Bicycle Trainer Recommendation Report

Gordon Withers, Student Coach of the California Polytechnic State University Triathlon Team

June 1, 2009

Prepared by: Leanne Lopes, Technical Writer Sam Reynard, Technical Writer Jenn Tan, Technical Writer Sara Wolters, Technical Writer

Informational Abstract

Informational Abstract
This report researches four different bicycle trainers for the Triathlon Teams group order. Each of the four bicycle (bike) trainers meet your minimum specifications and we recommend one based on the evaluative criteria. Our research includes websites, bicycle magazines, and personal interviews. This report concludes that the Performance Travel Trac Century Adjustable Fluid Plus Trainer best meets your needs.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Informational Abstract................................................................................................................ i Table of Contents........................................................................................................................ii Table of Figures..........................................................................................................................iv Introduction to Bicycle Trainer Recommendation Report.................................................. 1 Scope .......................................................................................................................................... 1 Minimum Specifications......................................................................................................... 1 List of Options ........................................................................................................................ 1 Evaluative Criteria.................................................................................................................. 1 Sources....................................................................................................................................... 2 Discussion and Comparison of Bike Trainers ...................................................................... 3 Minoura Variable Fluid System (VFS)-G.............................................................................. 3 Cost ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Warranty................................................................................................................................. 3 Ratings.................................................................................................................................... 3 Assembly ........................................................................................................................... 3 Noise .................................................................................................................................. 4 Portability.......................................................................................................................... 4 Resistance .......................................................................................................................... 4 Nashbar Adjustable Fluid Trainer......................................................................................... 5 Cost ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Warranty................................................................................................................................. 5 Ratings.................................................................................................................................... 5 Assembly ........................................................................................................................... 5 Portability.......................................................................................................................... 5 Noise .................................................................................................................................. 6 Resistance .......................................................................................................................... 6 Blackburn TrakStand Fluid Trainer....................................................................................... 7 Cost ......................................................................................................................................... 7 Warranty................................................................................................................................. 7

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Table of Contents Ratings.................................................................................................................................... 7 Assembly ........................................................................................................................... 7 Noise .................................................................................................................................. 8 Portability.......................................................................................................................... 8 Resistance .......................................................................................................................... 8 Performance Travel Trac Century Fluid Plus Trainer ........................................................ 9 Cost ......................................................................................................................................... 9 Warranty................................................................................................................................. 9 Ratings.................................................................................................................................... 9 Assembly ........................................................................................................................... 9 Noise ................................................................................................................................ 10 Portability........................................................................................................................ 10 Resistance ........................................................................................................................ 10 Conclusion and Final Recommendation .............................................................................. 11 Minoura Findings .................................................................................................................. 11 Nashbar Findings................................................................................................................... 11 Blackburn Findings................................................................................................................ 11 Performance Findings ........................................................................................................... 11 Final Recommendation ......................................................................................................... 11 Glossary ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Reference List ............................................................................................................................ 14

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Table of Figures

Table of Figures
Figure 1: Image of Minoura VFS-G Trainer ............................................................................. 3 Figure 2: Image of Nashbar Adjustable Fluid Trainer............................................................ 5 Figure 3: Image of Blackburn TrakStand Fluid Trainer ......................................................... 7 Figure 4: Image of Performance Travel Trac Century Fluid Plus Trainer ........................... 9 Figure 5: Summary Table of Evaluative Criteria................................................................... 12

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Introduction to Bicycle Trainer Recommendation Report

Introduction to Bicycle Trainer Recommendation Report

This report investigates four different bike trainers for the California Polytechnic State University Triathlon Team. For your order of approximately 25 bike trainers, we recommend purchasing the Performance Travel Trac Century Adjustable Fluid Plus Trainer.

Scope
This section details the minimum specifications, options, and evaluative criteria discussed in this report.

Minimum Specifications
You specified that the bike trainers must: use fluid resistance, be portable, and cost no more than $275.

List of Options
After our initial investigation of bike trainers, we narrowed the choices to the following four: Minoura Variable Fluid System (VFS)-G Trainer, Nashbar Adjustable Fluid Trainer, Blackburn Trakstand Fluid Trainer, and Performance Travel Trac Century Adjustable Fluid Plus Trainer.

