Rating: Value 5/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by Greg a Racer from White Plains,NY
Date Reviewed: 9/16/2003 4:41:20 PM
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid: $300
Purchased At: Julio Bicycle
Strengths: no flex, great video, quiet, ; limitless resistance,
Weaknesses: expensive
Similar Products Tried: blackburn, minoura
Bike Setup: Trek 5500
Bottom Line: I'm very impressed with the quality. I first bought a Minoura thinking they were all the same. There was no resistance on the Minoura so I returned it. I went to the guys at Julios Bicycle in Chappaqua, NY (these guys are great) and they said I sould try the Cyclops. It has all the resistance I need. Very quiet compaired to the others I tried. The only thing I could hear were the tires and the chain, nothing from the unit. Very well built and no flex. Just make sure you get the riser block with it, otherwise it could be painfull. Also make sure you use the provived quick release or yours will get scratched.
Rating: Value 5/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by Dameion a Weekend Warrior from New York
Date Reviewed: 9/12/2003 3:28:30 PM
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $275
Purchased At: Supergo
Strengths: Very quiet, Fits in my closet, CTS video, Good progressive resistance, Did I mention it's quiet?
Weaknesses: Price
Bike Setup: Trek 6700 w/slicks
Bottom Line: This trainer is extremely quiet – even when hammering the pedals the only thing I hear is the sound of the tire. If you're going to use the trainer with a mountain bike invest in a slick tire as the knobs will produce a lot more noise. Very stable, compact design. Resistance is adjusted by changing the gears on your bike so there's no cable or remote to keep track of. The only weakness I've found is the price, but the value of the product is such that it's not an issue.
Rating: Value 4/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by Mark Moore a Cross Country Rider from Tucson
Date Reviewed: 7/14/2003 8:00:04 PM
Favorite Trail: Fantasy Island
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid: $195
Purchased At: Ebay
Weaknesses: Haven't found any!!!!
Bottom Line: Haven't had any problems works Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating: Value 5/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by ryan a Cross Country Rider from baltimore, md USA
Date Reviewed: 3/30/2003 5:28:16 PM
Favorite Trail: loch raven
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Purchased At: the shop
Strengths: QUIET!!!, carmichael training video, round head skewer included, solid construction, good warranty and support
Weaknesses: the price tag 4 our customers sometimes, but i think w/just 1 workout the price should b validated
Similar Products Tried: Cycleops Wind, Cycleops Mag, Cycleops Magneto, Blackburn Contender,
Blackburn Defender, Minoura Rim-Drive, Tacx, Others…(it happens when u cant ride in the winter)
Bike Setup: various road and mtb
Bottom Line: the positives listed above speak 4 this trainer. now available thru trek, u now have excellent backing in ur investment and know exactly where u need 2 take 4 any service. this is the bottom line 4 trainers. u want quiet and effective, look here.
Rating: Value 5/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by Andrew Schwartz a Weekend Warrior from Saint Louis MO
Date Reviewed: 3/15/2003 11:32:38 AM
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid: $195
Purchased At: eBay
Strengths: Sturdy, good balance, easy to assemble, feels like open road, quiet, innovative packaging, comes with skewer. Bought on eBay; product was new in box.
Weaknesses: Comes with skewer, which is fine if you have a hollow axle. I have a recumbent with a solid axle. I had to come up with something to match the axle atttachment sockets. Eventually used a couple of old cones that mated pretty well. Expensive if bought from a local bike shop.
Similar Products Tried: Wind trainer for upright bike. This would not fit my recumbent bike.
Bike Setup: Easy. A socket wrench helped, but you really don't need it.
Bottom Line: Very pleased with this product. Some people have reported leakage of the fluid, and I hope this does not happen. I will be on the lookout, however.
Rating: Value 5/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by Dominic Dechaine from Waterville, Me
Date Reviewed: 1/21/2003 1:55:50 PM
Favorite Trail: Loop road Acadia National Park
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $195
Purchased At: EBAY
Strengths: Sturdy Stand, quiet operation, Good resistance, Well made throughout.
Weaknesses: I've yet to be on a fluid trainer that doesn't have a slight hum from time to time. It goes away after it is warmed up. I think the problem I had was with putting the wheel on square. Who knows.
