Elite (Italy) - Never underestimate the complexity of the Indoor training world.

Now that the seasons have changed for most of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s time to start thinking about how to keep that summer cycling fitness up as the snow falls.

An indoor training system may seem simple to set up, however it is far from it. The indoor trainer market is complicated with many different possible avenues available. If you don’t know where to start, it can be easy to buy something that sounds like it will work, but more often than not, the trainer won’t satisfy you or your bike’s specific needs.

One thing to know about the cycling industry: the word ‘standard’ is meaningless.

Variations exist in virtually all aspects of bicycle parts and accessories. It is a lesson that is learned very quickly; you only make the mistake and buy a $300 part that doesn’t fit with your specific setup once.

Let’s Talk Trainers.

Rear Wheel: on or off?

The world of trainers can seem daunting when first entering, so let’s break it down into 2 basic categories: wheel-on and direct drive.

Overall, wheel-on trainers are often more basic but provide an easy entry into the indoor training world. Direct drive trainers usually are more interactive with ‘smart’ technologies but can be a big investment.

Wheel-on Trainers:

Wheel-on trainers allow the rider not to remove the rear wheel. The rear wheel slides over the roller, creating resistance.

The resistance felt by the cyclist while riding on the roller can be of three types: electronic and therefore interactive and automatic, fluid as you ride faster on the roller, or magnetic, which you’ll set manually as you ride.

As explained above, the wheel-on design means your bike stays assembled and the trainer contacts either the rear quick release (QR) skewer or thru axle one. Wheel-on trainers with magnetic or fluid resistance provide an accessible entry point into indoor cycling.

Similarities:

• Easy set up – wheel-on trainers have a smaller design and fold into a compact package for easy transport and storage.
• They don’t require electrical input (only those with magnetic or fluid resistance); they can be placed anywhere in a space.
• External Bluetooth or ANT+ compatible sensors like speed/cadence sensors or power meter must be used for connectivity to training apps like Zwift.
• Perfect for: the developing cyclist looking to maintain fitness through the winter months.

Things to remember:

• They have limited capacity to push against your legs, which is most noticeable when sprinting. If you’re a strong cyclist who hopes to improve your sprint, you may find a fluid trainer cannot handle your power output and the resistance will not let you push your limits.
• Adaptors are needed for compatibility with thru-axle designs and vary between bike type. Make sure to check the specs of your bike and trainer to make sure you get the correct size adaptor. They come in sizes: 35x10mm, 135x12mm, 142X12mm, 148x12mm
• If you’re using a mountain bike, check the trainer specs to make sure it can accommodate mountain bike frames, specifically chain stay length.

Why choose a Magnetic Trainer:

• You’re not sure you will like indoor training and don’t want to invest too much in the beginning.
• Don’t mind a little extra noise.
• Want something light and portable.

Why choose a Fluid Trainer:

• Need something more quiet.
• Don’t want to change the resistance manually.

Why choose an interactive wheel-on trainer:

• Need something “smart” but you have a limited budget.
• You like its design.

Pro Tips:

Wheel-on trainers are hard on rubber and wear road tires out very quickly, especially for mountain bikes. Using a dedicated trainer tire will extend the life of both the trainer and your expensive road tires.

Direct Drive Trainers:

In contrast with wheel-on trainers, direct drive trainers require the rear bicycle wheel to be removed and the cassette is replaced with your cassette for cycling workouts or one on the trainer itself.

Most of direct-drive trainers come with smart features that connect directly to training platforms like Zwift with built-in Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity.

Interactive trainers can automatically simulate the slope experienced in the virtual training platforms whereas smart trainers only have connection abilities.
The wheel off design saves the bearings in your rear wheel hub from being used all winter and reduces the associated maintenance costs.

Furthermore, no external sensors are required for most Elite direct-drive interactive trainers. There are built-in sensors to sense speed, cadence and power. Being the “hot pick” over the last 5 years, direct drive trainers ensure a great deal of compatibility with most of the bikes at no additional cost most of the time.

They allow bikes whose cassettes range from 9 to 12 speeds.

Their sturdy design is capable of managing big watt sprints while being very quiet.

Things to remember:

• May not be compatible when using a drivetrain with either less than 9 gears or greater than 11 gears in the rear cassette. You'd like to check out the manual online before purchasing it.
• Lots of technology has gone into developing direct-drive trainers and their price reflects that.
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• They need to be connected to a power source for make use of their connectivity with apps.

Why choose an interactive Trainer:

• You want an accurate power measure without buying a power meter.
• You want a quiet trainer.
• You want the most realistic indoor riding experience.
• You love Zwift, Rouvy, Bkool, Kinomap or other platforms.
• You want to improve your climbing ability.
• You want to use what the pros use.

Pro Tips:

• Not all cassettes are created equal.
• Different manufacturers use different free body designs to connect the cassette to the free body. Make sure the cassette you are installing on your direct drive trainer matches the free body of the trainer!

Some more tips from an Indoor training lover:

Getting the right trainer for your needs is the most important part of making the transition to trainer season.

Once you’ve settled on what trainer is right for you, you’re ready to put your set up together!

Indoor training is a different beast, the environment is completely different.

Here are a few things to expect once your pain cave is functional and how to manage these differences:

• Prepare to sweat A LOT – make sure you have a towel on hand. Elite features in their range the branded Zugaman.
• For the very same reason, come prepared to each indoor session with full bottles of water to replace that lost through sweat.
• Just because you’re riding indoors doesn’t mean you don’t need to eat the same way you would outdoors – make sure to eat every hour.
• Platforms like Zwift use a lot of computer power and will drain your battery faster than normal – make sure your computer is connected to a power source from the beginning.

Again, the cycling industry is not simple to navigate. There are other trainer types not included in this review, like wheel-on smart trainers, however this review is meant to simplify the complex decision of choosing a trainer.

Hanna Girndt.