Cyclocross Magazine was in Sin City for the last Las Vegas edition of Interbike. During the next few weeks, we will highlight the products that caught our eye.
Minoura is one of the oldest names in bicycle trainers. Established in 1933, the company has offered rollers, wind trainers, magnetic trainers and other bicycle accessories for decades.
In 1988, the company introduced the patented MagTurbo trainer, pairing a fan and stationary magnet to reduce trainer noise.
At Interbike 2017, the company showed that it remains committed to offering modern trainers, and its latest unit, the Kagura Live Ride Smart Turbo trainer, could be ideal for some cyclocrossers looking for both a smart trainer and a race day warm-up trainer.
Minoura’s new wheel-on Kagura Smart Trainer could be the most portable, cyclocross warm-up friendly smart trainer. It will also save you the cost of a cassette compared to wheel-off trainers but could speed up tire wear if you don’t use a spare wheel on race day. Interbike 2017 © Cyclocross Magazine
Kagura Live Ride Trainer Does Double Duty
One challenge for cyclocrossers who want a single trainer is most pricey smart trainers only work when plugged into a power outlet. Power can be tough to come by at races, and so if they want to use a trainer for race-day warmups, a second magnetic or fluid trainer is likely required.
Minoura’s new wheel-on trainer is a dual-setting unit that functions as a smart trainer when plugged in, with variable resistance up to 2,000 Watts, and as a more traditional magnetic unit with resistance settings of 100, 200 and 300 Watts.
The latter does not require the trainer to be plugged in. Perfect for those field riding warm-ups when you are a field on race day.
Minoura’s new wheel-on Kagura Smart Trainer has two settings (float, locked) and can be used as a resistance trainer whether its plugged in or not. The smart resistance unit can be added to older Minoura trainers for $499. Interbike 2017 © Cyclocross Magazine
It also features two modes for providing resistance. The first, “fixed” mode, locks the rear wheel in place against the roller so users can maintain power in and out of the saddle. This is similar to how many traditional trainers work.
The second mode is “float” mode, which is designed to give the feel of rollers. The wheel is not fixed to the drive roller and contact is maintained by body and bike weight. The company claims this mode helps maintain tire life and facilitate better high cadence workouts.
Minoura’s new wheel-on Kagura Smart Trainer uses this red switch to go between smart trainer and magnetic trainer modes. Interbike 2017 © Cyclocross Magazine
The flywheel on the Kagura is relatively small and the claimed weight for the whole unit is 17.6 kg, so it can be folded up and transported to races relatively easily.
Minoura’s new $650 wheel-on Kagura Smart Trainer. Interbike 2017 © Cyclocross Magazine
The trainer comes set up for quick release wheels, but an adapter for 12x142mm thru-axles is available for $20. The resistance unit is both Bluetooth FTMS and Ant+ FE-C compatible, but the unit will only communicate using one method at a time.
Minoura’s new wheel-on Kagura Smart Trainer will work with QR or thru axles. Interbike 2017 © Cyclocross Magazine
Minoura’s new wheel-on Kagura Smart Trainer will also work with 142x12mm thru axles with an optional adaptor. Interbike 2017 © Cyclocross Magazine
List MSRP for the Kagura trainer is $650 with the dual-setting stand, but the resistance unit is available for $500 if users want to add it to an older trainer.
Stay tuned for a full review after we put the Kagura through the rigors of trainer season.
More info: minoura.jp/english
Stay tuned for much more from the 2017 Interbike trade show.