Evaluative Criteria
This report will evaluate the following criteria to compare the four trainers: Lowest cost including shipping, Longest warranty, and

Introduction to Bicycle Trainer Recommendation Report Highest Road Bike Review or Mountain Bike Review rating as well as comments in reviews regarding assembly, noise, portability, and resistance.

Sources
We investigated each trainer by interviewing bicycling experts, reading bike retail websites, and reading bicycling magazines and their accompanying websites. We interviewed experts at Specialized, Arts Cyclery, and Foothill Cyclery, which are all San Luis Obispo-based bike shops.

Discussion and Comparison of Bike Trainers: Minoura Variable Fluid System-G Trainer

Discussion and Comparison of Bike Trainers

For the following pages, we will discuss and compare each of the four bike trainers that we investigated.

Minoura Variable Fluid System (VFS)-G

The Minoura VFS-G, pictured right in Figure 1, fits wheels sized 26 to 29 inches and weighs 9.0 kg (approximately 20 lbs). The following sections detail its cost, warranty, and ratings.

Cost
ModernBike.com sells the VFS-G for the lowest price at $236.94 including tax, standard shipping, and handling. Figure 1: Image of Minoura VFS-G Trainer (roadbikereview.com)

Warranty
None of the websites that sell the VFS-G offer a warranty or guarantee of satisfaction.

Ratings
Dave Atkinson of Road Bike Review (2009) gives the VFS-G an overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars. The following details comments from his professional review as well as customer reviews on assembly, portability, and resistance. Assembly The Minoura VFS-G requires a great deal of assembly, but according to Atkinson at Road Bike Review (2009), the process of assembly is straightforward. He also asserted that with each new bike he wanted to train with, he had to rebuild the unit based on the tire. To make this process easier, the necessary hex wrench comes with the bike, and the designers left a space on the frame to store the wrench.

Discussion and Comparison of Bike Trainers: Minoura Variable Fluid System-G Trainer Fortunately, after the user assembles the unit according to his/her tire, the gravity frame automatically adjusts to the bikes wheel. The weight of the user on the bike puts pressure on the tire, which automatically adjusts to keep the bike in place (Minoura VFS-G Variable Fluid System, 2009). Noise No reviews describe problems with noise. Kwrides at Bike Forums (2008) describes the VFS-G as whisper quiet and says that besides the chain, only shifting causes noise from the trainer. Portability The VFS-G maintains ease of portability. It carries well, folds flat, and can be stored when not in use. Resistance The VFS alone utilizes a hybrid of fluid and magnetic resistance. The fluid side features an internal vane system, which provides an exponential power curve to simulate the feel of an actual ride. The magnetic system accelerates the total power curve for building muscle (Minoura VFS-G Tire Drive Trainer, 2009). The total resistance for the trainer maxes out at nearly 600 Watts (Atkinson, 2009). A rider can utilize any of seven different levels of resistance while riding, according to ModernBike.com (2009). However, Atkinson indicates that the resistance remains too high, even at the lowest setting. Customer Kwrides at BikeForums.net (2008) agrees and claims he/she could not cycle above 80 rpm without quickly having to shift to the small ring to keep his/her heart rate down.

Discussion and Comparison of Bike Trainers: Nashbar Adjustable Fluid Trainer

Nashbar Adjustable Fluid Trainer

Nashbars Adjustable Fluid Trainer, pictured right in Figure 2, has a smooth fluid resistance unit with five levels. The internal flywheel creates a natural-feeling pedal action. This trainer has a wide stance frame with non-skid rubber feet to enhance stability and reduce noise and vibration. The bike attaches quickly and easily with an improved mounting mechanism complete with lined axle cups. A handlebar-mounted changer allows the user to easily change resistance levels. The trainer also includes a quick release skewer for optimal fit. Figure 2: Image of Nashbar Adjustable Fluid Trainer (nashbar.com)

Cost
The Nashbar Adjustable Fluid Trainer costs the least amount of money out of our four options. Nashbar, the only vendor of the trainer, sells the product at the price of $160.95, including shipping, on their website (BikeNashbar.com).

Warranty
Nashbar does not offer a formal warranty for the Adjustable Fluid Trainer, but they guarantee 100% satisfaction and allow refunds and/or exchanges.

