gets to enjoy all the benefits of a training session.
The three types of bike trainers are wind trainers, fluid trainers, and magnetic trainers.
Wind Bike Trainers
The wind trainers are one of the cheapest bike trainers and they rely on cyclist pedaling to produce the resitance, the pedaling enables the fan which in turn creates the resistance and the faster you pedal the more resistance you get.
Obviously the larger the fans the more resistance you get as compared to bike trainers with smaller fans. The wind trainer is the noisiest of all the trainers but does allow the cyclist to experience a ride similar to that of an outdoor ride.
Magnetic Trainer
As you would probably expect the Magnetic trainer is a much quieter trainer as it uses magnets to produce the resistance. Generally you will purchase one of these if you are looking for a trainer that is mid level quality, price and performance.
Depending on the brand of trainer, you can adjust the level of resistance manually or electronically. The level of power applied to the pedals determine the level of resistance.
Low quality magnetic trainers have low quality magnets which will lose their attraction at a faster rate, which in turn reduces the level of resistance and when that happens the training experience for the cyclist is quite poor.
The Fluid Bicycle Trainers
These trainers are smooth and quiet. They use an impeller with hydraulic fluids to create the resistance.
Generally the more expensive type of trainer the fluid trainer relies on the fluid heating up. As the fluid heats up it gets thicker, it then increases in viscosity and subsequently creates more resistance.
The level of resistance increases as the pedaling power of the cyclist increases. Older versions of the fluid trainer were prone to leaking, but with the latest models leaking is no longer a problem.
What is a Bike Trainer Benefits
You can ride any time of the day, you're not subject to the poor weather or unsafe road conditions
No need to worry about unsafe drivers, or slippery roads as you can have the virtual road all to yourself.
Targeted and more focused training by eliminating conditions such as cold weather, rain, and wind allowing you to train in a controlled environment.
As it is a more reliable and consistent training environment, it allows you to monitor your technique by removing such variables as wind and terrain differences.
Things to Consider when Choosing a Bike Trainer
Good bike trainers should cater for various sized wheels, quite often a cyclist will own more than just one bike.
Quality is important so make sure it is a solid frame and that it folds away making it easy to store.
I would suggest test driving all the different types of trainers as they all offer different levels of resistance, and as a rule of thumb the more expensive fluid trainers are the ones that offer the greatest range of resistance.
Look for a strong and solid construction using a triangular frame set on a wide base. The trainer allows the cyclist to train in an upright position withoug any forward movement by inserting the rear tyre of the bike into the trainer lifting the tyre of the floor. With the rear tyre of the floor and the bike in an upright position the cyclist pedals the bike as usual.
So when the days get shorter, the weather turns colder, or when the riders are unable to get outside, the cyclist simply connects his own bike to the trainer and still gets to enjoy all the benefits of a training session.
The three types of bike trainers are wind trainers, fluid trainers, and magnetic trainers.
Wind Bike Trainers
The wind trainers are one of the cheapest bike trainers and they rely on cyclist pedaling to produce the resitance, the pedaling enables the fan which in turn creates the resistance and the faster you pedal the more resistance you get.
Obviously the larger the fans the more resistance you get as compared to bike trainers with smaller fans. The wind trainer is the noisiest of all the trainers but does allow the cyclist to experience a ride similar to that of an outdoor ride.
Magnetic Trainer
As you would probably expect the Magnetic trainer is a much quieter trainer as it uses magnets to produce the resistance. Generally you will purchase one of these if you are looking for a trainer that is mid level quality, price and performance.
Depending on the brand of trainer, you can adjust the level of resistance manually or electronically. The level of power applied to the pedals determine the level of resistance.
Low quality magnetic trainers have low quality magnets which will lose their attraction at a faster rate, which in turn reduces the level of resistance and when that happens the training experience for the cyclist is quite poor.
The Fluid Bicycle Trainers
These trainers are smooth and quiet. They use an impeller with hydraulic fluids to create the resistance.
Generally the more expensive type of trainer the fluid trainer relies on the fluid heating up. As the fluid heats up it gets thicker, it then increases in viscosity and subsequently creates more resistance.
The level of resistance increases as the pedaling power of the cyclist increases. Older versions of the fluid trainer were prone to leaking, but with the latest models leaking is no longer a problem.
What is a Bike Trainer Benefits
You can ride any time of the day, you're not subject to the poor weather or unsafe road conditions
No need to worry about unsafe drivers, or slippery roads as you can have the virtual road all to yourself.
Targeted and more focused training by eliminating conditions such as cold weather, rain, and wind allowing you to train in a controlled environment.
As it is a more reliable and consistent training environment, it allows you to monitor your technique by removing such variables as wind and terrain differences.
Things to Consider when Choosing a Bike Trainer
Good bike trainers should cater for various sized wheels, quite often a cyclist will own more than just one bike.
Quality is important so make sure it is a solid frame and that it folds away making it easy to store.
I would suggest test driving all the different types of trainers as they all offer different levels of resistance, and as a rule of thumb the more expensive fluid trainers are the ones that offer the greatest range of resistance.
About the Author:
Learn more about Kinetic Road Machine. Stop by Matt Walker's site where you can find out all about Bike Trainers and what it can do for you.
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