Do I need an expensive fluid trainer for my bike?

Here’s a good basic article from Cycling Review on fluid trainers. It sounds like a piece of equipment that you would get a lot of use out of, and doesn’t take up a lot of space. I guess the question is, do you have space inside your house to set your bike up and ride?

look on craigslist or at your local bike shop bulletin board for a used one. Trainers are notorious for being bought with good intentions and then not used. I’m not sure what part of he country you live in, but nothing beats being out on your bike.

Great answers. I live in California so weather is not an issue, it’s time. Lately I seem to have free time early AM or late PM. Hopping on a trainer would at least get me some saddle time.

I guess my big question is if the brands are worth double the cost of cheaper ones? Performance Bikes sells thei Ascent fluid trainer for $120. That’s $190 cheaper than the Kinetics. Wow

I think you’re going to have to get on the cycling sites and read the reviews. It does sound like the early fluid trainers have leaking problems. It might be interesting to do a comparison to magnetic trainers and wind trainers. You might be able to find a magnetic trainer second hand, from someone that traded up to a fluid trainer.

Since this is not a piece of equipment you have used, I would liken buying the fluid trainer to buying a BMW as your first car, when a Honda or Ford would serve your purpose (which is to get in more riding time at odd hours.) Before the fluid trainers came along, cyclists were perfectly happy with magnetic or wind trainers.