You're stuck inside. You may have tried some inverted pedalling of your bike, but you've likely realized that it doesn't provide all that much resistance training. With so many other options for indoor cycling, it can hard to decide which is best for your needs. We're here to help with some key questions you should ask yourself when you're looking for a trainer, your different options, and a guide to getting started.
9 Key Questions:1. Do you want a turbo trainer, rollers or a stationary bike?
2. Do you eventually forsee taking your trainer outdoors? Bringing it to a race to warm up on?
3. How much space do you have for your set-up in your house? Is storage a concern?
4. How comfortable are you with taking your rear wheel off and changing your cassette?
5. Do you have a road bike or city bike or are you using your mountain bike? Disc brakes? Thru axle?
6. Do you already have cadence sensor, speed sensor, heart rate monitor and/or power meter at home?
7. Is noise a concern where you live?
8. How self-motivated are you? Do you have a coach? Do you want to use a program like Zwift?
9. What's your budget?
Rollers:There's a definite learning curve to riding on rollers so they aren't going to be for everyone. Once you get a hang of riding on them however, they're great for improving your pedal stroke and are the most similar option to riding a bike outdoors. They're also great because you don't have to worry about thru-axle or disc brake compatibility on them. You'll often see pro XC riders warming up on them before a race because you don't need to remove a wheel or secure the bike in a stand so it's easy jump straight into racing after warming up on them.
Rollers are usually cheaper than smart trainers and lighter, so they can be easier transport. You also have limited workout options with most of them since there's no hill climb simulation or resistance other than your gears. It's also pretty hard to get out of the saddle and simulate a standing effort. If you have rollers at home, it's great to pair them with a cadence meter to add in variety with workouts structured around cadence drills. There are also "Smart" rollers now available that have resistance control and can be connected to software such as Zwift for an immersive experience.
"Smart" means that a trainer is able to communicate wirelessly through Bluetooth or ANT+ with an app on your smart phone or computer. That app can also automatically adjust resistance on your trainer.
Pros
+ Less expensive
+ Help improve pedal stoke
+ Most similar to riding outdoors
+ Don't have to worry about bike compatibility
Cons
- Learning curve is steep to start riding them
- Hard to do power workouts on, less variety of workouts
Direct Drive Smart Turbo Trainers:Direct drive smart turbo trainers connect with your favourite app and your computer using Bluetooth and/or ANT+, allowing you to get the most out of software like Zwift or TrainerRoad. Their power readings are super precise since your tire is no longer a factor, and their resistance level can be controlled by software. They're also a very stable platform when you want to stand up and push hard on the pedals.
That being said, they're also among the priciest of the options, and you will need a wall plug and power to use them so they're not a good option if you want a trainer that you could use to warm up at a race. You'll also need to remove your rear wheel every time you use your bike on one and you may also need to purchase and additional cassette for use on the trainer since not all models come with one.
Pros
+ Best integration with software like Zwift
+ Super precise power readings
+ Can be controlled by software
+ Stable for standing sprints and lots of watts
Cons
- Need a wall plug and power source
- Can't use to warm up at a race
- Need to remove your rear wheel to use
- Might need to purchase a cassette / thru-axle adapter
- Priciest option
Wheel-On Smart Trainers:A wheel-on smart trainer can also connect to your smartphone or computer through ANT+ or Bluetooth and adjusts its resistance to suit a workout. It's stable and easy to use like a direct mount smart turbo trainer although the power measurement is slightly less precise because it isn't connected directly through the drivetrain. Some Friction or Resistance Trainers can be plugged in and controlled using a smartphone app and are Bluetooth compatible, but others simply create resistance with a mechanism that pushes against the tire.
You also may want to invest in a trainer tire if you choose a wheel on trainer since the resistance on the tire can wear your regular tires thin very quickly and trainer tires also help with dispersing heat and reducing noise. You'll also want to be careful about how the trainer mounts to your bike (and see if you need a thru axle adapter like
this one) and ensure that it doesn't damage your frame.
Pros
+ Good integration with software like Zwift
+ Quite precise power readings
+ Can be controlled by software
+ Stable for standing sprints and lots of watts
Cons
- Can destroy your rear tire if not a trainer tire
- Need a wall plug and power source
- Can't use to warm up at a race
- Could damage your frame if mounted improperly
- Might need to purchase thru-axle adapter
Classic Trainers:These are what professional downhill athletes' mechanics most often lug to the start hut so that athletes can warm up before dropping in. Enough resistance to warm up with or get a good workout in, without being overly complicated and worrying about power numbers or needing electricity. Simply attach the trainer to your rear wheel (ideally with a trainer tire on it!) and workout based on feel. These are usually the most affordable version of a turbo trainer. Just make sure to check compatibility with your bike and make sure that you aren't putting a clamp on your carbon frame.
