RAD Cycle Products Max Racer 7 Levels of with Smooth Magnetic Resistance Bicycle Trainer Allows You to Work Out with Your Bike

Funciona sin problema, un poco ruidoso en ocasiones dependiendo de la resistencia y los cambios que hagas pero nada que no pueda tolerar. Estoy satisfecha con mi compra

For indoor exercise

Yup! Every morning at 10:00 am I get on my trainer connected mountain bike and drop the hammer for at least a half hour. Tis a great way to punish myself for all my bad habits and stay in decent shape as well.

This RAD thing is amazing. Heck, it’s reasonably light, folds up for storage and is very well constructed. AND, that little thingie to keep the front tire from moving around is included in the package. In doing research, I noticed that most of the other manufacturers made you buy it as an accessory. Why? Is it made of gold? Well, no. Anyways, I know I’m being a bit picky but it just struck me as an odd, inexpensive thing to not include in the deal.

The RAD came well packaged and was reasonably easy to set up. I had it ready to go in about 15 minutes. The installation info in the owners manual worked pretty well for me, except for the quick release hub thing. I didn’t have a clue what to do with it, so I just put it in a box in my closet. It works just fine in there! 🙂

Also…the shift lever for adding to the handlebars to adjust the tension? Well, I didn’t think I needed it because of the shift lever that was already on the handlebars…so I just coiled it up and put it in a safe place on the back of the RAD frame.

As it turned out…it was a decent move on my part because I can adjust the tension on the back of the RAD and then, use the front shifter to really get the bike screaming along! The reason I said *screaming* is because of my mountain bike tires, with the little knobbies. If I had smoother street tires, I’m sure the noise would be reduced, a lot.

I don’t care about the noise though. My apartment is in a middle room and above the garage and so, no one bugs me about the noise. The person in the apartment above me is gone about the time of my ride and has never complained.

As far as the…folding up for Storage angle goes, I don’t think I will mess with it. I’ve been considering getting a fixie with a flip-flop rear hub for riding outside, during that one week in the summer…WHEN IT DOESN’T SNOW! 🙂

Anyways…I’m not jiving you about this gadget. It’s solid and it works well and I’ll bet you will be as happy as I am, if you buy one!

Pull that derelict 1990s mountain bike out of the garage and put it to use!

So many people throw away old bicycles. Either pull one out of your garage or basement, or find one on the side of the road on trash day and mount it up to this trainer. Give the chain a quick oil. Replace the tires with cheap road tires and you are good to go with an inexpensive exercise bike!

The good:
I am mechanically inclined. I didn’t even need the instructions or a video. I had this unpacked and my derelict bike mounted in 5 minutes. The resistance unit comes pre-mounted to the frame. No tools needed.

My bike has a 15mm axle nut. Which is very standard. Not a quick release. The cups fit right over it nicely. Using a set of measuring calipers, the cup is 17mm inside diameter. Which means if will fit a wide range of axle nuts from 15mm, 3/4″ and 5/8″. Again, if your bike has a standard axle nut and NOT a skewer, this should still work fine.

My bike also has rear suspension via a floating rear fork. It’s fine. Very sturdy. Though I can’t say that it will work with any bike having suspension. There will be weird side/twist forces the fork, so I wouldn’t recommend it for a flimsy bike or one you care about.

There are four wing nuts on the axle clamp adjusters. These were surprisingly made of metal. Possibly pot metal but way better than plastic ones on competitor units. Pleasant surprise. The outer one controls the tension on the axle nuts. You want to tighten these down with cups over the axle nuts so the bike is centered. Hand tighen until the bike doesn’t wobble side to side then go another 1/2 – 3/4 turn. Then use the inner wing nuts to lock it in place by tightening them down against the frame of the trainer.

The plastic riser block is included. Remember to throw that under the front wheel.

Pro tip #1: invest in a more comfortable seat no matter what bike you use.

Pro tip #2: by a cheap digital speedometer that mounts to the spokes. Then you can track speed and mileage of your workout.

Pro tip #3: put this in room with a smart TV or mount a tablet on a music stand for entertainment. Or maybe use your favorite cycling app. It may not replace a full blown guided workout on a pro bike but you can use your imagination and stay entertained.

The challenges:
The resistance unit is cheap and has a tiny flywheel. This means it doesn’t regulate speed very well.

Don’t use knobby tires. Road tires will still be noisy but honestly not much noisier than other cheaper exercise bikes I’ve used.

A large knob screw is included in the kit. This threads into the resistance unit to control how much tension is placed on the tire. Rotate the pedals by hand and tighten the knob so the roller doesn’t slip on the tire. But not so tight that it causes too much deformation of the tire. Deformation means excess friction, heat, noise and wear. Ideally you don’t want any deformation at all. But you may need some to prevent it from slipping at higher speeds.

Keep road tires inflated to max pressure on the side wall. Rubber pieces/dust may be shed due to friction. So keep a throw carpet or mat under the bike. Run the cable loose to the handlebars. Do no twist or bend the cable. Do not wrap it around the frame.

Put bike in highest gear. On mine, that means the largest front sprocket, and smallest rear sprocket setting. This makes the resistance much more reactive than using a lower gear. Depending on your bike, it may be too reactive. Try the next gear down until you are happy. Too low of a gear will offer too much mechanical advantage and won’t feel like a challenge at all.

I did not test this with a single speed bike. But the resistance unit might not offer enough load for a single speed bike. In that case, consider the brake mod below if you have hand brakes.

Potential improvements:
I ordered a set of “felt/wool” brake pads. I’m going to dispense with the resistance unit and modify my rear rim brakes to use felt pads. I already tested riding it this way with the stock brakes. In the highest gear I only need to hold the brakes on a tiny bit to feel reasonable resistance. I am able to do an entire workout this way, just regulating the brakes with my hand. Once I get felt pads, I will just use a zip tie or rope with a slip knot to control resistance. A little silicone spray on the felt every few weeks will make it quiet. I expect this approach to be more quiet and reliable than the included resistance unit.

Summary:
Overall I am very happy with this trainer stand. Wayyyy better than an overpriced $XXX (or $XXXX) stationary or spin bike, and helps keep derelict bikes out of the landfill. Or puts your existing outdoor bike to good use in the winter.

I got the red unit — on sale. Can’t beat the price. I couldn’t build one out of wood or with jack stands for this price, even if I toss the crappy resistance unit aside, it’s still a bargain.

I’m sure it will fit most 26-28″ tire bikes just fine. Regardless if it has a quick-release skewer or old-fashioned axle nuts. It may even fit an ancient 29″ 10-speed if you do the rim brake mod I referenced above and delete the tire and resistance unit. The stand alone is worth the price. Your own imagination is the limit. I may even consider using the stand for a custom generator project to make electricity with it someday.

Hope this review helps someone.

Got this trainer to get my legs conditioned for riding again. Works as expected, little noisy, but it works and no complaints.