Kinetic by Kurt Rock and Roll trainer is one of the most unusual bike trainers you will find on the market. Its claim to fame is that it will force you to use your core muscles to keep your balance. It does this by having polyurethane bushings sandwiched between metal plates, all kept together with a pair of bolts. One of these plates is attached to the base and the other plate is attached to the axle clamp and resistance unit.
You have to keep your lateral balance while you ride, just like on the road. One unexpected side effect of having this lateral motion is, when you start to push hard, it will show your bouncing long before anyone else would see you bouncing on a regular trainer. It forces you to ride smoother than a regular trainer.
The resistance unit on the Rock and Roll is the same quality unit you get with the the Kinetic Road Machine. This has a fluid resistance unit that is guaranteed not to leak. They do this by not having the drive shaft penetrate the fluid chamber. It is ‘attached’ to the flywheel in the fluid chamber by neodymium magnets. See Kinetic’s article “Why Our Trainers Don’t Leak” for details. Very clever solution.
The base is extremely large and unportable at 48 inches (1.22 m) by 30 inches (3/4 m). It is built like a tank and gives you a very stable feeling. The unfortunate side effect of this stability is that I would not want to lug it to the local bike club for a winter indoor training session.
I’ve now had this trainer for about a month and I notice a vast difference to my previous trainer. I used to have a Minoura Mag 850 magnetic Trainer (see right). It has served me well for over 4 years, but now I’m a convert to the feel of the fluid resistance. The magnetic resistance just did not have the same feel througough the speed band.
Overall, I’m very impressed with the Rock and Roll Trainer and I hope it is the last trainer I need to buy.
1 comment for “Rock and Roll Trainer”