If you've ever spent time on an exercise bike at home or in the gym, there's one thing you notice pretty quickly: It's really nothing like riding your bike outside. So what's the dedicated cyclist in northern climates to do when the roads outside are covered in snow and ice?
The Wahoo KICKR Smart Trainer allows you to ride your own bike indoors with an ingenious system that simulates riding on the road. Simply remove the back wheel and attach your bike to the trainer. The heavy flywheel provides you with the inertia needed to give you the feeling of riding outside — much more accurately and without the noise of traditional trainers.
It works seamlessly with third-party training apps like Zwift and TrainerRoad that allow you to program in specific routes, with the resistance changing as you go up and down virtual hills. Speed, distance, power, and cadence can all be measured to help you track your fitness level, and the heavy steel trainer is solid. You don't feel like you're balancing precariously in your living room.
It's a bit pricey ($1,200), but for those training for spring races or century rides, there's no better way to put in the miles when the weather outside is unforgiving.
