Opinions on Minoura rim drive trainer

[axel23]

Does anyone have experience with this trainer: Minoura RDA80? I know it's handy for mountain bikes, but was thinking of using it for my rode bike. It's design avoids wearing out tires, but wondering what the actual experience of rim resistance might be.
Thx in advance.

[foo_fighter]

for that much, get a smart trainer and a trainer tire or something like:

https://www.sportcrafters.com/produc...omnium-trainer

[bewheels]

Originally Posted by axel23

Does anyone have experience with this trainer: Minoura RDA80? I know it's handy for mountain bikes, but was thinking of using it for my rode bike. It's design avoids wearing out tires, but wondering what the actual experience of rim resistance might be.
Thx in advance.

I will first state that I have no experience with this trainer. ...which means that you can stop reading this reply.




But because this is a forum I will add more.

It would appear that you are trying to avoid swapping tires in order to use the trainer. This might be because you are running tubulars or simply have tires you like and don't want to subject them to a trainer. Both of which are very understandable.

It would also be good to know what you are looking to use the trainer for - inside training, pre-race warm-up, etc.

To focus on inside training, as a clincher user I just save some old tires and swap one on/off the wheel. Takes 5 minutes. No big deal. When the weather starts to change over and there is a mix of indoor and outdoor riding it does mean that I am swapping tires 1-2 a week. Once the whether settles either be full time out side or inside, no more swapping.

Potentially you have already sorted out all of the above and simply want feedback on the trainer that you asked about

[Skenry]

I have one, don't use it much, but it works fine. Mines the adjustable magnetic unit.

The pluses are that you don't need to change tires and the big one for me, you don't have to pump the tube up for a few months. Right now, its set up for my kids to ride to stay in shape for track.

[axel23]

That's a great suggestion. I'd not heard of the Omnium. I gave Sportcrafters them a call and discovered that they sold the patent to Feedback Sports. Feedback will be coming out with a more adaptable model - but no longer manufactured in the US.

I'm eager to try one out.

Originally Posted by foo_fighter

for that much, get a smart trainer and a trainer tire or something like:

https://www.sportcrafters.com/produc...omnium-trainer

[Veloo]

Bumping this for some more feedback on the lateral rim drive trainers.

Some casual cycling friends are looking to get something for the winter but when I go into the whole spiel about needing a slick (trainer) tire, riser block, steel skewer (what's a skewer?), they stop listening.

I've seen some pretty cheap rim drive units on the used market but never ridden one myself.

[fredd]

I ride a stac zero (non smart version), which is now made by/for 4iiii. Living in an old brownstone with thin floors/ceilings/walls, it's great because I can suffer all I want without bothering the downstairs neighbors or my roommates. Very little noise or other vibrations.

I've also ridden a kurt kinetic road machine, so that's my reference for wheel on trainers. Road feel is better in the kurt kinetic, but power meter is more accurate in the stac.

About having to replace the tires, at least for the stac, to get anything near decent road feel, you have to attach flywheel weights to your back wheel. It's a non negotiable. Doing that takes about as long as changing out the tire, so you're not getting anything either way. For either trainer, if I were doing a mix of indoor and outdoor workouts, a spare rear wheel for trainer duty would absolutely be the way to go.