As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, many cyclists begin looking for an indoor workout that will keep them in decent shape until Spring. An indoor bike trainer seems like the perfect solution to the cyclist looking to stay in shape and the best thing is whether you live in your own house or a small apartment, an indoor bicycle trainer will keep you in shape in the offseason and shelter you from the cold winter weather.

If you've never used a bike trainer then you will take some comfort in knowing that bicycle trainers have become highly common for indoor cycling and exercising. These machines are a very effective replacement for real cycling and very convenient as well. Although you can find an extensive selection of different types of bike trainers, the CycleOps Fluid 2 Bike Trainer has proven to be one of the most popular bike trainers on the market time and time again.

Design and Features

Pulling the CycleOps Fluid 2 out of the box we were quickly enamored with the drop dead sexy and sleek design of the CycleOps Fluid 2 Bike Trainer. Sexy oversized tubing covered in a gorgeous matte finish and high quality hardware definitely wins the visual battle. We haven't ridden it yet, but it's definitely hot.

The sales literature on the CycleOps Fluid 2 bike trainer claims to offer a very realistic road feel and one look at the oversized flywheel on the Fluid 2 bicycle trainer and we knew it was going to be a good ride. The flywheel is larger than most and heavier as well, which provides a superb road feel. You also get an extensive resistance range with what CycleOps has called power-band technology.

Heat is the enemy of a Fluid trainer and it ensure a long life, the Fluid 2 bike trainer is equipped with a self-cooling mechanism that includes a unique fan design. The output of power for the Fluid 2 ranges from 20 watts to 725 watts depending on the speed.

Resistance on the Fluid 2

Many bike trainers in the market come with manually-adjustable resistance but the CycleOps Fluid 2 sports something called Power Band Technology. This technology adjusts the resistance according to wheel speed and pace so basically the harder and faster you pedal while on the trainer, then the harder the resistance gets. This very closely emulates real world riding and we were extremely pleased with the feedback and resistance from the Fluid 2 trainer.

We could not over-spin it or produce unrealistic speeds no matter how hard we tried. Some trainers will allow you to ride 40 mph on the trainer, so you think you are all Lance like...but if you can't do 40 on the road, then you shouldn't be able to do 40 mph on your bike trainer. The infinite resistance curve featured on the Fluid 2 is designed to increase the wattage as the speed increases, so you WILL feel the workout the harder you work.

After several hours riding on the CycleOps Fluid 2 Bicycle trainer, here is a quick summary of what we feel are the major Pros and Cons.

CycleOps Fluid 2 Pros

• Noise Level: A major appeal of the CycleOps Fluid 2 is how silent and smooth the machine is. Many people avoid investing in a bike trainer due to the amount of noise, especially when using it in an apartment complex. The CycleOps Fluid 2 trainer is quite reasonable when it comes to noise level.
• Easy Set Up: Another benefit of this bike trainer is the simplicity and ease of setting up. It's practically ready to go right out of the box and loading a bike into the trainer is a piece of cake.
• Sex Appeal: The CycleOps Fluid 2 might be the sexiest trainer on the market. It just oozes quality and looks amazing. This has absolutely ZERO to do with the quality of the trainer but hey...who wants an ugly trainer right.
• Resistance: A very realistic and road like feel that will closely emulate true outdoor riding. The Fluid 2 feels great ramping up and on the coast down. Fluid trainers are some of the best trainers around and the Fluid 2 is one of the best Fluid trainers on the market.

CycleOps Fluid 2 Cons

• Resistance Lag: When changing gears to adjust resistance, the added resistance takes some time before it kicks in and it is not as intense. This is common with bike trainers and certainly not a big deal but it's worth mentioning.
• Portability: The CycleOps features large oversized tubes and a very heavy flywheel. This makes it a bear to lug around so if you portability is high on your list of wants in a bike trainer, then the CycleOps doesn't fit that bill. on the other hand, most riders park their trainer in a room and never move it so this likely isn't a big deal.

CycleOps Fluid 2 Review Summary

Overall the CycleOps Fluid 2 is a very high quality trainer that most cyclists would be extremely pleased to own and ride. It will give you a very high quality workout with solid road like feel. If you are a cyclist looking to stay fit in the off season and want a great all around trainer that won't break the bank, WILL give a good ride and keep you as in shape as you choose to be.