Turbo Trainers - is the cycleops magneto any good?

dave_rudge
dave_rudge Posts: 22
edited September 2010 in Road buying advice
Afternoon Guys,

As the cold dark evenings are drawing in, I want to get a turbo trainer, but im not sure which one. My budget is around the £150.00 mark and Ive been looking at the Cycleops Magneto - noise isnt that important to me as ill be relegated to the garage, but is this one any good, or are there better options?

Also, ive seen the 2011 Magneto advertisded on a couple of websites - what difference would the newer model make?

Cheers

Comments

  • weapons
    weapons Posts: 367
    The magneto is a decent basic trainer. It lacks the road feel that a fluid trainer would give you, but would do the job of giving you a decent workout.

    At £150, I'd probably try and shell out the extra £50 for a Cycleops Fluid 2 which is much better for the money.

    Even better, I'd go second hand. All the trainers I've owned were bought second hand, bought mainly from owners who had used them less than 10 times and decided that turbo training wasn't for them. I bought a nearly new fluid 2 for £100 so you will make a fair saving from new price if you can find one.
  • 3legs
    3legs Posts: 30
    I've been using a Cycleops Magneto turbo for the last 2 winters, and it's been just fine. It's the only turbo I've ever used, so I have nothing to compare it to, but it's certainly served me well. I've been tempted to sell it and buy a 'better' one, but I can't honestly see that I would benefit from doing so.

    If £150 is your budget, and you are set on buying brand new, then a magneto will be money well spent, so long as you actually use it.

    Dont forget to budget for a BIG fan as well, and perhaps a HRM and rear wheel speed sensor if you don't already have them.
  • dave_rudge
    dave_rudge Posts: 22
    The fluid 2 is only 35quid more online... what are the major differences and as a newbie would I notice them for the sake of 35quid?
  • weapons
    weapons Posts: 367
    I would say so. My girlfriend has the magneto and i have the fluid 2 so I have used both. When pedalling on the magneto, it feels very heavy and the pedal stroke does not feel realistic at all. It feels like you have to reaccelerate the flywheel each pedal stroke and the momentum dies very quickly. The fluid2 by comparison holds the momentum so the pedal stroke feels a lot more realistic and roadlike.

    Up to you whether you reckon that is worth £35 but I use the fluid2 a lot more as result (I used to have a tacx magnetic one) and so the extra cost is justified.

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