Ratings
Road Bike Review gives the product a 2.85 out of 5 rating. The following details information about assembly, noise, portability, and resistance. Assembly On Nashbar's website, both reviewers describe the Adjustable Fluid Trainer as easy to install and use. You can find a document with further information about assembly at http://www.nashbar.com/images/nashbar/web/PDFs/NBFTA5%20Adjustable%20Fluid%20Trainer.pdf. Portability The reviewers described this trainer as versatile, durable, and easy to set up. Users explained how they use the trainer especially in the winter; they did not specify any problems with portability. 5

Discussion and Comparison of Bike Trainers: Nashbar Adjustable Fluid Trainer Noise Both reviewers explained the noticeably loud and bothersome noise, although it did not distract them to the point that they wanted to return the product. The user can reduce noise by setting the trainer on carpet and using a rear tire with a smooth tread pattern (Nashbar, 2005). Resistance Five levels of resistance provide users with the settings they desire to work out at various levels. For example, lower range settings are useful for warm-ups; middle range settings match level road conditions; and higher settings allow for high climbing conditions. Resistance level increases as the user pulls the lever closer to his or her body (Nashbar, 2005).

Discussion and Comparison of Bike Trainers: Blackburn TrakStand Fluid Trainer

Blackburn TrakStand Fluid Trainer

Blackburns TrakStand Fluid Trainer, pictured right in Figure 3, features a steel folding frame and an extra-wide 24 inch-wide base for added stability during rigorous training sessions. The progressive fluid resistance increases exponentially with speed, mimicking real-world conditions. The trainer fits 700c, 650c, and 26-inch diameter wheels and uses a dual-centering mount to accommodate slim road tires as well as fat mountain bike tires (Blackburn, 2009).

Cost

The TrakStand Fluid retails at $229.99 on the manufacturers website, but citysports.com offers the best deal for only $149.97 and $5 shipping.

Figure 3: Image of Blackburn TrakStand Fluid Trainer (blackburndesign.com)

Warranty
Blackburn offers a 5-year limited warranty on all trainers and excludes damage from heat or physical damage caused by abuse, neglect, improper repair, improper fit, or alterations (Blackburn, 2009).

Ratings
Gary Lee of Road Bike Review rated the TrakStand Fluid at 2.5 out of 5 because of issues with the tensioner (Road Bike Review, 2008). The following details information about assembly, noise, portability, and resistance. Assembly This trainer ships completely assembled and simply requires installation of the actual bike. Initially the user must first set the adjusting knobs to the rear tires width before securing the bike with lock rings, but the adjusting knobs only need resetting when using a different bike.

Discussion and Comparison of Bike Trainers: Blackburn TrakStand Fluid Trainer Noise According to members of ConsumerREVIEW.com the flywheel vibrates excessively, much more than other fluid trainers, which tends to loosen the tensioner during long or vigorous training sessions. Besides being very loud, this also hampers the users ability to maintain a steady rhythm by decreasing resistance and requiring the user to constantly dismount and adjust the tensioner (ConsumerREVIEW, 2007). Portability The steel frame folds for easy storage, comes completely assembled, and weighs 24.5 lbs (Blackburn, 2009). Resistance This trainer uses progressive fluid resistance, which exponentially increases with speed to emulate real road conditions. However, the flywheels faster, vibrationinducing spin reduces its efficiency and feels more like magnetic resistance (Road Bike Review, 2008).

Discussion and Comparison of Bike Trainers: Performance Travel Trac Century Fluid Plus Trainer

Performance Travel Trac Century Fluid Plus Trainer

The Performance Travel Trac Century Adjustable Fluid Plus Trainer, pictured right in Figure 4, boasts a new mounting system for an easy bike setup and includes a replacement rear skewer to ensure a proper fit. It comes with a handlebar mounted shift lever that provides five levels of gear adjustment to change the resistance. The Travel Trac is also compatible with most road and mountain bikes. Figure 4: Image of Performance Travel Trac Century Fluid Plus Trainer (performancebike.com)

Cost
Performance bike regularly sells the Travel Trac for $229.99, but they now sell it for 30% off at $159.99. Shipping would cost approximately $11.00 per unit, which rounds the total price to $170.99.

Warranty
The company does not offer a warranty, but they do offer a 100% guarantee policy. This policy allows a customer to get a refund or exchange the bike trainer as long as the customer has his or her receipt.

