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Kickr Core from Amazon. Will be waiting a week or two for delivery, as it went out of stock, so have a bit of time to gather stuff... what else do I need?
Thinking I'll grab a cheap road bike, rather than fiddle with dismantling my own. Have an Apple TV I can use with a TV upstairs.... any other must haves? A fan, I guess?
Heart rate strap and big training mat for under the bike to keep the sweat off the floor
These are the goto fans for most trainer users
https://www.cleva-uk.com/products/vacmaster-cardio54%C2%AE-fitness-fan-two-pack
Many swear by Vacmaster or Cardio model fans, just seen both on discount at Amazon.
£60 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vacmaster-Cooling-Powerful-3-Speed-Efficient/dp/B082FGRX6B/ref=sr_1_2_sspa
£69 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vacmaster-Cardio54-Control-Cycling-trainers/dp/B08WJ2XST9/ref=sr_1_1_sspa
Vacmaster cardio is good as mentioned above.
Maybe one on those sweat catcher things so you don’t drip sweat all over the bike.
Appke TB works great for me with a tv and Zwift.
HR strap essential really.
Haven’t bothered with the fan. Though because I’m in the garage it’s not exactly too hot in the winter.
I can’t remember if the KICKR Core does wifi or HR relay or not, if not you might have to use the Zwift companion app as a relay as Apple TVs only have two Bluetooth channels, one of which is used by the remote. 4iii used to do an HR strap that could work as a relay but whether that works with smart turbos…
Fan or two.
Sweat catcher thing for bike.
A mat to put it all on.
Sweatbands for your head. Yes, really. Gamechanger in the sweat running down your face stakes.
HRM - I use a Coospo one from Amazon.
On the Apple TV front I’ve connected my kickr core and a wahoo hr strap to it fine by Bluetooth. Remote still works.
Fan is the only essential bit of kit really. If it's going to be on a good carpet somewhere you'll want a mat of sorts, as you can get oil flicking off the chain. HRM (bluetooth) if you haven't got one already.
4iii used to do an HR strap that could work as a relay but whether that works with smart turbos…
That works just fine with Apple TV and Saris H3
#rideoutside
I bought a kickr core in April 2020 when noone knew when we'd be able to ride outside. Used it until we were allowed to ride outside, i.e May 2020 🤦
Haven't used it since. On dark days I think about setting it up in the shed but things haven't got that bad yet.
That was the last time I pedalled a road bike too. I found it crushingly boring even with work outs on zwift. You have my utmost admiration if you can sit there for hours on end just staring ahead
Stealth kickr core for sale advert obviously 😉
Im not disagreeing with yiu vwry much, Rocketdog... but work, family and other stuff mean I cant always get out, so ghe Kickr is for an extra hour here amd there. if I have lots of time, I'm out hhe door.
Don't listen to the bollocks about outside being better. We all know this. But not all of us are in a position to do that every time. In my case, I'm often sick of the same loops all the time, yes, even the long ones, as I've lived here for over 15 years I've basically been everywhere worth going off-road and on; sometimes you don't fancy fighting the weather and the rush hour traffic. As for RocketDog's picture - yeah, you're pretty lucky if all your rides look like that, but when you want to train regularly even stuff like that can become a chore.
If you want to get fit and fast, then you want to be exercising 3-4 times a week, and that can be really challenging. So, if you need it, get on the trainer and crack on.
It is quite shit, fundamentally, but it works and it is easy to do. I would recommend not bothering with endlessly twiddling around the Zwift landscape, that gets boring pretty quickly. Racing is where it's at either with a club/group or on your own. If the latter, do the same sessions each week and check out your victims and nemesis page after each race - you will start recognising names, and see them out on the road around you. Hunting down your nemeses is great fun. Well.. as much fun as you're likely to get on a trainer indoors. You'll get a far better workout in 20, 30 or 40 mins than you will out in the real world.
You have my utmost admiration if you can sit there for hours on end just staring ahead
Some psychos might do that but the rest of us watch Neflix (or other streaming service of choice). A great way for me to watch the shows that my wife won't.
Also, get a sweat net - even your cheap road bike will be eaten up by sweat in no time.
100% with Molgrips.
Yes, of course outside is better. Sitting on the turbo with the iPad in the top bedroom is not an alternate to "real" riding though.
