Getting Started With Indoor Training
Indoor training season is coming for those of us in the northern hemisphere. Indoor training does not have to be very complicated. Here is a simple set up that can get you set up on any indoor training platform out there, such as Zwift, Bkool, RGT, Rouvy, etc.
The first thing you are going to need is either a smart trainer, smart bike, or a power meter + dumb trainer or rollers. At the very top of the line of direct drive trainers is the Tacx Neo 2T, which features high accuracy and road feel. The top of the wheel on trainers is the Wahoo Kickr Snap, this trainer features ease of use and high accuracy for a wheel on trainer. Then the top of them all is the Wahoo Kickr Smart Bike, this trainer features the ability to steer in some platforms, and the ability to rise up and down depending on the gradient. Indoor training can cost around $350, or it can cost $3500. Here is a chart with the average cost of each set up.
Power Source |
Price(USD) |
Smart trainer(direct drive) |
750-1400 |
Smart trainer(wheel on) |
300-600 |
Smart bike |
3000-3500 |
Dumb trainer + power meter |
<300(Dumb traner only) 300-1200(Power meter) |
Rollers + power meter |
~200(rollers) 300-1200(power meter) |
Dumb trainer + speed sensor(estimated power) |
<350 total |
The next thing you are going to need before getting a Zwift account, is making sure you have a compatible device. Zwift is compatible with most devices that are not too old. To make sure that your device is compatible, see this support article: https://support.zwift.com/en_us/supported-devices-to-run-zwift-H1Cj9QbeB.
The last step is to create an account with a platform. Here is how you get started with a Zwift account. Creating a Zwift account is very simple, and can take around 10 minutes to complete the process. Zwift offers a 7 day free trial, then after that it is $14.99/month. The first ride you do on Zwift will be a tutorial ride that will help teach you how to use the app. Zwift can be pretty confusing at first, but it will all start to make sense once you get a few rides in.
Bkool’s set up is fairly similar. The set up is pretty simple, the hardest part is just getting used to the data on the screen, also called the HUD. The navigation through the app is fairly simple, for a more in depth article on how to get set up with Bkool, head over to this article: https://road.cc/content/feature/getting-started-bkool-279889
I am not familiar with the other training platforms, but they should be a similar process. The company should have step by step instructions either on their website, or support page.
Products
View all