Pros
+ Inexpensive
+ Can be brought to a race easily to warm up
+ Stable, good for standing workouts
Cons
- No precise power numbers unless you have a power meter on your bike
- Difficult to integrate with software like Zwift
- Need to purchase a trainer tire
- Could damage your frame if mounted improperly
- Might need to purchase a thru-axle adapter
Stationary Bikes:Stationary bikes have gained popularity outside of spin studios in the past couple years and you can now get versions with touch screens and live stream workouts from the comfort of your home. While they're the heaviest and most cumbersome option to have around the house, they're simple and easy to use. Plus, daily live classes are easily integrated and keep it fresh and interesting, albeit at a cost.
Pros
+ Simple design, easy to hop on
+ Live class options keep it interesting
+ Stable, good for standing workouts
+ Can swap on your pedals and saddle
Cons
- Difficult to store, heavy
- Most expensive option
- Not the same as riding your own bike
Stay Motivated:Zwift:Enter the world of Watopia with your cycling avatar and get virtual KOMs/QOMs, go on virtual rides with professional riders or your local shop, participate in races, follow training plans and even upload your own workouts. You're a player in a mountain bike video game. If you're on a smart trainer, you can get the resistance to adjust automatically based on a virtual course’s elevation changes or the workout's power numbers. However, Zwift can also calculate your estimated power output via data from speed and cadence sensors if you don't have a smart trainer.
You can follow your friends and engage with fellow riders through messages or giving them a congratulatory "Ride On" when you pass each other. If you have trouble motivating yourself, this is a good platform to develop a network to help coach you. There's a full guide on what hardware your computer and trainer need
here. You can sign up for the free 7-day trial today and many smart trainers that you purchase will have a longer introductory free trial. After that it's USD $14.99/month.
TrainerRoad: TrainerRoad has hundreds of structured, power-based interval workouts and training plans that you can use to target specific events. The TrainerRoad Plan Builder creates a custom plan for your goals with Base, Build, and Specialty phases designed for your targeted race or discipline. Learn more
here. It's $19.95 USD a month or $189 if billed annually and you receive a full refund within the first 30 days if you’re not 100% satisfied.
Sufferfest:Wahoo's Sufferfest division has released a suite of "All In" training plans designed to be completed indoors and to allow many kinds of athletes to maintain -- and improve -- their fitness during this period of social distancing. To make these plans accessible to the most athletes, The Sufferfest is offering new users a free month subscription through a discount code. To ensure that everyone has free access to these plans, new subscribers can use the promo code
ALLINSUFPLAN to get 30 days free in addition to the standard 14-day free trial. Learn more
here.
Other options:•
RGT Cycling is offering their virtual cycling platform for free during the coronavirus. Workouts, organizing your own events and creating your own roads are now freely available for all (usually £12.99 / $14.99 per month)
• Tacx and Rouvy are other virtual training platforms
• Hire a coach to make you a workout program and provide extra accountability, TrainingPeaks is one of many options out there that connects coaches with athletes
• YouTube videos for spinning classes
Get Started:Now, get your set-up dialled with these essentials and then get your sweat on. 1. Waterbottle or two depending on how long you'll be riding
2. Fan or an open window
3. Rubber mat or yoga mat for your sweat if you aren't on a hard surface
4. Towel or two to wipe your sweat and something to blow your nose with
5. Front Wheel Riser (a yoga block or something waterproof also works)
6. Entertainment (Pinkbike's YouTube channel, Netflix, Red Bull TV, a good podcast, music...) & headphones if you live with someone
166 Comments
- wheelie your current bike from one end of the garage to the next (greatest 15' of the day)
- do couple small circles while cycling through the gears
- prop the bike against your wall and admire how good the bike looks with the dropper slammed, but then raise it up to halfway and wonder how it looks even better at that height.
- couple more wheelies
- couple in-place bunny hops
- make sure the bars looked lined up perpendicular with the front wheel
- put the bike back, lock garage and leave
- come back an hour later and do the same shit
There seems to be a bit of misunderstanding in relation to trainer difficulty and I will say that you will ride at the same speed for a given wattage whatever the difficulty...
I'm in the middle of the singletrack slayer plan which is an hour a day every day and hard... Can't remember what I did before but I did register some good gains to my fitness and I figure anything is better than nothing!
