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Biking is freedom on two wheels. Getting out of doors, braving the weather, overcoming mountains and crossing valleys with powerful pedalling and sheer muscle power - that is our elixir of life. Actually. In the darker months of the year, however, it's not always easy to do the sport as consistently as we would like. Training outside at all costs is particularly demanding on the mind and equipment. Superheroes can do it, but superheroes are rare.
For everyone else, it is a good idea to make use of modern technology and seek freedom indoors in sections. The fan then sparks the airstream and the horizon ends at the edge of the screen. Nevertheless, this setup can also create magic, be fun and even downright addictive. In principle, the virtual training worlds offer many of the same things that make up the sport outdoors: competitors, uphill and downhill rides, views and competition - even prize money can be won indoors. Freedom also means that the technology is always ready for small and large escapes. The only thing you don't experience indoors is the forces of nature.
Indoor cycling: software worlds create variety
The most important piece of equipment for bringing training indoors is the Smarttrainer, which replaces the rear wheel and builds up resistance with its brake. The brake is controlled by software. You can choose to simulate a real ride, albeit mainly on the road, which is a great distraction from pedalling on the spot; or the trainer can run in ergometer mode with preset resistances. You can then watch videos or listen to music to distract yourself, just as you like.
your own taste. Basic training software for ergometer operation is available free of charge in many places. Training software for simulated worlds, on the other hand, is offered as a subscription model. We show the most important software offers here.
Zwift, the training platform operator with strong computer games genes, currently offers the most affordable hardware for getting started with smart training. We present the new Zwift Hub One on the following pages. The new top model from Wahoo, the Kickr Move, which uses freedom of movement to better replicate real riding, represents the expensive end of the spectrum. We also show this device in the test here.
Smarttraining - short and sweet
Smarttraining has established itself as a serious alternative to "real" biking. Availability at any time is one of the advantages, another is the introduction to the subject of pedalling power. This is because the Smarttrainers generally display the power output quite accurately, although they cost less than some power meters for measuring watts on the bike. This makes it possible to start training according to watts, as all competitive athletes do, in the comfort of your own home.
The equipment for indoor cycling
The essential equipment and accessories for having fun on the bike indoors.
Smarttrainer
Centrepiece of the equipment. The better models are driven directly by the chain. This allows inclines to be simulated very well and the noise level is significantly lower than with trainers that drive a roller with the tyre.
Refinements
Beyond the essential parts, there are also gimmicks to make indoor cycling more attractive and realistic. These include lifts that raise the fork uphill (Wahoo, Elite), steering angle sensors (Wahoo), gaming controllers (Zwift) and wobble boards that put the whole setup on wobbly feet.
Screen
The software for controlling the Smarttrainer runs on mobile phones, tablets and computers. A large screen is not a must, but increases the fun of riding. This can also be a television, for example.
Fan
Indispensable! Pedalling at 200 watts also heats up the surroundings with around 600 watts. Without airstream, sweat spills over the floor. The type of fan is not so important. The Aerson model in the picture is a floor fan without remote control, but with a wide air flow (70 euros >> e.g. available here). Specific fans such as the Wahoo Headwind concentrate the flow more strongly and can be controlled via the software (around 200 euros >> e.g. available here).
Mat
It dampens the noise of the stationary bike and absorbs sweat. Specific Matslike the one shown from Tacx, are more expensive than simple training mats, but in our experience they are also better and money well spent.
Software for indoor cycling: bits and bytes
Smart trainers need software to control them. An overview of the digital aspects of indoor cycling.
The smart trainers can be used in two modes: as ergometers or as off-road simulators. In ergometer mode, an app specifies the pedalling power - most manufacturers offer this in basic functionality free of charge. Simply enter the desired pedalling power in watts and off you go. Interval structures can also be created with these apps and then worked through. To keep your brain distracted, you can watch films or listen to music.
The more entertaining method is the simulation mode. In this mode, you follow your avatar through virtual worlds and the Smarttrainer uses its brakes to simulate the terrain on the screen. This method has the potential to come quite close to real cycling, because familiar things happen in the virtual world. Other cyclists pass by, the hill is longer and steeper than expected, motivation increases as you approach the end of the climb and your view widens. The downside for bikers: off-road routes are in short supply. Zwift offers exactly one single trail, the
Repack Rush. There are also a number of gravel tracks.
