Bike Trainer Reviews » Rim drive http://biketrainerreviews.com Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:28:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Bike Trainer for Mountain Bikes? http://biketrainerreviews.com/trainer-for-mtn-bikes/ http://biketrainerreviews.com/trainer-for-mtn-bikes/#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:48:53 +0000 Hammer http://biketrainerreviews.com/trainer-for-mtn-bikes/
Robert B asked:

It seems that most of the indoor bicycle trainers that I have seen are designed for road bikes. Do you have any recommendations on a good trainers for use with a mountain bike? My bike is a 20" Specialized Rockhopper bike and I don't want to buy a different bike just to train with.

Our Answer

Robert...great question and you are right, you never see any bike trainer ads with a mountain bike as the bike loaded up on board. The nature of a mountain bike tire would not make it a good match for the smooth wheel of the bike trainer though. The knobby tire would be incredibly loud and would wear your tire to nothing in almost no time, neither of which you want to do.

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td><img src="http://biketrainerreviews.com/images/B001FSKDS0/" /><td></tr><tr><td><td></tr></table>You have two choices, you can go with a bike trainer that is known as a Rim Drive trainer like a Minoura RDA80 type trainer. The drive wheel actually rides against the rim of the wheel instead of the tire. If this particular trainer isn't to your liking then you could always simply mount a training tire on your rim for the winter. It's not like they are difficult to change and come spring you can change it right back.

If changing out the tire isn't to your liking then a stock rear wheel can be had for a few bucks and you could simply change out the whole wheel and tire assembly when you want to rock the trainer. Your call which way you want to go.

]]> http://biketrainerreviews.com/trainer-for-mtn-bikes/feed/ 2 Minoura RDA80 Rim Drive Bicycle Trainer with Remote http://biketrainerreviews.com/minoura-rda80-rim-drive-bike-trainer-review/ http://biketrainerreviews.com/minoura-rda80-rim-drive-bike-trainer-review/#comments Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:09:32 +0000 Hammer http://biketrainerreviews.com/?p=75 Want a quiet trainer...check out the Minoura RDA 80 Rim Drive Trainer!

Want a quiet trainer...check out the Minoura RDA 80 Rim Drive Trainer!

The Minoura RDA 80 Rim Drive bicycle trainer is Minoura's entry into the growing rim drive trainer category. If you aren't familiar with bicycle trainers and the differences between rim drive and a traditional trainer then you are not alone. Most cyclists are familiar with the traditional style bike trainers that work by loading the bicycle wheel against a roller of some sort. These trainers work great but they tend to be a bit on the loud side and they can chew up tires if you don't use a special trainer tire.

A rim drive trainer works differently in that the friction rollers on the trainer work against the rim of the bicycle wheel instead of against the tire. What this means is less noise and no unnecessary wear on the tire, a win all the way around. These are also a great idea for those cyclists who want to ride on a Mountain bike instead of a road bike and don't want to change tires.

The Minoura RDA 80 is a high quality bike trainer that folds flat for ergonomic storage and ease of transportation. It also sports a very solid, wide and rugged steel frame outfitted with high quality components that should last you for many miles. The Minoura RDA80 is quick and easy to setup and after just a few miles I could already tell that this trainer was a cut above the norm when it comes to trainer design. The magnetic resistance flywheel offers 7 levels of resistance and a very nice pedal feel that does a nice job of simulating a real road feel. What I liked best about the Minoura Rim Drive bike trainer is that it lived up to its reputation as a QUIET trainer. If you train indoors or like to watch TV while you ride, then you can definitely appreciate what a quiet trainer will bring to the table.

Who Should Buy the Minoura RDA 80 Rim Drive Bike Trainer

The Minoura RDA 80 Rim Drive Bike Trainer is an excellent choice in trainers for just about anyone but would work especially nice for a cyclist who demands a quiet trainer that won't disturb your neighbors or your housemates. This benefit is excellent in and of itself but then add the fact that the RDA 80 offers a rock solid platform to spin on top of AND combine that with no unnecessary wear and tire on tires and you end up with a strong argument for the Minoura Rim Drive cycling trainer.

The 7 levels of resistance and excellent pedal and road feel allow you to tailor your workout to whatever part of your cycling game you are trying to train. Anything from Long Slow Distance type pedalling to hard core, out of the saddle sprints...the Minoura RDA 80 Rim Drive bicycle trainer will make a great choice for about any cyclist in need of a high quality bike trainer.

This trainer regularly sells for $309 or so dollars in bike shops but we try to help you save money on your bike trainer purchase so check out these amazing deals we found online that will save you money on your Minoura RDA80 Magnetic Bike trainer purchase. List price is $309 dollars but check out the deals below...no sense in spending more than you have to.

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td><img src="http://biketrainerreviews.com/images/B001FSKDS0/41t6uYTwlHL._SL75_.jpg" /><td></tr><tr><td>For starters, the cable that comes with the 850R is very long and gets in the way constantly. With my road bike I had an extra coil of cable about 20" long lying off to the side of my bike. The mounting system for the remote control is fair enough, but getting a secure and tight fit on my road bike drop bars was another hassle. I have a cadence meter/speedometer mounted near the center of my bar, and a water bottle cage mounted to the bar on the other side of my stem. This left no room for the remote control to mount that wouldn't put the cable in the way of my hand positions.<td></tr></table> ]]> http://biketrainerreviews.com/minoura-rda80-rim-drive-bike-trainer-review/feed/ 0