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Indoor trainers and apartment life

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Indoor trainers and apartment life

Old 03-29-20, 07:06 PM
  #1  
samkl 
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Indoor trainers and apartment life

I’m thinking about getting a smart trainer, but I'm wondering about the noise factor for people who live in apartments. I'm in an older building, and while the floors insulate some sounds, you can definitely hear people stomping upstairs.

Therefore, to be a good neighbor, I'm looking for a quiet setup. Anyone in an apartment building have insight into how to train indoors while being considerate to those downstairs?

I’ve been looking at the Saris H3 because I’ve heard it’s very quiet, but would prefer to spend less if possible.
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Old 03-29-20, 08:37 PM
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colnago62
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Originally Posted by samkl
I’m thinking about getting a smart trainer, but I'm wondering about the noise factor for people who live in apartments. I'm in an older building, and while the floors insulate some sounds, you can definitely hear people stomping upstairs.

Therefore, to be a good neighbor, I'm looking for a quiet setup. Anyone in an apartment building have insight into how to train indoors while being considerate to those downstairs?

I’ve been looking at the Saris H3 because I’ve heard it’s very quiet, but would prefer to spend less if possible.
Check YouTube. There are several people who do posts on cycling equipment. I have seen several on quietest indoor trainer. GP Lama and the other person I can’t remember.
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Old 03-29-20, 08:44 PM
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Originally Posted by colnago62
GP Lama and the other person I can’t remember.
I remember DCRainMaker doing some noise comparisons in some of his videos.

Also to the OP, consider a trainer mat. They're not just for absorbing sweat and protecting your floor, but also to help dampen the sound from the trainer.
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Old 03-29-20, 11:13 PM
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https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/10/...2019-2020.html

What’s the quietest trainer?

It’s basically a wash between the 4iiii/STAC Halcyon/Zero trainers, the Tacx NEO 1/2/2T, and the Wahoo KICKR/KICKR CORE.
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Old 03-30-20, 04:09 AM
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My Kickr Core is very quiet, in fact the fan I use is much louder - by a wide margin. Do get a rubber trainer mat, apart from reducing noise it will also keep sweat stains off your floor. With a direct drive trainer you won't need a wheel block, at least not the Core.

I had a Kurt Kinetic before the Core, and that thing was quite loud. I doubt my downstairs neighbors can hear the Core. (Or the fan.)

I ride mainly on Rouvy, and the Core works very well for that.
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Old 03-30-20, 08:47 AM
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It's expensive, but the Neo 2T is the quietest. the bike drivetrain makes more noise than the trainer. However, in an apartment be sure to turn off the "road effects" since those vibrations would annoy anyone beneath you.
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Old 04-04-20, 03:06 AM
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If I lived in an upstairs apartment I'd get one or two chef's kitchen mats. These are thick, resilient, with soft grippy rubber on the floor side and a surface more like vinyl or faux-leather on top. I see 'em for $15-$20 each at Ollie's, a discount store. Unlike some roll-up mats, these puppies will lay flat and cannot be rolled up -- arced like a taco shell, maybe, but not rolled. So they're less of a tripping hazard.

Over the past couplafew years my apartment complex gradually phased out carpet and installed wood grain laminate flooring. It made the whole building much noisier, especially the upstairs apartment. My last upstairs neighbor was in a wheelchair and I could hear every movement. And my neighbor across the hall tends to crank up the TV volume really loud -- he's in his 90s and a little hard of hearing, but a good ol' fellow so I don't mind. I plan to add some hallway runners and a sound-muffling curtain near my front door. Easier than trying to change a neighbor's habits.

I'm downstairs, probably among the two or three longest-duration residents here and mine was the last to have the carpet replaced. I thought I didn't want the laminate flooring but after a month I'm glad to have it. Much easier to clean, my allergies have subsided significantly.

If I lived upstairs I'd definitely get some floor coverings to deaden the noise, although I'd want something easy to clean. I've discarded several welcome mats, bathroom mats and hallway runners because they're so difficult to keep clean.

But after checking the floor coverings section at Ollie's (all seconds, overruns, etc.) I found a few mats and rugs that were sturdy enough to lay flat, thick enough to deaden the noise, and should be easier to clean. I bought one this week just to try under my Cycleops trainer. First thing I did was check it with the vacuum and it seems to clean up easily. And I'll probably still get one of those chef's kitchen mats for the bike trainer.
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Old 04-04-20, 06:48 AM
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Horse stall mat.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...t?cm_vc=-10005
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Old 04-04-20, 09:18 AM
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My Trac Neo (1st gen) is very quiet, mostly only chain noise from the bike and some ‘freewheeling’ noise downhill.
Also, If you blast some heavy metal or old school punk rock the neighbors won’t complain about the trainer.... haha
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Old 04-05-20, 02:25 PM
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I've got a Wahoo Kickr and not much noise. I would think you could be a good neighbor and still use most trainers on the market. The one thing I would suggest is getting earphones/headphones if you plan on audio entertainment, so you're not adding additional noise. My Kickr is probably less volume then when we are watching TV.
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Old 04-05-20, 09:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Froomewannabe
The one thing I would suggest is getting earphones/headphones if you plan on audio entertainment, so you're not adding additional noise.
Wireless/Bluetooth earbuds with water/sweat resistance, or similar bone conducting earphones, is probably fine... but not on-ear or over-ear type as I imagine those would get uncomfortably hot quickly.
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Old 04-05-20, 11:27 PM
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Originally Posted by nomadmax
Horse stall mat.
A stall mat would work great, but they're not easy to move.
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Old 04-06-20, 07:55 AM
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
A stall mat would work great, but they're not easy to move.
He did say he wanted a workout, right?

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Old 04-06-20, 02:01 PM
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I have my Cycleops Fluid 2 set up on the back deck. I can hear the laptop perfectly well over the noise of the trainer, so it can't be tooooo loud.
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Old 04-06-20, 02:50 PM
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If you're on the bottom floor, or on a slab like I am now, then noises from vibrations shouldn't be an issue. But when I was on the 3rd floor, nothing I tried ever stopped the vibration hum of the rear wheel on the roller, not even a "trainer tire" paired with the trainer on top of vibration dampening blocks (designed for clothes washer/dryer).
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Old 04-07-20, 09:45 AM
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Originally Posted by Riveting
If you're on the bottom floor, or on a slab like I am now, then noises from vibrations shouldn't be an issue. But when I was on the 3rd floor, nothing I tried ever stopped the vibration hum of the rear wheel on the roller, not even a "trainer tire" paired with the trainer on top of vibration dampening blocks (designed for clothes washer/dryer).
Wheel off trainers eliminate that noise source.
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