# Trainer in upstairs apartment



## Sentinel54 (Apr 27, 2010)

I have a Kurt Kinetic Road Machine and always use a rubber mat underneath it. The mat is not incredibly thick (It's the "official" mat that sometimes comes bundled with the trainer). I've ridden it in the early hours before and never had a complaint, but I've started doing it much more frequently lately. I just don't have as much energy or motivation after a long day of work and it's great to get the workout out of the way first thing. My roommate has never complained and I've even asked him if it bothered him, but he seems ok with it.

Anyway, after about 20 minutes of riding this morning (with headphones on), I started feeling something below me, and thought maybe my flywheel was going nuts. I took out one of my earbuds and it turns out the person in the bedroom below me was pounding on their ceiling for a few minutes straight. I continued for about 5 more minutes but decided it wasn't worth a confrontation and stopped. This is a huge problem for me. The convenience of being able to jump on my bike in the morning with very little setup is extremely appealing to me but I don't want to piss off my neighbors. 

Does anyone have any tips for noise/vibration dampening that are extremely effective? I've heard about putting plywood underneath and I could get a thicker mat, but I've heard mixed reviews on those techniques.


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## Wood Devil (Apr 30, 2011)

Probably a thicker carpet or a more industrial gym quality foam pad (like the one under heavy equipment at the gym). Or just find out when your downstairs neighbor isn't going to be home. 

That's just one of the many sucks about apartment living.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

Give your neighbor a break. I'd go down, apologize for waking him up and ask what his schedule is so you don't wake him up again. There's nothing worse than being woken up early -- like the &%^* guys with a jackhammer on my neighbor's driveway at 7:30 in the AM last Saturday.


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## Sentinel54 (Apr 27, 2010)

pmf said:


> Give your neighbor a break. I'd go down, apologize for waking him up and ask what his schedule is so you don't wake him up again. There's nothing worse than being woken up early -- like the &%^* guys with a jackhammer on my neighbor's driveway at 7:30 in the AM last Saturday.


I'm definitely not out to piss them off. The problem is that I get up at 5:30am to use the trainer. Given that, my options are to somehow reduce/eliminate the disturbance or not work out in the mornings.


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## Trbogolf (Jun 15, 2009)

Is it possible to move the trainer to another room that isn't above a neighbors bedroom? Also like pmf suggested I'd stop by to give an apology for making too much noise and explain why/what


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## cmg (Oct 27, 2004)

Sentinel54 said:


> I'm definitely not out to piss them off. The problem is that I get up at 5:30am to use the trainer. Given that, my options are to somehow reduce/eliminate the disturbance or not work out in the mornings.


then expect to piss them off. 

get a thicker mat or try several plys of mat, hardboard, mat, hardboard, etc. etc. Check bearing/moving parts of trainer make sure its in optimum condition. If it's the noise of the trainer spinning and not the vibration you'll have to fabricate an insulated surrounding to isolate/muffle the noise. Think cardboard box with insulation on the interior and a slot wide enough for the rear wheel to travel through.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Can you roll it out onto a deck, use it the garage if your unit has one, etc.?


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

Sentinel54 said:


> The problem is that I get up at 5:30am to use the trainer.


yes how intolerant of the other person 
trainers are noisy, no way around that really. The energy has to go somewhere.


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## Samadhi (Nov 1, 2011)

There's probably very little you can do to eliminate the sound and vibration. As long as you keep trainning and regardless of the time of day, you are likely to annoy your neighbors.

You have these choices: 

Stop using the trainer.
Buy or rent a house.
Find a new aprtment that has a garage directly beneath your aprtment.


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## smoothie7 (Apr 11, 2011)

I would try to be considerate if at all possible. Go down and talk to them so you know their schedule. Seems reasonable to me.


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## DesnaePhoto (Jun 11, 2009)

I put a heavy desktop under my trainer. The desktop sits on the thick carpet. Pretty well insulated (though I do ride in the evenings). You can put rubber bumpers between what solid object you are riding on and the floor.


