Tags: bike trainer vibration, cycleops fluid 2, cycleops mag trainer, few minutes, headache, mountain bike, road bike tires, tires
I just bought a CycleOps Mag trainer and put my mountain bike on it. I just started using it and it vibrates so much that it gives me a headache after a few minutes. Why is this happening? Do I need to return my trainer or would it make a difference if I bought a more expensive fluid trainer?
Whoa. Slow down. I'm guessing that your bike trainer vibration is not coming from the trainer itself but most likely your bike. I get asked this question a lot and it almost always comes down to a few things.
1. Riding the trainer with mountain bike tires.
2. Poor setup of the trainer.
3. Bike trainer has not been setup on a level surface.
In nearly all cases, the rider is still using the same tires (rear tire) that they use to ride outdoors. In other words, they are riding mountain bike tires that are knobby, so they won't ride smoothly on the bike trainer. My recommendation is to buy a bike trainer tire which will smooth out the ride, lessen the vibration, and allow you to ride for a longer length of time. This even applies to road bikes. If you want the absolute best ride on your trainer, get a slick tire or what is called a bike trainer tire.
If that doesn't work, take your bike off the trainer and double check the setup. Sometimes it also helps to get a bike trainer mat which will again lessen the vibration that you would feel when riding on hard surfaces such as concrete, wood flooring, and linoleum. Make sure the legs are extended and the bike and tire are seated in the middle of the roller on the trainer.
Let me know how that works because that should take care of any bike trainer vibration.
