Blackburn is a reputable cycling brand that supplies hundreds of accessories to biking enthusiasts online. From bottle racks and saddles to bike lights and trainers, their cycling products are known to be of high quality. The Blackburn Tech Mag 6 Trainer is no exception, and it’s perfect for cyclists looking for a feature-rich bike stand at a mid-range price (it also makes our BEST 3 mag trainer list!).
Highly regarded in the cycling world, this great value stand is one to enjoy. My review, which comes after some extensive testing, will delve into its best features – as well as look at both its good and bad aspects.
Find the best discounts for the Tech Mag 6 right HERE!Tubular Steel Frame for Ultimate Stability
Build quality of a bike trainer is a critical feature to consider as this has a huge impact on stability. The last thing you want when cycling using a bike stand is the unbearable side-to-side rocking motion that all too often pushes your balance off (and we don’t mean the rocking back and forth of the amazing Kinetic Rock n Roller!).
However, the Tech Mag 6 features a heavy-duty tubular steel frame that’s sturdy and durable. Every component is tightly bolted into place so that you won’t hear any squeaking noises when cycling. Blackburn even offers a limited lifetime warranty to cover the strong frame design as an assurance of quality to customers.
Drop Down Legs with Adjustable Height Frame
An issue that often goes unaddressed with bike trainers is that of ground/floor clearance. This is simply how far a trainer can elevate your bike relative to the ground level. With that in mind, the Blackburn Tech Mag 6 comes with a tubular frame design that allows you to adjust the stand’s hoisting height. All you have to do is simply slide each leg up or down. This handy feature makes it possible to place the bike at a comfortable height during your exercise sessions.
Six Resistance Levels with Remote Shift
One of the biggest drawbacks with many bike trainers, especially those at the cheaper end of the spectrum, is that they lack the ability to vary resistance level without altering cycling speed. A good number of indoor bike trainers feature progressive resistance technology, which makes cycling more challenging as you increase your pace. What this means though is you can only get an intense workout when cycling at full speed. With the Blackburn Tech Mag 6 bike trainer, however, you get to cycle at your own desired pace and choose between six resistance levels.
The best part about the varying cycling resistance settings is that you can change them at the flick of a lever. This has been made possible by the remote shift, shown here on the right, that connects a cable from the flywheel and attaches it to a remote shift on your bike’s handle bar, much like a gear. As such, you’ll never have to stop to increase or reduce the resistance level when using the Tech Mag 6 trainer – just flick that lever!
Equipped with Magnetic Cycling Resistance
The Tech Mag 6 bike trainer falls into the category of magnetic resistance based trainers. As a result, two opposing magnets move in the opposite direction to create resistance around the rear wheel. This means that the Tech Mag 6 is definitely not as noisy as bike trainers that generate resistance using wind fans, but probably gets out-quietened by some of the better fluid trainers (like the Road Machine or Fluid 2 from CycleOps).
FastCrank Mounting System with Tapered Cones and Fastening Drum
That’s a bit of a mouthful, but the bottom line is that it means you’ve got a quality trainer on your hands. Like most bike trainers from the Blackburn Tech series, the Tech Mag 6 comes with the FastCrank mounting unit. This makes setting up your bike on the trainer fast and easy. When mounting your bike, simply drop down the adjustable legs and stabilize them on the ground; the last step is to simply adjust the skewer and tighten your bike’s rear wheel up against the flywheel.
The engineers behind this trainer have gone a step further by adding tapered cones that fit easily into cavity-style dropouts on the skewered assembly. Again, it might sound like Chinese, but it assures your bike will be securely set in place on the trainer. Once set in place, the rear wheel is fastened by tightening a drum knob, approximately 2 or 3 full turns. Pretty darned easy.
Dimensions
Blackburn’s Tech Mag 6 bike trainer measures 28 x 22 x 8 inches and weighs just under 30lbs.
Pros and Cons of the Tech Mag 6
The Pros…
- Strong tubular steel frame with unrivaled stability
- Easy to assemble (comes ready assembled)
- Wide range of resistance settings (6 to be precise)
- Smooth and quiet magnetic resistance bike trainer
- Ideal for both road and mountain bikes
- Useful operating manual
The Cons…
- Trainer is not completely silent like some of the fluid resistance models we mentioned. On the plus side, it’s still quiet enough for early morning or late night training sessions.
- Does not work with an in-hub geared bike (like a beach cruiser).
What are online buyers saying about the Tech Mag 6?
Ratings for this indoor bike trainer are very much on the positive side. Ease of use, rock solid stability, and convenient remote shift are huge selling points for the Blackburn Tech Mag 6 that have been keeping customers happy for a long time. At the time of writing this review, there are over 100 happy customers on Amazon who have attested to the quality of this bike trainer.
Value for money…?
Yes!
If you want to upgrade from an entry-level bike stand or want an option that’s not on the higher end of the price range, Blackburn’s Tech Mag 6 trainer is something you should really consider. Overall, this indoor trainer offers more great features over the cheaper, starter models, and most wind-resistance models. If you’re on a budget and can’t afford a higher priced fluid resistance trainer, this magnetic bike stand will make a fantastic alternative.