Similar Products Tried: Velore Fluid Trainer, BlackBurn fluid, Cats eye Cyclo and other mag trainers.
Bike Setup: Aegis, all carbon, Ultregia, Roth Pro Comps.
Bottom Line: You want a good work out this is the trainer for you. I read some of the problems noted eariler. It appears they have addressed them with this new trainer. The locking mechinism is all metal, no more plastic. The fluid unit is warm to the touch after a hard two hour workout, but it isn't so hot you can't hold on to it, like the other trainers I have used. Buy it through EBAY, and enjoy.
Rating: Value 4/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by scwman a Weekend Warrior from Cleveland
Date Reviewed: 1/12/2003 6:39:46 PM
Favorite Trail: Vulture's Knob
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $255
Purchased At: Bike Authority
Strengths: Solid Product. It provides all the resistance I need for endurance and strength training. I also like the quick release feature. The flywheel has enough mass to create a smooth spin.
Weaknesses: The lockup mechanism could provide more stiffness because the bike wobbles a bit. This is really minor, though.
Similar Products Tried: none
Bike Setup: '99 rockhopper with rear slick (used only for training and road/path riding), 2001 Gary Fisher sugar 3 disc
Bottom Line: Buy this if you are serious.
Rating: Value 3/5, Overall 3/5
Submitted by Sean a Weekend Warrior from Ottawa Canada
Date Reviewed: 12/24/2002 12:52:20 PM
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid: $300
Purchased At: Full Cycle
Strengths: It was the quiet operation….. Great road like ride
Weaknesses: I had my first one for about one week before it began getting louder and louder (loud ticking sound when the spindle made a full revolution). I returned that one and my current one lasted approximately 3 to 4 weeks and is beginning to make the same loud horrible noise!! Im going to return this one right after Christmas and have a discussion about my next option with the store
Similar Products Tried: none……
Bike Setup: Bianchi Veloce road racer/ all campi with kyserium ssc rims
slick on the rear
Bottom Line: I have read lots of good reviews about the Fluid 2 but havent had a good experience with mine yet…….that being said, the ride itself is great, just very noisy!!! I would rate it higher without all the noise
Rating: Value 5/5, Overall 4/5
Submitted by Schu a Cross Country Rider from Colorado Springs CO USA
Date Reviewed: 10/30/2002 9:41:29 AM
Favorite Trail: Too many to name
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $200
Purchased At: Carmichael Training System
Strengths: Easy to setup, uses bikes gears to adjust resistance, reasonably priced, very quiet.
Weaknesses: I haven't used it long enough to identify any weaknesses yet. Hopefully I won't find any.
Similar Products Tried: Demo'ed many different kinds at the Veloswap in Denver
Bike Setup: Road bike
Bottom Line: I am a member of CTS and this is what my coach recommended. I know Cycleops is a sponsor of CTS so of course this is what they will promote but I don't think they would promote if they didn't think it worked. As I mentioned earlier, I haven't used it very long but the times that I've been on it have been great. I get a great workout and it accurately simulates what a real road ride would be like.
Rating: Value 3/5, Overall 2/5
Submitted by michael manning a Racer from cambridge, ma, usa
Date Reviewed: 10/15/2002 9:25:18 PM
Favorite Trail: the road
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $299
Strengths: Seems solid and well built. Easy to assemble, fairly light. Decent feel.
Weaknesses: Whiny, very whiny, makes me wonder if something is going to give. This is a brand new unit. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Similar Products Tried: Old Vetta wind trainer, 2 fans or 4. Great noisy system. That's why I thought I'd step into the future with a CycleOps Fluid2. Not sure it was the right move.
Bike Setup: Harry Havnoonian professional, Shimano 105.
Bottom Line: It's going back for a second try, if the new one still whines I'll look into the 1Up trainers. Same price, great guarantee.
Rating: Value 5/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by Philip Orosco a Racer from LA
Date Reviewed: 1/31/2002 5:44:22 PM
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid: $175
Purchased At: MTBR Classifieds (I saw it first!)
Strengths: Does the job. Pretty quiet with a slick tire.
Weaknesses: Puts you in a downhill stance. My brothers ashtray solves that problem though.
