Originally Posted by
rm -rf
My older Kurt Kinetic fluid trainer is easy on tires, I just use my GP5000 tires on it. But I never stand and hammer, so I don't get tire slippage, and I don't need crank down the trainer tire loading. It's good for fairly steady efforts that can be very difficult if I want. Fluid trainers go from very easy pedaling to extreme efforts by shifting gears--fast wheel speeds are exponentially harder, just like outdoor wind resistance.
But I don't use it too often. It's hard for me to be motivated, and I find excuses to stop early too. I'm guessing a Zwift style trainer with controlled resistance for different workouts or virtual group rides could be more compelling.
That was my experience. I used to LOATH riding the trainer. I could barely manage 40 minutes, with the help of loud rock music, and keeping my cadence and HR up required a lot of concentration, which just wore me out.
I started looking for ride videos on YouTube, and they made it a lot easier, especially the ones with climbs, because I could mimic the climb on my dumb trainer by shifting to taller gears. Ones that also had descents were nice, since they'd give me a rest after the climb. But, yeah, riding on Zwift, or maybe one of the other games out there like Rouvy, is more engaging, because not only does the resistance change with the 'terrain' as it does in real life, but also you control the speed you move at through the terrain.