If you’ve had your attention on the UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire this week it won’t have escaped your notice that it’s been a touch wet. As Denmark’s Johan Price-Pejtersen found out in spectacular style, the weather has definitely taken a turn for the worse.
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Fortunately, here at The Bike Factory we’ve got all you need to keep the wheels turning even if it’s biblical outside. Our range of turbo trainers are exactly what you need to maintain your fitness through the off-season while staying well away from those pesky puddles.
Types of turbo trainers
There are essentially two types of turbo trainers out there right now. There are those that you simply clamp your bike into, using a locking system to hold the rear wheel in place. The wheel rolls against resistance, replicating the feel and experience of riding outdoors, adjusted either manually or via a ‘smart’ system.
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Using a Bluetooth or ANT+ connection, a smart trainer will not only change the resistance but can also measure your power output to help you get the most out intervals or simulate changes in gradient and road surface.
The other style of turbo is known as ‘direct drive’. You remove the rear wheel and sit the rear dropouts of the bike onto the turbo trainer. The system requires you to fit a cassette to the turbo, but it means that you don't need to worry about wearing out your good tyres, or swapping the wheel to one with a ‘turbo specific’ tyre. Again, the resistance is adjustable and, because they’re a little more expensive, almost all direct drive units are ‘smart’.
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Both systems offer you the ability to easily jump on the bike for an hour or so of training without the worry of traffic, slippery roads and traffic lights getting in the way. And because you don’t need to spend 15 minutes putting on all your winter gear or ensure your lights are charged up, it’s a lot less hassle too.
Get connected
Until a few years ago, the indoor training experience was a fairly solitary one – hours spent staring at the garage wall where a five-minute effort felt more like 30. There was even a phrase coined to sum it all up: the ‘pain cave’.
Thankfully, with the emergence of coaching aids such as VirtuGO, Zwift and TrainerRoad, the whole game has moved on. With an internet connection and a smart trainer, which transmits your riding pace to the computer, you can immerse yourself in an online world, training alone or racing others from all around the world.
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Take it up a level
Wahoo have taken the indoor cycling experience to a whole new level with their KICKR Climb and Headwind fan. Along with the KICKR Core trainer, this brilliant set up allows you to replicate climbing and descending the toughest mountains without leaving the house. The Climb is a really clever bit of kit that can replicate gradients up to a knee-bending 20% and descents to a rapid -10%. It really adds to the immersive experience offered by the likes of VirtuGO. No more dull hours on the turbo – this is actually fun. Think Mario Kart meets bike riding and you’re close.
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You’ve probably noticed that there are some incredible savings to be had on our range of trainers. With more than 30% off some models, these deals won’t stick around forever, so get in quick and get set to turbo charge your winter.
