Cycleops Magneto Bike Trainer Review- Does Progressive Resistance Matter?

Progressive resistance in the Cycleops Magneto bike trainer means a few things…maybe the most important being a realistic ride without getting off your bike to adjust your trainer.

Taking a few spins on the CycleOps Supermagneto over the last few days has been a pleasant surprise.

The trainer’s whisper quiet, which isn’t in keeping with the common line of thinking…that the fluid trainers have the magnetic trainers beat in the noise department.

The Supermagneto (just about everything I’m writing about applies to the CycleOps Magneto too, it’s just that the Supermagneto has four different power ranges to choose from…more thoughts on that later) also supplies more than enough ‘punch’ to tame the strongest riders.

I have a Powertap wattage meter, so I’ll be able to give you some CycleOps Magneto power values later in this article.

Product Quality		Quietness Score
Realistic Feel		Overall

 

The Cycleops Magneto Bike Trainer and Progressive Resistance

The Cycleops Magneto family was the first (and claims to be the only) magnetic bike trainer with progressive resistance. What that means is that the harder you ride, the further the magnets spin away from the center of the flywheel…adding to the Cycleops Magneto trainer’s resistance.

Sounds logical, doesn’t it?

While progressive resistance is a ‘given’ if you’ve been riding a high quality fluid trainer, in the world of magnetic trainers the common way of adjusting the resistance has been to dismount and manually adjust the magnets away from center.

That’s not how the Cycleops Magneto works…the resistance increases smoothly and exponentially, just like when you’re riding against the wind outside.

The Cycleops Magneto doesn’t have the four different settings, although it could be argued that for most cyclists the added ‘tweek’ of four different settings is unnecessary.

If you compare the graph of the CycleOps Magneto to the graph of the CycleOps Supermagneto Pro, you’ll see that the Cycleops Magneto provides a resistance comparable to the ‘Road Setting’ of the Supermagneto Pro.

I’ve spent thousands of hours on my bike with a Powertap meter on it, so I can tell you that you won’t be able to conquer the resistance of the Cycleops Magneto…since the values are still going skyward above 400 watts.

The ‘Mountain’ setting of the Supermagneto Pro arrives at the highest resistance levels at relatively low speeds, and the amount of energy needed to increase even the smallest of speed changes is met with some pretty stout resistance increases. And that’s exactly what it feels like in the mountains here in Mount Shasta.

==>Buy the Cycleops Magneto Trainer from Amazon here.<==

==>Buy the Cycleops Super Magneto Pro Trainer from Amazon here.<==

Cycleops and the Saris Group

Cycleops is part of the Saris group (or is it the other way around?). Irregardless, the point is that both are noted for their emphasis on quality and customer service. Hours and hours spent scouring the web fails to reveal much, if anything in the way of customer discontent. So… as has been alluded to with the star system at the top of the page, product quality is five stars…as is customer service.

I have a couple of Powertap power meters from the Saris group and the customer service has been great…bearings wear out in Powertap hubs just as they do in any wheels, and my dealings with the folks at Saris has been seamless. The Powertaps were back in no time…re-calibrated, equipped with new bearings, and ready for another 10,000 miles.

Sure enough, when a little part on the Supermagneto Pro needed to be replaced, an email was answered right away. And most miraculous of all…a replacement part got to my house the next day. That’s nearly impossible considering how far we are from any major cities, but it was waiting for me on the porch when I came home for lunch the day after the email.

Noise Factor

The largest surprise I got from the Supermagneto Pro is how quiet it is. Right off the bat I was sure that it was quieter than my Kurt Kinetic Road Machine, but I wanted to be sure. So I did what any smart phone owner does…I looked for a Droid Audiometer Ap.

Sure enough, there were a handful of Aps to be downloaded. Yes, I know that any of these Aps are limited by the quality of the ‘mouthpiece microphone’ of the phone.

But it was my intention to confirm what my ears were telling me. I lined up the CycleOps Supermagneto Pro and the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine.

I carefully placed my phone one foot to the side of the front fork and I pedaled at 17 mph. The Supermagneto Pro was consistently 5 decibels quieter than the Road Machine. I know that isn’t very much…but considering that fluid trainers have always been touted to have an edge over mag trainers in the noise department, I found this to be interesting, and a ‘plus’ for the Cycleops Magneto family.

As a side note, here are some factors that increase or decrease the noise coming from a bike trainer.

