The 5 Best Mountain Bike Trainer Reviews for 2017
Whether on a road bike or mountain biking, getting some exercise in is great for all cyclists. When you can do it right in your own home, however, cycling even better. After all, who wants to spend a lot of time biking during the winter when there’s snow and ice or if you live in a busy area with streets you can’t easily ride on? Though some cyclists use road bikes, mountain bikes are also a great way to train and rear wheel mountain bike trainers can help you with all of that and more. Even for the most novice mountain biker, using an indoor trainer can help you train in your own home, you’ll get used to biking over extended periods, and you’ll build up your endurance and capabilities.
With so many good indoor bike trainers available, such as rear wheel trainers, wind trainers, magnetic trainers, and fluid bike trainers with progressive resistance, which one is for you? To help transform your mountain bike into an exercise bike and improve your heart rate, overall fitness, and cycling skills, we’ve put together a review of the best rear wheel indoor bicycle trainers available.
CycleOps Fluid 2 Trainer
The CycleOps Fluid 2 Trainer is a great choice for those who love biking for indoor trainer exercise or those who want to be ready whenever the weather finally breaks. It uses hydraulic fluid to provide the right amount of resistance and has a precision-based flywheel which allows you to shift gears on your bike to increase and decrease the intensity of the ride that you want. The frame is also made of steel, which makes sure the bike doesn’t tip or even wobble while you go and it’s going to last a long time.
You’ll get everything you need in the set including two climbing blocks, a training mat, and even a sweat guard. You can also upgrade to more extensive (and intense) versions of the system if you prefer. With this one, you’re going to have a feeling like you’re really on the road and you’re going to have a strong frame that lasts as long as you want it.
Kinetic Rock and Roll 2.0 Trainer
With the Kinetic Rock and Roll 2.0 you’ll have a simple-to-use system that will definitely make you feel like you’re riding on the open road. It’s more expensive than others, but it does have a sensor that lets you track your workout and training on the app and provides similar movement to being on the road. You’ll be required to maintain the proper form with this trainer and you’re going to have less upper body movement while you’re at it. You don’t get a riser ring to secure the front wheel and you’re going to have a little bit louder unit, but it’s still going to provide plenty for you.
With plenty of resistance and compatible with bikes between 24” and 29” wheels, this trainer gives you fluid resistance and plenty of power. It’s got some fun virtual reality features and a moderate weight that makes it easy enough to take with you if you need to travel and fun to ride anywhere at all.
Tacx Neo Smart Direct Driver Trainer
The Tacx Neo is definitely more expensive, but it’s going to give you a whole lot that you’re looking for. Primarily, it’s going to be virtually silent and it allows you to connect to a mobile device or use it on its own. You can increase the resistance to whatever you want by increasing your speed and you’ll get all different kinds of terrain going through the system as well. It’s great for those who really want to ride as much as possible even in the less than desirable weather of winter. What’s really great with this bike is you remove the back wheel to ride, which means less wear on your actual bike tires.
This stand-alone fluid trainer is a little bit heavy and difficult to move if you find you want to change its location, but it will provide you with an excellent quality ride that you can enjoy for a very long time to come. You’ll also be able to get a very realistic ride no matter what the weather may be like outside. It comes with everything you need to get a great experience and can be folded up when it’s not in use so it takes up less space.
Kinetic Road Machine Smart Trainer
The Kinetic Road Machine Smart Trainer has a Bluetooth sensor that makes sure you know just what you’re getting out of the unit at all times. In fact, you’ll see power, speed, cadence, and the calories that you’ve burned so you can make sure you’re really getting the most out of this bike. It does heat up quite a bit over extended rides but uses fluid resistance and a cooling system to help with this process. The large tire roller diameter means that there’s less wear on your bike tire when you ride and it can hold a wheel from 24” to 29”.
More affordable than many of the other options, this system can be a little bit difficult to assemble and it does take up a bit more space. You will have a great experience riding, however, which makes it great for those who really want a hard ride, like they would get out on the road. Some of the measurements may not always be ideal either, but you’ll still have a lot of fun and a good workout.
Blackburn Tech Mag 6 Trainer
Finally, the Blackburn Tech Trainer is great for those who want a more budget friendly option. It’s the least expensive of all of these trainers and it still gives you a great experience. It uses magnetic resistance and provides six different options for resistance. There’s even a remote lever on the handlebars so you’ll have no problem adjusting the level you want. The steel frame can be adjusted to the right height for you and the legs swing out to increase stability.
This trainer can work with just about any bike and it’s going to get you what you’re looking for without a lot of added frills. It’s definitely a bike trainer that’s great for those who are just getting started or are only moderate riders.
There’s no reason that you can’t bike in your own home and use it as a way to get plenty of exercise. These tools are actually quite easy to use and attach your bike and they’re super small too, which means that they don’t take up too much space in your home. You can easily hook up your bike and get started when you want and then you can easily put it away whenever you’re done. It’s definitely an exercise tool you probably haven’t thought of much, but it will definitely work well for any purpose.
