Bike trainers, which are also known as turbo trainers, are the next step in any cyclist’s journey to improve at cycling. They allow you to train at a consistent effort for as long as you want without having to stop for cars, traffic lights, or vary your effort due to hills and descents. The trainer holds the rear of your bike to keep it stable and secure so you do not have to worry about falling or keeping your balance.
Your rear wheel spins against a roller and this is what creates the resistance against which you pedal to feel as if you are cycling on the road. Beginner and experienced cyclists can improve dramatically by using a trainer a few times a week in their training, and are brilliant for maintaining fitness. This article discusses the best magnetic bike trainer to help you decide which one is right for you.
| Bike Trainer Model | Compatibility | Portability | Extras | Our Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 in., 27 in. and 700c bikes | Foldable | Heavy duty construction with extra wide frame for stability | Read review |
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| 26″, 27″ or 700C wheels | Extremely portable and foldable | Wide frame for stability. No slippage. Good quality. | Read review |
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| 26″, 27″ or 700c wheel | Foldable | 5 internal resistance settings. No noise. | Read review |
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Why use the Best Magnetic Bike Trainer?
Contents
- Why use the Best Magnetic Bike Trainer?
- Technology behind the Best Magnetic Bike Trainers
- Make sure to train outdoors as well
- Below are a selection of the Best Magnetic Bike Trainer Reviews:
- Indoor Bike Trainer Exercise Stand Review
- Conquer Indoor Bike Trainer Review
- FDW Magnet Steel Indoor Trainer Review
- Final Thoughts
Magnetic bike trainers are brilliant in bad weather as they allow you to train throughout rain, snow and ice when it may be to dangerous to ride outside, or when it is too hot and a fan can be used to cool you down as you train. This allows you to avoid weather which may make you enjoy the sport of cycling less.
However, magnetic trainers can be used all year round to improve fitness. Professional cyclists do two or three sessions a week on the trainer to keep their training consistent. Beginner cyclists can also benefit as trainers allow them to train without having to worry about the roads and all other dangers of cycling. They allow cyclists to push as hard as possible for periods of time and interval sessions to increase their fitness as effectively as possible. Check out some interval workouts you can do on a bike.
Technology behind the Best Magnetic Bike Trainers
Magnetic trainers work in quite a simple way. The rear wheel of your bike spins the roller on the trainer. This roller is slowed by a magnet which is what creates the resistance that you pedal against. It also has a flywheel inside the trainer which creates more resistance when you pedal harder to recreate what it likes to ride on the road. The flywheel also allows you to not pedal on the trainer and the momentum in the wheel still allows it to spin, just like freewheeling on a bike.
As the magnet slows the roller when it spins, the sound of the roller and vibrations from the magnet can make quite a bit of noise, so the better magnetic trainers will have thick soundproof casings to prevent the escape of as much noise as possible. As you have to slow down and stop less on a trainer, training sessions are much more effective than doing them on the road and so can be much shorter, saving you a lot of time.
Other alternatives to magnetic trainers are fluid trainers. Check out reviews of the best fluid bike trainer products here.
Make sure to train outdoors as well
One of the most important things to remember when using a trainer is to train outside as well as inside. Without riding on the road you will not develop good balance or bike handling and so will struggle to ride well around corners or when going up and down hills.
Below are a selection of the Best Magnetic Bike Trainer Reviews:
Indoor Bike Trainer Exercise Stand Review
The indoor bike trainer is a magnetic trainer built to be the sturdiest of the available magnetic trainer. The frame is extra wide so it is stable for sprinting and makes the rider feel as confident as possible in riding. It is compatible to 26 inch, 27 inch and 700c wheels so can fit almost any type of bike to train on.
The flywheel in the trainer makes its just like cycling on the road and the magnetic resistance can be adjusted to your level of fitness and strength, so can be adjusted to be more difficult as you improve. It also folds down for easy transportation and storage which is a feature all good trainers have, and all trainers should have.
Pros
- Wide legs for stability
- Comes with rider block for front wheel
- Easy to set up
- Low price
Cons
- Louder than other magnetic trainers
- Does not provide a huge amount of resistance
Conquer Indoor Bike Trainer Review
The Conquer indoor bike trainer is a magnetic bike trainer that is one of the cheapest available but does not lack in features and quality. It is sturdy and has rubberized feet, making the trainer much more stable and safe to use than other magnetic trainers at the same price. They also act to reduce the amount of vibration that the trainer produces thereby dampening some of the noise it produces.
As a magnetic trainer, it has progressive resistance, so the harder you pedal, the harder it becomes to maintain that speed, much like riding on the road. It also has resistance settings so the resistance can be adjusted depending on your strength and fitness.
Pros
- Well made and sturdy
- Folds for easy storage and travel
- Enough resistance for even the most experienced cyclist
- Low price
Cons
- Can be hard to set up
- Noisy for a magnetic trainer
FDW Magnet Steel Indoor Trainer Review
The Magnet Steel indoor trainer offers the widest range of resistance settings of any magnetic bike trainer, meaning even the strongest cyclist will be able to challenge themselves. It, like many other magnetic trainers, also offers progressive resistance meaning the resistance increases as the speed increases.
One of the biggest selling points of the Magnet Steel indoor trainer is how quiet it is. It is designed to make the least amount of noise possible for a magnetic trainer, though as it is a magnetic trainer it still makes a bit of noise.
Pros
- Quietest of the magnetic trainers
- Easy to set up
- 5 resistance options
Cons
- Heavy
- Not very stable
Final Thoughts
A bike trainer is one of the best training tools to take your cycling to the next level. They allow you to a trainer in any weather so the days or even weeks that you can’t train outdoors aren’t wasted and they allow you to put in a consistent effort all year round so when you are on the road it is easier and you will be faster. Magnetic trainers aren’t the best of the trainer types, however, the best of the magnetic trainers shown here are almost on the level of the top fluid type trainers.
The best magnetic bike trainer is the FDW Magnet Steel Indoor trainer as it offers not only the best resistance options of the magnetic trainers, but it is also the quietest of the them, two features which are the main buying points for many. It allows those that train on it to do so without annoying neighbors and without ever finding it too easy, no matter how good of a cyclist they are. Its ease of transportation and set up also makes it the perfect companion to your training.