Winter is a hard time for cyclists. The days don't have much light, it’s super cold, there’s a high chance of ice, and riding is actually a bit uncomfortable. Alongside all of that, you can feel your fitness slowly slipping away the more you avoid going outside. It doesn’t have to be this way, and don’t worry. There’s a solution.

What many cyclists turn to in winter is a turbo trainer. This is a device you can put your bike in, and then it allows you to cycle indoors. Turbo trainers have come a very long way in the past decade and now can take you into a completely virtual environment where you can tackle huge climbs with friends or even race people all over the world.

In this article, we want to tell you why renting a turbo trainer is a great idea, not just for your wallet but also for your health. The benefits of indoor cycling over winter are not talked about enough, and we want to discuss them.

Why rent a trainer?

Turbo trainers vastly range in price, and they can be as cheap as £50 for a basic wheel on turbo, or you can spend £1500 on an all singing and all dancing direct drive, which is going to simulate climbs and even gravel. Many cyclists find they are looking for the best experience but don’t want to spend a huge amount on a trainer they might only use a few times a week. Here’s why you might want to rent it.

Cheaper

The first thing to mention is it’s probably going to be cheaper to rent a turbo than to buy one. If you rent instead for a couple of months, you will find yourself spending a lot less money each year compared to buying a trainer and upgrading every couple of years.

No Maintenance Required

Turbo trainers do sometimes need attention. After a few years, you might need to replace the drive belt and even find them breaking every so often. There are very few options when it comes to turbo trainer repair, and generally, you can find yourself needing to buy another. If you rent, these are issues that you won't have.

You get a better experience

If you rent a trainer at £50 a month, you typically get a very high-end trainer. This is going to have features such as automatic resistance and be self-calibrating. If you were to buy your own on a budget, you're going to need to be spending £800+ to have something similar.

You don’t need to store it in summer

If you're short on space, then having a large direct-drive turbo trainer taking up a corner of the room isn’t ideal. When you rent, as soon as you have finished, you can literally just send it back and then wait until a year later when you might want to rent again.

Safer

The next thing to mention is that riding indoors is generally safer than riding out in winter. It does make the chance of having an accident much less. In winter, there’s not much light, and you find yourself having to wear a lot of high viz gear and also need to be well covered in lighting to ensure you can be seen and see where you're going.

No bad weather

When you're riding indoors, you tend to always be ok when it comes to weather. You don’t have to worry about going out in the cold; you can just relax inside and not worry about rain or snow. Getting too cold or stuck in bad weather is miserable, and you are going to appreciate your training much more by being indoors at times.

What are the health benefits of cycling indoors?

Cycling is a great way to get in shape and stay in shape. It’s an excellent exercise that boasts a huge amount of benefits that most riders don’t realise.

Cardiovascular fitness

The cardiovascular system is what sends oxygen and nutrients to the body's organs. The better your cardiovascular system, the better your body can work its processes. If you train your cardiovascular system, you will be fitter, have better blood flow, and even have a lower heart rate.

Weight management

If you want to lose weight, it all comes down to calories in and calories out. Putting yourself in a calorie deficit is the best way to lose weight. Dieting can be challenging though, and many of us use exercise to help burn more calories. Cycling is an amazing form of exercise that can burn calories quickly and can be done often with minimal recovery.

Joint health

When people don’t train much or are less mobile, the joints tend to not be used much or to their full mobility. Not using your joints enough can cause issues later in life, and you will find that over time you will have less mobility, and it can become uncomfortable. Cycling is great for your joints, especially your knees and your hips. It helps them move to a good range which helps keep them lubricated and fully mobile.

Mental Health

There’s no denying the benefits of exercise when it comes to mental health. Jumping on a turbo trainer for your fitness fix has proven to make people alert, more productive, and much happier. Having a quick hour on the bike every day or so makes a huge difference to your mood and heavily reduces stress.

Better Structured Training

When you use a turbo trainer, you can have a much better workout than being outdoors. With automatic resistance, you can take on interval, ramp, and light endurance sessions easily, with the trainer controlling all the resistance for you. This means you can have a proper structure to your training and get fitter faster for less time on the bike. Many professional cyclists use a turbo trainer all year round as the workouts have so much value.

Easier to track your progress

When you use a smart indoor trainer, you get the added extra of having a power meter. This means the trainer can tell how much power you're transferring into the bike. This is an amazing tool for your training as you get accurate data when it comes to testing. This means it is easier to track your progress, and you can tell when you're having a good or bad session.

Conclusion

There are a huge amount of benefits to having a turbo trainer in winter. It’s an amazing way to not only keep your fitness but to improve ready for when the warmth and bright weather comes around. We also highly recommend considering renting a trainer over buying one. It can save you money in the long run and means you can give it back for the times of the year you’re not using it.

Click Here to check out our range of turbo trainers available for hire.