A home trainer is a space-saving and practical alternative to other sports equipment in the home. For casual athletes and professional cyclists, such a device is ideal for training in winter and maintaining the usual workout routine even in low temperatures.
What is a home trainer?
A home trainer is also known as a training roller or a bicycle training roller. These are devices that you can use with your bike. You can attach the rear wheel of your bike to the trainer. The front tire rests on the ground. Sometimes you can also attach it.
A home trainer is usually much cheaper than an ergometer or exercise bike. In addition, a roller trainer usually takes up very little space. Many models can even be folded, making them easy to store and transport.
Indoor training with your bike is possible with a home trainer. There is no need to get used to another bike.
What is the purpose of a home trainer, and what does it do for you in your daily life?
Home trainers are suitable for recreational and casual athletes and professional cyclists. These trainers help you train your speed and improve your technique. Professionals use these exercise bikes to enhance performance and get used to a new bike.
Many cyclists use home trainers, especially in winter. This makes perfect sense. Because during the winter, there is often cold, muddy, and windy weather. Because of these circumstances, cyclists are exposed to various risks when training outside in winter. For example, the risk of injury is higher when temperatures are low.
It is advisable not to train outside in temperatures below 5 degrees. To avoid breaking the training routine, you can use a home trainer in such situations.
But even if outdoor training is not possible due to other circumstances, a home trainer can be useful. At the same time, you benefit from an exercise bike if you spontaneously decide to do a short workout and don’t want to go outside.
Some home trainers measure and record various workout data. This gives you the ability to analyze your performance and track your progress.
It is not recommended to use the home trainer for prolonged endurance training. You will be in more or less the same position throughout your workout, which can lead to permanent sitting and joint problems.
Features to consider when buying a silent home trainer
Noise output
The noise emitted by a home trainer depends on several factors. The profile of the tires is one of them. The volume will be lower if the rear tire is thin and smooth. This is why training on a racing bike will be quieter than training on a mountain bike with the default tires. The best thing to do is to use tires specifically designed for the home trainer, which also make less noise, so you don’t wear out the tires you might have used on the road.
Taking into account the surface on which you put your home trainer is also a good idea: better to use a floor mat than to use it on the ground, for example.
A magnetic model will not make much noise and will be usable in apartments, but a direct drive-home trainer will make even less noise.
Adjusting the resistance
You can adjust the resistance to suit your needs. Many models come with 5-6 resistance levels, while others can go up to 12. The more resistance levels you have, your workout will be more varied.
The size of the home trainer
Many home trainers are foldable. Some of these models can be folded down to a very small size and therefore take up very little space. This is advantageous, for example, if you only need the home trainer occasionally in winter or bad weather or if you have a small apartment. If you use the home trainer often and have enough space, the stability should be more important than the size.
Ease of use
A quick-release is often included with the fixed home trainer. This quick-release system can attach the bike to the home trainer. Sometimes, the devices are also offered with front-wheel mounts.
The best silent home trainers
The SONGMICS home trainer
The Songmics home trainer has a sturdy steel frame and offers optimal support thanks to the four non-slip feet, and the feet can be easily adjusted in height to compensate for any irregularities. The bike can be easily attached and detached using the quick-release device.
The roller trainer is equipped with a magnetic braking system, which can be adjusted to six resistance levels. In addition, the trainer ensures almost silent rides in your home.
The manufacturer recommends using this device with a running bike, as this is where the noise level is lowest. But other bikes can also be used with the Songmics home trainer.
This model is suitable for bikes with 26 to 28 inches wheel sizes. The rear wheel axle can measure 12.5 to 16.7 centimeters long. The trainer weighs 7.5 kilograms and measures 50 x 40 x 42 centimeters when unfolded. It can be folded to a size of 50 x 14 x 42 centimeters and stored to save space. The device can be loaded up to 100 kilograms. In addition to the home trainer, the delivery includes front wheel support.
The Elite Novo Mag Force home trainer
The Elite Novo Mag Force home trainer is fixed. It weighs about 7 kilograms and is designed in a white and red design. The frame of the device is made of plastic and steel.
Moreover, its design makes this home trainer particularly quiet, even for your most intensive workouts.
The braking system of this model is a magnetic brake. This means that no electricity is needed to operate the home trainer. It has eight levels of resistance. You can adjust it using a selector switch located on the handlebars.
The equipment also includes an Elastogel roller. This has a diameter of 30 millimeters. According to the manufacturer, this ensures better grip, less tire wear, and lower volume.
The Elite Novo Mag Force bike trainer is suitable for bikes with dimensions between 24 and 29 inches. You will need a special adapter if you use the device on a bike with a through-axle. It is advantageous that the bike can usually be attached easily and in one movement to this rolling training system.
You can fold it up when you don’t need the device. This allows for space-saving storage and effortless transportation.
Yaheetech Home Trainer
The Yaheetech home trainer is a magnetic resistance model. The training resistance can be easily adjusted at the back using an adjustment screw.
Thanks to the specially treated roller, the home trainer makes only a subtle noise and is extremely quiet, according to the manufacturer. Unevenness in the ground can be levelled with a 5-step fine adjustment. This model is suitable for wheel sizes from 26 to 28 inches and is compatible with most conventional bikes.
TacX Neo 2T
The most expensive on this list and not for nothing. As you may have noticed, this home trainer looks different from the others. Its mode of operation is much more advanced. It works with a direct drive. The home trainer becomes your rear wheel. No more friction, noise, and wear of your rear tire.
Compatible with most applications and bike games, you will have something to train efficiently at home without ever getting bored.
The TacX Neo 2T has dynamic inertia that simulates weight, speed, and lean angle to ensure the most realistic riding sensation.
Some additional tips
Do not place the bike on the floor without a suitable mat. An anti-vibration mat prevents the floor from being scratched by the home trainer and damaged by sweat. In addition to that, as mentioned above, it will make less noise because there will be less vibration.
You may sweat more when cycling indoors, so keeping yourself well hydrated is essential.
To keep the air from becoming too hot and stuffy, you can set up a fan in front of you to simulate the wind as if you were cycling.
You can also take advantage of it while you are still watching a movie, a series, or just listening to music with the hi-fi system.
If you want to stay in shape, it is advisable to train two to three times a week with the home trainer. Each workout should last about 30 to 90 minutes. Shorter sessions should be more intense.
Conclusion
That’s it for this selection of the best silent home trainers. You need to remember that it’s not necessarily the home trainer that will make the most noise in the story, but the bike. Tires that fit the home trainer and stable contact with the ground will also help. Direct drive models like the TacX Neo 2T will be the quietest because there will be no friction between your tire and the machine.