Everything you need to beat the winter weather by riding indoors

Riding indoors is a world away from what it used to be. Turbo trainers have changed hugely from what they were just a decade ago, and the advent of things like Zwift means that you can virtually ride with other people in groups, compete in races or simply have something more interactive than just staring at a garage wall or your TV screen for hours on end. 

The flip side, of course, is that while things have become significantly smarter and more interesting the price of indoor training has increased proportionally so that if you really want the most comprehensive setup you can then it's going to cost you. What we have here are three potential indoor training setups at various price points and different levels of interest. So whether you just want to keep the pedals turning in the dry or commit fully to indoor training there's something here for you. 

Setup 1 - the minimalist

If you want to get riding indoors with minimum spend and fuss, then all you need is a turbo trainer. Seriously, that's it. It doesn't have to be a fancy one, either, just anything that isolates the rear wheel of the bike and lets you pedal without actually going anywhere. 

The caveat, of course, is that 'just a turbo trainer' encompasses a pretty big price range from just over £200 all the way up to nearly £1000. If you only want to ride and aren't bothered about online games/training aids like Zwift then a simple wheel-on turbo with adjustable resistance like Elite's Qubo Power Mag Smart or Qubo Power Fluid will be exactly what you're looking for. On the other hand if you do want to ride online then you'll need an interactive trainer which, as you've probably guessed, start a slightly higher price point. Elite's Suito T at £499.99 is an extremely good trainer for the money. 

Setup 2 - for the Zwift-curious

If you're thinking about riding online or want to get involved with some E-racing then, as we mentioned above, you'll need an interactive trainer like the Suito T, Direto XR-T or the all-singing, all-dancing, top-of-the-range Justo. What you gain as you go up through the price points include improved gradient simulation, a quieter trainer and, in the Justo, a built-in, accurate power meter. But, in truth, any of the trainers mentioned will give you everything you need for a fun E-racing experience, you just need to decide what of the upgrade benefits you actually want. 

On top of the turbo itself, the other thing you'll absolutely want if you're thinking you might get into indoor riding seriously or want to race is a fan. That's because since a static bike isn't moving there isn't any natural air flow to cool you down which makes indoor riding a seriously, seriously sweaty business. The Aria fan is one of our personal essentials for indoor riding. Once we used this instead of a standard fan we've never gone back. It can automatically adjust its level based on power, heart rate, body temperature, in-game speed or, if you want, you can do it manually too. It's the perfect companion for Zwift riding, especially if you're doing intervals and really dont want to (or can't) take your hands off the bars to adjust cooling. 

Setup 3 - everything but the kitchen sink

This is for the people who have gone all-in on indoor riding. Alongside your Justo and Aria, there is a veritable cornucopia of accessories you can buy to kit out your home trainer area into the ultimate indoor riding haven. 

First up is a training desk. Yep, we know that sounds weird but it's a thing. Basically if you're going to use Zwift you need something with Zwift on, be that a phone, tablet or computer, or a 60" TV with Zwift cast from one of the other devices here. Either way, that thing needs to sit on another thing while you're riding, and Elite has made its own, rather attractive, desk for just that purpose. It even has built-in charging points, non-slip sections for your electronics and is height-adjustable so you can have your screen just where you want it. 

Next is a turbo mat. Now if you're riding indoors - particularly upstairs - this isn't as silly as it sounds as the mat does provide a good amount of vibration damping which will be appreciated by anyone directly below you. They also catch sweat, which is better than using your carpet for that purpose, and improve grip so nothing moves about even if you're sprinting. Elite's Training Mat XL does all those things while also being bright red, so you're not going to accidentally lose it...

Moving back to the technological indoor training marvels we have the Rizer. If you're the sort of rider that wants as authentic an experience possible while riding inside then the Rizer is absolutely the thing for you. As the name sort of tangentially suggests  it's gradient simulator that moves the front of your bike up and down as the virtual steepeness changes onscreen. Not only that, but it allows in-game steering too, and with Zwift's recent addition of steering as more than just a token addition it might prove useful for indoor racing in future.