How to choose and indoor bike trainer

There are a number of Types of Trainers. In fact there are four main types of trainers, fan, magnetic and fluid.

Fan trainers - offer the most basic type of resistance generated through, you guessed it a fan. The resistance felt is much like wind resistance you experience while riding out on the road and will smoothly increase exponentially as you go faster. Resistance capability for fan trainers is based on the size of the fan on the trainer. Fan trainers are great for the occasional workout, spinning and low-impact interval work.

Magnetic trainers - provide the next step up in resistance. Resistance is adjustable manually or electronically and increases proportionately to the amount of power applied to the pedals. Magnetic trainers are very quiet and the wide variety of resistance allows you to simulate climbing, spinning, sprinting and just about any other condition you will meet out on the road.

Fluid trainers - work much like fan trainers, but offer more resistance, a quieter ride, and a more realistic road-like tactile sensation. Resistance increases as your cadence increases, making it great for keeping your heart rate up during hard interval sessions.
And Then There Were Rollers

Rollers are an alternative to using the standard rear wheel stationary trainer. Rollers are generally best for those looking for spinning workouts and for a way to improve balance. To be used safely, rollers require a great deal more concentration than just hoping on and going to town. It is recommended that you try intervals on these only when you become more experienced and feel comfortable on them.

Rollers will provide the beginner with a great steady calorie-burning workout. They can be fun to ride as you concentrate on your form, are nearly silent to operate and cause less wear on your tires than a standard trainer.

What works best for you?
There are some considerations you must make. Some qualities you should look for when choosing a trainer?

Many models come adjustable to accommodate a variety of wheel sizes so that you can ride your road bike on it one day and your tri-bike the next.

Storage of the trainer when not in use is also important. Most trainers are fold-able now so you can tuck them in a spare closet or under your bed.

And finally, think about versatility. A trainer that only allows you to get a good spinning workout is fine if you are looking to keep the holiday pounds off and get your heart pumping, but it is not going to help improve your leg strength for next season.

Many brands of trainers offer one or more of each type of trainer. Popular brands of trainers with cyclists and tri-athletes are Kinetic, Tacx, Blackburn and my particular favorite manufacturer, Cycleops.

Is Indoor Training Boring?
Anyone who gets bored with their indoor trainer has ample opportunity to cure that with
one of the many videos out there. Ranging from coaches guiding you over the heart-pumping music to a scenic view of the mountains, trainer videos offer great workouts that you can grind through to pass the time quickly. Videos tend to be geared toward working on one of many skills such as time trailing, climbing, sprinting, spinning, proper cycling technique, etc.

Also becoming increasingly popular are computerized and virtual reality trainers. These trainers link up to your PC and many models will allow you to ride the courses of popular races or program your own course. There are also Virtual Reality trainers that provide realistic resistance simulation throughout the video session.

The Best Accessories
Beyond videos, there are several accessories available to make riding your indoor bike trainer more convenient. A trainer mat will prevent you from scratching up the nice finish on your wood floors while preventing any chance of slippage through your ride. A riser block will bring your bike to an even level by bringing your front wheel up to the level of your wheel. They also will keep you front wheel stable.

If you want to catch-up on some reading or studying while riding, a Speed-Reader will connect to your handlebars and hold a book, magazine, holiday cards that need to be written, etc. Finally, that big pool of sweat that accumulates at the end of your session, while impressive, is really kind of gross. A sweat net that extends from your seat to your handle bars will catch and absorb sweat, missed sips of water, pie (if you choose to combine the two), etc.

If you want to read a review of best bike trainer I have created a simple blog summarizing the facts and making a recommendation for the one I use, the CycleOps Fluid 2 Indoor Bicycle Trainer.

You can find the blog at http://bicycle-trainer-review.com