Minoura VFS Trainer Review
MINOURA VFS REAR WHEEL TRAINER:
It is that time of year again. You know, when you look out the window mutter some expletive under your breath (or not) about the weather and that piece of equipment that has been collecting dust in the corner of the basement. Ah yes, that old “friend”. The substitute for sunshine and heat.
I have had several years of that very same scenario. Working on my base fitness and trying to maintain some semblance of sanity while sitting at home sweating and thinking that this just doesn’t feel right.
Last year, I got my hands on a new trainer, the Minoura VFS Trainer. The VFS stands for “Variable Fluid System”. In a nutshell it is basically the best of both worlds. Fluid will give you the correct resistance to simulate road conditions while the magnetic will eliminate the “dead spot” that can be associated with fluid. What does it all mean? Real roads feel while staying dry and warm. Nice….
You can stand, sit, and grind with this bad boy and it will just give it right back to you. The harder you push, the more it pushes back. For those of you who attended “Stairway to Purgatory” last year can attest. I like to do those long sessions of simulated climbing. On my old trainer, I had a hard time with this due to the unevenness of the resistance.
This chart shows how high you wattage can go given your speed. The power curve is very linear. No sudden spikes in resistance. This is the closest simulation you can get without electronic assistance.
Setup on the unit was a breeze. One box with all the goodies and tools. The unit was already assembled and needed to just be installed onto the base. One Allen wrench made quick work of that. Better than Ikea….
Once all assembled and my rear wheel QR swapped out for the supplied steel on, I was ready to get the bike mounted. No problems there. A quick centering of the rear wheel via the one time right side adjuster and then a quick tighten on the left crank I was set. Set the pressure for the roller under the wheel and then use the handy foot pedal to lock it into place. Again a onetime adjustment. Nice.
Of all the trainers that I have had in my dungeon, this was the quietest. No banging on the floor from upstairs for disturbing the yoga sessions. I could even turn down the Pete Tong hot mix playing through the MP3 player. Always a plus around the homestead as Erin hears that 4-5 times a week during the off-season.
So after a solid season of beating on this thing like a schoolyard bully looking for lunch money, I can honestly say I am the one without money for the tuna sandwich. Thanks to my trainer….
- PROS: Insanely easy setup. One time centering and foot pedal for the roller. 85% prebuilt. Reasonably light. Not overly costly unit.
- CONS: Had a small amount of residue one time from the rear unit. Happened only when new and never occurred again.
- WARRANTY: Minoura has a 2 year limited warranty on the resistance unit and a 5 year warranty on the frame
- PRICE: $379.99 plus tax