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## MTBer4life (Dec 9, 2008)

I used my trainer all last winter living in an upstairs apartment and never had any complaints. 

If it were me though id stop by and tell them what your doing and ask them what the problem is. Such as is the ceiling shaking or can they hear the whining of the trainer(that way you know how to best address the problem). Id then tell them that ill do everything I can to ensure that the noise is reduced to a minimum and that youll work with them but they are going to have to work with you as well because you are going to have to use the trainer at that time.

Fact is just like you have to deal with trying to be as quite as possible the people downstairs (like me this year) have to deal with and expect some noise from upstairs.


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

I had the EXACT same problem you're having, Sentinel54.

There's little that you can do about it.

You're correct in that it's not sound but vibration stimulating the floor and the joints, creating a low frequency rumble. That's due to the inherent tolerances in the bike's rear wheel and the construction of the trainer's rotating components. The Kurt Kinetic is not alone in creating this noise; all types of trainers and rollers will do it.

I spent a couple hundred dollars on special vibration damping mats and pads. I even drilled a hole in my Kurt Kinetic frame and filled it, and the legs, with shotgun pellets, increasing its mass to over 75lbs.! No improvement.

Ideally, you would either create a mass under your trainer so heavy and dead that the energy from the trainer couldn't move it to vibrate such as lining the entire floor of your room with paving stones, or uncoupling the trainer from the floor so the vibration doesn't reach it, which is even more difficult.

If you have an attic or basement to train in, you could work out there. I've even ridden rollers in the parking lot of my apartment in desperation! If you have a loft style apartment, you could set up in the loft area, but I'd check to see if the vibration reaches any adjacent apartments.

I eventually solved my problem by carrying my bike and rollers across the street to my complex's exercise room every time I train. (Long story short-In my efforts to solve my problem I got sidetracked and mistakenly switched from the Kurt Kinetic to rollers. I regret this becuase my TruTrainer rollers, while a great training tool, are almost 40lbs. and much heavier, I believe, than the KK.)

P.S. If you want to try my vibration damping materials, you can have them for the cost of shipping. I have a vibration damping mat, a lead(!) mat, and cork/rubber anti-vibration pads like those seen under heavy motors, pumps, and furnaces. Go to SOUNDPROOFING & More Soundproofing!, Super Soundproofing: Practical Noise Control & SoundProofing & Solutions /Materials! | for more info.


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

To me you have to apologize. I couldn't believe that you continued riding for 5 minutes after you realized they were pounding on the cieling for several minutes already. I could be wrong, but this indicates a pretty low level of courtesy to your neighbors.

Then, your only choice is to find out when you can do it without disturbing the neighbors. I'm of the opinion that you have no right to disturb your neighbors - at least not regularly and knowingly. Your convenience to train does not trump their - quite normal - sleeping habits. Thier use (sleeping at 5:30 am) is a normal use of the apartment. Your use (using noisy equipment at 5:30 am) is not normal use of the apartment. It is a nuisance, and I'll bet your lease addresses it.

I hope you can figure out a solution, but the reasons you gave for training early in the morning (essentially that you happen to like it more than training in the evening) is not compelling in the least. It's just a matter of convenience to you. Sleeping is not a convenience, it is essential.


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## walrus (Jan 29, 2004)

I put my trainer on a piece of 3/4" plywood with an inflated 20" and 26" bicycle tube under it. Very stable and no noise. front tire can stay on the floor or you can put something under it to raise it level with the rear wheel. Trainers raise the rear wheel even without the soundproofing under it.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

pmf said:


> Give your neighbor a break. I'd go down, apologize for waking him up and ask what his schedule is so you don't wake him up again..


this.........


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## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

MTBer4life said:


> Id then tell them that ill do everything I can to ensure that the noise is reduced to a minimum and that youll work with them but they are going to have to work with you as well because you are going to have to use the trainer at that time.
> 
> Fact is just like you have to deal with trying to be as quite as possible the people downstairs (like me this year) have to deal with and expect some noise from upstairs.


