An indoor bike trainer like the CycleOps Fluid 2 bike trainer can be a godsend for a cyclist who is looking to stay in shape over the cold winter months or even to your average joe who just wants to lose some weight and stay in shape. If you aren't familiar with indoor bike trainers then they are a small stationary unit that you load your actual bicycle into and ride in place. The rear wheel spins a flywheel that creates resistance for your legs by which it gives you a great workout.
Indoor Bike Trainer Basics
We are going to cover some of the basics of indoor bike trainers so that you can be better prepared to make a purchase and be happy with that purchase the first time. There are 3 basic types of bike trainers, a centrifigal trainer, magnetic trainers and the fluid trainers. Each of these trainers appear visually to be virtually identical but they are in reality quite different. The main difference is how they accomplish the "resistance" to give you a workout.
The Centrifigal trainer utilizes a heavy flywheel that basically requires rotational inertia and the weight of the flywheel to give you the workout you are after. These are the simplest types of trainers and tend to be rather loud and the ride quality is marginal. They will put stress on your legs and aerobic system but the ride quality will not feel much like riding a regular bike.
The Magnetic trainers use a series of magnets working against each other to create "friction." These trainers are quite common as they are kind of the middle of the road when it comes to trainers. They aren't the best, they aren't the worst and the prices reflect as such. They give a decent ride feel, a good workout but they tend to be rather noisy.
Fluid trainers are, in our opinion, the cream of the crop. They utilize some form of impeller spinning through a viscous fluid to create the friction. They tend to produce the best ride quality, the least amount of noise but they are also on the more expensive side of the bike trainer market.
Bike Trainer Summary
This guide will get you started on your journey to find a good quality bike trainer but you should do more research on your own in order to find the right choice for you. Prices range from $79 dollars on the low end to as much as $3k dollars on the high end and you have a lot of stops in between those two price points.