Trainers

The Cyclops Fluid 2 and the Kinetic Road Machine seem to be the top two trainers out there and both hover around the $300 mark.

I don't think you can go wrong with either one.

Kurt Kinetic Road Machine is a good option too. I have this one, but had also considered the Cyclops Fluid too as well.

I've got a Minoura Mag850 (eBay $120).  Maybe a little loud, but I can still hear the tv.  It's the only trainer I've ever been on, but it has worked well for me.  I got it in the fall, but have only had to use it a few times since the weather has been great until last week.

Good Luck and Have Fun!

i don't know where the 'loud mag trainer' stereotype came from.  My Minoura Mag500 is quiet enough to not interfere with TV watching at all.  It makes noise, but nothing I consider unacceptable.

Mag trainers just have a linear resitance curve.  So increasing your speed by X mph will result in an increase in Y watts of resistance regardless of starting wheel speed.  You adjust how much of an increase you get.  So easy may increase resistance by 10% for every mpg, while hard would increase 40% for every mph, ect....  Fluids are exponential, meaning that increasing wheel speed by 1 mph while going 10 mph will give less additional resistance then increasing 1mph while going 20mph.   You just get a greater range of resistance without having to adjust a dial, and it so happens that real world riding follows an exponential curve too, so it's more "realistic."

Interesting..... like Bill Nye "the science guy" would say.. ITS SCIENCE!!