voyager1

Good Day!

So I am looking into making the plunge into a indoor set up. I have one bike (2018 Trek Domane with 11spd). I really want something that is simple to use. I was thinking of doing a dumb trainer vs a Wahoo system with Swift and such. However I am not opposed to that kind of setup. I know there are dumb trainers, rollers and then smart trainers. I am just thinking what would be the easiest to set up. I am a little nervous about set up. I also would kind of like to avoid another subscription service (Swift and others). Any ideas?

My goal is just have something to retain fitness. Back in the old days (when I was younger) I would just run and walk. However at 44, the ole body just can't take the running anymore and walking just doesn't cut it.

spelger

if your budget supports it then a smart trainer is the way to go. a full on smart bike is out of my budget but i wouldn't ever steer anyone away from that solution. the smart bike is probably the easiest setup: jump on and go. a smart trainer means either wheel on or off, depending on model. setup is not as easy since your bike needs to be mounted. i have a wheel off trainer with what is now a dedicated bike for it, not quite a smart bike but the next best thing.

right now you can use IndiVelo for free. but not sure how long that will last for. it is free for beta users and that just means opening an account. its ok.most other solutions are subscription based. others can chime in of there are other free options. because i don't like to pay for occasional summer time use i wrote my own.

(nearly?) all subscription based services have a free intro trial so i'd suggest you try them all: FulGaz, Zwift, Rouvy. there are lots of choices now but Zwift is the most popular.

i tried simple rollers years ago for the reasons you state but they were really really boring to use and i ended up not using them. did a winter at an LBS on CompuTrainers and then the following bought a Kicker, best decision, best solution for me.

Jughed

The zwift trainers come with a one year subscription and free delivery…

Instant boost to my winter miles, I’m even putting in more miles some weeks than I do in the summer.

Kai Winters

The new Zwift trainer gets good reviews and isn't very expensive compared to all that are available.
The new Zwift trainer is also good for all bikes and doesn't need a cassette so you can use different bikes that may have a variety of rear gears without worry.
I think you also get a one year subscription to Zwift when you buy one and if you already have a zwift subscription I believe it is extended by one year with the trainer purchase.
Check out DC Rainmaker, GPLama and others for reviews.

jimincalif

I just picked up a Wahoo Kickr Core last month along with Zwift. I’ve already used it a dozen times as opposed to my dumb trainer that I used just once over the last two winters. My club does winter group rides on Zwift, it’s much more interesting and the time passes more quickly riding with friends, even virtually. Even just picking a route and riding on your own, it’s easy to pair up with someone riding about the same pace and making it a bit more competitive. I’ve only scratched the surface so far but having used this I can’t imagine going back to a dumb trainer. Setup was pretty easy, the trainer connects to my laptop or iPad using Bluetooth. I installed the Zwift Companion app on my phone which I mount via my Garmin mount.

Rollers - I’ve used them as part of a training class with a coach, they are good for learning to ride smooth and steady. But I can’t imagine using them as my primary indoor workout.

jadmt

Rollers are simple and take up very little space and easy to move around find set of used Kreitlers and they last forever. I listen to pandora and i don’t get bored, but i usually only ride 60-75 minutes on days when i can not ride outside. I have a simple mind so probably why they work for me.

Trakhak

Got my first set of rollers in about 1975. They were definitely better than nothing for putting in time on the bike in the winter. And you can feel proud of yourself for succeeding in learning to ride rollers, if you do. I suspect that the latter is the primary motivation behind sticking to rollers versus stationary trainers in at least some cases.

I find stationary trainers are more productive for me, though. Interval workouts were compromised on rollers at best, whereas I can spin up from easy efforts to insanely hard on stationary trainers without fear of falling over.

PeteHski

Smart trainers are far more likely to motivate you to do regular indoor riding. Setup is relatively easy with a Bluetooth enabled computer, tablet or smart phone. I don’t mind paying for a Zwift subscription, but there are free alternatives like Indie Velo which are pretty good. There are other paid apps too, like Rouvy and Wahoo SYSTM which are worth considering. A dumb trainer might work for you, but I always failed to engage with them and I’ve owned a few over the years.

