So, what is the difference in indoor bike trainers? We will mainly look at 3 trainers today. We will skip the roller trainer and show that in action on another day.
In general you will find different features and quality with each manufacturer. CycleOps and Kurt Kinetic are two of the top indoor bike trainer manufacturers on the market today.
1. Wind Trainer – Uses a fan and air to create a smooth, even resistance. Extra-wide range of progressive resistance. Easy on the wallet. This type of trainer is usually quite noisy. My recommendation is to grab your mp3 player and ride like the wind.
2. Magnetic Trainer – Get one with different adjustment levels so that you can vary your workouts. An added bonus is to find a bar-mounted remote shifter which allows you to adjust the resistance on the unit while you train. A magnetic trainer is a smoother ride over a wind trainer, although they still make plenty of noise, especially if you are new to bike trainers. This trainer is a great alternative to the wind trainer. I definitely consider it a step up from the wind trainer.
3. Fluid Trainer – This trainer usually features a larger flywheel and offers a road like feel. If you find a trainer that offers progressive resistance, you will really enjoy the ride. Fluid trainers are surprisingly quiet and are ridden by most professional cyclists.
With most everything, what you will find is that paying more gives you more features. This seems to apply with every manufacturer and between manufacturers. Bottom line is that wind trainers make quite a bit of noise, magnetic trainers give a smoother ride with less noise, and fluid trainers in general are the most quiet of the indoor bicycle trainers and have the greatest number of features. My personal favorite is the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine.