|
Kinetic Trainer Review by Bikehighway.com
The Kinetic trainer is smooth, solid and quiet – simply put it meets all the criteria for a high quality trainer.
The Kinetic is especially quiet, no need blasting your TV or CD player to accompany your workout. This is surely a plus for family members who do not share your taste for entertainment. The only time we experienced more than background noise from the Kinetic was when standing in 52/13 gearing and driving “for the gold”. Even then, the noise level is inconsequential, when compared to even the best wind resistance trainers. The quiet ride is a characteristic of high quality trainers. The Kinetic uses a sealed fluid chamber with a magnetic coupler and 80 stationary cooling fins to create its quiet ride.
Riding on a Kinetic trainer gives you a solid, secure feeling - similar to being connected to the road. As a result of its heavyweight welded frame construction, the Kinetic is completely vibration free. The large PVC caps on each leg add to the stability of the trainer by absorbing any floor irregularities.
The Kinetic also has a number of other elements in its favor. It automatically adjusts difficulty from 20 to 2,500 watts of energy output as it responds to your bike’s gearing and your shifting pattern. Its large roller and dynamically balanced flywheel give it a smooth riding characteristic much like a newly paved road.
We found the quick release lever helpful, when attaching and removing our bikes, but don’t expect the quick release action you get from your wheel skewer. Speaking of skewers, the manufacturer states that the Kinetic can accommodate virtually any original equipment skewer.
The Kinetic comes partially assembled, and thus you must invest 10 minuets in the initial set up. Putting the pieces together is a relatively simple matter. The trainer comes with an all purpose tool that is all you need to assemble the trainer. While we were impressed with the quality of the all purpose tool (so many are just junk), we always recommend using a real tool, when it is available.
The unit’s adjustable legs allow for folding up the trainer, if storage is an issue.
While the Kinetic can accommodate mountain, road and BMX bikes, our two reviewers used road bikes
Fluid Trainers are praised for the their ability to replicate the feel and resistance of an outdoor ride. Kurt's fluid resistance unit is engineered not to leak. The fluid chamber is totally sealed as you can see by this photo.
The roller, driven by your bike's tire, is connected to the impeller inside the sealed fluid chamber by a magnetic coupler. Twelve neodymium rare earth magnets, 6 per side, create a virtual drive shaft to spin the impeller inside the sealed fluid chamber.
Although the drive shaft has two parts, the magnetic coupler links the two parts and it spins as a single unit. The magnetic field is so strong; it can withstand the torque of suddenly accelerating the roller from 0 to 50 MPH with an electric motor. These magnets are not used for resistance, but only to couple motion across the leak-free barrier. Because there is no moving or rotating part penetrating the sealed fluid chamber, it will not leak. Kurt unconditionally guarantees the resistance unit for a period of 5 years or 50,000 miles. Unlike competitive units, which are only warranted for manufactures defects, Kurt provide a rock solid warranty for a lifetime of use.
why others will
All other fluid based trainers including those made by Cycle-Ops, Trek, Blackburn and Elite use a drive shaft and rubber seals to spin the impeller in the fluid chamber. In our opinion this is an inferior design, doomed for failure. It is not a matter of "IF" the resistance unit will leak, but "WHEN" the resistance unit will leak. The more you use the trainer, the faster it will break or leak. A Cycle-Ops is pictured left.
As you can see, a drive shaft spins the impeller in the fluid chamber. Under extreme load, this drive shaft spins at 8,000 RPMs and the core temperature can reach 400 degrees F. A simple rubber "O- ring" with a backer spring is the only thing that keeps the fluid from leaking out of the resistance unit.
Using Crank Armstrong, Kurt Engineers can break a competitive trainer in several hours. Feedback from bike dealers confirmed that leaking fluid units are a major issue with " other" trainers. We continue to perform destructive testing on the Kinetic trainer. Running at an average of 25 MPH, one resistance unit that we have tested has logged over 40,000 miles at up to 50 MPH with no leaks or breakdowns. The engineers believe it would run over 100,000 miles without a problem.
Kinetic trainer frames:
All of our trainers are built on the same frame to provide maximum stability for everyone. Our trapezoidal base covers the most area (435 square inches) in the industry, making it the most stable. In addition, the frame is robotically welded to assure the trainer holds your bike level. Once your bike is in, our cone cups assure that your bike will never slip out of this trainer, no matter how hard you sprint. We design them to fit 99% of OEM skewers and there are other cones available to fit any skewer or axle nut; including track, BMX, and even SRAM Dual Drive systems. At the same time, our patented quick release lock allows easy and fast setup and removal.
Tired of riding downhill? The legs on our trainer adjust up and down to level the bike. By selecting one of the three available positions, the trainer can fit most 700c, 650c, 20", 24", 26", and 29" so that the bike is level. In most cases, it eliminates the need for a riser block. The Small Wheel Adapter is needed for tires less than 22" in diameter. When not in use, the legs fold flat against the frame for easy storage. Available on all Kinetic Trainers
|
|