RChung

If you're new to indoor training and not sure what to get and not sure how often you'll use it, evaluate yourself and figure out what's the smallest "investment" (in either time or money) that you could make not to stick with something, but to learn what you'd need in order to stick with something.

Smart trainers are all the rage now but I already had an on-bike power meter and a dumb trainer that I used, resentfully. In my case, I figured I'd try Zwift for a month and see if it was more engaging than some of the other training plans (both free and paid). I still prefer riding outside but it turned out that Zwift was just engaging enough that my resentment receded.

I've tried a smart trainer with Zwift, and it's definitely indisputably undeniably more fun than my power-meter-equipped bike and my dumb trainer, but for me, I wouldn't say it was 10x more fun; for me, it's maybe not even twice as much fun. I can ride without resentment, so now I don't feel like I need a smart trainer. So for me, it turned out that virtual environment was the key, not the smart trainer. I also tried Fulgaz, which was cheaper than Zwift, and that was okay, too. But you might be different.

jimincalif

This describes it well for me too.

PeteHski

That makes sense if you already have a power meter on your bike, but otherwise a budget Smart trainer is probably going to work out cheaper.

zacster

I had a fluid trainer for a long time that I used off an on over the years, but then got hooked on Sufferfest about 6 or 7 years ago, using an estimated power. I then bought a pair of power meter pedals to find out that my power output wasn't anywhere near that estimate. That only motivated me more. A year later I bought a wheel off smart trainer and started using Zwift as well, and by the end of that winter I was in kick-ass shape. I've been using that off and on over the last few years but in the last month became dedicated to indoor riding again and it feels great.

My advice to you, since it sounds like you can afford it, is to skip the intermediate steps and just buy a smart trainer, preferably a wheel off one. I have the Wahoo Kickr Core myself. Here's a pic of My setup

Black wallnut 

voyager1 you're asking a few questions. Swift is a trucking company with a propensity for crashing, Zwift is a indoor cycling and running app/ game. I recommend their HUB trainer along with the annual subscription. Or if you could borrow a fluid trainer from a fellow cyclist for a week or two of a free trial, it might help you decide. Wahoo has a system, trainers, pedals, HRM, gps cycling computers, and whole body improvement Systm and Wahoo X which is their app for multidimensional exercise program. A paid subscription based thing. I can recommend, however the more you invest at the outset the better the experience. (read buy a smart trainer)

Or you could try rollers. If you make it through the learning curve they might work for you, might not. You might fall and injure yourself... or your bike.

I'll echo the suggestion to get a trainer and do a free trial of all you can. jump right in and buy a smart trainer. I started on a fluid trainer and no workouts. became boring fairly quickly. If you did this and you have a smart TV you could stream cycling races on Youtube, that's almost free. When I started you could purchase video downloads from The Sufferfest, that was a good then then, no longer an option. They migrated to an app then sold out to Wahoo, now lives on as SYSTM and Wahoo X. I migrated to the Sufferfest App when it was released. Then tried Zwift years later. Added power meter crank. then finally a HUB trainer about a year ago. The last step was revolutionary. No regrets for the path I followed to get to where I am today. However starting out today the less cost solution is the $600 for the HUB. If you don't like Zwift the trainer will work with other apps. If you do like Zwift. You'll be good for a year.

zacster

What did it take to become a Knight of Sufferlandria? I remember that it seemed way too difficult. I did the Tour of Sufferlandria a few years, but that wasn't enough as I recall.

Edit: NVM. I looked it up and now I remember why I never did it. There is a real time commitment, about 7-8 hours, never mind the suffering. I could probably commit the time now but can't really do the suffering anymore. In the process of looking this up I saw my last 4DP test and that was pretty impressive considering where I am now.

Black wallnut 

zacster I did mine pre-app. Believe I was within the first 200 in USA. RPE based on heart rate, however 100% is 100% so any sprints or 10/10 was at that level. Everything else was at 80% or greater. 10 Videos back to back with no more than 10 minutes off between each one, from a select list. Had to confirm that I suffered and had to be in some way a public event. I did mine at LBS. Was along day and I did suffer. My final video was Revolver @ 100% with friends sitting in. I was physically and emotionally exhausted at the end. Raised a pile of money for my ADA Tour de Cure effort that year. Although not as long as far as miles or time was more intense that all three my single day Seattle to Portland rides or my Sandpoint ID Chafe 150.