The largest providers at a glance
Zwift: The gaming specialist
Market leader. There is always a lot going on here, with thousands of cyclists from all over the world competing in fantasy worlds. The training programme is also extensive.
Costs: 14.99 Euro/month
Mywhoosh: The competition platform
The platform based in the United Arab Emirates has snatched the UCI partnership from Zwift and is focussing on road races with high prize money (five figures!). But even those who just want to ride for fun will find highlights such as Belgian classics routes in the five worlds of the Arabs.
Costs: none
Wahoo X: The training platform
Wahoo's world of entertainment focuses on motivating and informative video material, including on related sports.
Costs: 14.99 Euro/month
Rouvy: The track masters
Navigating avatars around the world through real landscapes is the central theme. Huge range of routes! Mont Ventoux & Co. are waiting to be ridden for the first time and again.
Costs: 14.99 Euro/month
Tips for indoor cycling
Worried about your bike?
Will the bike be damaged if it is clamped into a trainer? No. If the frame does not hit anything, indoor training is not a problem. The most likely risk of corrosion is excessive sweating. Salty sweat attacks aluminium. Aluminium parts can rot! It is best to wipe the bike dry after intensive training.
Wax on the chain
Chain grease and Persian carpets are not a good combination. And even if the floor is robust, lubricant is not welcome in the home. What's more, there is always the threat of black fingers when fitting and removing the wheel. A waxed drive provides a remedy. Before applying wax for the first time, the entire bicycle gearbox must be thoroughly degreased. Wax is available as a hot wax or - more user-friendly - as an emulsion to drip on from a bottle. Our experience with waxed gears has been very good - both indoors and outdoors. The main work is the first step of degreasing. Further care with drip emulsions is similar to that with oils.
Wahoo Kickr Move in test - strong glider
When the parcel man on the sixth floor arrives at the door with the Kickr Move, a friendly tip would be appropriate. This is because the device has become significantly heavier than the normal Kickr, which is still available. The Kickr Move's bulky shipping box weighs 36 kilograms. However, once the box is where it needs to be, everything goes very quickly. The trainer is up and running within minutes of opening the box.
In principle, the Kickr Move like the Kickr, the flywheel mass (7.5 kilograms) and brakes are unchanged. However, a great deal of freedom of movement has been added to bring the riding experience closer to reality. The brake can move up to ten centimetres forwards and backwards on a slide in the direction of travel. The additional mechanics are responsible for the extra weight. The track on which the brake slides rises towards the two stops. This automatically slows down coarser movements. The guide also has some lateral play, at the height of the calliper this is +/-12 millimetres. This is more than the elastic - and hardness-adjustable - feet have to offer in terms of manoeuvrability. There is still a handle above the flywheel to lift and carry the folded Kickr. However, with a net weight of 29 kilos, the machine is anything but light. Forecast: The Kickr Move is intended more for stationary use than for permanent storage.
More freedom
The first few metres on the Move feel wobbly, especially when you get out of the saddle, the bike starts to move quite a bit. But after a short time, the wobbly feeling subsides and you enjoy the new freedom in the saddle. The gentle gliding forwards and backwards is not really noticeable when seated. Strong kicks create a little more movement. However, this pinch of freedom significantly improves the riding experience, making riding feel much more natural. The extent of the effect can be easily tested using the locking mechanism. If you lock the linear guide with the switch on the frame, the riding experience changes significantly to "nailed down".
Free-swinging, the ride and, above all, the seat feel much better. The constant movements result in a fluctuating pressure distribution on the buttocks, which is much closer to the real ride than riding on a fixed device. Anyone planning to do longer indoor cycling sessions will particularly benefit from the freedom of movement. When standing, however, the Move doesn't feel as good, even after getting used to it. When sprinting, the increased manoeuvrability is not a benefit, rather the opposite.
Plenty of power
The inner values of the device are still good, connectivity, braking power and flywheel mass are perfect. More braking power than the 2200 watts that the Kickr provides on a 20 per cent incline
20 per cent incline might be needed by world-class track sprinters with thighs as thick as tree trunks. For endurance athletes, the brakes should be sufficient at all times, regardless of whether they are hobby or pro racers.
The control is fast and convenient, and the power display is almost identical to our power meter, which runs with it. The background noise is also low. Essentially, the drive noise of the wheel can be heard, the brake itself makes no noise.
