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BalanceFrom Bike Trainer Review

This is the trainer you get when you’re just trying to get your legs spinning without paying a ton
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BalanceFrom Bike Trainer Review
Credit: Amazon
Price:  $126 List
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Manufacturer:   BalanceFrom
By Ryan Baham ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  May 12, 2023
43
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#11 of 12
  • Connectivity and Power Accuracy - 25% 1.0
  • Road Feel - 25% 2.0
  • Design - 20% 5.0
  • Setup - 20% 8.0
  • Portability - 10% 9.0

Our Verdict

The BalanceFrom Bike Trainer is meant as a utilitarian trainer to get you through the inside days. It's ideal for getting your legs moving without costing a ton. It won't replace the feel of the road or compare to the high-end smart trainers, but you won't have to hang the bike up on cold, dark, or wet days. It's a very lightweight, magnetic trainer with adjustable resistance that at least resembles resistance changes. If you want serious training inside and have the budget, there are much better trainers, but this one will work to get your legs moving. To see how it stacks up versus the competition, check out our review of the best bike trainers.
REASONS TO BUY
Quick setup
Easy to move around
Light
Simple design
REASONS TO AVOID
Louder
Unrealistic road feel
Low max power
No controllable features
Not supported by many popular training apps
Editor's Note: On May 12, 2022, we updated this review to include more information on comparisons as we updated our line-up.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Top Pick Award
Notable for Standard Trainer
 Best Buy Award
Best Bang for Your Buck Direct-Drive Trainer
Top Pick Award
Top Pick for Tire Drive
 
Price $126 List
$79.95 at Amazon
$650 List
$600.00 at Amazon
$499.99 at Amazon
Compare at 2 sellers
$299.00 at Amazon
Compare at 3 sellers
$80 List
Overall Score Sort Icon
43
74
73
63
41
Star Rating
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Bottom Line A super affordable but unrefined trainer for infrequent usersEverything you want in a premium direct drive trainer for less than the high-end competitionThis trainer brings premium performance to a more affordable price pointOne of the best tire drive trainers, but still not as good as a direct-drive unitA very affordable trainer for the most basic of indoor cycling workouts
Rating Categories BalanceFrom Bike Tr... Saris H3 Direct Drive Wahoo Fitness Kickr... Wahoo Fitness Kickr... FDW Bike Trainer
Connectivity and Power Accuracy (25%)
1
8.0
8.0
6.0
1
Road Feel (25%)
2.0
7.0
7.0
6.0
2.0
Design (20%)
5.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
4.0
Setup (20%)
8.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
8.0
Portability (10%)
9.0
8.0
7.0
5.0
9.0
Specs BalanceFrom Bike Tr... Saris H3 Direct Drive Wahoo Fitness Kickr... Wahoo Fitness Kickr... FDW Bike Trainer
Drive Type Tire drive Direct drive Direct drive Tire drive Tire drive
Measured Weight 19 lbs 47 lbs 40 lbs 38 lbs 17 lbs
Roll Out Time @ 200 watts 5 seconds 58 seconds 44 seconds 45 seconds 5 seconds
Power Comparison N/A 1-3 watts, 1% 3-5 watts, 2% 10-15 watts, 5% N/A
Communication Protocol None ANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth FTMS ANT + FE-C, Bluetooth ANT+ FEC, Bluetooth Smart None
Dimensions L-H-W 22"x22"x15" 31” x 18.5” x 19.5” 26" x 18.25" x 28.75" 23.9" x 20.1" x 7.6"
Storage Dimensions LxHxW 22"x22"x15" 8.5” x 18.5” x 19.5” 20.75" x 7.5" x 20.5" 23.9" x 20.1" x 7.6"
Type of Trainer Standard Smart Smart Smart Standard
Flywheel 5 lbs, Magnetic 20 lbs 12 lbs 10.5 lbs 5 lbs
Axle compatibility 130mm and 135mm || May need 3rd party adaptors for 142mm and 148mm 130mm, 135mm compatible || Thru-axle available for 142mm and 148mm through CycleOps 130mm and 135mm skewer, 142mm and 148mm thru axle 130mm, 135mm compatible || 142mm adaptor available through Wahoo 130mm and 135mm || May need 3rd party adaptors for 142mm and 148mm

Our Analysis and Test Results

The BalanceFrom Bike Trainer is a standard trainer without bells or whistles. You can plug and play out of the box after you bolt on the resistance unit. It's a stripped-down trainer, but you get some semblance of resistance with the adjustable magnetic level, which you'll affix to your handlebars. It's not pretty, but it keeps the trainer affordable and gives you more range.

