Cheap Trainer, Loud Trainer Regrets?

Definitely, better off going with a more expensive one if you want to keep the noise down. My family isn't too impressed at 6am with me biking.

Yup, I did that some years ago. I bought a mag trainer in the fall, and was rid of it by March, replacing it with a fluid trainer. I always watch something on the trainer- either tv, a movie, or, most often, a stage race through cycling tv accessed through a computer. The TV would be so loud that I couldn't hear the phone ring, the doorknocker, or herd of burglars in den. I gave it to a friend in our tri club. 

You mean on some trainers you can hear stuff?  Shows how new to this I am.  I just turn on the caption and read for the time on the trainer. lol

I got mine from Nashbar.com. Nashbar brand fluid trainer for $130. There on sale all the time.

How do you like the Nashbar fluid trainer?  I've been trying to find a low $$$ option for a fluid trainer now that I'm in an apartment complex

I have two inexpen$ive trainer$, and no regret$. I've been u$ing my $75 mag trainer for 7 year$ now.

  Mind you the vibrations from it have fried her keyboard...

In general, a fluid trainer will be quieter than a mag trainer, and unfortunately also a little more expensive. There's also another benefit from a fluid trainer, and that's the progressive resistance, i.e. as speed increases so does resistance, just like being on the road (well... not EXACTLY like being on the road, but a good simulation at least... you're never going to coast for example...).

With that said, Nashbar Fluid is not very expensive and decent quality. The resistance unit works good up to about 1200W (if I remember correct), which is quite enough for most of us (could be that some can go about that in a sprint...), and the durability of the frame itself seems to be good. I've found that it wasn't as stable as the CycleOps Fluid, but not to the point where I couldn't use it. Yes, the CycleOps Fluid is a nicer trainer; higher resistance capability (up to 2200W, not that I'll ever get close to that..), very sturdy and reasonable quiet, but then it's almost twice that of the Nashbar, so it should have some benefits...

ok, early morning ramble session over... just hope that it helps.

I have a cheap mag trainer.  It's awful.  Not only does it not provide consistent rolling resistance - but it's also loud.

I wouldn't go cheap.  You have to spend a lot of time on it and it's not worth it.

Nope. I read about all the noise complaints from people who lived in Apt buildings and also couldn't hear the TV and bought a fluid trainer first off. No regret at all

I bought a cheap LOUD trainer and hate it.  I would spend the money next time.

i have a nashbar fluid trainer that came with the purchase of my bike.  for me, it provides all the resistance i feel i need.  i've put probably close to 1000 miles on it this year and has been trouble free, sturdy, and relatively quiet.  i havent ever heard a mag trainer to give a comparison, but i still have to turn the TV up a little.  i can hear the phone and someone knock at the door or ring the doorbell.  and i think my it lulls my kids to a deep slumber from the dull "white noise" that it makes at 24 mph.
i highly recommend it even without trying another brand myself.  good luck in your search.

Edited by wabash 2009-10-29 7:05 AM

I had a blackburn mag trainer that I bought on craigslist for $60.  It worked fine but yes it was loud.  I  could watch TV but had to crank the volume and I got some complaints from my family.  Switched over to a Performance Bike brand fluid trainer, they are like $130 though I got mine used for the same $60.  It is so much quieter.  I would highly suggest looking on craigslist, it seems that trainers are one of those things that lots of people buy and end up never using then selling them off cheap. 

I got the Ascent Fluid trainer from Nashbar, $99 I think.  It is LOUD.  Unfortunately its too loud to use in my condo without complaints from the neighbor. I tried to muffle sound/vibration with quality mats, didn't matter.  If I knew for sure that a more expensive trainer would be quiet enough to use, I'd regret this purchase. 

Naw. My cat dumped a plate of burritos on my home computer, causing death to the s, z, c, and x keys. :p

My trainer is probably one of the healthiest things left in the house :p

Now that I am on a functioning computer keyboard...

I have a nashbar mag trainer and a nashbar fluid. I can watch TV just fine with both, have used them on an upper-level floor, in an apartment, etc. Neither is loud, and both have been reliable and sturdy. Personally, I prefer the mag....but whatever.

Long story short, my $75 (although now is slightly more, I'm sure) trainer has been my buddy for years and years and is just fine.  I ride it year=round, and have zero complaints. Yes, I have ridden a cyclops, as well as a kurt kinetic...but IMO, the extra $$ was better spent elsewhere for me.

I was just going to ask about those dollar signs.....

How are people scoring nashbar fluid trainers for 150 bucks?  I see them on their website for $300, more for variable resistance versions.  On that front, do you need variable resistance or do you get that by pedaling harder (which is true for my extremely loud wind trainer).

just one of the many great purchases from craigslist.

I keep searching, but winter is here and I need something NOW!  Oh well, anyone have one to donate to my cause?

I just bought this model, and with a trainer-specific tire on it it's pretty smooth and quiet - the large chainring is actually louder.

Which model did you buy?