Indoor bike trainer stand question

First, how much are you willing to spend? Also in order for him to be able to gather data on RPM, distance, speed, etc he needs a sensor on his back wheel and possibly one on his pedals. If his bike computer is newer there is typically add-ons to be able to do this.

Wahoo has some of the best smart bike trainers that can adjust the difficulty and connects to almost all of the virtual riding programs (trust me, they help when you have long rides), but they are very pricey. Also probably the quietest.

I've used Cyclops also. Very basic but can be pretty loud depending on the model (water vs air resistance).

I would have him read this article to see what he is wanting and go from there. There are so many choices that I'm not sure I can help much unless he knows what he wants.

How to Choose an Indoor Bike Trainer

I have a Tacx trainer. There’s a large range of models available so it depends what features you’re after.

Something to keep in mind, using these trainers can be hard on a bike’s frame. I forget the physics behind it, but it puts pressure on some of the welded spots, especially the one right under the bike seat at the join of the seat tube and the top tube. We thought DH’s bike was about to have a catastrophic failure because of some cracks at this join, it turns out it was just the paint cracking because of the pressure from all the miles put on his indoor trainer. When he gets his next bike he’s going to primarily use this one indoors to save his new bike from the strain.

He uses the Garmin sensor simply because it works with his watch. Also, pretty sure it is the Cylops trainer as well, and it is pretty loud. Not terrible with the door closed. It’s the blaring TV he listens to that’s the kicker. At 4:30 am  The next trainer is going to be one that simulates rides including hills. He is only able to safely get in one long ride a week outside, and needs a lot more hill work. Last I saw the Wahoo Kickr and maybe one other had this capability, but it’s been a while since I’ve checked.

DC Rainmaker does very thorough technical reviews on tons of triathlon products. Not just write ups but videos too. Some of it is over my head, I’m not a rider, but he also gives great overviews. There is a ton of good info on his site, and definitely good reviews of both regular and smart trainers.