• Using tires with a tread on them greatly increases noise.
• A ‘trainer-specific’ tire reduces wear, and it’s also quieter.
• Using a trainer on tile instead of carpet will make it louder.
• Riding casually won’t generate much noise on any trainer…aggressive riding on any trainer is a different story.

The Cycleops Magneto and Realistic Feel

Previous to the Cycleops Magneto family moving onto the block, the feel of any mag trainer didn’t match a high quality fluid trainer. But having a good, heavy flywheel contributes to the feel of the CycleOps Magneto trainer, as does the progressive resistance.

I couldn’t feel any difference in the ‘realism’ between the Supermagneto Pro and the Road Machine that I’ve ridden for years. The only reason it doesn’t get a five star rating for realism is because there are now trainers that ‘move’ with the cyclist (like the Rock and Roll), giving an added sense of realism.

The ‘Foundation’ Of The Magneto

The frame of the Cycleops Magneto is made of the same 2 inch 16 gauge steel tubing that’s used on a lot of the ‘early model’ CycleOps trainers.

The frame of the Supermagneto Pro is larger in diameter and has been shaped to add rigidity, which seems to reduce the ‘spread’ that trainer frames experience when you’re tightening a bike into them. The Supermagneto Pro frame (along with the other high end CycleOps trainer frames) also looks cooler.

Both Cycleops Magneto models include adjustable foot pads, assuring you’ll have a solid ride even if you’re on an uneven surface. Of course, it has folding legs for more convenient storage once the weather clears and you can get back to riding outside.

Your bike is attached to the Cycleops Magneto with a quick load cam lever so that you can get your bike into and out of the trainer easily, assured that the bike’s attached with the same ‘snugness’ as the last ride.

The attachment system on the Supermagneto Pro is a bit different. For every full rotation of the yellow dial, the shaft moves one inch (yes, I measured it). That means it’s very easy to get the bike snugged into the trainer quickly. You do lose the ability to duplicate the tension of the bike in the trainer, like you get in the Cycleops Magneto quick load cam system.

Snugging the trainers up against the tire is accomplished with a yellow lever that, once set, applies the same amount of pressure every time. I like this feature…it makes getting the correct tension between the trainer and the tire a snap.

Speaking of ‘foundations’, there’s nothing more solid than a good guarantee. The Cycleops Magnetos have a lifetime guarantee, as do all of the CycleOps trainers.

Should you need new ideas on how to make yourself hurt more, there’s an included training DVD done by ex-pro Robbie Ventura.

Cycleops Magneto Features

1. The Cycleops Magneto is the only magnetic trainer on the market with progressive resistance for a decent road-like feel and quiet ride.
2. Power Band technology provides wide range of resistance without dismounting.
3. Bike is attached to the Cycleops Magneto trainer with an easy to use Cam-lever.
4. Foot pads on the Cycleops Magneto accommodate for uneven surfaces.
5. The Cycleops Magneto as a 2″ roller and an easy to fold down design.
6. A training DVD is included with the Cycleops Magneto.
7. There’s a Lifetime warranty on the Cycleops Magneto.
8. The Supermagneto Pro has an even wider range of power settings.

This trainer is for:

1. Riders looking for a high quality trainer.  The Cycleops Magneto is a great bike trainer that won’t ‘break the bank’.
2. Riders looking for a reasonably realistic feel.
3. Riders not wanting to deal with the noise of a wind trainer or a magnetic trainer of lesser quality.  The Cycleops Magneto is every bit as quiet as a fluid trainer.

Here’s What Cyclists Are Saying…

I’ve had the Cycleops Magneto trainer for a few years now, using it about once weekly for forty five minutes. It’s held up very well and it’s plenty quiet…

“carolkey” {review edited for brevity. Read full review here}

The Cycleops Magneto bike trainer is great…very quiet. Resistance is OK, would recommend a trainer tire, climbing block, and a mat…

“Jessica” {review edited for brevity. Read full review here}

 

==>Buy the Cycleops Magneto Trainer from Amazon here.<==

==>Buy the Cycleops Super Magneto Pro Trainer from Amazon here.<==

Amazon matches any pricing I’ve found on the internet, and they’re a very trusted merchant.

About the reviewer: Ron Fritzke is a Chiropractor in Mount Shasta, CA and a cycling product reviewer with a passion for ‘all things cycling’. A former 2:17 marathoner, he now directs his competitive efforts toward racing his bike…and looking for good cycling products.

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Cycleops Magneto Bike Trainer Review

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