Read on for an article on indoor cycling from Ron Fritzke, cycling product reviewer for “all things cycling”..

Use A Bike Trainer Now For Excellent Results Later

In a lot of the places in the northern hemisphere, the weather’s a bit of a challenge…to say the least.  While it may be possible for runners to get in some outdoor workouts when the temperature’s down below freezing…riding your bike outdoors is another story.

That’s where an INDOOR bike trainer  comes in.  While riding indoors can be pretty monotonous, it does serve an essential purpose.  A bike trainer makes it possible to not have to ‘start all over again’ every Spring due to a winter of deconditioning.

There Are Some Great Fluid Trainers

Without getting into too many details, any serious cyclist would most likely be best served by getting a fluid trainer or mag trainer, rather than a wind trainer.  High quality fluid and mag trainers are quieter than wind trainers and can supply enough smooth resistance to challenge even the strongest pro cyclists.

In the not too distant past, leakage was definitely a problem with fluid trainers.  But then along came the Kurt Kinetic company.

With Kinetic’s proprietary design, there is virtually no chance of leakage.  They’ve kept their fluid-filled chamber separate from the spinning flywheel assembly, coupling the two with powerful magnets.  It’s a pretty straightforward design…but it’s most easily understood after viewing the short video on my Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Review  page.

If you’d really like to simulate a realistic ride, you may consider the Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll trainer.    The Rock and Roll allows the rider and his bike to ‘move’ just as would be the case out on the road.  Once again, there’s a video HERE on my Kinetic Rock and Roll review page that demonstrates the concept.

The CycleOps Magneto For Progressive Resistance

One of the newest trainers on the market is the CycleOps Magneto.  This is the first and only mag trainer to produce progressive resistance.  While it is necessary to manually change resistance levels on other mag trainers, this change is done automatically on the Magneto.   It’s really a rather simple design, using centrifugal force to alter the position of the magnets…which it turn increases the workload.

Earlier in the article I mentioned that a wind trainer probably isn’t going to be sufficient for serious cyclists.  This is due to two primary pitfalls.

To begin with, wind trainers are limited in their ability to generate enough resistance to do an adequate interval style workout.  They may be effective for light intensity steady-state workouts but when it comes to having to generate 300 watts and above, they fall short.

Another knock against wind trainers is the amount of noise they create.  When they’re pushed to their limits, the rider will find it necessary to crank up the volume of their I-pod…and that says nothing of the hostility other people will have toward the machine.

Good Trainer Workouts Now For Good Results Later

Whether you’re getting ready for the race circuit or just wanting to be able to keep up with your club mates, there’s a place for winter training on a bike trainer.

You can rest assured that your total conditioning package will benefit from some year round training; and if you live anywhere other than the most ideal of climates, a good quality bike trainer will be essential for achieving your best cycling performance.

About the author: Ron Fritzke is a cycling product reviewer with a passion for ‘all things cycling’. A former 2:17 marathoner, he now directs his competitive efforts toward racing his bike…and looking for good cycling products.