Wow. 

Just wow.


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## MTBer4life (Dec 9, 2008)

RJP Diver said:


> Wow.
> 
> Just wow.


...just what id do Iv lived upstairs and downstairs at apartments and the fact is when you sign up for an apartment you sign up for this kind of thing. At least one night a week it sounds like someone is having a horse race above me but i knew thats the kind of thing to expect when living downstairs...

Bottom line is both parties have to work with each other to make sure things are as good as possible...:thumbsup:


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## tempeteOntheRoad (Dec 21, 2001)

Let's recap: 
1) apologise.
2) get a prefered schedule from neighbour
3) isolate to floor (tube and plywood is nice. Toyz-R-Us kids foam puzzle floor mat would be a nice stable plateform)
4) validate any improvement
5) no improvement : can you go one the balcony? Yep, some do it, even in the "real winter".


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## Sentinel54 (Apr 27, 2010)

Thanks for the responses folks. Seems like the general consensus is "don't be a douchebag" which I can appreciate. 

I would like to add that these neighbors often party past 4am and make a lot of noise themselves. I don't necessarily feel to need to "get back at them", but it is a bit ironic. Most likely what I'm going to do is either try training in the living room or do it at more reasonable hours.


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## Drew Eckhardt (Nov 11, 2009)

cmg said:


> then expect to piss them off.


And expect any or all of the following:

1. Repeated visits from the police for noise violations. Many places have limits on the SPL which can be observed in other apartments in a multi-unit dwelling which are lower (think library quiet) during sleeping hours (like 10pm to 8am). Some place have even stricter rules which forbid sounds that "bother" neighbors with unspecified decibel limits.

2. Repeated calls to your landlord. Noise is often a violation of your lease. Eviction can result when your landlord gets tired of hearing complaints from the other residents. 

3. Retaliation. Especially if the police decide being a bad neighbor is not a crime. People not awake at 5:30am are likely to be up watching the late show after midnight.



> get a thicker mat or try several plys of mat, hardboard, mat, hardboard, etc. etc. Check bearing/moving parts of trainer make sure its in optimum condition.


It's most likely structure borne noise.

I'd look at flexible mounts built for equipment like compressors and put a 2x + plywood platform atop them (Paulstradyne would be one brand) which you can store against a wall or under your bed when not in use.

Perusing the Grainger web site might be helpful.


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

Sentinel54 said:


> Thanks for the responses folks. Seems like the general consensus is "don't be a douchebag" which I can appreciate.
> 
> I would like to add that these neighbors often party past 4am and make a lot of noise themselves. I don't necessarily feel to need to "get back at them", but it is a bit ironic. Most likely what I'm going to do is either try training in the living room or do it at more reasonable hours.


Well since I came down kind of hard on you in my earlier post, I will say that it sounds like your neighbors need to be talked to - not only to just get your training schedule settled, but for them to know that they're doign the same thng. I can understand putting up with partying til 1am or so every once in a while (not regularly), but 4 am never. I can also understand if you made noise every once in a while at 5:30 (an example being getting ready to leave on a trip, etc.), but not regularly.

Sounds like they need to know that yo're trying to be a good neighbor, and they should too.


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## ddifran27 (Dec 18, 2011)

you can maybe try doing it on a carpeted area with a piece of wood under it?


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## velocanman (Jul 15, 2011)

I would also ask them specifically what the issue was: noise or vibration (or both).

If it was low-frequency from the vibration, then the vibration-absorbing solutions recommended above would be a good start.

If it was the actual noise of the trainer, a dampening enclosure would be needed.

I suspect it was the vibration, and further isolation should be beneficial. Using the antivibration pads linked above under a piece of plywood supporting the trainer _might _do the trick. All on top of your matt.

I would also move it to the living area, if you aren't already there.


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

I get a vibration noise from my Rock and Roll with the pro flywheel attached.. Not as bad without it.. I have 2 rugs under my setup. This helps a lot but it's still noticeable if I'm really hammering.


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