Hopefully this isn’t too far off topic from bike travel. I guess I’d put it in the category of bike travel preparation, or more accurately bike traveler preparation. Anyway, I’ve finally decided it’s time to invest in a decent bike trainer to get me through the long Vermont winter without freezing my fingers and toes off.  It seems like many people have mentioned indoor riding on occasion, so anyone have thoughts/recommendations?

I’m currently thinking about a Wahoo Kickr Core.

I've been using the Wahoo Kickr Snap wheel-on smart trainer for 7 years now.  It is a bit cheaper than the wheel-off Wahoo Kickr Core but the bike I use (my 30 year old Trek 520) on it has a 7-speed rear cassette, which is not supported by any wheel-off smart trainers and I didn't want to mess around with spacers that would be needed to make it work.

I use it quite a bit, with a subscription to Zwift and a TV/Apple TV combination in the basement.  In the past I've tried every form of avoiding mind-numbing boredom on a stationary bike in the basement (videos, live TV, reading, podcasts, etc) and Zwift has been the only approach that has lasted - $200 per year or you can pay by month and for less than 9 months/year of use that lowers the yearly cost.  My use is mostly over the winter, but also during "real" riding season when rainy or just not enough time for an outdoor ride.

The wheel-off trainers have advantages in avoiding tire wear issues and mess, accuracy in power measurement, lower noise and better ability to simulate steeper hills. Wheel-off  trainers are cheaper and easier on/off if you don't dedicate a bike to full time trainer use. 

Thanks John. I’ve gone back and forth on the wheel on vs wheel off option. My two experiences with trainers in the past were both with wheel on “dumb” trainers and did not go well. One was an old wind resistance trainer given to me by a friend, and the other was a mag resistance trainer I had picked up second hand, which was really not the right size for my bike. Both were incredibly noisy (especially the wind resistance trainer), and I really struggled with the boredom issues. So, I kind of decided if I really want to try this again I should up my game and go for a wheel off trainer that most closely simulated real riding.

Great suggestion about the monthly subscription to Zwift. I had been thinking $200 a year was kinda more than I wanted to spend, but just paying for about four months to cover winter doesn’t seem too bad.

Hi, Bob - if I had a bike I could dedicate to the trainer, and it had enough rear cogs to work with one, I'd go with an off-wheel version.

Just having to remove/reinstall the rear wheel every few days would be enough for me to want a dedicated bike and then dragging the bike up and down the basement stairs would seal the deal. 

Rouvy is an interesting alternative to Zwift. They have a free option for up to 20km per month and cheaper per month/year than Zwift. Rouvy had video rides that Zwift does not, but not as many ride/workout types.

One downside  of all this: my rainy/cold day riding has definitely decreased! But, it was doing so anyway, at least now my decision threshold is away from wet/cold and towards the basement vs towards the couch! 

I think I’m fine with dedicating a bike to the trainer from mid-November until mid-March and my Salsa Vaya has a 10-speed cassette, so should be compatible. For any outdoor riding during that time I’ll stick to my much cheaper and more expendable mountain bike. I’m going to really try to resist the urge to use the trainer outside of that timeframe.

Hi Bob - 

I've been using the Elite Suito trainer in my garage for about 5 years now, and I can recommend it.  I train with a coach, so I do structured workouts of about an hour 3-4 days per week.  So I've put a lot of "kilometers" on the trainer.  It's never given me any problems.

I currently have my Bike Friday Pocket Rocket on the trainer, and I've taken that package with me when I travel by car.   (We typically escape Limoux for several weeks in the winter and go someplace warm)  It makes for a compact package, even if it's a bit heavy.

I use Zwift on an iPad to provide some visual stimulation while I sweat out the workouts.  The iPad hooks up to the trainer flawlessly.  In my case, I use Assioma power meter pedals and a chest strap HR monitor.

If you're also interested in coaching, I can recommend my coach Rich Smith.  He's based in the UK and specializes in older cyclists.  Check out ridefastcoaching dot com.

Maybe it's just me, but I went through tires like crazy when I used the on-wheel trainer I used to have.  I really prefer the off-wheel ones.

Zwift is actually kind of fun once you get into it.  I don't race, but if you want to just "go for a ride" it's a decent simulation of riding a bike.  Like I wrote above, I run it on an iPad.  I also use the iPad to play music into bluetooth earbuds.   The combination makes the workouts more tolerable.  Usually....

I definitely seem to remember wearing out tires when I had used those old wheel-on trainers. I think I’m strongly leaning towards the wheel-off variety. Interesting about Zwift. I also have no interest in racing. Just want something to ease the boredom and provide some sort of the feel of outdoor riding.

Just to follow up, I ordered a Wahoo Kickr Core which is scheduled to arrive next week. Of course, since I did this, our temps here have been in the 70’s (F), with more of the same predicted in the coming days.

Wahoo makes good stuff and their support is alleged to be fantastic.  I’m sure you’ll be happy with the trainer.  Good choice!