On the flip side, turn it to 0% when doing workouts because otherwise the program makes you maintain target wattage in unrealistic road conditions. If your workout has you doing 300 watts and you're climbing, no problem. 300 watts downhill, goodluck. Don't believe it? Put a power meter on a road bike and go try to MAINTAIN 300 watts downhill. To avoid this and maximize your workout, turn trainer resistance off and it basically makes your workout environment a flat road even though your avatar will still ride whatever route you select. Hopefully that all makes sense.
A summary of my experience with a cheap trainer and a mid price trainer -
1. Wheel on trainers won't do low cadence high power stuff very well - the wheel will slip.
2. Cheap trainers are noisy. If you live in a flat or with other people expect complaints!
3. A fan is your friend!
4. They do work and with commitment you'll get MUCH fitter.
I like my turbo and it fits my family life - Kids and work makes it hard to get out at the best of times! There's loads of information from a guy called dc rainmaker on all the different turbos and training kit around, and he's a wealth of knowledge...
Good luck everyone in these crazy times!
As a result I now have a bunch of fitness which is pointless now the races have been cancelled ;p
What's the number of mtb specific plans on TR looking like now? Is there much on there?
A lot of good options to build some fitness.
We also have Outside Workouts. You can send any workout in your calendar to your Garmin head unit, Garmin watch, or Wahoo head unit to do outside, so you're not stuck inside on a nice day (assuming it's safe and legal to do so).
And finally, we have something else coming soon that is going to help us all get faster in a cool new way.
Sounds good - I'll probably go back over once I've had my fill of Zwift. A bit of variety always helps and I like the sound of that Plan Builder... Thanks both!
TR also has some great podcasts they're putting out that teach a lot about exercise science and physiology. I highly recommend checking those out. I listen to them during the longer training sessions. They're available to everyone without TR subscriptions too.
1. A better appreciation of what life is like when your body doesn't work like most people's.
2. The knowledge that I can, indeed, cut a tomato with only one working hand (egg carton as holder thingy).
3. An absolute disdain for trainers. I will pedal outside, but when the cycling experience is distilled down to the spinning of sprockets, it's dreadful. F trainers. I'll skip rope, I'll turn into a lump, I'll entertain the possibility of chain-letter-IG-challenges...but I'm never getting on a stationary trainer again. They're horrendous.
+1 on trainers
The Inside Ride E-Motion Rollers has that kind of movement integrated as well as the Elite Quick-motion.
That said, I still want to hang myself if I use a trainer for more than a warmup or warmdown. These days of confinement I am mostly practicing trackstanding in my terrasse. I wish I had a light trial bike and some easy things to train on but all I have is some furniture I don't want to break ha ha.
I'm being totally serious.
Not everyone is trying to become Chris Hoy, most people just want a fun workout with rewards. Why no zombie apocalypse stage, or GTA, or COD stages?
However, the key market will always be those into the more serious side of training (I don't see many kids or there blowing money on a turbo rather than a ps4, etc) so I doubt we'll see games made for fun any time soon...
I now have a roller trainer and I am not looking back. Having the back wheel fixed in the trainer really ruins the feeling for me. On rollers, the bike is free to move under you and the feeling is very close to actual riding.
Rollers are cheap, they have a more realistic pedalling feeling, and they force you to concentrate on what you are doing, which helps making the time pass faster. I find that 30 minutes on rollers is nothing, while 30 minutes on a classic trainer seems like an eternity.
1) Set up your roller/Turbo/Smart Trainer/Spin Bike you got at a bankruptcy sale for £50. 2) Get on it. 3) Suffer. 4) Suffer. 5) Suffer.
youtu.be/bx_9Xm22e14
Pros:
free
turning project motivates you to keep pedaling
you aren't wasting your life on a non lathe powering trainer
Cons:
None
I hate it for all the urbanites and folks snowed in, maybe it's time to move?
#loveridinghighdesertnevada
www.spintertainment.com
vancouver.craigslist.org/bnc/bar/d/new-westminster-southwest-stationary/7095098449.html
When I do get out on the trails these days (twice per week) it’s so much more enjoyable! I’ve always hated the climbs, but now I can get up all the climbs without much effort. It makes the downhills that much more enjoyable.
Haha so nobody's used a smart trainer before?
Don't.
Step two: Pedal
Step three: Smile because you’re not indoors.
Just curious: time-traveller, re-incarnated, or over 244 years old?
Weight train.