Customer Reviews

CycleOps Mag+ Indoor Bicycle Trainer Trainer with Bar Mounted Remote Shifter

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This bike trainer is well made and has proved very worthwhile attached to my older mountain bike. When the instruction manual states that a knobby tire is not recommended it is not kidding. I didn't have a smooth tire initially and the noise and vibration was horrible. Using a cheap smooth tire made a huge difference and now the trainer is nice and quiet. I take off 1 star because of the bar-mounted resistance adjustment lever. I could not get it to work; the instructions were useless. The gears on the bike provide all the resistance variance I need so the extra lever was a waste of money. Get the model without the remote lever and save about $10.

This is a pretty good trainer for the money it costs. It does make some noise, but its not unbearable: the TV is still audible.

It was somewhat difficult to set up: make sure your back tire is tight against the roller - if it is slipping at all it will wear down in no time.

Even so, it does seem to wear down my back tire pretty fast, so I am thinking of getting a wheel with a Continental tire made for trainers.

I got the model with the remote, but have not really used it. The remote is hard to set up (both on the magnet and on the bike), and it keeps falling off.

A little noisy but with headphones you can hardly tell. I have really enjoyed this trainer. It's easy to set up/take down, it provides a great work out and it's small enough to store in out small apartment. Over all a great purchase. It even arrived before the expected shippment date!

It is very simple to put together and mounting your bike is even easier. This would be perfect for a person looking for a light workout, but it does not provide enough resistence for a serious bike rider. The tension adjustments are barely noticable. I should have opted for the more expensive, but more refined fluid trainer. Don't make the same mistake.

Trainer was easy to put together and looks sturdy. I can't comment on how well it works because I haven't been able to use it due to the one flaw I mention in the title of the review. Nowhere does it say that your bike needs to have a rear wheel with a quick release skewer to be able to use this trainer. It wasn't until I got to that part of the installation that I realized I would need to buy a new wheel to be able to use the skewer they provide that locks into the trainer. Maybe that's an obvious thing that I should have known about, but I was unaware. I could use a new wheel so I'm not too upset about it, but you should know about this before you decide to buy the trainer.

I really like this trainer in terms of it's build quality, ease of assembly despite so-so instructions and slightly funky cable installation. I've been using it for about 2 hours a week for the past two months and none of the pieces seem to feel like they are going to wear any time soon. Along with a block for the front wheel it all feels totally stable and that I could use this for the next 3 years without having a problem. In terms of noise, I wear around-the-ear headphones which are semi-open (AKG 240s) and I can watch TV or listen to music without having to push the volume up to compensate.

Once assembled the adjustments are all pretty straight forward and your bike should fit easily. They thoughtfully include a replacement skewer in the box in case yours doesn't fit or you are afraid of scratching the finish on yours. There are also online videos which help assembling and mounting your bicycle for the first. Most of it is pretty intuitive, so even without reading the instructions very carefully I had it assembled in less than 20 minutes. With properly inflated tires I found the tension knob too tight to actually turn per instructions, and rather painful too. Fortunately I did not have any problems with tire slippage with far less tension. There are no online manuals or videos explaining how to attach the remote shifter, but this may be a moot point. Which brings me to the major criticism of this model, resistance.

A little background, I'm in my 40's and really out of shape. If I found the resistance range pretty narrow and too light I would guess anyone in better athletic condition will want to start with a trainer with a higher resistance capacity, which this one just won't give you.

Having lived with it for a while, I think I should have either bought the model without the cable, saving myself the money or spent the extra $60-$120 to start with the Magneto or Fluid2, then I wouldn't be thinking of upgrading so early.

I love riding my bike, but I don't ride during the colder months. I bought this trainer as a way to keep in shape over the winter, and it's perfect for my needs. It's quiet, it was easy to set up, and it works great. I have seen a few reviews about the magnetic shifter gadget being difficult to attach or use, but I have had no problems with it at all. I'm really happy with this purchase.

This is a great product for the money. Took all of about 1/2 hour to read the instructions and completely set up BUT if your rear spoke is the wrong size, you'll have to replace it with the one provided in order to use the trainer (I didn't have to thankfully). Levels of resistance are significant, although not as strong as I believed to be promised.

I enjoy this (with my regular bike) significantly more than using my older exercise bike... plus, I think it'll help make riding easier when Spring comes back. Worth a purchase if you're looking for an inexpensive trainer.

Even called customer service for help and they were very responsive.

Overall very pleased with purchase. Arrived quickly, easy to assemble. For the value, it's definately a great quality item. Solid construction and you don't need to be concerned about it sweaking or feeling unstable. It's every bit as sturdy as the high quality fitness machines you would find at a gym. And it's compact and doesn't take up any room.
My only problem (but I think this could be even more of a problem with other units), is that the feel is just not like pavement. The resistance feels differently than pavement because gravity is impossible to recreate. But I imagine that is the problem with all of these triners. Even the most expensive ones probably can't simulate the real thing. So this one is great quality, and gets the job done.

The CycleOps is a great combination of value and effectiveness for indoor and pre-race workouts. I couldn't be more pleased. Also, Cycleops' customer service is outstanding. The original fly wheel had a bit of a problem and they sent another out pronto with a return label for the one I had. So I didn't miss a workout. Assembly is fairly simple. The one thing that could be better worded is the instruction and picture to install the cable for the remote shifter but you figure it out. The unit is solid and smooth and provides easy adjustment for fitting your bike. The quick release is outstanding so that it takes only a moment to put your bike into the trainer and literally a second or two to take it back out. Very, very happy with the purchase.