Even though the racing season is underway, pro riders must continue to train during any weather or travel conditions, and that can sometimes mean training indoors. Some cyclists live by it, while the very thought makes others shriek. Many working cyclists depend on indoor training due to family and schedules. One thing is sure, trainers have been around since the 1800s, and the benefits they can provide have been appreciated ever since.

The advantages to indoor training include convenience, efficiency, safety, controlled environment, avoiding poor weather and, some might add, keeping your spouse happy. The cons may include lack of environmental stimulation, monotony and cost. The main types of trainers available today are wind, magnetic, fluid, centrifugal and rollers. There are video-assisted trainers (Computrainer and Tacx) that allow you to see yourself moving on the screen or even in virtual reality.

Training indoors can be vital, especially for those with limited time. Living in North America and Europe is a blessing, because winter coincides with the off-season; it’s not that way on every continent. Training indoors is usually a safer environment than riding alongside cars and descending hills at 50 mph in bad weather. Another way to measure the positive benefits of indoor training is if you consider every session as statistically decreasing the chances of being injured outside for whatever reason. Of course, there is a limit to this argument, as most of the reasons we ride bicycles is to be outside.

With a proper setup, you can warm up and put in a proper training session in one hour or less. Place a bicycle on a trainer that has a power meter, cadence sensor, heart rate monitor, fan and stereo or videos, and you have your own training laboratory. One reason indoor training works is because you become familiar with your training environment. This leads to measurable results, which are vital for progression; this is especially true for the amateur cyclist.

Fluid or magnetic: I prefer a rear wheel trainer that measures power. Between average and current readouts on the display, you can monitor power, heart rate, cadence, speed, slope and time. Also, you can replicate the hardest of efforts. For example, certain trainers can load a particular course that simulates the effort of a 10-mile time trial or climbing Alpe d’Huez. Being able to repeat certain courses can give a cyclist an idea where their fitness lies. For warming up at races, I look for a trainer that folds well, is easy to transport, mounts the rear skewer with ease, adapts to uneven surfaces and rides well. A fluid or magnetic trainer that has adjustable resistance is desirable. The best trainer depends on convenience and personal preference. Being able to choose the resistance level is a big factor, which most magnetic trainers have, whereas fluid trainers ride more smoothly and quietly than other trainers. Buying a quality trainer is probably more essential than the price.

Rollers: Rollers deserve special mention because they require more skill than just setting the bike on a trainer. Balance, focus, resistance and a smooth riding style are the essential elements of riding rollers. Be warned: rollers aren’t for everybody. Nearly everyone who rides them has a story about drifting off the side and crashing. Over the years, we’ve heard stories of riders crashing into windows, planters—rollers must be ridden with respect. Rollers are essentially a 16-inch piece of the road in your house, and it is as close as you can get to simulating riding outside. Most traditional rollers are rigid and do not move with the bike (e.g. Kreitler), and recently there are others that move about with the bike and are easier to ride (such as E-Motion and Elite). Both are very smooth to ride and can provide a great indoor workout.

One of the biggest challenges with indoor training is that it gets boring really fast. The key to creating a long-lasting and successful schedule is to be creative (i.e., with music to listen to or videos to watch). You can have a coach write a program and follow it precisely, then measure the results. Utilizing a coach and performing physical tests during the off-season is a great way to see where you are before the season. There are even Computrainer gyms popping up where cyclists can actually race against each other on video screens. There is no training like racing!

Assuming the goal is to put in a decent workout, there is a lot of prep work involved. Most importantly, be sure you are mentally ready. Do whatever it takes to get yourself in the mind-set to perform your workout. If this means drinking a coffee or a sports drink, then do it. Know what workout you are going to do, whether it is holding a threshold effort for 20 minutes, or a five minute VO2 max effort. Workouts from a coach, or programs like Carmichael Training Systems, can provide good structure. Be sure the tires have appropriate pressure and the bike works properly. Place the bicycle on the trainer securely; the fan should be blowing on you; place a towel and drink close by.

Next is the warm up. Warming up is very important, because you want to be ready when you start your effort. Break a light sweat, then consider briefly spinning near maximum cadence to “open” your legs, then spin easy for some minutes, and then you will be ready to put in a good effort. Once you start your effort, the first couple of minutes are always predictably hard because your lungs and heart are trying to meet the demands of the muscles. The first part of the effort usually goes well, and then by the halfway point, you kind of want it to be over. This is where you often push and bargain with yourself to finish your trainer session. During the last minutes of the effort, you are often holding on for dear life. Finally, you reach the end and satisfaction is yours. Warm down and polish off a recovery drink.

• Know what you’re going to do

• Prep yourself mentally

• Have tires properly inflated

• Put towel and drink within reach

• Add blowing fan

• Pick motivating music

• Select motivating video

• Warm up first

• Finish with a cool down

• Remember recovery drink

• Only use smooth tires and appropriate pressure with trainers and rollers.

• Use special tires made for trainers and rollers to save your own tires.

• Warm up—consider doing a short leg-opener session and then spin easy.

• Be mentally prepared for the effort.

• Have a goal of what workout you want to achieve.

• Use a riser block to lift your front wheel off the floor. Some blocks can be configured to a steeper angle to emulate a hillclimbing riding position.

• The floor beneath your trainer will get dirty from sweat and grime, so protect your floors with a mat or large towel.

• Rollers are not for beginners. Always have someone assist you or start next to a wall.

• To help pass time, put on an epic video, like the 2003 Tour de France with Lance and Beloki.

• If the trainer does not feel right, then you likely will not be motivated to ride it.

• Use an old Shimano metal skewer, as they are large and keep the mounts from hitting the frame.

• The larger the roller, the less the tire wear.