after researching it for a while i decided to get a stationary trainer instead of my pedals and shoes. until i lose a bit of weight i think i’ll get the most use this season out of a good trainer for amy and my bike. our recumbent bike is annoying both of us (our arses fall asleep) and we both love to ride. given this and the fact that we can’t ride in the winter the obviously solution is to get a trainer for our bikes.


i looked around at different versions and after much deliberation i decided on the 1up cpr a-2000 bicycle trainer. it has a 100% lifetime parts warranty and if i’m not 100% satisfied with it they’ll replace it with a competitors product. this alone, along with their assurance that it can support my weight would have been enough. they also however have some amazing reviews from owners. i almost got tired of reading all of the rave reviews of their products. the other trainers i looked at varied this one in the quality of the construction and the type of resistance. the 1up trainer is a mechanical resistance trainer whereas a lot of the other trainers are fluid resistance. while fluid sounds cool there are tons of stories about people who had them that reported leakage within a few months and in some cases since it’s oil it destroys whatever it leaked upon. needless to say that isn’t something i felt like dealing with. the fact that the 1up has a resistance unit that i can make more difficult by adding more ball-bearings is key as well.


i placed the order this morning and they said i should have it by tomorrow (they’re only one state away). i’m pretty excited. this is my birthday gift from amy, thanks hun, i love you. now if my rear wheel was only ready. here are some pictures from various angles.