An indoor bike trainer is a piece of hardware which allows you to cycle your bicycle while remaining stationary. Bike trainers are usually used to train for races by adding resistance to build up strength. They’re often used to in adverse weather conditions or when you want to cycle in more comfortable surroundings.

An indoor bike trainer is becoming a very popular aid when it comes to home and self exercise. There are many advantages of having a stationary bike – it helps your knees and legs stay fit and strong. Indoor bike trainer equipment is readily available online which means that its becoming more and more popular.

How the indoor bike trainer works

 

The indoor bike trainer locks the back wheel of the bike in place off the ground. Its important that the back wheel is kept off the ground so that the bike doesn’t move.

Types of Indoor Bike Trainer

There are 3 main types of indoor bike trainer. They vary in how they provide the resistance to the cyclist. The 3 main types are : fan, magnetic and fluid. What all 3 types of indoor bike trainer have in common is that they have a roller at the back which creates the resistance.

Fan Indoor Bike Trainer

A fan resistance trainer operates like the the rowing machines you see in gyms. There is a fan which creates a wind resistance once the pedals begin to turn. The faster one pedals the greater the resistance. The one drawback of this type of bike trainer is the noise. It can be difficult to watch tv and use one of these bike trainers at the same time.

Magnetic Indoor Bike Trainer

2 magnets provide the resistance in a magnetic resistance trainer. The benefit of using magnets over a fan is that not do they provide greater resistance but they are a lot quieter – in fact they are almost silent. One of the drawbacks of magnetic resistance trainers is that if they are under too much pressure then they can break.

Fluid Indoor Bike Trainer

Fluid resistance trainers operate in a similar manner to the magnetic units except that the tubes are filled with fluids to reduce the noise. The fluid resistance bike trainers offer more resistance than the other types of bike trainers.

What benefits can you get from bike trainers?

Stationary bike trainers mean that you have greater control over your environment. There are the obvious benefits that being indoor have – you’re comfortable and you can watch tv or listen to music. There are also benefits for the serious cyclist. You can easily measure attach sensors to yourself and the bike to monitor performance and learn more about your blood pressure and power output. Its these kinds of benefits which make purchasing an indoor bike trainer a smart option for the serious cycling enthusiast.