Indoor trainers are the best step for any cyclist to improve at the sport; they offer the ability to train without stopping for traffic or cars and allow you to put in a consistent effort. The rear of your bike is put into a mount to keep your bike upright and stable while you cycle and your rear wheel spins against a roller.
The roller provides resistance for you to push against recreating the feeling of riding on the road, allowing you to train as hard as you want. They are best used for beginner or intermediate cyclists wanting to push themselves to improve drastically, though experienced cyclists will also find them useful to add to their training to maintain and increase fitness. This article discusses the best fluid bike trainer to help you decide.
| Bike Trainer Model | Compatibility | Portability | Extras | Our Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | Foldable | Compact and lightweight. Heavy flywheel for performance. Progressive resistance. | Read review |
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| 26 in., 27 in. and 700c bikes | Foldable | Quiet, smooth, progressive resistance. | Read review |
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| N/A | Foldable | QUIETEST! New larger flywheel. Self-cooling mechanism. | Read review |
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on Amazon |
Why use a Fluid Bike Trainer?
Contents
Trainers have their greatest advantage in two situations. The first is bad weather. If the weather is too hot or too cold it allows you to ride indoors to avoid the non-ideal situation and train as you normally would.
It also allows you to train consistently for a few sessions a week; many professional cyclists spend two or three sessions a week on the trainer to allow them to be accurate and reliable with their training. This means that the cyclist can push as hard as possible for periods of time and interval sessions to increase their fitness as effectively as possible.
Technology behind the Best Fluid Bike Trainer
Fluid trainers have a fan immersed in oil within them, so as the back wheel of the bike spins the fan is moved around. As the fan has resistance from the oil it offers more realistic resistance than trainers that only have resistance from the air making them much more effective, though more expensive.
The harder you push on the pedals the more the resistance increases as the fan pushes harder against the oil. They also have a balanced freewheel that allows you to coast along as if you are on the road.
As you cycle the oil heats up, making the pedaling harder over time. This allows for a natural progression of the cycling getting harder the longer you cycle for. Trainers also are as effective as cycling but over a shorter period of time, so a short trainer session can be as effective as a long ride on the road! This could save you a lot of time. More info on their technology can be read here.
Make sure to train outdoors as well
When using trainers it is important to train outside as well. Although they can be a useful tool to add to your cycling, they are not effective if only used on their own without cycling on the road. Road cycling is much different to riding indoors on a trainer where you have no corners to turn or cars to avoid.
Below are a selection of the Best Fluid Bike Trainer:
Cascade FluidPro Review
The Cascade FluidPro is a fluid bike trainer built not only to perform well but to last as long as possible. It offers a quick snap installation for the bike so it is a breeze to set up for training sessions. It is built to hold any size bike so anyone of any size can use it and any bike can fit into it easily and without hassle.
It is also fine-tuned to feel as close to riding on real roads as possible, with the inbuilt suspension to simulate the sway of the bike as you sprint or climb. It also folds down to a small size allowing for easy storage and transportation, so you can do a session wherever you go.
Pros
- Smooth like cycling on real roads
- Well built
- Easy to set up
Cons
- Not much quieter than cheaper models
- Front legs don’t lock
- Very expensive
Kinetic Road Machine 2.0 Review
The Kinetic road machine 2.0 is one of the most reliable fluid bike trainers on the market and comes with a lifetime warranty to show how dependable they are. The unit is sturdy as it has rubber feet to stop it moving as you use it and to absorb some of the vibrations that trainers can produce.
It also has progressive resistance, meaning the faster you go the harder it becomes to maintain that speed much as it would if you were road cycling and going fast. It also has a larger roller that your tire spins than other trainers which reduce the wear it can cause to your rear tire.
Pros
- Realistic road feel
- Sturdy
- 100% leak proof
Cons
- Expensive
- Noisy
CycleOps Fluid 2 Fluid Bike Trainer Review
The CycleOps Fluid 2 offers a wide resistance range compared to other models and is famous market-wide for their flywheel size, a company secret so that it feels almost like cycling along real roads. The resistance adjusts as you cycle, so changing up and down gears is much like doing it outside, making you work harder or easier depending on what you want.
It is also designed to be extremely quiet so you can listen to music or watch videos as you train and people in the rooms around you won’t be able to hear from you. It is designed to be quick to set up and pack down so it can be transported easily.
Pros
- Very quiet
- Easy to set up
- Wide range of resistance options
Cons
- Slight vibration
- Not very stable
Final Thoughts
When taking your cycling to the next level a trainer is one of the best things to do this with. They allow you to train during the cold winters so months of the year aren’t wasted. It also allows you to put in consistent efforts all year round so the time you do spend on the road is faster and easier. Fluid bike trainers are the best of the best as they are the closest to cycling on actual roads so the fitness you gain from using them is applicable when you leave the house with your bike.
The best fluid bike trainer is the CycleOps Fluid 2 as it offers such a huge range of resistance options so everyone from the beginner to the most advanced cyclist can use it to its full potential. It is also quiet, meaning it can be used almost anywhere without annoying neighbors. Its ease of transportation and set up also makes it the perfect companion to your training.