Wahoo Kickr in an apartment with sleeping kids

[Andrevich4]

Debating between a Wahoo Kickr and an Elite Turbo Muin. Two different beasts, I know, and I like that I'll be able to use the Kickr to do testing on coached athletes so leaning that direction.

Question is... will I be able to use the Kickr without waking sleeping kids upstairs or neighbors downstairs during early morning workouts? Living in a row house, hardwood floors and plan to get a mat (probably one from Tractor supply).

I'm also a beast and can churn out an ungodly amount of watts when going full out. Sometimes I even hit 300 watts.

[Moneyfire]

I live in your typical NYC apartment and have to get my workouts in the wee hours so can offer some advice/guidance on the neighbors. On my first trainer "ride" last winter my downstairs neighbor shot me a note stating that it sounded like I was running a washing machine. I put down a thin yoga mat and haven't heard from her since. I've got fairly rickety hardwood floors and was surprised that 1-2cm of cushioning did the trick. I prefer the yoga mat for ease of storage. For whatever its worth I use a cycleops fluid 2.

[SpeedyChix]

The Kickr is reasonably quiet. One caveat about my "noise rating" is that it is on a concrete floor with carpet on it. Bedroom above it, can't hear it in use. However the LeMond Rev can be heard upstairs.

[Peter Polack]

Mag trainers like the Wahoo Kickr are definitely quieter than wind trainers; stay away from wind trainers just because of the noise factor. Mag trainers and fluid trainers exhibit similar audible levels and they're as low as you can get. I believe the numbers I saw put them equivalent to a normal conversation, 60-70dB.

But the problem with these trainers is not noise; it's vibration that your neighbors will hear. At the high rpms the unit spins at, it will cause wood floor and ceiling joists to resonate. From others' comments above, they seem to have found a solution. I personally had little luck damping the vibration from my fluid trainer even after spending roughly $200 on special materials. I even went so far as to fill my fluid trainer frame with 75lbs. of lead shot to damp the vibrations. It didn't work.

Before you spend the money, see if you can borrow a similar trainer and test it with cooperation from your potentially offended neighbors. You may save yourself some money and some neighbors.

[Andrevich4]

Before you spend the money, see if you can borrow a similar trainer and test it with cooperation from your potentially offended neighbors. You may save yourself some money and some neighbors.

True. Anyone in DC want to stop by and let me try out their Kickr? I've got Headytopper in the fridge...

Thanks for the responses. Seems like the kickr is the way I'm going. Now gotta find one.

[j44ke]

There are very heavy thick mats for treadmills for sound deadening. Amazon has them. I bought one for our apartment in NYC (wood floor directly on joists, tin over wood lath ceiling below that) and the downstairs neighbor seems fine with the noise level. Since one of the reasons our apartment was on the market was a multi-year pitched battle over noise between the downstairs neighbor and the seller, I'd say her happiness is a pretty good recommendation. Mine is about 78" long and when rolled is heavy enough I need two hands to carry it.

[funcrusher]

the new tacx trainer is supposed to be silent...the resistance is all electronic...so only drive train noise