LeMond Revolution trainer

I'll begin by saying that I am partial to LeMond products -- the RevMaster in particular.The RevMaster is super-solid, incredibly quiet, and just does what it is supposed to. No frills -- it gets the job done. Needless to say, I was very excited as I waited for our first Revolution to arrive. I had read several incredibly positive reviews, Joseph had ridden one in Las Vegas at Interbike, and I just knew that it was going to be amazing. I wasn't disappointed!

Assembly was VERY easy -- about five minutes. Nothing is worse than opening a package and assembling something akin to a giant Erector Set. The process was very intuitive and simple. The trainer retails for $549 ($499 without a cassette).

If you purchase the version with the cassette, it comes installed. I definitely recommend getting the unit with the cassette. In theory, you can remove yours from your rear wheel, but unless you have a spare, this becomes a nuisance quickly when you need to ride the bike without the trainer. The cassette is a 10-speed Shimano 105, which retails for $80, so it is a bargain. It will work with all 10-speed setups -- Shimano, SRAM, or Campagnolo. The freehub body is Shimano/SRAM compatible. You can easily use any recent mountain or road bike with the trainer, provided you use the proper cassette. An 8 or 9-speed cassette will work fine. A bike with a 7-speed cassette would also work, as long as a 7-to-8 speed cassette spacer is utilized.

The most obvious benefit of this style of trainer is that ANY bike will work, provided the proper cassette is installed. Since the rear wheel is removed, there is no problem attaching a road, triathlon, or mountain bike to the trainer. It is as easy as removing and installing a wheel. The feet of the trainer are adjustable, which is great for uneven floors (most trainers do not have this feature).

All that is left after attaching the bike is to ride it! You will not need a riser block as with most trainers -- the rear end of the bike sits at the proper height. The first impression is that the bike is unstable in the trainer -- this is not true. There is a slight flex to the unit, which simulates riding the bike outdoors almost perfectly. The flywheel adds the initial resistance, but the fan is what does the real work. As Joseph mentioned after riding the trainer in Vegas, this is the closest any trainer has ever come to truly simulating the experience of riding a bicycle. Because the unit is direct drive, there is no slippage between the interface of a rear tire and the traditional roller. Crank as hard as you want -- there is ZERO slip! The next thing I noticed was acceleration -- completely realistic. You can't cheat and instantly jump from 5mph to 25mph, for instance -- you have to build up to it, just as you would riding the bike outdoors. The wind resistance is exponential. Pedaling at 20mph is not twice as hard as 10mph -- it is much harder. Again, complete realism.

The noise from the fan unit is the only downside of this trainer, but it really isn't much louder than most fluid trainers. It is small price to pay. Turning up the volume slightly of music (or TV) or wearing headphones is really all that is needed.

All I can say is that this trainer is amazing! If you are looking for one unit that will do it all, look no further. Yes, it is more expensive than most fluid trainers, but it is worth the price. I have had the RevMaster units in the past, but I truly believe that the Revolution will do everything any stationary bike will do -- at less than half the price! It is very small when you need to store it, and easily transportable. What more could you ask for?!