We all know that cycling in the British winter weather can be challenging. Icy roads, icy winds and rain and snow not to mention the lack of daylight hours – it’s enough to make many people consider leaving their bicycles sitting in the garage from November until March. Decent clothing and a good set of lights along with some willing riding-companions can entice many people out during the winter months. And let’s be honest there are always a few of those cold but sunny, blue-skied days that will get more of us out but they can be few and far between.

So how do you keep up the riding and the fitness during the winter months so that come spring you’re ready to enjoy the better weather in some sort of riding-shape? That’s where turbo-trainers come in.

Turbo training allows you to ride your own bike when it's nasty outside!

Basically a turbo allows you to ride your bike in a static position. A normal bike is clamped into the turbo stand with the rear wheel slightly elevated, allowing you to sit on the stationary bike without it falling over. The rear wheel is in direct contact with a resistance unit so that when you pedal there is some effort required to turn the pedals and the rear wheel doesn’t just spin freely.

It’s a very similar concept to the training bikes that you’ll find down the gym but with some significant differences: firstly, it’s your bike that you are riding so the position and feel are what you are used to; the turbo trainer is easy to move and set-up so you can ride whenever and wherever you want; and finally the turbo training allows you to ‘ride’ your bike – you can shift up and down the gears making it easier or harder to pedal just as you would on the open-road.

So what’s the difference between a £100 and £400 turbo?

A basic turbo trainer will have a solid A-frame and a resistance unit.

Frame: The frame is obviously important as it needs to hold the bike (with you on it) nice and steady. More money can buy a slightly more stable frame or one with a slightly more sophisticated clamping mechanism (to clamp the bike into the frame) but most of the decent brands have perfectly suitable frames even in the entry-level models.

Tacx Speedmatic with a basic A-frame

Improved frame design which uses riders weight to ensure constant contact with roller and allows rider more freedom of movement without affecting stability

Size of resistance unit: As you spend more the resistance unit will improve. The range of resistance offered will increase and the way the resistance is generated will change. Stronger riders may find that the entry level trainers don’t offer enough resistance for them to train effectively and may want to consider a trainer with a bigger resistance unit.

Type of resistance unit: More expensive trainers will often use a gel or fluid resistance unit which offers a smoother and quieter ride. It is worth considering where you would be using the trainer and how much noise you could generate without annoying anyone! Some turbos have ‘clever’ resistance units where the resistance adjusts automatically according to speed. An example would be the Elite Supercrono Power Fluid Elastogel Trainer. Some people may like this option as it prevents them from spinning along merrily in a gear where they aren’t actually working too hard. Others find that they prefer to control the resistance unit themselves and may therefore not like this option.

Controls: Many models have a remote control for the resistance. This mounts onto the handle bars of the bike and allows you to change the resistance level of the trainer whilst riding. Some of the cheaper models don’t have this, although if you plan to use the gearing on your bike to train you may find you can do without it.

Power meters: More expensive models have power meters built into them. A display mounted on the handlebars will show the power that the rider is generating on the turbo. Many people find this a good way of monitoring how effectively they are training on the turbo. Other features may include a cadence reading (speed at which the pedals are turning) and ability to monitor heart rate. Additional upgrades would be to a wireless power meter meaning that there is no wire connection needed between the power meter (in the resistance unit of the turbo) and the digital display on the handlebars.

The Tacx Flow offers a wired digital computer showing power, heart-rate and cadence. Elite have a similar trainer but without heart rate  – Elite Supercrono Fluid Digital Trainer.

What else will I need?

You might want to consider using a front wheel support to re-level the bike as the rear wheel is slightly elevated by the trainer. You can get away with using a pile of books or a block of wood although these options aren’t quite as stable.

In the stationary position you don’t get the normal cooling effect of the air which you would get as you whiz along outside, so you tend to sweat more. Have a towel to hand or consider a sweat mat if it get really bad!
Some surfaces tend to be noisier than others (e.g wooden or laminate flooring) and a trainer mat will help reduce noise and vibration.

Will my bike work in a turbo trainer?

Most trainers can be set up for 26 inch wheeled bikes (mountain bikes and some hybrids) and 700c/28inch wheeled bikes (road bikes and most hybrids) and the position of the resistance unit can be adjusted to accommodate different tyre sizes.

Tyres with a lot of tread on them will be very noisy when used in a turbo trainer so if using a mountain bike on your trainer you might want to consider changing the rear tyre to a slick tyre, with no tread.

A better option is to change the rear tyre to one specially designed to use with a turbo, like the Continental Home Trainer Tyre. These tyres are made from a different compound which will be more durable for use with the trainer.

So what do I do on my trainer?

As a start, get some ideas from here.

Enjoy!