Indoor cycling is no longer considered boring. With the advanced development of smart trainers available on the market, more riders than ever before are now enjoying the benefits of indoor training. These new innovative tools with a wider range of features have revolutionised how many of us approach riding indoors.
Boredom and indoor cycling are words of the past, and we have provided you with some tips on how you can get the most out of your indoor training both when it comes to efficiency, performance and enjoyment.
- Choose the right indoor cycle for you
We highly recommend getting a smart trainer. These devices are the major reason why indoor cycling has become so popular, thanks to their many advanced features. Smart trainers let you control your pedal resistance and allow realistic cycling stimulation. Making it feel like you're outdoors facing real obstacles like uphill climbs, speed and turns.
Smart trainers let anyone enjoy indoor cycling whether you are a beginner, intermediate or pro. It gives you the tools to train in areas that might not be as accessible where you are. For example, you are located in the city or suburbs where long distance outdoor riding is not as accessible and safe. Or you wish to improve your uphill climb abilities but where you live there are no mountains. Then a smart trainer is your best solution. A smart bike trainer can simulate gradients and replicate much of the feeling of climbing steep uphills.
Our top pick for smart trainers are Wahoo KICKR V5 Direct-Drive Smart Trainer and Wahoo KICKR SNAP. The Wahoo KICKRSNAP is great for beginners as it is the easiest and most straightforward device to install with its wheel-on design. The Wahoo smart trainer makes your indoor cycling experience effortless and fun. You can easily turn your road bike or mountain bike into a convenient indoor machine. What makes the KICKR bike so special is its flywheel features which are engineered to make the riding experience feel as natural as possible - creating the exact same resistance as if you were riding outdoors. Which is what Wahoo trainers are so well-known for.
For seasonal riders we recommend the Wahoo KICKR V5 Smart Trainer. This device is the ultimate recreation of outdoor cycling. The Wahoo KICKR V5 is the newest model to the Wahoo KICKR Smart Trainer collection and offers you the most precise power and the most realistic riding feel than ever before from Wahoo. It offers up to 2200W of resistance and a power accuracy and precision of +/- 1%!
To know more about the best smart trainers and their various features, click here.
- Be organised
I find that being prepared and organised before starting a workout helps with motivation and engagement. Therefore, have everything you need available before starting your work out. Dress as though you are riding on a hot day in a t-shirt and shorts. Have appropriate bike shoes and bring along plenty of water. If you are planning a long distance workout, also bring along some energy bars.
Our best indoor cycling clothes:
Additional accessories you can add to your smart trainer cycling to make the riding experience more enjoyable is the Wahoo KICKR HEADWIND Smart Fan. This innovative fan has a Targeted Airflow Pattern that reflects the position and shape of a rider's form when riding. The Wahoo HEADWIND KICKR adjusts automatically to your heart rate or speed, meaning when these factors increase so will the speed of the fan. You can also manually adjust its setting for your ideal airflow. The HEADWIND will keep you cool during the most intensive training sessions.
Also, recommend having a heart rate monitor for even more performance accuracy. Our best selling heart monitor is the Wahoo TICKR Heart Rate Monitor Gen 2.
- Test your fitness
Once you have your smart trainer set up and you are ready to start pedalling, we recommend testing your fitness levels. This is a great way to assess your overall performance and a good benchmark for future workouts. It helps you decide which training zones you should lay in and it is a great way to track your performance going forward.
There are many cycling apps out there that you can use for this test, such as TrainerRoad and Zwift.
- Have a goal
Before starting every workout it is important to have a goal in order to maximise your efforts. I would recommend setting goals for each session, setting weekly goals and monthly goals.
Working out without a plan or goal often, in our experience, reduces efficiency, motivation and long term consistency. A plan helps you stay focused, accountable and motivates you towards not only reaching your set goals but to also start a training session.
- Consistency is key
Once you get started it is important to be consistent. Of course it is important to listen to your body, but instead of jumping over a session because you are not up for it or too tired, instead moderate your workout. Do a shorter session or lower your intensity levels planned for that workout. Anything is better than skipping.
Also, start out easy and gradually increase your intensity, length and number or weekly workouts. There’s no point in doing monster workouts if you will be too sore or too tired to workout again for the rest of the week. You are much better off doing 4-5 good quality workouts, rather than 1 workout each week.
The really convenient thing about indoor cycling is that you can fit in a workout at any time when it best suits you, and it can be much more time-efficient than going outdoors.
- Use the ERG mode
The newest smart trainers have a setting called ERG mode. This setting regulates your power by automatically adjusting your resistance to match your cadence. This is the perfect feature to use during intervals as the power you put out when pedalling will remain accurate, no matter the differences in your cadence.
For example, if you are planning a training session where your goal is to cycle on 150 watts, the smart trainer will automatically adjust your resistance in order to keep you at 150 watts. Meaning, if your cadence decreases the device will increase resistance, and if the cadence increases it will lower the resistance. That way you don’t have to worry about it, and can simply get your head down and focus on pedalling.
This sounds great, why not use it for every session? You need variation in your training, and the ERG mode can take aways your practice in gear shifting which is an important skill to have when riding.
It is perfect for steady intervals that last around 30 seconds or longer. This gives the smart device plenty of time to adjust the resistance accordingly. While if you do shorter sprints with high power on the ERG setting it will have a difficult time adjusting the resistance, and just keep adding resistance until you stand still.
If you are using the Zwift app you have the flexibility of turning on and off the ERG mode during a training session as you see fit. This can be a convenient option for workouts with a mix of interval styles.
- Keep it interesting
You are more likely to stick with your training plan if you keep it interesting. Blast your favourite workout music or position your cycle in front of the TV. Or find a youtube video of a cycle race or put on a workout cycling video that is tailored to indoor cycling. There are many cycling videos available online, which have professional coaches leading you step-by-step on the screen in a structured workout, telling you when to pedal faster, slow down or take a rest.
And if you want to make it even more realistic, you can pair your cycle with a virtual cycling app like Zwift. Making it almost feel like you are outside for real.
Another great motivator is to be social and share your ride with others. This can have a big impact on improving your workout’s performance, efficiency and your enjoyment. With the Zwift app you can now invite or join other riders on group rides or challenge them to a race.
There you have it. 7 ways to make the most out of your indoor training session. Cycling indoors is not long considered boring but a preferred method of training for many.
Jump on the trend and get a smart trainer today. Browse through our wide collection of Wahoo trainers here.