Let’s face it, those cold early morning hours during the winter are hardly the most enticing for most of us cyclists.
Outdoor rides are best in the early morning hours (and you’ll also burn off the most calories on an early morning ride), but the dark and cold winter days make it really hard to haul yourself out of bed and go out and keep to that fitness schedule that you have worked on diligently to maintain your fitness.
But when you’ve got an indoor trainer like the Elite Power Fluid Trainer, those morning sessions become so much easier…and considering the noise levels this trainer puts out, your loved ones and neighbors are also going to enjoy their sleep while you train – so no grumpy partners to face when you wrap up your sweaty, exhausting session!
Grab the latest discounts for the Elite Power Fluid trainer HERE!Why we were convinced by the Elite Power Fluid trainer
Fluid trainers are definitely the way to go if you’re looking for a more realistic ride, and the Elite Power Fluid trainer doesn’t let the fluid trainer side down…
The Elite Power is equipped with an elastogel roller that effectively reduces the noise by as much as 50%, which really does give you an almost noiseless workout (see the video clip further below for a great example of the noise levels). Elastogel is a special cast polyurethane elastomer that gives the roller an improved tire grip; the better tire grip improves the performance of the trainer, reduces the noise level, and reduces tire wear by as much as 20%. The big bonus: you will not disturb other people in the house or your neighbors (if you are living in an apartment complex), and you can comfortably watch the TV while working out.
Setting up the trainer is quick and easy. However, you have to ensure that the rear wheel is in contact with the roller. To do this, you have to release the spring holding down the roller after the bike has been locked into the trainer. Make sure that the roller is in the horizontal position when attaching the trainer.
The trainer gives more than 800 watts of progressive resistance. This translates to an intense workout even for the professional bikers of you out there who are training for competitions. It gives an excellent outdoor ride simulation, perfect for bikers who are in extensive training.
The trainer has a wide steel frame that provides a very stable base that can handle extensive power workouts (the frame also folds flat so you can easily take it with you when you travel). No matter how fast you pedal the right level of resistance between the trainer and the tire is maintained by the trainer’s spring tension. We’d highly recommend a riser block for your front wheel, just to ensure you get the right balance and an intensive, trouble-free workout (there are various blocks available, most come in at around $10-15).
Here’s a great video of someone using their Elite Power Fluid trainer, just to highlight how quiet this trainer really is…
https://youtu.be/oO_YyCrVwOM
Some of the Elite Power’s winning features
- The trainer is equipped with an elastogel roller that reduces the noise by as much as 55% and tire wear by 20%. Elastogel is a polyurethane elastomer that improves the tire grip of the roller.
- It gives an excellent simulation of an outdoor ride, and the progressive resistance is great for endurance training.
- It has a quick thread hub clamp and a spring-loading mechanism that assures proper resistance against the tire.
- The flywheel is enclosed for increased power resistance and safety.
- The frame folds flat, which is convenient for storage (keep it under your bed!) or transport.
- It is quick and easy to assemble.
- It fits bike wheel sizes from 24” to 28”, or 600c to 700c.
What didn’t impress us about the Elite Power trainer
The directions for setting up the trainer are confusing and difficult to understand, particularly for beginners (don’t miss this video about setting up your bike stand, applicable to nearly all trainers). We’ve also seen a number of reviews online stating that they found it tricky getting the roller to make contact with the rear wheel of the bike, so be prepared for that and maybe a few frustrating seconds/minutes.
One other thing to watch out for: the resistance unit gets hot after you have trained for some time. If you’re planning on some serious, lengthy sessions, bear that in mind.
Bang for you buck?
The Elite Power Fluid trainer will serve you well during the winter months when training days are few and far between. With its noiseless performance (you watched that video above, right?), you can complete your workout during the early morning hours while other members of the household are sleeping. There’s no longer a need to suffer from the bone-chilling temperatures and slippery surfaces outside to complete your training. The smooth, quiet ride from this trainer will give you a great ride and put a smile on your face, even on the gloomiest of winter days!
Of course, there are better fluid trainers out there, and if you’re really after the ultimate fluid trainer, we’d be amiss if we didn’t point you in the direction of the Fluid 2 from CycleOps, or the Road Machine from Kinetic.
