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Since I am 'into cycling' a friend has asked advice on the best turbo trainer to buy for a family member who's also 'into cycling'....
Unfortunately I don't use a turbo trainer myself and not really 100% sure what to look for so hoping the STW collective can give a few pointers please!
Budget is set at £100 maximum.
You're only going to get the most basic of basic trainers for that kind of money. It's possible to do some good structured training with them, but you have to be REALLY motivated.
A few years ago I had a good winter of training on a basic Elite trainer (so that would be my recommendation), but I don't think I could have maintained the motivation for another season. Now that I've experienced the difference a smart trainer makes there's no way that I could go back.
Maybe rollers would be worth considering?
Well worth spending £180/200 on the Elite or Tacx 2-way interactive turbos at Halfords, over what you will get for £100.
Yeah, for that money you'd be getting a basic trainer, which you can probably now pick up for buttons second hand. I suspect it wouldn't be long before it went to the back of the garage and replaced with a smart trainer. Which in itself would double the budget, and subscription to Zwift or the like and any subsequent tools required to connect it, would increase it significantly more. But it is much more likely to get used.
Personally I had something like this and it did the job perfectly well: Tacx Blue Twist T2675
I could manage about 30 minutes with Sufferfest before I surrendered to the boredom.
Now have the Tacx Flow which is very similar, but a smart trainer. It gets used a lot more.
If it's a gift, I'd think twice. It's kind of like buying someone a Nokia 3210.
If you like rollers they're great and cheap but an acquired taste, Mrs kilo couldn't get on with them whereas I won't use the turbo anymore. I used mine a lot when training for long distance mtb racing and they were fine and gave a good workout.
They will be a lot more of an experience for the recipient and a tad more of an unusual present both of which could be really good or really bad!!!
- Whatever Tacx or Cycleops trainer you can find on sale e.g. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tacx-blue-matic-folding-trainer/
- Some decent tunes (Surrender by The Chemical Brothers is a personal favourite)
- GCN workout videos e.g.
If you do the videos properly (i.e. actually follow the instructions on the screen) then you get a great workout and I've never gotten bored, you genuinely notice the change in scenery as the videos progress so get a sense of accomplishment if you're still pushing hard as you hit the snowline etc!
It took me a couple of sessions to figure out what sort of pace I could maintain for the whole video, but that exercise is useful in itself.
Tried a long workout once, basically riding all the way up Mt Ventoux following a 'Ride the World' video I found. THAT was boring as it was structureless, managed 1.5hr of 2 then bailed. Stick to short sharp structured workouts.