With Winter Coming...What trainer do you recommend?

Kurt Kinetic Road Machine.

Fluid - Quieter and one of the most realistic feels as far as resistance goes
Sealed Oil reserve so it will not leak.
Covered by a lifetime warranty

Its lime green so it will match any decor you may have. 

I've had a fluid cycleops for about 3yrs. I lived in NE Ohio for most of my tri days so far so I spent a TON of time on that thing. Its quiet, you just shift gears to change resistance, and its crazy easy to use. It sucks, but I think the benefits of trainer time are substantial. Especially if you get a few spinervals or Charmichael DVDs. Get on it with a plan and the time will go quicker and be more useful. Ipod helps too. A BIG fan to cool you down. And an old tire so you don't cook those expensive race tires. I like a cadence sensor too but HR monitor is good enough.

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Here you go, the best rollers money can buy!

Other than that you can't go wrong with a CycleOps or Kurt Kinetics fluid trainer.  Want more action KK has the Rock and roll trainer that allows the bike to move side to side.  The KK can be had here pretty cheap.

Edited by Donto 2009-08-25 7:32 AM

Ouch! That hurts!

I plan on buying a trainer as well, and if this winter is like the last, I'll be on it for at least 7 months!!!!!!

I have an old trainer that I got back in the day. I won a Cyclops Power Fluid2 that's still in the box. I think I'm going to sell it and buy a new wetsuit. I'm still debating though because it's nice out. As soon as it cools down I may change my mind!

But yes, I was told it's the top o' the line.

I've got the Fluid2 and it's good.  I hemmed and hawed over that and the Kurt Kinetic, but I think they are comparable.  I just grabbed the Fluid2 at the time from my LBS though.  Those two are sort of like the standard 2 that most of the people I know have.

If I had the loot to drop though, I lust for a computrainer...just can't justify it though right now.

Okay, living in MN, I am on the trainer a lot. (Including in the summer--I still average 1-2 rides, if not more, a week on the trainer) I have a Nashbar fluid and a nashbar mag trainer (although I prefer the mag, and ride it 90% of the time). Both were inexpensive, and have been quiet, reliable, and durable for many years. I have ridden CycleOps and kurt Kinetic, and while they are nice, I can't justify the cost over the gains.

The $ I saved on my trainer went to other toys...race entries, etc.

If you have the cash absolutely NOTHING beats a CompuTrainer.  NOTHING.  Hands down my best tri purchase EVER.

Benefits of it being a higher cost model?

1. Infinit resistance changes simply by touching the handlebar controller.
2. You can connect it to the computer to record effciciency data and power data for analysis.
3. You can set it up to simulate a bunch of different courses.  Not 100% realistic--I've ridden several of the simulated courses IRL and IRL I can get up the hill, on the CT sometimes I can't, but definitely combats the boredom.