The advent of decent, smart turbo trainers and zwift, wahoo etc has been revolutionary to my fitness. I can ride in my 45min lunch break whilst reading something. I can ride at 10pm at night whilst my partner is out with her friends and my Son is in bed, etc etc. It adds structure, purpose, and allows someone who has a job and a life and a family, the chance to properly 'train'.
One of the best things I've bought, and made all my 'real' riding faster and easier than ever before.
ETA 4 years of Zwifting a few times a week - you need a fan (any, doesn't have to be fancy), a towel, and lots of fluids. Bike setup has to be good and you'll want a really good quality saddle and good bib shorts. And some good music - 180bpm 😉
but when you want to train regularly even stuff like that can become a chore.
You find that riding outside is boring and yet sitting staring at a screen isn't? You've got a weird idea of entertainment!
100% with the rocket on this one.
But then I don't ride to train, I do it for pleasure, so maybe different strokes and all that
Well done to all the outdoor virtue signallers. Crack on.
Indoor training is hugely popular, very convenient and very measurable and suits some people's goals, life, health or schedule very well.
The kickr will connect to the Apple TV. Apple TV and a big screen is a good combo for Rouvy or Zwift.
Other things
- Front wheel riser - proper one, or a book / bit of wood etc
- HR strap to connect to the Apple TV
- fan. Ideally on a remote for after you warm up. An 18" fan on a smart plug is a good option over the dedicated trainer ones.
- sweat management - towel, head sweatband and maybe a bib thing for the bike
- Mat if you want to protect the floor and damn some noise
- Somewhere to put the remote and your phone (and drinks if not in the bottle cage)
I find the training bit a chore but don't mind jumping on the trainer when short on time or the weather is minging...
A tootle up a virtual Dolomite with half an eye on YouTube is not a terrible way to spend time on a bike. Beats not riding at all..
Indoor training is hugely popular, very convenient and very measurable and suits some people’s goals, life, health or schedule very well.
And if you have an attention span longer than the average 12 year old/MTBer it can even be enjoyable 😎
And if you have an attention span longer than the average 12 year old/MTBer it can even be enjoyable 😎
If you're as dull as the average roadie, then I guess virtual cycling might be enjoyable
😘
(Jk)
I just use a normal 12” fan in the garage which works just fine.
A towel on the bars / top tube and a towel to hand to wipe away other sweat
Front wheel riser – proper one, or a book / bit of wood etc
Not necessary on a Kickr Core it’s the right height without
You just need to decide what training app to use. I don’t like Zwift, just don’t get the artificial world thing. Much prefer Rouvy which has races in a real world, lots of nice routes to ride and now training programs. Other systems are available
Thinking I’ll grab a cheap road bike, rather than fiddle with dismantling my own.
what’s there to fiddle with ? Back wheel out and your done
On dark days I think about setting it up in the shed but things haven’t got that bad yet.
Dark days indeed. Hang in there, bro.
I don’t like Zwift, just don’t get the artificial world thing. Much prefer Rouvy
I like Indie Velo, mainly because it's free but partly because it's not "gamey" like Zwift. Still end up bored shitless about 30-45mins but you can get a good workout done in that time. Tend to either do a race or a 30min Sweetspot workout.
If you’re as dull as the average roadie, then I guess virtual cycling might be enjoyable
Touche 😉
I like Indie Velo, mainly because it’s free<br /><br />
oh is it like Zwift was beta back in the day? Just quickly read up on it and it’s loads of Zwift folk who have left the company. <br /><br />
I remember trying to use Zwift in Beta when it first came out and was free. The next minute it was pricey. This looks like it will go the same way
IndieVelo looks promising, needs to be on AppleTV for me so sitting tight...
A tootle up a virtual Dolomite with half an eye on YouTube is not a terrible way to spend time on a bike. Beats not riding at all…
This.
Is there anywhere there’s more info about IndieVelo? Courses and so on?
FunkyDunc
what’s there to fiddle with ? Back wheel out and your done
Out to shed, unlock shed, take wheel off filthy bike bring bike in through back door, through kitchen and hall and upstairs, install on trainer, wait, all the bikes have eagle cassettes, need an eagle cassette and freehub which is about £150, then finish up, dismantle, bike back to shed, clean up dried mud everywhere.
Alternative is to spend the 150 on a used road bike, and leave it on the trainer
MyWhoosh is free too, but check the requirements (for example, my Poco F3 just meets them)...
https://www.mywhoosh.com/docs/what-devices-are-compatible-with-mywhoosh/