Similar Products Tried: None
Bike Setup: S Works.
Bottom Line: This is the first trainer that I have ever owned. I took the advise of these reviews, and decided to pick the highest rated trainer. It was really convenient because the resistance mechanism of this unit is internal and has no wires to mess with. It is quick to set up, and get riding. A few things that I didnt know was that if you value the look of your rear skewer, then you need to find a cheapo to use on the trainer becuase it will scratch the hell out of em. You also need a skewer with a center bolt and a side lever (unlike the specialized skewers). This little misstep cost me a week of waiting. Lastly, the trainer sets you up pointing downhill. To offset this, you need something to place underneath the front tire. As far as usuability, it works great, but it really heats up the rear tire which cant be all that great…can it?
Rating: Value 5/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by Kevin P a Racer from East Bridgewater
Date Reviewed: 1/29/2002 8:28:46 PM
Favorite Trail: Vietnam (Milford MA)
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $230
Purchased At: AEBikes online
Strengths: The Fluid 2 is solid. The level of resistance is perfect. Lifetime manufacturer's waranty
Weaknesses: None as of yet- None expected.
Similar Products Tried: Cheap fan trainer and tested Kurt Kinetic trainer
Bike Setup: GT XCR 3000 I Drive- SID 100, XT Componentry
Bottom Line: The fluid 2 is a good quality piece of training equipment. I do not see what the review below is talking about at ALL. Out of the box this trainer gives exactly what it claims -Resistance level varies automatically based on your cadence and wheel speed directly by using your bike's own gears. More power allows for intense interval and strength workouts
Great Product
Rating: Value 1/5, Overall 1/5
Submitted by Michael Magnatta a Cross Country Rider from Bay Shore
Date Reviewed: 11/11/2001 7:40:29 PM
Favorite Trail: secret ones
Duration Product Used: Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid: $259
Purchased At: Performance
Strengths: Can't tell you - coudn't try it.
Weaknesses: Inferior welds. Shoddy/broken welds separated the frame.
Similar Products Tried: none
Bike Setup: Trek 6700, Easton Cullys, cane creek suspension post
Bottom Line: The welds seem to be cheap tack welds. Out of the box they were broken and the bottom frame member was already separated from the main part of the frame. The remaining welds appeared to be similarly done up. This is why I could not test it out. Though I did not actually ride on the unit, I can't say how it actually performed.
Rating: Value 5/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by Mike a Racer from Pittsburgh, PA
Date Reviewed: 8/16/2001 10:28:56 AM
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Strengths: Durable, Solid feel, new fluid 2 unit doesn't leak, Price
Weaknesses: Plastic Handle
Similar Products Tried: Original Cyclops Fluid, Blackburn Mag, Rollers, Kurt Kinetic
Bottom Line: The best fluid trainer out there. Period! The Kurt Kinetic is nice but is mere copy of the Fluid 2. If you are debating bewtween these 2 trainers, go with the Cyclops. You won't be disappointed!
Rating: Value 5/5, Overall 4/5
Submitted by Marshall Harper a Weekend Warrior from Alexandria, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: 6/6/2001 4:36:51 AM
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $270
Purchased At: Pro Bicycle
Strengths: Smooth start up, good resistance, quiet.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Similar Products Tried: Blackburn Magnetic, Cycle OPS Fluid
Bike Setup: Various Road
Bottom Line: After 6 years of pretty hard use my fluid finally blew the seal and lost the oil. Unlike some here I had a pretty good experience with it. Almost bought the Kurt Kinetic but with a higher price and shipping it would have been well over $300. I'm sure it is a great trainer, but at $270 with tax, and my (possibly rare) good experience with the Fluid, I went with the Fluid 2. No complaints, works as advertised, does take a few rides to get the resistance up but it seems like a quality product.
Rating: Value 4/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by steven r. a Weekend Warrior from cherry hill
Date Reviewed: 5/31/2001 8:32:30 AM
Favorite Trail: Thorpe
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid: $200
Purchased At: cambria
Strengths: The fluid system works well. It took a few rides to get it working, but on the fourth ride, I noticed the difference. Resistance at all levels. I can stand and push and it almost simulates a midsteep hill. Seated climbs burn the crap out of my quads.