Ratings
The reviews on the Performance bike website averaged a 4 out of 5 satisfaction rating. The ratings on Road Bike Review website averaged a 3.85 out of 5 satisfaction rating. Most reviews agreed that the Travel Trac works well for its price range, but in some cases, the users said the resistance was lower than they would have liked. The following details information about assembly, noise, portability, and resistance. Assembly The Performance website did not list any information about assembly. After calling the company, the salesclerks did not know about the assembly either.

Discussion and Comparison of Bike Trainers: Performance Travel Trac Century Fluid Plus Trainer Noise Only three out of 16 reviews (from Road Bike Review) mentioned that the trainer was slightly noisy. All the other reviews said the unit was smooth and quiet. Portability This trainer easily folds up for portability and storage. Resistance Four reviews (out of the 16 reviews) on Road Bike Review mentioned that this trainer had slightly less resistance than they thought it should have. The rest of the reviews favored the level of resistance.

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Conclusion and Final Recommendation

Conclusion and Final Recommendation

The following sections summarize our findings for each bike trainer. Please refer to Figure 5 on the following page for a visual summary of all evaluative criteria.

Minoura Findings
The Minoura VFS-G, which costs $212.98 received a rating of 3.0 out of 5 by Road Bike Review. They offer no warrantee. According to reviews at Road Bike Review and Bike Forums, the combination of fluid and magnetic can provide too much resistance.

Nashbar Findings
The Nashbar Adjustable Fluid Trainer, which costs $149.95, received a 2.85 out of 5 rating on Road Bike Review. Nashbar offers a 100% guarantee on products. Reviewers noted an excessive vibration in the trainer that created problems with the tensioner.

Blackburn Findings
The Blackburn TrakStand Fluid Trainer, which costs $154.97, received a 2.5 out of 5 rating on Mountain Bike Review. Blackburn offers a 5-year limited warranty. User noted noise, vibration, and tension issues because of the flywheels heavy vibration.

Performance Findings
The Performance Travel Trac Century Adjustable Fluid Plus Trainer, which costs $170.99, received a 3.85 out of 5 rating on Road Bike Review. Performance offers a 100% satisfaction policy with refund or exchange. Some users reported an unsatisfactory resistance level, but the consensus was that this bike trainer is a good buy for its price range.

Final Recommendation
We recommend that you purchase the Performance Travel Trac Century Fluid Plus Trainer because of its reasonable price, satisfaction policy, and favorable user reviews. Although the Nashbar Adjustable Fluid Trainer costs the least and the Blackburn Trakstand Fluid Trainer has a 5-year warranty, we find the perfect

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Conclusion and Final Recommendation balance of price and usability in Performance Travel Trac Century Fluid Plus Trainer.

Summary Table of Evaluative Criteria Minoura Nashbar VFS-G Lowest cost $236.94 $149.95 including shipping 100% satisfaction Longest warranty or None policy with equivalent guarantee refund or exchange Highest rating on a scale of 1-5 2.75 out of 3 at Mtbr.com or 12 reviews Roadbikereview.com Assembly Noise Portability Resistance Complicated Quiet Yes High Complicated Noisy Yes Medium

Blackburn $154.97 5-year limited warranty

Performance $170.99 100% satisfaction policy with refund or exchange 3.85 No information Quiet Yes Medium-toLow

2.5 out of 2 reviews Preassembled Noisy Yes Low

Figure 5: Summary Table of Evaluative Criteria

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Glossary

Glossary
Gravity frame: the frame used on the Minoura VFS-G, which uses the gravity from the weight of the rider to automatically adjust the roller pressure (Minoura VFS-G Variable Fluid System, 2009). Hex wrench: a wrench that accompanies the Minoura VFS-G, which is used to adjust the trainer to different tires. The trainer has a specific storage space on the trainer for the hex wrench so that easy adjustment is possible (Atkinson, 2008). Fluid resistance: resistance that provides selectively variable resistance, makes little noise, and simulates the feel of bicycling on a road. Additionally, the resistance increases exponentially as the rider uses more speed (Trainers: Websters Quotations, Facts, and Phrases, 2008). Flywheel: large-diameter wheel keyed to the end of the shaft of machines such as jaw crushers and the function of which is to restrict fluctuations of speed by absorbing and releasing quantities of kinetic energy for small speed variations (FDictionary of Quarrying Terms, n.d.). Tensioner: A knob on a bike trainer which allows the bike to move forward and back on the rollers while maintaining contact with the flywheel, thereby creating resistance while pedaling (R. McDonald, personal communication, May 15, 2009).

