Magnetic vs Fluid Trainers

Without a brand name and without checking anything else I would say the magnetic is going to be louder to the point that you'll have trouble hearing a TV in the same room with it on a normal volume. The fluid trainer will be quieter to much quieter.

Sorry, brands probably would be useful the Mag one is a Blackburn TrakStand and the fluid one is a Travel Tack Century V

Mag trainers don't provide the same level of resistance consistency that fluid trainers do. Fluid all the way!

I bought a mag trnr and rode the heck out of it over the winter/spring. Now I always ride in the hardest resistance setting and find I can seemingly "overpower" it at faster speeds and want the higher resistance level of a fluid trnr.

So, in my opinion, it depends on where you are in your cycling "evolution".... if you're just starting out then you'll probably be fine with a mag trnr. After awhile, depending on how much you ride/improve, you may want to go fluid. But if you think you'll be riding for awhile you could go ahead and buy a fluid trnr now.



Edited by tri42 2009-08-03 5:29 PM

I had a Blackburn mag trainer and ground it to pieces. Fortunately, I'd purchased it at REI and they took it back no questions asked and gave me a credit for the original purchase price (that I promptly spent on a cycle ops fluid trainer), even though it was out of warranty. Love the fluid trainer. 2x (or is it 3x?) on the quiet thing. And it has held up well through two seasons.

The real benefit of a fluid trainer is that it is progressively higher resistance, very much like riding outdoors. The faster you go, the more resistance you generate. Most magnetic trainers only has the option of different resistance settings, but it's not really practical to increase resistance as you increase your speed.

We have a pair of CycleOps Fluid trainers and could not be happier... they just work perfect! Almost silent too.

Edited by audiojan 2009-08-04 2:18 AM

I hated my Blackburn mag. Even I could outride it, and it was FREAKISHLY loud.

That being said, I have a nashbar (minoura) mag trainer now that I love. I've had it for 7 years, and feel no need to upgrade.

I also have a fluid trainer, but I never use it (it's like the Guest Rider Trainer...like the Guest Bedroom. :p). I prefer the ride of a mag.

ETA: Both of mine are quiet enough to watch TV at a normal volume.

Edited by mmrocker13 2009-08-04 9:42 AM

Thanks for all your help everyone! i offered him 75 for the Travel Trak and will pick it up tonight! Im sure I'll end up posting a 'how do you use a trainer question' once the weather cools down!