Once upon a time, indoor training was seen as a chore. A necessary evil that kept your legs spinning through the winter and was endured rather than enjoyed by pretty much everyone who could bring themselves to suffer through 90mins on a static bike with nothing but the wall in front of you to keep you company (or maybe the TV or whatever, but that ruins the bleak picture we're trying to paint here). Over the last decade though, indoor training has changed out of almost all recognition. Sure, you still attach your bike to an indoor trainer and pedal for however many minutes your planned session lasts, but now instead of trying to keep your mind off the suffering, there are all manner of things designed to help you actually enjoy it.
The first of these things is what Elite calls the Interactive Trainer. Far from the wheel-on, monotone trainers of old, these things are really rather advanced and connect to your phone/iPad/computer via ANT+ or Bluetooth LE, and communicate with training software to simulate gradients, mimic famous cycling routes and generally make the whole experience feel a lot more like riding outside than simply gritting your teeth and holding a particular wattage for however long it takes.
The other major advancement has been the training software itself - if you can even really just call it 'training software' any more. While there are some options that will simply use the ERG mode of your trainer to adjust wattage according to your session plan, brands have turned indoor training into much more of a computer game than basic training plans, with the added ability to ride with other cyclists from across the globe and even enter online races (as well as unlock bikes, wheels kit and other things while gaining 'achievements'). We honestly never thought we'd get to the point where indoor riding could honestly be described as fun, but it really is.
If you want to join this new wave of indoor riding, though, there are a few things you absolutely do need - and plenty more you dont but might like. Here we talk you through the vitals and not-so-vitals of indoor training to help decide what you need for your own personal setup.
Unless you have your own personal indoor velodrome (which is unlikely but we can't totally rule it out) you need a turbo trainer. These range all the way from the very basic to the incredibly advanced and what you need will depend entirely on what you want to use it for.
Elite essentially has four interactive trainers in its range. The Tuo, Suito-T, Direto XR-T and Justo. The Tuo is a wheel-on trainer (so called because you leave the rear wheel on the bike when you attach it to the trainer), and the cheapest interactive option, whereas the Suito, Direto and Justo are direct drive trainers (where you remove the rear wheel and attach the bike directly to the trainer). This has a number of advantages, the first being that you dont wear down your tyre as the bike drives a cassette attached to the trainer, and the second being that the gradient simluation and power measurement are better/more accurate (which generally improves anyway as you move up the price scale of the Elite range).
The hierarchy goes like this: at the top there's the Justo, the all-singing, all dancing super turbo that can do everything you want and more. Next comes the Direto XR-T which is a super capable trainer that's a well-deserved favourite with indoor riders everywhere. It's 95% as capable as the Justo, just in a slightly more affordable package and every-so-slightly pared down spec (for example, power meter accuracy of +/- 1.5 instead of +/- 1%). Third tier is the Suito-T, a great trainer that's specifically designed to fold as flat as possible, perfect for anyone who loves indoor riding but doesn't have the space for a setup that lives there 24/7. The Tuo is the lower end of the interactive trainer range, with it's wheel-on design and super sleek aesthetic making it easily one of the best-looking trainers on the market. The Tuo does come at a far lower price than it's siblings, but the +/-5% power measurement and gradient simluation of 10% pared with the wheel-on design means while it's a very capable indoor training machine, it woudln't be the choice for anyone intending to get involved with virtual racing.
If you've never really ridden a bike indoors before the first thing to know is that it's a warm business. A very, very warm business. So the most important accessory you can have is a quality fan, or an army of fans (not the moral support, kind). When you're just pedalling along it's generally not too bad, but when you start to work hard things get hot very quickly. Since you're not actually moving anywhere you dont have the benefit of the cooling air flow of a bike moving along, so the fan replicates that. Aside from the sweatiness, the main issue is overheating affecting performance. When you're too hot your body can't cope with effort very well, so you'll find yourself struggling to hit those numbers you want in intervals.
Another very useful thing to have - and this fits nicely with the above - is a towel. Because even with the best fan system in the world, there's going to be sweat. And you ideally want to be able to wipe yourself down occasionally to stop the floor below you starting to look like a horrid, sweaty lake. The other thing that'll help is a purpose-built sweat guard for your bike. If you ride indoors a lot the sweat wont do your bike any good and can even damage the paintwork over time, so something like Elite's ProTec Plus sweat net will catch anything before it hits the top tube.
One other thing that goes along with the above is a trainer mat. Elite's folding mat is essentially a large, waterproof cover for whatever your turbo trainer is sitting on, whether that's carpet, wood floor, tiled floor, deck of your luxury yacht or anywhere else you feel the need to spin the pedals without actually getting anywhere. And although this could easily go into the next category, Elite also does a fancier, cushioned trainer mat that helps to deaden the noise the trainer makes which is particularly friendly if you live in a flat or keep your trainer set up upstairs.
Sweat is basically a theme that permeates the whole indoor training genre. You ride indoors, you get sweaty, but where does that sweat go? Well Madison Clothing have come up with a couple of bits to try and help you on that front. Their Turbo Jersey and Shorts are pared-down bike kit designed specifically to deal with the different demands indoor training places on both your body and your clothing. First off, both jersey and shorts are minimalist. That means mesh-like fabric on the jersey, no pockets on the back and everything kept to a minimum to try and aid cooling. You can also wash both pieces at 60 degrees to make sure they're genuinely clean and microbe-free before you next use them. The shorts have mesh straps paired to a fast-wicking, antibacterial fabric and a slightly thicker than normal (but still highly breathable) chamois pad from experts TMF, designed to cope with sitting in one position for longer periods than you might do while riding outdoors.
The ultimate luxury turbo accessory has to be the Elite Rizer. Designed to replace the front wheel on the bike while you ride indoors, the Rizer can similulate gradients of up to 20% so that when the virtual ride sends you up hill, the front of your bike adjusts to make it feel like you're riding uphill too. It'll do a 10% descent as well, so you can really perfect your aero tuck from the comfort of your own home, just keep it UCI legal, everyone. You absolutely dont need the Rizer, but if you want to have the ultimate indoor setup, then you might well want it. The Rizer doesn't work with all Elite's trainers, though, just the Justo, Direto XR, Direto XR-T, Suito, Suito-T and Tuo, so make sure yours is compatible before you buy.
Second on the wish list of fancy things for indoor training is Elite's Training Desk. This might seem like madness but hear us out: a desk that's actually designed to be used on a turbo is really quite useful. If you use a laptop or iPad (or any smaller screen) for indoor training, getting it at the right height for the bike can be a bit of a pain unless you want to wall mount the device and let's be honest. So the training desk provides a perfect platform for your screen, while also giving you the ability to put your phone, extra snacks (sorry, 'nutrition'), water or pretty much anything else you might need comfortably within reach. There's nothing more frustrating than having to stop a session to grab that thing you'd forgotten about, and now you have somewhere to leave it in future. As well as the handy non-slip pads, the Training Desk also has an assortment of plug sockets for various chargers, etc, and can be adjusted between 75-120cm in height as well as folding flat for easy storage. Want it yet? Of course you do.
Whatever you want out of your indoor training, we have a whole range of products on Freewheel. You can check out turbo trainers, their accessories and spares here, or head over to Elite's own website for a more comprehensive walk through any single product.