Smart Trainer and Indoor Cycling Guide
Whether it’s escaping the traffic or escaping the cold, having an indoor trainer can keep you riding no matter what the outside world is throwing at you. Smart trainers keep getting better so you’re no longer stuck in your pain cave suffering to the sound of your manually adjusted resistance trainer – instead you can travel to the Alps or keep your weekly group rides going virtually even when it’s -25 and blowing snow outside. So, if you’re asking us, off-season training just got a lot more fun.
Top Reasons to Switch to a Smart Trainer
Ride Anywhere with Anyone
With apps like Zwift and Rouvy that integrate with your smart trainer, you can ride with friends or strangers from around the world. That means you can do a solo climb segment in the Swiss Alps or a group ride on Zwift’s tropical island – or both in the one day! You might even end up on the same segment as your favourite riders from the pro peloton.
Realistic Riding Conditions
Smart trainers can now simulate real-world terrain changes like hills and valleys, so you’re no longer stuck on the same resistance setting for your entire ride. Some trainers can even be paired with accessories that automatically change your bike’s position for simulated climbing or that match your fan speed to your activity. Brands are constantly improving their trainers so that riding virtually indoors feels virtually like riding a real bike.
Peak Performance
Most smart trainers have built-in power meters, cadence sensors, and can pair with your heart rate monitor so that you can train smarter and harder to help you reach your maximum potential. Paired with apps like TrainerRoad which can tailor your workouts just for you, it’s almost like having a personal coach right in your living room.
Smart Trainer Options
There are two main types of smart trainer on the market, wheel-on and direct drive:
Wheel-On
Just like the name implies, wheel-on trainers are designed to work with the existing rear wheel and drivetrain on your bike. The trainer clamps onto your frame at the rear dropouts and uses a metal roller pressed against your rear tire to transmit forces between the bike and the trainer.
For some quick-release axle designs and all thru-axle bikes, you will need to purchase adapters so the trainer can safely clamp to your dropouts. Because your rear tire is in physical contact with a moving metal surface, if your bike isn’t properly setup and calibrated it can cause issues with noise, heat, and dust. To help mitigate some of those issues we recommend using a trainer-specific tire as they last longer, slip less often, and create less dust.
As far as switching your bike from indoor to outdoor, that depends on how quickly you can change a tire and that can be a big drawback for many users. The big benefit to wheel-on trainers is that they are fairly simple and robust, tend to start at a lower price point, and can be lighter and easier to maneuver.
Direct Drive
Direct drive trainers have become popular in the last few years and that’s because they improve on the wheel-on design in a few important ways. Instead of interfacing with your bike at the rear tire, direct drive trainers replace the rear wheel of your bike – so instead of spinning up a wheel and tire, you spin up a cassette and driver attached to the trainer itself.
For most direct drive trainers, popular sizes of axle adapters come included and the trainers will fit a wide range of bikes right out of the box. And because direct drive trainers have no metal on rubber friction, they’re also dust-free, quieter and make less vibrations (you’re welcome downstairs neighbors).
Usually, the only thing you need to get them up and running is a cassette – either the one off your rear wheel or one purchased specifically for your trainer. If you do end up purchasing a dedicated trainer cassette to so that you can easily switch between indoors and outdoors, try and match your existing cassette as closely as possible (brand, speed, range, etc.) as it will make swapping back and forth much easier.
Wheel-On vs. Direct Drive at a Glance

Wheel-On
- Typically starts at a lower pricepoint

Direct Drive
- Quieter when in use
- Typically start at a higher pricepoint
Trainer Accessories
Once you’ve decided on what type of trainer to use, there are loads of accessories that can make your life easier and more comfortable.

First off would be all the adapters and parts to make sure your bike fits on your trainer. That means if you have a thru-axle bike and a wheel-on trainer you’ll need a trainer-specific axle so you can safely clamp your bike in. If you go with wheel-on, you’ll also want to invest in a trainer-specific tire to help mitigate the noise, dust, and keep the wear off your outdoor tires.
If you decide on a direct drive trainer, you’ll probably need a cassette which you’ll want to match to the one on your wheel as closely as possible. If you need any help with bike and trainer compatibility, feel free to give us a shout or head down to the shop and we’ll be happy to get you pointed in the right direction.
Once you know your bike can be installed on your trainer, and have it ready to go, there are other accessories you can get to make your ride more enjoyable. Two of the most important accessories are a trainer mat and a front wheel riser block.

A trainer mat is important, especially if you have hardwood or tile floors, as it keeps your trainer from sliding around. When your trainer slides on a slippery floor, it can really damage the experience... and your expensive flooring! Mats also help to mitigate some of the noise and vibration from your trainer so that you’re not getting complaints from your downstairs neighbours.
A front wheel riser block also helps with noise dampening and keeping your floors fresh, but its main job is getting your bike into a more natural riding position because many trainers put you into a position that feels like you’re riding downhill. Wheel blocks also come in ‘smart’ versions – some can raise and lower the front end of your bike to match virtual terrain and make the riding experience more natural while some even allow you to steer your bike in the virtual world.
A few more go-to accessories that are more important than a lot of people realize are a good fan and a sweat guard. There are many fan options out there, which can range from the box fan you have stashed in your closet, all the way up to smart fans that integrate with your training experience by pairing with your trainer and apps – at the end of the day they all work to keep you cool when you’re putting down the watts.

And for when the fan can’t quite keep up, a sweat guard keeps the salty stuff dripping off your body from getting on your bike.
Sweat is highly corrosive and can cause all kinds of damage to metal components – one of the most common issues that our mechanics see during post-trainer spring tune-ups is sticky or crunchy steering caused by sweat corrosion in the headset.
So do your headset (and our mechanics) a favour and keep that sweat as far away from your bike as possible. Other things that can make your life a lot easier and cheaper at tune-up time include a dry chain lube and an accurate chain checker to help you stay on top of drivetrain wear (we recommend the Park Tool CC-4).
Shoes and pedals are another thing we get asked about when it comes to trainers, but our advice on that is pretty straightforward – whatever you’re most comfortable with on your bike outdoors is what will work best for indoor training. You probably already have pedals installed on your bike and shoes you normally wear, so it helps keep things simple and the indoor ride as close as possible to the real deal. The only time we might recommend a different shoe is if your toes get a bit too warm and sweaty on the trainer, in which case there are some looser fitting, more breathable trainer/spin specific shoes on the market.
Last – but definitely not least – no trainer setup is complete without a good playlist or podcast. So stick on the tunes, lace up your shoes, and get your ride in no matter what it’s looking like outside.
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