So in the end, it's mainly a question of finances whether the Kickr Move makes it onto the shortlist. The extra 300 euros for the freedom of movement pushes the price up to 1599 euros (>> available here). Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to retrofit older Kickr with more freedom of movement.
About the Wahoo Kickr Move
Accuracy: Average deviation from the power meter: 2.8 watts
PLUS:
- strong
- Quiet
- exactly
- Natural driving experience
- plenty of freedom of movement
- Foldable
MINUS:
- Relatively expensive
- heavy
Facts, figures and data
- Maximum braking power: 2,200 watts
- Simulatable gradient: 20 per cent
- Accuracy (manufacturer's specification): +/- 1 per cent
- Price: 1,599 euros including cassette (eleven-fold)
- Weight: 29 kg
- Floor space: 87 x 68 cm
- Noise level (27/40/66 km/h): 58/63/72 dB(A)
Zwift Hub One on test - single speed trainer
Zwift reinvents the smart trainer: The Hub One is a single speeder for the living room floor. Instead of the usual sprocket set with eleven or twelve cogs, only a single 14-pinion sprocket rotates at the rear between curved plastic discs that prevent the chain from dropping. The reduction to a mechanical minimum is compensated for by 24 virtual gears. Software and electronic brakes take care of adjusting the gear ratio. A wireless shifting unit with two push buttons (Zwift Click), which can be positioned anywhere on the bike, controls the gears. At 516 per cent, the range of virtual shifting is very wide. Another advantage: the chain line is always ideal, which minimises wear and noise. It is also easy to mount bikes with different gears. Whether eight- or twelve-speed - the Hub One can cope with all derailleur gears.
Quick start
The trainer is delivered to the customer partially assembled. It took us ten minutes to fit the feet and get the device ready for use. Using the adapters supplied, the trainer can be used with 142 or 148 mm wide thru axles, and historical quick-release bikes are also compatible.
In principle, the trainer can be ridden in ergometer mode like all other trainers using various software - i.e. with watt preselection, for example for intervals. However, if you want to ride virtual terrain in simulation mode, the Hub One is really a single speed bike outside the Zwift world, as the virtual gear shifting only works in the Zwift universe. The gearshift unit is registered in Zwift as an additional controller, and the gear engaged is always displayed in the top left-hand corner below the power.
The gear changes with the controller are quick. One click, one gear change. It is not possible to shift several gears in one go. The brake engages immediately. The gear jumps on flat terrain are in the medium power range of 30 to 50 watts. Zwift states that the electronics automatically recognise which chainring is fitted at the start of a ride and adjusts the brake accordingly. The accuracy of the power display is decent considering the price level of the Hub One: The power measured by the power meter is only a few watts higher than the Zwift display, and the difference increases slightly towards higher power levels. If there are two or more derailleurs on the bike, you should keep your hands off the derailleur, otherwise the accuracy of the power display will suffer. Compared to our last test of the Zwift Hub, the current
device has become significantly more accurate and is now within the specification of +/ - 2.5 per cent.
Lots of braking power, little noise
The feel of the brakes is good, they bite hard enough to satisfy endurance athletes and most sprinters. The virtual gearstick is effective, it reduces the mechanically necessary speeds, which means that the noise increase towards higher gears is very moderate. The ergonomics of the external shifting unit are somewhat inferior to the usual shifting grips. If you don't like the virtual shifting, the trainer can easily be converted to a standard cassette and then used as usual with the bike's gears.
Apart from the ergonomics of the switch, the Zwift Hub One is an impressively affordable and minimalist solution. The trainer is offered including a one-year Zwift subscription at a price of 599 euros. You can't get into smart training for much less.
About the Zwift Hub One
Accuracy: Average deviation from the power meter: 8 watts
PLUS:
- relatively favourable
- Good driving experience
- Quiet
- Virtual circuit
- Compatible with all derailleur gears
MINUS:
- not foldable
- No carrying handle
- only compatible with Zwift in simulation mode
Facts, figures and data
- Maximum braking power: 1,800 watts
- Simulable gradient: 16 per cent
- Accuracy (manufacturer's specification): +/- 2,5
- Price: 599 euros incl. one year Zwift subscription
- Weight:. 17.0 kg
- Floor space: 62 x 50 cm
- Noise level (27/40/66 km/h): 63/66/69 dB(A)
