The only other niggle is that the trainer doesn’t fold up for easy storage – the legs are simply fixed in place with bolts. This won’t be a problem if you have a dedicated pain cave, but if you need to be able to easily stow it away, this might be a dealbreaker. We recommend using Bluetooth to connect all of your hardware together, but if you have ANT+ accessories (such as an older power meter or a heart rate monitor) that you also want to connect, then you’ll need an ANT+ dongle for your laptop or tablet. An indoor bike trainer is a great way to not let your prowess on the bike fall down over the colder months. Even if you head out as often as the sun is shining you're going to be sitting at home on the sofa more often than you would be over summer. An indoor bike stand trainer gives you the option not just to train but to train on your road bike, without having and extra cost and maintenance of a spinning machine - let alone the extra space needed to house another large piece of equipment. Equipment The Tacx Flow Smart is one of the cheapest entry points into interactive indoor cycling. While it doesn’t compete with pricier options on paper, in practice it offers an enjoyable and immersive indoor cycling experience for an attractive price.

The Suito sits between the top-end Direto XR and budget Zumo in Elite’s range of direct drive smart trainers. The Neo 2T uses an arrangement of magnets to create a virtual flywheel, and this offers fantastic ride feel, along with the ability to change the level of inertia depending on the virtual terrain. Tacx also claims the Neo 2T power measurement is accurate to +/- 1 per cent, which is up there with the best. Ideal Bike Accessory: Size: 22.8×11.8×5.7 cm/8.97×4.46×2.24 inch. Double grooved design fits your narrow or wide ties. The groove fits most sizes of bikes, road bikes, mountain bikes. This is ideal for indoor bicycle training. Wahoo includes a cassette and a generously sized power cable, so you shouldn’t need an extension lead.

LifeLine Sweat Net

Regular trainers, sometimes referred to as ‘dumb trainers’ (perhaps unfairly), don’t have these features and the resistance level has to be changed manually. When paired with speed sensors or an on-bike power meter, they can be used with apps such as Zwift, but the experience is less immersive. Sweat nets that cover your top tube, steerer tube and stem might also be a good investment to protect them from perspiration and corrosion (also, read our advice on using a carbon bike on the turbo trainer).

Setting the unit up is very easy, especially with the addition of WiFi connectivity. While we’ve rarely had issues with Bluetooth connections, a WiFi connection means you should be able to connect to the trainer anywhere in your house that has a reliable 2.4Ghz connection. It also simplifies over-the-air firmware updates. These are typically the cheapest and lightest types of smart trainers, but they can cause wear on your tyres (though specific trainer tyres are available to mitigate this issue), their power measurement is generally less accurate and the ride feel often isn’t as good as direct-drive trainers.Before we delve into the essential equipment, here’s a few reasons why you should definitely start turbo training - if you’ve already caught the bug, skip along to the next section! There are still many riders who think turbo training is dull and boring, a monotonous process of turning the pedals while staring at a wall. When turbo trainers were in their infancy, riding indoors admittedly wasn’t the most engaging activity. Ride quality is very good, especially considering it doesn’t have the largest flywheel out there, and we were impressed by its stability when really cranking things up.

If you’re looking for a direct-drive smart trainer, but can’t quite stomach the prices of some of the high-end models, the Tacx Flux S might be the one you’ve been looking for. Usually formed from three rollers, a bike simply sits on top with the rear wheel turning the rear two rollers, which then turns the front roller via a belt. It sounds complicated but they’re very simple, best thought of as a treadmill for bikes. Once you’ve got all of the essential items, there are still a few extra turbo trainer accessories that can make your indoor cycling sessions even more enjoyable. The Neo 2T is Tacx’s top-of-the-range smart trainer, and it’s priced accordingly. It looks like a spaceship and its spec and performance are among the best out there. Of course, price is always going to be a major consideration. So we’ve tested a range of options to suit as many budgets as possible, but there’s no denying these trainers aren’t cheap.

Direct drive trainers require you to remove the rear wheel and connect your bike to the trainer via a standard cassette. These are heavier and more expensive than wheel-on trainers, but prices are getting more competitive and they have a number of advantages.

Overall, if you’re looking for a direct drive smart trainer on a tight budget, the Pinnacle HC Turbo Home Trainer is well worth consideration.Durable: Made of plastic, it's durable and lightweight. Anti-slipping design, keeps you secure. With pads on the bottom, the wheel riser can protect you form slipping and your floor from damage at the same time. These apps can also guide you through power-based interval workouts, with the resistance automatically adjusting to keep you in the required training zones (this is known as ERG mode).