Performance Comparison


balancefrom bike trainer - the balancefrom trainer is incredibly simple to setup and get rolling.
The BalanceFrom trainer is incredibly simple to setup and get rolling.
Credit: Ryan Baham

Connectivity and Power Accuracy


There's a real dearth of connectivity for the BalanceFrom. It's a basic trainer, so you don't get any controllable features, and most big virtual companies don't support it yet. You won't get a lot of fancy bells and whistles with the BalanceFrom.

The fundamental setback inherent to all magnetic trainers is power. We were a little grumpy that we couldn't find a good power curve for this trainer, but it's a magnetic trainer, so it's a linear curve. That means that for each resistance level, you apply on your shifter, you increase the power required to turn the pedal proportionately. For example, if level 1 requires 100 watts to go 20 mph, then level 5 requires 500 watts to go 20 mph. In contrast, a fluid trainer will always get you about 14 mph at 100 watts and about 30 mph at 500 watts. Overall, the BalanceFrom doesn't reproduce the feeling of riding outside nearly as well as more advanced trainers.

balancefrom bike trainer - you'll have fun approximating the required resistance for your...
You'll have fun approximating the required resistance for your workouts.
Credit: Ryan Baham

Road Feel


Consistent with our expectations for this sort of trainer, the BalanceFrom felt mechanical. It's a magnetic tire drive trainer, meaning that the resistance doesn't have that nice natural feel you get with the fluid and smart electronic trainers that can simulate road inertia better. That's also to do with the large, heavy flywheels, which you won't find on this unit, whose total weight is just 19 pounds. For comparison, high-end smart trainers can weigh as much as 50 pounds. This model provides enough to get you spinning, but don't expect to be transported to the Pyrenees.

Design


This is a really simple magnetic resistance trainer. A cable is used to adjust resistance up or down, but it's rough. You're not going to get the same ride as a smart trainer, but it does work. The thing we liked about it is also its biggest pitfall—its simplicity. Not much goes into adjustment, so you don't need to waste time tinkering and adjusting, and calibrating. Just tighten down the skewer clamps and tighten the resistance unit's bolt so the tires don't slide, then you're free to adjust resistance with the cable.

balancefrom bike trainer - this fastener was one of the better designs for handlebar shifters.
This fastener was one of the better designs for handlebar shifters.
Credit: Ryan Baham

Setup


The BalanceFrom is easy to unbox and assemble. It's just a little resistance unit that needs to be bolted to a basic base or stand. The bolts take a bit of patience to thread through the holes and guides, but otherwise, it's very easy to attach the unit. Next, throw in the acorn skewer and get your bike into the stand's bolts so your tire is over the middle of the drum, then tighten the resistance unit down enough so your tire doesn't slip. Attach the shifter to your handlebars, and you're off to the races. Pretty easy.

balancefrom bike trainer - we were happy that the balancefrom had no problems locking or...
We were happy that the BalanceFrom had no problems locking or unlocking the axle.
Credit: Ryan Baham

Portability


This is among the easiest trainers to store and unpack. It's only about 20 pounds, so it's easy to pick up and carry around, even in suitcases. The base folds into a nice, compact, flat shape that fits into nooks and corners. The resistance unit is also simple to remove if needed. The least convenient part is the shifter cable affixed to the resistance unit, which slightly changes the spaces it can easily fit into, but it's still not a serious setback. Bottom line: It's really easy to store and lug around.

balancefrom bike trainer - the simple balancefrom goes from box to rolling in just a few...
The simple BalanceFrom goes from box to rolling in just a few minutes. It's a far cry from the greatest trainer out there, but it will get you up and running with very little fuss.
Credit: Ryan Baham

Should You Buy the BalanceForm?


If you're only looking to spin your tires and save some money, you might find a reason to buy this trainer. However, compared to the other models, there are better options. Sadly, this trainer has no controllable features and an unrealistic road feel compared to the bike trainer competition. So despite the lower price, there isn't much to redeem this trainer besides its standard category and low price.

What Other Bike Trainer Should You Consider?


While it might work if you all want to get your wheels spinning, the FDW Trainer is cheaper with a similar overall low score and can fulfill this function. Almost any option is better than this trainer, but we can see how the price could draw some readers with a tight budget. If you need a wallet-friendly trainer that performs well, we prefer the Wahoo Fitness Kickr Core, which is many times the price but likely to significantly lower your level of frustration and increase your level of satisfaction.

Ryan Baham