Stationary Bike Stands Reviews
A stationary bike stand can help you take your riding indoors. It's the perfect training tool for when the weather outside is bad or you just need a day off the road or trail. There are many different stationary bike stands, so it's important to get the right one for you.
Quick Answer : Best Bike Resistance Trainers
Alpcour
HEALTH LINE
Saris
In this guide, we'll offer reviews of the seven best stationary bike stands for any indoor bike ride.
Best Stationary Bicycle Stand Reviews
Alpcour Magnetic Bike Trainer Stand
This magnetic resistance bike trainer from Alpcour is a good choice for riders who want to get a good quality workout indoors. The trainer offers six levels of resistance, and it's easy to switch between them thanks to a cable controller that mounts to your handlebars. Changing levels is quick and seamless, which makes it easy to conduct interval training on this bike stand.
It's also easy to set up and take down this bike trainer. You can lock your bike into place on the steel frame using a simple quick release handle. The trainer legs fold down when it's time to put the stand away, and Alpcour provides you with a durable bag so you can keep the trainer, wheel block, and skewer together.
This steel bike trainer is compatible with most road and mountain bikes with wheels from 26 to 28 inches. It is too small to accept 29-inch wheels, although the low stance of the trainer offers extra stability while you're riding.
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Health Line Bike Trainer Stand
This budget bike stand packs a surprising number of features. To start, the magnetic resistance unit is much quieter than we expected for such an inexpensive stand. Even at the highest resistance settings, the noise level never exceeds 65 dB. That's thanks in large part to Health Line's specialized noise reduction flywheel.
Another thing we liked about this stationary bike stand is that it offers eight different resistance levels instead of just six. That offers a more road like experience, since you can get the full range of hill climbing and gearing. The bike stand comes with a tension cable that you can clip to your handlebars for easy resistance changes.
This indoor trainer is compatible with any bike with wheels up to 29 inches in size. It comes with everything you need to start riding immediately, including a wheel riser, a skewer, and an adapter for thru-axle bolts. It's also available in three different colors, so you can choose a custom style.
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Saris CycleOps Magnetic Plus Trainer
This high quality magnetic trainer from CycleOps is perhaps the best stationary bike stand for the price. The trainer is built by Saris, a company with a long history of building cutting-edge indoor trainer technology. The Magnetic Plus features a magnetic resistance unit with six different resistance settings, which you can control using a handlebar-mounted cable. The top resistance levels are very intense, which makes for a great indoor bike workout.
Another plus to this bike stand is that its built using heavy duty materials. The frame is steel and accommodates a wide range of bikes, including 29-inch mountain bikes with tires up to two inches. It's easy to adjust the cable tension or rear wheel tension using a pair of adjustment knobs on the base of the stand.
Saris states that this stationary bike stand is compatible with apps like Zwift, but that's somewhat misleading. You can use the indoor bike trainer with cycling apps, but you'll need to purchase a speed sensor or power meter in order to do so. Even then, the app won't be able to control the trainer resistance.
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Forza F2 MAG Trainer
The F2 MAG trainer is one of the best magnetic trainers on the market today. The magnetic resistance unit offers an unlimited number of resistance levels, since you can turn up the friction on your back wheel simply by turning a knob. The downside to this design, though is that you have to get off the bike stand every time you want to adjust the resistance.
The trainer is solidly build with a wide base and rubber feet. The roller itself is made from heavy duty steel, which provides a good road like feel and increases the durability of the trainer.
However, the combination of the magnetic flywheel and the steel roller means that this bike trainer has a relatively high noise level. The noise can be especially noticeable when you have the resistance knob turned all the way up.
This trainer comes with a skewer, but no riser for your front wheel. It's easy to assemble and fits most road and 27.5-inch mountain bikes.
However, note that this trainer stand will not fit 29-inch mountain bikes.
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Kurt Kinetic Road Machine T-6100 Smart Trainer
This high end smart bike trainer allows you to ride using your favorite indoor training app. It pairs with Zwift, TrainerRoad, or the Kinetic app and the resistance settings will change as you virtually ride up or down hill. Pairing is only through Bluetooth Smart, not ANT+, so beware that the trainer might not communicate with some older smartwatches.
The bicycle trainer uses a fluid resistance unit that's quiet and powerful. It supports virtual slopes up to 10% and power output up to 1,800 watts. The trainer has a steel frame that's virtually indestructible and comes with an unconditional lifetime warranty from Kurt Kinetic.
The frame is designed to fit almost any bike, including any road bike or mountain bike with wheels up to 29 inches. If your bike has a thru-axle instead of a quick release skewer, you can get an adapter to mount your bike.
The only downside to this turbo trainer is the price tag, which is as high as you'd expect for a Bluetooth-enabled stationary bike stand. However, keep in mind that it comes with a six-month subscription to Kinetic's workout app.
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Tacx Flow Smart Trainer
This affordable trainer from Tacx is the best choice if you want to connect to cycling apps like Zwift on a budget. The trainer connects to your devices by Bluetooth or ANT+, so it works seamlessly with any smartphone or computer.
When connected to an app, the virtual course will control the trainer's resistance. Of course, you can also use the trainer without an app, in which case the fluid bike trainer provides one of the best resistance progressions available.
The Tacx Flow turbo trainer comes with everything you need to get started riding indoors. It includes a riser block for your front wheel and a trainer skewer to mount your bike. It accommodates most road and mountain bikes, including bikes with a 29-inch rear wheel.
One of the things to keep in mind is that this indoor bike trainer produces slightly more noise than more expensive fluid trainers. This isn't a huge issue for most users, but it can be problematic if you are looking for an ultra-quiet experience while riding.
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Vivohome Indoor Bike Trainer Stand
This indoor bike trainer from Vivohome offers a good workout for a wide range of cyclists. The magnetic flywheel is set so that you can ride at six different resistance levels. A simple tension cable runs from the stand to your handlebars so that you can change settings at any time. The stand can be slightly noisy when riding at maximum resistance, but it's not louder than comparable magnetic stationary bike stands.
What really sets this indoor bike trainer apart is the quality of the stand construction. Vivohome uses coated steel for the roller, which is resistant to rusting or wear from your tires. The frame is made from durable stainless steel, which is virtually indestructible. The legs fold down to make the bike stand more portable when you're done using it.
The bike stand is compatible with wheels ranging from 26 to 29 inches. It comes with a quick release trainer skewer and a wheel block so you can get started riding immediately. Just make sure that you purchase an adapter if your bike has a thru-axle instead of a standard skewer hub.
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Conclusion
Our stationary bicycle stand reviews can help you find the best budget indoor bike trainer for your needs. We think the Kinetic Road Machine is the overall best bike stand on the market today. It offers Bluetooth Smart connectivity so that you can control the resistance with a cycling app like Zwift. This bicycle trainer also features heavy duty construction and works with almost any mountain or road bike.
That said, you can't go wrong with any of the bike trainers we reviewed. Pick out your perfect stationary bike stand to get started riding indoors today.
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