Whether you’re warming up for a race, trying to stay fit in the winter, or just spin your legs due to injury, for many cyclists trainers are a necessary evil. Let’s be honest, even the best trainers pale in comparison to actually riding a bike, but if you have to use a trainer SportCrafters’ Omnium is proof you don’t have to stick with the status quo. When it comes to cyclists warming up for a race, bringing a trainer along means yet another thing to carry to the pits in a likely overcrowded car, and you can pretty much forget bringing a standard trainer on an airplane – which is exactly why the Omnium is appealing.
Compact, stable, and lifelike, SportCrafters has a lot to offer in the Omnium, check it out next.
One of the major concerns our commenters had when we spotted the prototype at Cyclocross Worlds in Louisville was the stability of the trainer and the durability of the fork dropouts clamped to the front. You can rest assured that when the Omnium is released, SportCrafters will have tested it ad nauseum to prevent failures. They have already cycle fatigue tested the front fork for normal use and the machine broke before the fork or fork mount. The next step is testing individual forks in the case of a tip over.
Even though they are testing for it, a tip over seems highly unlikely after watching numerous show goers sprint test the trainers like Jeff here from City Bicycle Works. The trainers are incredibly stable, and you would basically have to forget you were on a trainer and try to drag a knee to get the thing to fall over.
Since we first saw it, there have been quite a few changes – some cosmetic, some functional. The ARC rollers are new, and are a larger diameter than the prototype with vented end caps for cooling. While testing the rollers at a continuous 400 watts, the rollers topped out at 120°F, still not hot enough to damage a tire. These are essentially a smaller version of their progressive resistance drums found in the full size rollers which provide an incredibly lifelike ride quality without fluid, fans, etc. SportCrafters promise the drums won’t wear out race tires like a standard trainer will as an added bonus.
Additionally, the arms are a bit wider for more stability, yet the trainer still packs down to an impressively small package that is TSA carry on approved. They may get you for your bike, but the trainer flies free. Other highlights include obviously the need to only remove the front wheel, a telescoping design to fit any bike, and it’s 100% designed and manufactured in Grainger, Indiana and includes SportCrafters’ Lifetime Warranty. Expect the Omnium to be available for sale in early spring, until then keep up to date with everything SportCrafters on Facebook or Twitter.
