Would you buy this?

I'm not a fan of fluid, but if the price stays reasonable, that would be a good one.

But the fact that the seller is not sure which one it is raises a question ......... looking at the pic. it does look like a fuid though.

Why not? I always heard from folks on here that the fluid is better because the feel simulates the feel of the road the best. I'm not a good cyclist, so it doesn't make a difference to me - I got a cheap fluid trainer from Nashbar. Just curious, since basically everyone said fluid was the way to go.

Hey for that price if your a fan of fluid or not it is a bargin. 

You can't simulate the feel of the road on the trainer.

The closest thing to doing that??  A $1,500+ Computrainer (which is well worth the money in my opinion).

I've never been a fan of fluid because it is progressive resistance, which is NOT true to road feel.  As you work harder, the resistance is exponentially harder.  Which means you end up working harder than you actually would on the road.  Great for a trainer?  Sure, it you are looking to get a hard workout in a short time.

But everyone should use what they feel the most comfortable with.

Vortmax is right.

The older they get the more likely they'll leak. This happend to me. I still like the fluid trainers, especially since I live near the north pole.

85 bucks is a steal though. I paid 250 for mine.

I like my fluid trainer, but to suggest that it is a good approximation to road conditions is like saying that veggie burgers are a good approximation to steak.  I like veggie burgers, but you won't fool me into thinking that one of them is a piece of steak.

well that explains why when I am out on the road I am almost exclusively in the big ring and on the trainer, in bike class, I am RARELY not in the small ring!

hooking up the computrainer this weekend - after tomorrow's outdoor TT -  excited about another tool to play with!

Not if it's one of Kurt Kinetic models. Sealed fluid chamber = leakPROOF. No seals or seams. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a used Kurt Road Machine.

Yes, they do, but not in the same fashion as a trainer.

Again, get on a fluid trainer, ride it with accelerations.  Go outside, ride the same sort of accelerations.  Huge difference.

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what he said