By Van Jenkins

Riding a bike is a really good form of exercise, and while it helps build your muscles and burn fat, it also relaxes your mind and lets you enjoy the view and the feel of the wind on your skin. However, during rainy days and the winter season, there is no way you can take a bicycle ride outside. So it is advantageous for you to have your own bike indoor trainer so you can maintain your daily or weekly bicycle ride and not compromise your exercise routine just because it is too cold outside.

In buying a bike indoor trainer, get to know the different kinds that are available on the market, and determine which one will fit your budget, the space in your house or apartment, and the type that fits your bike riding strength and resistance.

There are three general kinds of bike indoor trainers based on the kind of mechanism used to provide the resistance of the bike. These are fan/wind, magnet or fluid. The wind indoor trainer is the most affordable of the three, while the magnet and fluid indoor trainer are pricier.

The wind indoor trainer uses the resistance of the wind to provide resistance to the wheels. However, once you reach a certain speed level, the feel of resistance will no longer be as hard, and this might not be challenging to you anymore. This is advisable for leisure bike riders that do not go mountain biking, or those that only need some indoor physical activity but are not aiming for tough resistance training. This may also be good for children and older folks who want to stay fit.

The magnet indoor trainer provides adjustable resistance, so you can set it on a resistance level that is right for your current physical condition. The way magnet indoor trainers work is that the magnets are placed close together to provide the resistance, and to add more resistance, the magnets are adjusted closer together. If there are several members of the family that are using the indoor trainer, it is best to buy a magnet indoor trainer so you can adjust the resistance levels according to who is using it. It may be a bit more expensive than the wind indoor trainer, but when you compute for the cost per use, it will turn out to  be more practical.

The fluid indoor trainer actually uses a turbine with a fluid inside, and the way it works is that when you pedal harder, the turbine spins through the fluid, and it becomes more resistant. The harder you work, the indoor trainer provides more resistance, pushing you to pedal harder, and in turn, it tones your muscles with a more intense work out. This is a good investment for cyclists who are into competitions such as triathlons and cycling events. During the winter season, they can train indoors and not lose a day of exercise.

So depending on your budget,  your cycling skill level and your goal, you can choose from these three types of indoor trainers.