Some riders' pain caves are enviable, especially the ones equipped with all the mod cons, but you don’t need all the bells and whistles to have a good setup, in fact you probably already own all the things you need to make a training space. Here are our ultimate indoor cycling hacks to improve your experience and maybe help you save some cash at the same time.
Everything’s a table
If you are using a smart trainer with an app like Zwift, you will need a stand of some sort to hold your laptop or iPad in front of you, and you’ll also want somewhere to put your snacks and bottles so that they are within arm’s reach. Boxes, nightstands, a pile of books, etc. they all make useful stands, but an ironing board is probably the best hack.
Use more than one fan
Using a desk fan to help you stay cool during an indoor session is advisable, but using more than one is even more useful. Having one to cool you down and another to circulate the air in the room will help you to stay healthy. Crack a window and get the fans on, it will reduce the risk of mould build up leading to illness especially if you’re in a small space.
Noise dampening
It’s no secret that turbo trainers can make quite a racket. This will cause a bit of grief to your neighbours if you live within close proximity to them. It goes without saying that the cheaper the trainer, the louder it will probably be. A heavy-duty mat and towel combination is a quick fix to reduce noise and vibrations, and a long-term solution would be to make a vibration reduction training platform for your bike.
There are some genius solutions to be found when trawling through online forums, including a platform made from three sheets of MDF with three sorbothane dampeners in between each layer.
Ride in virtual groups to pass the time
Riding and staying in one place can get pretty dull. Luckily on applications such as Zwift you are given the opportunity to ride in training groups. This passes the time well as believe it or not you really get the feeling of moving as one unit. It’s also a great way to keep up with would-be training partners and teammates thanks to the social functionality of the apps.
Protect your bike
We hate to break it to you but sometimes you can be your bike’s worst enemy. Over time the sweat you produce will corrode your bike’s bearings if they’re not protected. A towel, tarpaulin, apron, raincoat (get creative with it) chucked over your bars will do the job of protecting your headset bearings, or you can fork out for a specially designed sweat net.
Rise up
The majority of turbo trainers lift your back wheel off the ground so much so that your bike will not feel level unless the front wheel is also raised. If your trainer doesn’t come with a riser then a plank of wood or large hardback book will do the trick. Do make sure you have read the book first before you go putting a tyre mark in it.
How to stay hydrated
Hydration is crucial when riding indoors. No matter the season it’s easy to overheat so make sure you are drinking at least two water bottles an hour. You also lose a lot of electrolytes through sweating during a workout. If you’ve run out of specific tablets or powders during lockdown, a pinch of table salt stirred into your water makes for a low budget replacement.
Pump up the volume
Having music, a TV or even training videos to ride along to is a great way to keep you motivated to complete a session. Just make sure you’ve sorted the noise dampening first.
Got some of your own indoor training hacks? Maybe you have an ingenious noise dampening solution or use an unconventional kitchen appliance as a training aid? Feel free to share them with us on Instagram. For more home riding guidance make sure to check out 9 Tips To Maximise Your Indoor Cycling.
Now you may have more time to think about these things, it’s also worth looking at our cycle insurance policies. Pedalsure can insure all of your bikes and accessories and cover them even in your home. The fact is, you won’t find many of the things we cover in your typical home insurance policies.
Taking out a policy with us means that your bike is protected in cases of bike theft and damage. Pedalsure can also protect you, your bike and your accessories in mass participation events and races, in cases of personal injury, personal liability and when you are travelling abroad. Getting yourself set up with a Pedalsure policy is something you only have to do once a year, but you benefit from on every ride.