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Reference List

Reference List
Kelly. (2009, April 15). Personal Interview. (J. Tan, Interviewer) Kelly, a salesperson at Foothill Cyclery, explained the functional and cost differences between magnetic resistance and fluid resistance bike trainers and recommended researching Cyclops and Blackburn trainers. Atkinson, D. (2009). Minoura VFS-G Review. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/accessories/resistancetrainer/product/vfs-g-28814 Professional bicyclist Dave Atkinson reviewed the Minoura VFS-Gs assembly, resistance, noise, and price. Atkinson, D. (2008). Minoura VFS-G Trainer Pro Review. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from http://reviews.roadbikereview.com/blog/minoura-vfs-g-trainer-proreview/ Professional bicyclist Dave Atkinson reviewed the Minoura VFS-G's assembly, resistance, noise, and price. Blackburn Trak Stand Fluid. (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2009, from ConsumerREVIEW: http://www.mtbr.com/cat/accessories/trainer/blackburn/trak-standfluid/PRD_365426_153crx.aspx Featured consumer feedback about the trainer. Reviews included time spent testing the trainer, price paid, bike setup, trainer strengths and weaknesses, and an overall impression of the product. ConsumerREVIEW.com. Blackburn Trak Stand Fluid. Retrieved May 6, 2009, from http://www.mtbr.com/cat/accessories/trainer/blackburn/trak-standfluid/PRD_365426_153crx.aspx The webpage featured consumer feedback about the trainer. Reviews included time spent testing the trainer, price paid, bike setup, trainer strengths and weaknesses, and an overall impression of the product. F-Dictionary of Quarrying Terms. (n.d.). Retrieved May 29, 2009, from The Institute of Quarrying: http://www.quarrying.org/dictionary/f.html 14

Reference List Provided definition of flywheel. Icon Group International, Inc. (2008). Trainers: Webster's Quotations, Facts and Phrases. San Diego, CA, USA: Icon Group International, Inc. Featured definition of fluid resistance. Kurt Kinetic Road Machine vs. Minoura VFS-G vs. Cyclops. (2008, February 5). Retrieved May 15, 2009, from http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=383606 Featured consumer feedback about the Minoura VFS-Gs assembly, resistance, noise, and overall satisfaction. Lee, Gary. Blackburn Trakstand Trainer Pro Review. Retrieved May 6, 2009, from http://reviews.roadbikereview.com/blog/blackburn-trakstand-fluid-trainerpro-review/ Gary Lee provides professional reviews of road bikes and their various accessories. Mark. (2009, May 3). Assistant Store Manager of Art's Cyclery. (S. Wolters, Interviewer) Sara interviewed Mark at Art's Cyclery, who provided incomplete information regarding a potential discount on the Blackburn Trakstand Fluid Trainer. McDonald, R. (2009, May 15). (L. Lopes, Interviewer) This employee of Specialized in Morgan Hill encouraged us to purchase the CycleOps bike trainer. We talked about the qualities of each bike trainer we considered, and he suggested purchasing the most expensive models for longer lasting trainers. Minoura VFS-G Variable Fluid System. (2009). Retrieved May 15, 2009, from http://www.modernbike.com/itemgroup.asp?igpk=2126175286&TID=367 Provided information regarding price and resistance. Nashbar Adjustable Fluid Trainer. (n.d.). Retrieved May 14, 2009, from Bike Nashbar: http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_172965_-1___14002

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Reference List Performance Fluid Trainer. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2009, from Road Bike Review: http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/training/trainers/performanceinc/PRD_21691_1663crx.aspx This website had 16 reviews of the Performance bike trainer that I used to evaluate the trainer. Products: Trainers. (n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2009, from Blackburn: http://www.blackburndesign.com/trainers.html The official website provided basic product information and warranty terms. Thomas, M. (2009, April 26). Owner of Michael's Bicycles. (S. Reynard, Interviewer) Sam interviewed Michael Thomas of Newbury Park, who provided information regarding a discount on CycleOps trainers if the team would recognize his shop as a sponser. Travel Trac Century Adjustable Fluid Plus Trainer. (n.d.). Retrieved May 15, 2009, from http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=20982&subcategor y_ID=9999 This website provided information about the Performance bike trainer and included some customer reviews.

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