Customer Reviews

Minoura RDA80R Rimdrive Trainer

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Going from road riding to using this thing took a little getting used to, but after about 20 miles I had no problems. The setup was very easy and I can ride with my two small children asleep in the next room.

I bought this to hook up to my old mountain bike to use this winter to get in shape. Very easy to set up and quality of frame is excellent. I bought the version with the remote cable tension adjustment. Probably not needed as switching gears will likely change the tension enough. It's incredibly quiet as the only point of contact is the braking area on the back tire.

The trainer will lift the back tire about two (2) inches from the floor. I used a few 2x4's to prop up the front tire rather than buy a front tire brace.

I've also gotten into the habit of releasing the tension springs on the two friction wheels that contact with the back tire when I don't use it. I don't want there to be any flat spots on the tension wheels themselves. Might be a bit overboard but would rather be safe than sorry.

I have a bunch of burley mountain bikes that never see a slick tire, ever. This trainer allows me to run my gnarley bikes without any issues. I have used it with my trail bike, a dirt jump single speed, and a full on downhill race bike. The bikes easly and quickly mount up to the trainer, and the rim drive friction unit clicks up against the rim with a snap of a lever. The rim drive unit uses soft rubber drive wheels that roll along the rim, so it wont rub the paint off of the rim if you use disk brakes. The unit is very well built and sturdy. Operation is very smooth and positive. I got the remote option which I would recommend due to its ease of use. You wont be sorry with this fine piece of Japanese engineering...

At first after reading the flaming reviews I registered to return the unopened item. After talking with another biking associate I decided to try it first and I am glad I did.
This unit is ultra quiet. All you hear is a slight swishing sound from the magnetic resistance unit. I am not a sprinter or heavy power user so the available resistance settings are more that adequate for my use.
Easy to setup if you read and follow the simple assembly and setup instructions.

I just got my trainer last night and it was relatively easy to setup. It is very sturdy and made of quality parts. I looked at other trainers but I was sold on this one by the fact that you don't have to change your back tire to a slick one if you have a mountain bike. It's not too heavy and it folds nicely so you can store it when not in use. Made in Japan(Not China!) and Minoura has an office in CA that will support this product!

Arrived very quickly, VERY easy to set up and get adjusted. Had a roller model that my son has claimed for his road bikes, decided to go with this for my mountain bikes. Vey quiet and lets me get miles in when I work late or weather makes it too bad to be outside. Not quite like being out, but is definately worth it. Made in Japan!! , high quality and not made in China. Very little noise, won't disturb others in next room, plus rimdrive allows me to keep the knobbies on. Noticed that this years Tour de France winner Evans starred on mountain bikes first.

Item performs as promised. Great alternative to purchasing new wheel for MTB. Takes a bit to get used to as it changes the feel of actually riding. I'd recommend for off season training.

Very nice. The remote is kind of silly;I use gears on bike to adjust resistance. I don't think I set it up wrong.Could have- the bike gears work just fine to mimic uphill/downhill etc. and I would recommend this product. So nice to have now that the weather is turning nasty-

This is a great product for the price. It does what it states it will do. The cable is a little long and you have to wrap it around several times, but it makes for a great work out.

I bought this particular model (specifically a rim drive) because I have a mountain bike and after reading up on trainers, the bike pros suggested this as it will not chew up the tire treads. The other type of trainers are made for speed bikes which have way less treads.
Bike Requirements - The Trainer has minimum requirements for bike height and rim width. Measure your bike before buying to make sure you can use it with your bike.
Assembly - The instructions are not very detailed, and for someone who has never used a trainer, it took a while before realizing what exactly needed to be done to mount the bike on the trainer. Only by looking at the picture on the box was I able to figure it out.
Results - I've been using the bike trainer for about 3 weeks now. I love it. It's quiet and sturdy. It has a remote cable you attach to the handle bars to change pressure on the rim. you can also use your gears to do the workout as well. Just put on some music or a video and pedal away for a great workout.