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
BalanceFrom Bike Trainer Review
This is the trainer you get when you’re just trying to get your legs spinning without paying a ton
Credit: Amazon
RELATED: Best Bike Trainer of 2023
Our Verdict
The BalanceFrom Bike Trainer is really 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 really compare to the high-end smart trainers at all, 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're looking to do serious training inside and have the budget, there are much better trainers for it, but this one will work to get your legs moving.
Editor's Note: On January 15, 2022, we updated this review to include more information on the products we would choose.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
BalanceFrom Bike Trainer | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  | | |||
| Price | $126 List $75.51 at Amazon | $800 List $584.95 at REI | $350 List $227.49 at REI | $153.95 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $80 List $41.89 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Quick setup, easy to move around, light, simple design | Lower price range for a premium trainer, good responsiveness, smooth, high power accuracy | Quick setup, easy operation, durable, stable, communicates with training apps, low noise | Lightweight, affordable, durable design | Very affordable, light, easy to carry, store, and move around |
| Cons | Louder, unrealistic road feel, low max power, no controllable features, not supported by many popular training apps | Still relatively expensive, requires calibration, heavy, slightly aggressive in ERG mode | Limited max resistance, roller can heat up and accelerate tire wear, no power data, no control | Loud, mag resistance has limitations, assembly takes some effort, requires speed sensor purchased separately to connect to third-party apps | Limited resistance, cable shifter, durability and quality issues |
| Bottom Line | This is the trainer you get when you’re just trying to get your legs spinning without paying a ton | A more affordable premium direct drive trainer to get you through winter, rain, and turbo-charged training sessions | A simple, affordable, and highly functional tire drive trainer with the option to use it with training apps | This is a utilitarian mag trainer that provides more reliability than others in the low-end price range | If you can't possibly spend more, this trainer works to get the legs spinning |
| Rating Categories | BalanceFrom Bike Tr... | Saris H3 Direct Drive | Saris Fluid 2 | Saris Mag+ | FDW Bike Trainer |
| Connectivity and Power Accuracy (25%) | |||||
| Road Feel (25%) | |||||
| Design (20%) | |||||
| Setup (20%) | |||||
| Portability (10%) | |||||
| Specs | BalanceFrom Bike Tr... | Saris H3 Direct Drive | Saris Fluid 2 | Saris Mag+ | FDW Bike Trainer |
| Type | Tire drive | Direct drive | Tire drive | Tire drive | Tire drive |
| Weight (lbs) | 19 lbs | 47 lbs | 21 lbs | 20 lbs | 19 lbs |
| Compatible Platforms | None. | TrainerRoad, Zwift, Rouvy, BKOOL, Kinomap, RGT, and more | TrainerRoad, Zwift, Rouvy, Wahoo SYSTM | Zwift, TrainerRoad, Rouvy, and more (with speed sensor) | None. |
| Communication Protocol | None | ANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth FTMS | ANT+ BlueGiga USB | ANT+ FE-C or Bluetooth FTMS | None |
| Dimensions L-H-W (inches) | 23.9 x 20.1 x 7.6 | 31” x 18.5” x 19.5” | 28" x 21.5" x 15.7" | 28" x 21.5" x 15.7" | 23.9 x 20.1 x 7.6 |
| Storage Dimensions LxHxW (inches) | 23.9 x 20.1 x 7.6 | 8.5” x 18.5” x 19.5” | 20.5" x 9" x 20.75" | 20.5" x 9" x 20.75" | 23.9 x 20.1 x 7.6 |
| Power Comparison | N/A | 1-3 watts, 1% | 10 watts, 5% | N/A | N/A |
| Decibel @ 230 Watts | 65.2 dB | 55.3 dB | 64.7 dB | 66.5 dB | 65.2 dB |
| Roll Out Time @ 200 watts | 5 seconds | 58 seconds | 15 seconds | 4 seconds | 5 seconds |
| Flywheel | 5 lbs | 20 lbs | 3 lbs | Magnetic | 5 lbs |
| Additonal | Skewer | No Cassette included | Skewer | Skewer | Skewer |
| 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. | 120mm, 130mm, 135mm compatible || Thru-axle available for 142mm and 148mm through CycleOps. | 142x12mm and 148x12mm bikes | 130mm and 135mm || May need 3rd party adaptors for 142mm and 148mm |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
This trainer is very similar to the FDW Bike Trainer. The chief difference is that this one didn't have any failures, whereas the FDW had an issue with the axle locking mechanism that took a lot of finagling to fix. The BalanceFrom is basically plug-and-play out of the box after you bolt on the resistance unit. It's a really 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 just a little more range.
Performance Comparison
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 of the 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 are increasing 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.
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, well, mechanical. It's a magnetic tire drive trainer, meaning that the resistance doesn't have that nice natural feel you get with the fluid trainers and smart electronic trainers that can simulate road inertia a little 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 fancy 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.
It's worth noting that the BalanceFrom and FDW are nearly identical trainers. The difference we found was mainly that the BalanceFrom's locking mechanism engaged properly for the axle clamp.
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 get the unit attached. 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.
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 up 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.
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?
No, we don't think you should; no matter what your training goals are, we believe there are better options available in this review. 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. While it might work if all you want is to get your wheels spinning, The FDW Trainer is cheaper with a similar overall low score and can play the role of wheel spinner.
What Other Bike Trainer Should You Consider?
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, we prefer the Saris Fluid 2, which is almost three times the price but likely to significantly lower your level of frustration and increase your level of satisfaction. This option is a tire drive trainer and one of the best we tested for the type.
—
Ryan Baham
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