Tags: bike trainer vibration, How Do I Make My Bike Trainer Quieter?
How Do I Make My Bike Trainer Quieter
I have a magnetic bike trainer that makes a lot of noise to the point where I think it is bothering my neighbors (they are tapping on their ceiling). What can I do to make my bike trainer quieter?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions that I receive. There are a few things that can be done to help you out when your bike trainer is too loud or if you find it vibrating too much. These tips apply equally to all bike trainers but please realize that wind trainers tend to make more noise than magnetic trainers and magnetic trainers make more noise than fluid trainers. If you have a cheaply built trainer, you can follow some of the steps below but in the end you may be better off purchasing a quality bike trainer.
Training Mat For Indoor Bicycle Trainers
I hear of folks who place their bike and bike trainer on a wooden or linoleum surface and they wonder why there is either vibration or the why the trainer is making too much noise. Yes, you want to have a stable surface but if you are setup on heavily padded carpeting, that won't help in the stability of your bike trainer. So what you need is a training mat. It cushions hard surfaces and cuts down on vibration. Your neighbors will than you for it.
(Slick Tires
From time to time we get asked about riding a mountain bike on a bike trainer. In my humble opinion, a mountain bike should either have the rear wheel removed and replaced with a slick tire or mountain bikes should be using a rim drive trainer. All other road bikes should be using a slick tire or what is commonly called a trainer tire. You are going to be using this all off-season, so you may as well get a good one. A slick tire lessens the vibration and by doing so will cut down on the noise. Make sure you get the right tire for either a road bike or mountain bike.
Kenda K838 Slick Wire Bead Bicycle Tire, Blackwall, 26-Inch x 1.95-Inch
| Rating: |  (261 reviews) |
|---|---|
| $14.99 | |
| No | |
 | |
Finally, make sure that your bike trainer is setup properly. Some trainers have settings which allow the feet to be raised or lowered. Make sure that your bicycle trainer is balanced on the feet are not wobbly. You can look elsewhere on this site to watch videos of how to properly setup a bike trainer. Finally, place something under the front wheel. Vibration will move from the rear (where the bike trainer is at) to the front and if you have your entire bike on a training mat or place a book or riser block under the front wheel, this should dampen some of the vibration.
