Want to get started with indoor cycling but don’t want to break the bank? We’ve got you covered with this comprehensive guide to setting up an immersive indoor training experience on Zwift without spending a fortune. From affordable smart trainers to the essential gear you’ll need, we’ll show you how to start your indoor cycling journey today.
π¨ Oops! We made an error on the pricing of the Elite Rivo trainer. Accurate Pricing is: Β£499 / β¬519
π€ In collaboration with @Zwift
Find out if your trainer is compatible with the Zwift cog! π https://support.zwift.com/en_us/zwift-ready-and-zwift-cog-compatible-trainers-r1x1sNas0
Chapters: β±οΈ
00:00 – Introduction
02:58 – Affordable Smart Trainers
04:11 – D100 Van Rysel
04:44 – The Jet Black Victory
05:04 – The Wahoo KICKR Trainers
06:01 – The Elite Revo
06:30 – Zwift Subscription and Viewing Devices
06:47 – Essential Gear
07:44 – Pedals, Fans, and Floor Protection
08:23 – What Bike Do You Need?
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31 Comments
Oh dear GCN. Yes, you need to make money so you can bring us all of the brilliant content that you have in the past. But dressing up a video as advice on getting started on smart trainers but it turns out to be a full length is Zwift advertisement. Not really on! Damages your brand.
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The Van Rysel D100 was one of my best buys ever. The only reason why I changed it into Elite Suito-T is that it took up too much space under my desk π . And it seemed to work a little bit better and smoother than Elite.
Didnt know about the Zwift cog! Bought one instantly for my Wahoo Kickr Core, going to be very useful !
The biggest danger with the whole immersive indoor thing is people stop riding so much (or at all) outdoors. For me the mental benefit of cycling is big skies and the weather so indoors is limited to January and February to keep my fitness up when the weather isn't great (UK). I've got a dumb trainer and use GCN training videos, including some very old ones with Dan!
I remember starting with a JetBlack speed and cadence sensor, aluminum rollers, a cheap Walmart fan, my laptop and a 1983 Cannondale ST-500 (still running 700x19c tires). Good times! Riding with a direct drive trainer and Zwift cog now, but I will always fondly remember being enthused that I could just plunk together all the stuff I already owned and get into the virtual environment during lockdown in '19.
I had one good winter on Zwift but the next year I couldn't get it to run on my laptop at all. I practically got an education in fettling my laptop but the Zwift techies said it was too slow, despite meeting their min requirements. I think it's set up for men with gaming computers really and I've given up now. It's not a cheap thing to do at all and I'm not a gamer, so I'm not forking out for an all-singing and dancing computer to run the too complicated graphics.
Still not affordable per say. I started zwifting about 3 years ago. Bought the cheapest smart trainer (Zwift smart trainer $499. It is wildly inaccurate!!!). I set it up with my old 2003 Specialized Allez. It really got me back into cycling. I thought it would improve my speed and fitness in real life. It did not help me with my speed but I do feel better and I love the Zwift community. So I am hooked!
I really don't understand the exchange rates. 399GBP/399USD and 449 EUR like WUT :D?
have to loose 5 kg to be able to use my newly bought kickr core v2 . guess eating a snickers bar whilst typing this is not helping me get there . .
which one is the most quiet?
The only draw back , is that its zwift exclusive. I like riding on other apps .
Major inaccuracy, any version of the wahoo kickr before v6 is not compatible with the zwift cog. So the majority are not compatible which was a big setback.
It's such a shame the Zwift Cog & Click isn't compatible with the Tacx Flux S. It could have solved so many headaches, but buying an entirely new trainer solely for this feature simply isnβt realistic.
My issue. I have nothing. I don't have a bike to use on a trainer. A Zwift Ride + trainer is about over 1,000. That's not "on a budget". Happy to pay the cost of a trainer + zwift cog/click + a cheap used bike, but lack the knowledge of what to look for with a bike…
The biggest problem for entering this market is the lack of cheap all-in-one solutions that you can just buy the one thing and that's you, done.
How long until a bike manufacturer jumps on board and pairs with a trainer company to provide a barebones set up? Needs less parts than a full bike, so it should be cheaper than a trainer+bike purchase.
A winter bike jacket is so much cheaper though…
I know this is an advert for Zwift but why would you pay when MyWhoosh is free? Also it allows you to change from cycling to running wayyy easier than Zwift.
I HATE subscriptions so won't touch them with a barge pole.
My roller trainer might be old hat and low technology but I don't have to pay through the nose to use it.
Virtual shifting does NOT make things more immersive.
The most immersive experience is to use the drivetrain of you regular bike, especially if you're normally using mechanical shifting.
Virtual shifting does however simplify the shifting process. With a a dedicated cassette for your hometrainer, it's also a lot easier to switch your bike between being set up for indoors and outdoors. It also allows for a vast gear ratio. It's effectively a 24 speed cassette that skill work with your chainrings meaning you can effectively sit at 48 gears. On Rouvy, the gears seemingly go pretty low which means you can actually take on those 15% prolonged gradients (most budget friendly hometrainers don't exceed 15%) even as a heavy beginner with a low W/Kg.
Virtual shifting is convenient and quiet and that's reason enough for me to like it. It is not more immersive.
β€
Apart from the price, it is actually indoor training that puts me off indoor training
Im really dissapointed by the zwift kickr core. It leans heavily to the right
All fine but not into subscriptions. Just want a trainer I can put the bike on a pedal. Don't need all of the hoop-la of blue this or that. Just pedal.
My god, this is all so complicated.
Buy rollers. Get good at riding them. If you can to 2+ hours on them then you'll be in shape and be able to handle your bike in a straight line.
I love my old school trainer as I have yet to figure out how to remove and replace my rear wheel with out messing things up but I would love to get a more sophisticated set up so that I can use Zwifr with more accurate information.
Please pronounce Van Ryzel correctly!!!
thanks for the run down
I remember the good old days of the Cateye CS-1000 – where your rear wheel stayed on and your front wheel came off! Ahead of its time back then!
Zwift is Β£20 a month which is too expensive. Mywhoosh is very similar but totally free. Trainer day is similar to trainer road but only about Β£4/month. Training peaks virtual and rouvy are also cheaper than zwift. Zwift is definitely the leader in terms of racing I would say.
What do you think, could these trainers (D500 especially) survive a bit colder conditions in a garage? Between 5 and 10 Β°C in winter.
The fan was big change
What do I need screenwise? Is a chrome book enough, they're much cheaper than a laptop? However, it would be great if it all still worked offline. Especially shifting. Sometimes music alone is enough for me.