Which of the published curves matches the trainer in your basement.
Monsoon Cycles, Colorado Springs · Updated August 21, 2026
The game estimates watts from wheel speed using one of four published curves: three magnetic levels and one fluid. This page maps real trainers to those curves so you can pick once and forget it.
The chart shows the difference: magnetic trainers are set by their lever and rise steadily, while fluid trainers rise faster the harder you go, which is why fluid feels more road-like in a sprint.
| TRAINER | TYPE | PICK THIS CURVE |
|---|---|---|
| Kurt Kinetic Road Machine, Rock and Roll | Fluid | Fluid |
| CycleOps / Saris Fluid 2 | Fluid | Fluid |
| Elite Qubo Fluid, Turbo Muin | Fluid | Fluid |
| Blackburn and Nashbar fluid models | Fluid | Fluid |
| CycleOps Wind, vintage fan trainers | Wind | Fluid (wind rises with speed the same way) |
| CycleOps Magneto | Progressive magnetic | Magnetic, medium (step up to heavy if it feels soft) |
| Tacx Blue Motion, Blue Twist | Magnetic with lever | Match the lever: low = light, middle = medium, high = heavy |
| Tacx Satori (dumb mode) | Magnetic with lever | Match the lever position, same rule |
| Minoura Mag series (850, 860, B60...) | Magnetic with lever | Match the lever position |
| Elite Crono, Power Mag | Magnetic with lever | Match the lever position |
| Rollers, any brand | Rollers | Magnetic, light (expect soft numbers) |
Two questions sort almost everything. Does it have a resistance lever on the bar? Then it is magnetic: pick the curve that matches where you keep the lever. No lever, and the resistance just builds the faster you spin? That is a fluid (or wind) unit: pick Fluid.
Then do one sanity ride. Ride an effort you know from the road and compare. If the watts flatter you, step one curve up; if they insult you, step one down. Consistency is what training needs, and the accuracy page explains why that matters more than lab truth. Whatever you pick, keep tire pressure and roller tension the same every ride, and get your wheel circumference right.