I want to train indoors over winter – what should I use?
We ask the questions that beginners are dealing with and get answers from the experts...
JAMES NICHOLLS, TURBO TRAINER SPECIALIST AT HALFORDS.COM
“If your aim is to keep your fitness up over winter, then indoor cycling is a great way to achieve this. The roads become slippery in the colder months, and the pervasive darkness makes it harder to see potholes or be seen by drivers.
“Cycling on a turbo trainer allows you to get a short sharp workout in without any of these downsides. When setting up your turbo, you will need a mat to go under it (to catch the sweat and protect the floor) a fan to keep you cool, a towel to protect your bike from sweat, a drink as well as access to a power socket if your turbo has smart functionality.
“We recommend sessions of up to one hour and of a moderate to high intensity, to avoid boredom and ensure a high training benefit. One example of a good session is known as ‘2x 20mins sweetspot’, which is comprised of: a gentle 15-minute warm up, followed by 20 minutes at roughly 75-85 per cent of your maximum heart rate, five minutes of gentle pedalling, another 20 minutes at the sweetspot and then a 10-minute cool-down.”
PHILIP MOSER, TURBO TRAINER SPECIALIST AT SIGMASPORTS.COM “Recent and continuous development in turbo trainer technology means that options for indoor training, particularly over the winter months, are plentiful. Choosing something suitable can be slightly overwhelming. We would generally recommend a ‘smart’ turbo trainer.
“The difference with smart trainers is their ability to interact with other hardware and software. This allows the user to get a much more engaging, fulfilling and realistic experience. Zwift, a fantastic virtual world for training and racing, is one of our favourite apps to link with your smart trainer.
“Aside from being ‘smart’, you also need to consider ‘wheel-on’ or ‘directdrive’ trainers. Wheel-on is a good basic option to keep the legs ticking over (Wahoo Kickr Snap). For more structured and intense workouts, we will always suggest direct-drive (Wahoo Kickr Core, Tacx Neo 2). These are more accurate in power, speed and distance analysis, while being able to generate higher levels of resistance and incline.
“Finally, dedicated clothing options, which are lighter weight and more breathable than their outdoor counterparts, will make training indoors more comfortable.”
OPTIONS FOR INDOOR TRAINING, PARTICULARLY OVER THE WINTER MONTHS, ARE PLENTIFUL