The trainer time leading up to my Knighthood was as one can imagine quite significant. Most weekends were 2-3 hour trainer sessions both days. The did the first half in order and another weekend did the second half in order. both of these were at 85% IIRC. Most of my training and planning was based on advice from Knights. Back then it was super exclusive, one had to own all the videos. Shortly after mine many started doing knighthood quests right after a ToS. There were training centers using the Sufferfest under license and there were multiple quests hosted at same time as a group in some of them. Even today with an app and smart trainer the completion is as epic as any individual will make it.

I know you said nevermind but others might be curious. To bring it back to relevant to current thread. Even a fluid trainer would work for such an epic undertaking, however a smart trainer would allow less concentration on meeting the targets of the workouts. Allowing for your focus to be on the workout and smooth application of effort while the trainer adjusts intensity based on workout.

zacster

I also did STP in a single day a few times back in the 80s when I lived in Seattle. I'm happy to do 50 miles now. That KoS was just too much to contemplate even when I was in great shape. I was in my late 20s in Seattle, I'm 68 now. At least I'm still pedaling.

ZmanKC

I received my Hub One on December 14th. I've recorded 16 rides. So much better than my old fluid trainer.

zacster

Once you're on a smart trainer you wonder why you didn't have one all along.

bblair

To answer a few of your concerns:

I have a Wahoo KickR Snap, the one where you leave your wheel on. Literally, seconds to attach my bike. I would imagine that the newer direct drive models are easy too. I leave my old bike on so I can just jump on and go.

Until last year, I connected to Zwift via my laptop, a "dongle" and HDMI cable to my TV. That was a pain. Now, I use an Apple TV box, about $179, and it connects perfectly in seconds. Get one of those at Costco or Best Buy.

Monthly cost of Zwift is cheap. $15/month, I think. Cost of one movie ticket or one book. Stop your membership in the summer and pickup where you left off next fall.

ZmanKC

This is so true. I've been on my Zwift Hub One for one month. I'm currently using it to ride solo rides, no racing or workouts yet. I'll start a ride with the intention of taking a nice, easy ride when I'm "goaded" into "closing the gap", trying to finish a segment quicker than the others on the road with me, etc.

It's actually a good thing and causes me to work harder than I had planned.

Champlaincycler

I've a Wahoo kicker core, $900 a few yrs back but down to $600 or so recently with a year of zwift. I'm thinking you can find one for half that price on Craigslist or Marketplace. I do Rouvy for price of $120 per year, rather then $15 monthly. For $10 monthly I can have at it during the cold months, do it sporadically during warm season. Extra cost might be a second cassette so you could take your bike on and off easily. It's been life changing for me. Once you get set up it's reasonable. If, like me, you choose to buy a second hand bike just for use on the trainer it could add to cost. But no need when starting out.

zacster

I would just assume a second cassette dedicated to the trainer. If you set it up properly you can pop the bike on and off the trainer without making adjustments to the derailleur each time. It takes me 15 seconds to swap either way.

Champlaincycler

Yes, same cassette as the one left on your rear wheel.

zacster

My bike has a 13-29 Campy 10sp, my trainer has a 10sp Shimagnolo cassette of forgotten specs. Not the same but I made them line up perfectly, including adding spacers between cogs so it shifts cleanly. It works. If my Kickr Core had a Campy hub when I got it I wouldn't have done this.

As an aside, I attempted to ride clockwise around Lake George a few years back. I made it from Queensbury, up around Ticonderoga and down to Whitehall before I gave up. The ride down Rt 22 was basically awful, no shade, not much to look at. And then beyond Whitehall you have all that truck traffic on Rtes 4 and 149. I called my wife and she came to get me. I guess it's part of the Empire State Trail now.

Champlaincycler

So long as shifting works than all is good.
lake George is about 100 miles south of me. I did live in Vermont for 30 years. There is no interstate west of the Green Mountains, so most heading to the Albany region, or south to New York proper take rt 4 to rt 149 to get on the NYS Thruway heading south, commercial traffic included. Not a route I'd choose to cycle on. Seems you got poor route advice. Sorry for your poor experience.