Hey Sid -

I just purchased my first trainer - a Minoura HyperMag Alu Rim Trainer.

Your choice of trainer will depend on a few things, namely your bike and the type of work out you try to achieve.

Personally, I have a cyclocross and my wife has an ATB, so for us rollers were out of the question due to the intense turbulence the knobs would have produced (or at least this is what I was told).

Keeping inline with the tire concerns, I knew that I wanted a rim trainer - this way I wouldn't have to spend time changing tires or worrying about rubber chips getting all over the apartment. (The rim trainer consists of two roller blade-like wheels that run on separate sides of the rim).

Second - think about the type of training you want to achieve. Are you looking to just stay in shape with an aerobic workout, or are you looking to get better with cadence and power output? If you are looking for the strength training, I'd err on the side of a multiple resistance mag trainer. I've borrowed a fluid trainer, and wasn't nearly as impressed as I am with my current trainer.

Either way, you will end up with a more intense workout than when you are riding on the road - the resistance really is much higher - so I was told that the time you spend on a trainer is around 1.5x to 2x the time you spend out on the road.

If you really have the money to shell out check out Tracx - they have a PC/Internet feature that allows you to compete against other cyclists in TDF stages and other major races...

That's just my $0.02 - I am sure that you will get other views from other people - but in the end - your choice of trainer will depend on your equipment and your training goals.

I tried using rollers and then a trainer. Felt like my bike was gonna snap if I put to much pwer into it. Maybe I'm just paranoid!!! I went and bought a used spin bike. I can beat the heck out of it and not worry about breaking it.