At Bicycles Plus were all about shop events, and we felt that this would be a great topic to present, seeing the cooler weather is upon us, and a lot of you are starting to think about how to maintain or improve the fitness level you achieved while on the bike this season. So on October 26th we staged our 'Best Trainer Event." We had a great turnout, thanks guys and gals, and here is some of the information that was shared that evening. We hope you find it useful.
What are trainers used for and what are the benefits of the different types? Great question. Trainers allow you to get a great bike specific workout without leaving your home. No nasty outside weather to contend with, and no gym to drive to in order to attend your spin class. Just pull it out, slip your bike in place, hop on, and start your workout.
Now here is the kicker, what type of workout are you wanting to do? A simple "get a sweat on" workout, a more structured workout with base miles and intervals, a cycling and core body workout, or a scientific, totally interactive, workout that will be automatically logged and provide you with much more training data than you ever imagined? This is where we start to define what trainer is the best for you. As with any purchase, it is better to consider not only where you are now, but where you may end up progressing to. The reason we mention this is you want to buy right once, not make a mistake the first time, and have to do it all over again in a years time. So please look into your crystal ball and try to envision where you will be with your riding and training in a year or two from now.
The four basic types of trainers are, Wind Trainers, Mag Trainers, Fluid Trainers, and VR (Virtual Reality) Trainers. They will all offer you something quite different, and all will have very different price points. Lets start with the wind trainers.
Wind Trainers were the first trainers to appear on the marketplace way back in the day, mid 60’s, and although they still exist today, their limited resistance levels, and extremely noisy operation have pretty well eliminated them as a viable trainer option for average cyclists. We do not stock these units.
Next up, Mag Trainers. These units rely on magnetic fields creating resistance, and in most cases the resistance level is variable. These units are much quieter than their predecessors, the Wind Trainers, and offer up much more resistance. Most units are also equipped with flywheels of various weights, which help smooth out your pedalling stroke. Mag units are fairly lightweight, which makes them ideal to take to races for pre race warm ups, time trial races in particular. For details on the Mag units we carry please check out this link.
The evolution of the trainer continues with Fluid Trainers. These units use a thermodynamically neutral silicone fluid inside the unit that increases resistance exponentially with the speed of the drive shaft. These units are very quiet, provide significantly higher resistance levels than Mag units at the same speed, and because the fluid is spinning inside the resistance unit and the fact they are all coupled with much heavier flywheels than Mag or Wind trainers, they provide the smoothest and most realistic spin of all the types of trainers. On top of this, the Kurt Kinetic Trainers are calibrated at the factory before leaving to ensure that their wattage resistance curve vs speed of the drive shaft is calibrated to real time PowerTap readings. What this means, is that at a certain speed of the drive shaft, all Kurt Trainers will create the same level of resistance, and it is predictable. Because of this, Kurt can offer an add-on computer that measures your rear wheel speed, which produces a wattage value accurate to + or – 3%. To a racer, or semi serious cyclist, wattage values are invaluable. Power is the common benchmark and unit used in most performance training programs today. If you don’t know what power you're generating, your program is based on guesswork at best. This is just one of the features that makes the Kurt the #1 fluid trainer on the market. For details on the Fluid units we carry please check out this link.
Last, but definitely not least are the VR Trainers. They offer much more variety to the consumer than all the other units, they are much more stimulating to all the human senses, such as sound, feel, and sight. The interesting thing about these units is they can appeal to both the most serious of racers who want/need reams of data and records kept to help them improve, or to the novice cyclist who wants to make the most of riding indoors during the worst months of the year by utilizing the VR components of the trainer package to make riding the trainer totally enjoyable. With the increased features and appeal of these trainers, the price as you can imagine increases. The key thing to keep in mind here is this product offers a wider variety of options to every type of end user, and as such is definitely worth a look by all potential trainer consumers. We carry the number one brand in the VR field, the Tacx Fortius MultiPlayer.
OK, we've covered all the different types of trainers, now lets look at features that can make one trainer better than another. Let start with the resistance levels. In all honesty, the least expensive unit generates 600 watts of resistance, the highest 3000 watts. Lets put that into perspective. The best pro sprinters will generate 1600 to 2000 watts for virtually seconds at the end of the race, and no longer than that. Lance Armstrong at his peak, averaged 450 watts for an hour racing up Alpe D’Huez in an uphill TT stage of the 2001 Tour de France. So where do you fit in? Probably within the boundaries of any of these units on resistance alone, so what else do we need to look at?