Weaknesses: Stand is not quite level. I had to tape a penny to the bottom of one leg. That helped significantly.
Similar Products Tried: Nahsbar mag trainer
Bike Setup: Specialized A1 comp, Trek road bike.
Bottom Line: Overall, it gives a good workout in a short amount of time. I am doing about a half hour and am satisfied that it is helping. The fluid system works well.
Rating: Value 4/5, Overall 4/5
Submitted by Michael S a Weekend Warrior from Charlotte,NC
Date Reviewed: 4/21/2001 6:35:40 PM
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $240
Strengths: Great system. It is my first trainer. I am trying to get back into shape so I can hit the trails again. It is very quiet, I can hit it while watching Sportscenter and have no problem hearing it. I havent tried the video yet, but cant wait to. I have a Gary Fischer Tassajara with a Continental semi slick on the back. It is pretty comfortable. But then again, I did the “Hotter than Hell 100” in Texas on a mountain bike too…
Weaknesses: none so far
Similar Products Tried: none
Bike Setup: Gary Fischer Tassajara
Bottom Line: Great piece of equipment. Find a cool retailer and get a good price for it!
Rating: Value 1/5, Overall 1/5
Submitted by Rob Michael a Cross Country Rider from chicago
Date Reviewed: 4/21/2001 9:47:28 AM
Favorite Trail: palos
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid: $230
Purchased At: LBS
Bottom Line: OKAY-LAST POST. I PROMISE! I finally closed the book on graber/cycleops last weekend. Closed it on all their LIES and Junk that they peddle. this is more a review on their customer service rather than the product-my first pos says the product was junk. Prior to my first post on this message board, i had tried to contact them. No response. Posted a gripe here- WOW, within 5 hours, recieved an email trying to rectify the situation. Graber and I came to an agreement, i wrote the follow-up post, and havent heard from them since. Ive tried to email them 2X asking to get an RMA# and an address since the post, no response. BOTTOM LINE: all i got was JUNK and LIES. I dont have time for JUNK and LIES, i threw their JUNK out last weekend, and do not care to get anymore LIES. 230.00 does not hurt me, i am a professional in the biz world, life goes on. I feel sorry for the guy who is going to work 20 hours to afford this companies headache just to get screwed. This is not a company that i would ever do business with, nor would i suggest it to anyone else and i still have a stain on my carpet where this junk leaked on it.
Rating: Value 4/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by Brent from SLC, Utah
Date Reviewed: 3/21/2001 11:30:35 PM
Favorite Trail: Porc Rim
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $190
Purchased At: pro deal
Strengths: As advertised, it workss
Weaknesses: None.
Similar Products Tried: Minoura Interrim, Cycleops Fluid
Bike Setup: 2000 GT XCR-LE, XT Components
Bottom Line: This thing is cool for a stationary aerobic trainer. It works great, much more resistance than the Minoura I mentiontioned above. Borrowed a friends Fluid and that convinced me it was worth it to go to a slick with my old rim and hammer it out. I think long term, spend the money and go with the Fluid2 vs. a Mag type trainer. It is virtually silent. Video is well done. Make sure you get a fan and blast it in front of you. Can't wait for the trails to clear of snow and see how much difference it makes. I'm training for 20-30 minutes hard about 3 times weekly. I feel that is plenty, given I cross train with free weights.
Rating: Value 5/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by Kevin a Cross Country Rider from Wauwatosa, WI
Date Reviewed: 3/18/2001 2:37:49 PM
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Purchased At: Local Shop
Strengths: Simply the best ride, performance, quality and customer service.
Weaknesses: nothing yet
Similar Products Tried: Kinetics
Bike Setup: Trek Road, Klein Puls Pro Mtn
Bottom Line: Simply the best. I can spin or crank on this thing and it always seems able to kick my butt.
Rating: Value: 5/5, Overall 4/5
Submitted by Eric a Weekend Warrior from New City, N.Y. , USA
Date Reviewed: 3/3/2001 4:06:36 PM
Favorite Trail: Ringwood, N.J.
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid: $229
Purchased At: Price Point
Strengths: First trainer I have used and it works just as the company has advertised.
