The Best Indoor Bike Trainers

Bell Motivator Mag Indoor Bicycle Trainer

The Best Indoor Bike Trainer
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Many warm weather exercisers find it to be a struggle to maintain their fitness levels when the weather turns cold and daylight savings time kicks in. Getting dark early and those cold temperatures don’t make it very easy to continue an outdoor fitness regimen of any kind and very few sports are impacted as much as the sport of cycling. The good news is that you can cycle indoors with a simple purchase of a device called an indoor bike trainer.

What Is An Indoor Bike Trainer

Indoor bike trainers consist of two basic kinds of devices that simulate the act of riding a bicycle. There are freestanding bicycle trainers that are more like an exercise bike that you would see at a gym and then there are the bike trainer stands where you load your actual bicycle into a frame. This bike trainer has a roller device that applies friction to the rear wheel requiring more exertion on your part to maintain your pedaling cadence.

These bicycle trainers can vary slightly in design and function but ultimately they all seek to accomplish the same thing and that is to allow you to ride your actual bike indoors and out of the cold weather elements.

Types of Indoor Bike Trainers

There are two basic types of indoor bike trainer stands with one being a magnetic trainer that is commonly referred to as a Mag trainer. The other type is a fluid trainer and might often be referred to as a kinetic bike trainer. These two machines appear very similar on the outside but they are quite different on the inside.

You might have already guessed the main difference in construction, the Mag trainer uses magnets to provide the friction that you must overcome while a fluid trainer actually uses a thick silicone based fluid that creates friction required to pedal the trainer. While these trainers appear quite similar, they function differently and can have some major differences in ride quality as well as noise level that they put out.

These may not be important to you or they could be a deal breaker. The best thing you can do if you are considering purchasing an indoor bike trainer is to read reviews on the various machines and make the best decision for your own personal situation. The best indoor bike trainer for you is the one that fits your needs the best.

July 21, 2010 | Filed Under Cycling, Fitness Equipment