The flywheel, the heavier the better is a good place to start. The sole purpose of the flywheel is not to increase the resistance levels, but to increase the smoothness of the trainer spin and impart a more road like feel to the unit.
What else? Is there a way to manipulate the resistance levels without getting off the bike? VR trainers have that feature at your fingertips, Fluids automatically increase resistance with speed, and many Mag Units have a remote control mounted on the bar, and the lesser models will ask you to get off your bike and adjust it, then get back on. So the million dollar question here is, do you want to do intervals or not? Better yet, do you want to get faster, more fit, or just burn calories? Intervals require a unit you can adjust on the fly, without this feature, you're destined to be a calorie burner extraordinaire and nothing more.
So we’ve touched on wattage, and now know it’s the new universal language for training and benchmarks in the cycling world. So what trainers can provide this info, and which can’t. VR? Definitely. Fluids? Yes, exclusively Kurt, with their add-on computer. Mags? No, unfortunately none of these offer the ability to track wattage. So you’re starting see the differences in the products? Good, that’s our goal.
Next up, what size wheel can I fit into the trainer? Most units, regardless of type are set to accept a 26” standard MTB, 650C road, and up to a 700C road wheel. Giant will accept a 24”, Kurt with a special adapter will take a wheel as small as 16”. The Kurt stands alone in this offering. No one else does this. Do you have a recumbent bike, or is your teen age Son or Daughter thinking about serious training? The Kurt may be the option for you.
What part of the trainer contacts your wheel and why is this piece important? Well the larger the diameter of the drive shaft is, the bigger the contact patch you'll have for your tire. Why is this worth mentioning? It prevents slipping under quick acceleration and reduces tire wear. Fluid trainers have the largest drive shafts because they also have the largest/heaviest flywheels, so they have smoother spins and less tire slippage and less wear. Important? We think so!
Weight and portability is next on our list as a feature to consider. Will you be using the trainer solely as an in home based unit, or do you see yourself taking or wanting to take your trainer to a race and use it to warm up in part of your pre race preparation? See where we’re going with this one? All the units we stock except the Kurt Rock & Roll and the Taxc Fortius are race ready, that meaning you’ll have no issue folding them up, pulling them out of the back of the car, and spinning up in the parking lot for your first TT event ever.
Just when you thought you’d softened up your partner enough to get a new trainer purchase OK’d on the next VISA bill, think again. Yes with a trainer purchase you may want to explore the trainer accessory section to be sure your goals and your equipment line up.
Trainer blocks are one of the first things to consider before heading home with your new unit. Have you ever spent an hour riding your bike downhill and noticed the increased weight/pressure on you hands, arms, shoulders, and neck? Well if you don’t get a trainer block to level off the bike, you’ll know just what I’m talking about after one short session spinning. And what about those who spend the extra dollars to pick up a wonderful Kurt Rock & Roll? If you take that sweetheart home and don’t invest in the matching Kurt turntable riser, you must have holes in your head. Sorry to be so blunt, but sometimes the truth hurts.
Anything else? Yup, trainer tires. Can I use my worn out tires, or just buy a cheap slick and be fine? Old tire, sure go ahead, cheap slick, again, sure go ahead. But trainer tires are constructed differently, utilize special compounds and are designed for the purpose they are being used for. They incorporate a higher % carbon compound, which makes them more durable, able to resist the heat that is common with trainer use and the associated damage caused to many tires (layer separation, belt distortion, and blisters). You can purchase one of these and have it for a few seasons, or you can drop in every month and pick up a cheap slick. Either way works for us…lol.
The other accessories are just gravy, but we’ll mention them anyway, because we wouldn’t want you coming back saying we didn’t talk about them. Sweat nets, to keep the sweat off your bike, trainer mats, great idea again for keeping your sweat and the smell of it off your floor, as well as deadening the sound if you live in an apartment or condo and actually care about what your neighbours below think of you.
Trainers and the long training sessions spent on them can challenge your mind and resolution, so we offer distractions and educational videos designed to get you started and help you understand just what you can/should be doing with your new home based unit. We offer DVD’s from the two best companies out there, Spinervals, and CTS, aka, Carmichael Training Systems. These are great products that will help you get the most out of your investment.