Weaknesses: None at this time.
Similar Products Tried: Sorry, New at using the trainer.
Bike Setup: Fuji
Bottom Line: Listen, this is a great product for the money. I did't want to buy a cheap trainer, so I opt for the Fluid 2. Did read the comments in this site prior to my purchase and do not regret it. Works just like they advertised it. But, I must confess……..I am a beginner at using a trainer. The tape that comes with it is great. At first I could not do the complete 40 minutes, but after a month, I was able to keep up!
Rating: Value 5/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by Walt a Cross Country Rider from Kentucky
Date Reviewed: 3/2/2001 8:30:10 AM
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Purchased At: warrenty replacement
Strengths: Resistance, smooth action and very quiet, Graber Customer Service.
Weaknesses: Retrofitted to my old frame fitting a 700c wheel is a little of a challenge
Similar Products Tried: Rollers, CycleOps Fluid
Bike Setup: C-Dale R800, Shimano 105,Ksyrium also C-Dale SV800 XT, With XT Disk and M575 Wheels
Bottom Line: First let me say WAY TO GO GRABER. I first bought the trainer as a Cycle-ops Fluid in '95. Early '97 the units seals blew and left me with a carpet full of oil. Cycle ops replaced the resistance unit…98 the seals blew again, Fortunatly this time I had a rubber mat underneath it. Due to a design mod Cycle-ops replaced the entire unit. It took almost a month to get my trainer back up both times. As you probably now know Cycle-ops went belly up and Enter Graber to the Rescue. After 2 years of service the spindle became disconnected. This was my first experience dealing with Graber. I overnighted the resistance unit to them on Thursday and had the replacement unit on Tuesday. They replaced my fluid with a Fluid 2. The F2 is a quantum leap over the Fluid. My first session was a humbling experience using the fluid last week my average heart rate was 125 with a peak of 165. 7 days later using the same workout average was 140 with a peak of 177. The workout is only surpassed by Grabers customer service. I highly reccomend both
Rating: Value 4/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by Joe a Racer from Camp Hill
Date Reviewed: 2/17/2001 10:41:16 AM
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid: $250
Purchased At: LBS
Strengths: The resistance range is sufficient enough for novice as well as advanced cyclists.
Weaknesses: A bit pricy. Older models were reported to leak. Graber says that the problem is fixed.
Similar Products Tried: Blackburn Mag
Bike Setup: Trainer bike: Raleigh RT750
Bottom Line: The Fluid2 replaced my well used Blackburn Mag Trainer, which had been working without fault for over 6 years. At first I thought that I had made a mistake getting a Cycle-Ops over another Blackburn. My first few minutes spent on the Fluid 2 were way to easy. Then the something happened. Maybe the fluid need time to break in but the resistance is great. I can pedal with high cadence in a low gear and get the feel of spinning downhill, or I can crank up the gearing to 53×12 and get the effect of slogging up the worst hill that I can think of. The assembly and set up of the Cycle-Ops Fluid2 took less than 20 minutes. The stand remains rock steady even while standing and sprinting in a high gear.
Rating: Value 5/5, Overall 5/5
Submitted by Rob Michael a Cross Country Rider from chicago,il
Date Reviewed: 2/9/2001 10:35:57 PM
Favorite Trail: palos
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid: $230
Purchased At: LBS
Strengths: ALL APOLOGIES TO GRABER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a follow-up to my previous posting- graber apparently takes their product very seriously. They were right on top of the issue; apparently I had an experience that is not the norm. -Customer service is the strength
Weaknesses: Graber bought a line from cycle ops that needed refining.
Bottom Line: OKAY, here�s the story, I bought what must be an old unit from the LBS that was going out of biz (they didn�t tell me, I paid “full price”) and got a fluid + NOT a fluid 2. It must have been a cycle ops hold over, because when it got out that I had a leaker, graber was all over the situation, assuring me that this is not a usual occurrence. They have sent me multiple emails trying to resolve the issue, and are very anxious to replace the unit. Graber seems to be a stand up company who takes their product very seriously, and I offer a public apology, not only for my prior remarks, but for posting this in the wrong column as well.
http://www.mtbreview.com/reviews/Trainer/product_67523.shtml