THE BENEFITS OF INDOOR BIKE TRAINING

The Benefits of an Indoor Cycling Trainer

Why you ask? Why should you part with your hard earned money to buy a bicycling trainer? Well the answers SHOULD be obvious to most but if you are the kind of rider that takes 2 hours to watch 60 Minutes then we thought we would help you understand what the benefits of parting with your hard earned money might be.

The right indoor cycling trainer can be the closest exercise machine to simulate actual outdoor cycling. They are ideal for both apartments, condominiums and houses and some people take advantage of the benefits of cycling trainers in their own living rooms while others use them in their garages. Once the weather starts to cool down, cyclists and exercise enthusiasts can turn to an indoor cycling trainer.

What is an Indoor Cycling Trainer?

A bike trainer is a device that allows you to ride a bicycle indoors without actually moving. It is generally used by competitive cyclists for training or for regular cyclists who just don't want to lose their fitness level over the winter months. When it gets cold and dark out, the bike trainer is a great way to retain fitness until the hibernation is over.

There are several types of trainers.

Rollers

These rely on the rider's ability to balance. There is a belt drive to turn the front roller and this enables the rider to balance in the same way as if riding on the road. These are very good for developing smooth pedalling. Resistance can be provided by small belt-driven fans attached to the rollers' frame.

Devices that clamp to the rear end of the bicycle.

Clamps hold the rear end of the bike in place with a roller pressing against the rear wheel to provide the resistance

needed to give you a workout.

Frames that hold the front forks

These hold the front forks of the bicycle. Some have a bottom bracket clamp and a roller pressing against the rear wheel in the same fashion as the rear wheel clamped variety, and others with the rear wheel resting on two narrow rollers (these have more of a road feel as the rear wheel is free to move sideways). Resistance can be: Magnetic, Fluid, Air- -Resistance and Computer trainers. In one case – the Turbo spinner, where resistance is provided by air drawn through a squirrel cage fan- the air drawn through the fan cage is ducted back towards the rider's face and chest to provide lots of cooling.

There are also sophisticated varieties of trainer that incorporate software and the ability to provide on-screen opponents to make training sessions more interesting, a couple of these, the Tacx I-Magic and the Computrainer even allow you to pit yourself against other riders in other locations.

Why You Should Consider a Cycling Trainer

Training for Cycling: Professional cyclists and other competitive cyclists benefit from an indoor trainer for sport specific purposes. With an indoor trainer, they can continue to develop and maintain their skills as well as work on very specific parts of their strategy such as sprinting or out of saddle hill climbing. Cyclists have to stay in shape and ready for racing, especially when the weather turns cold. Unlike bike trainers, indoor exercise bikes do not offer the lifelike experience of outdoor cycling. You still retain the same riding position, handlebars, bicycle seat, and pedal clips as a road bike.

Staying Healthy: Cycling trainers are great devices for staying healthy. Many people do not enjoy jogging, going to the gym and riding a bike on the road. Having a simple machine indoors allows one to exercise to stay healthy and stay motivated. You can even set up the trainer in front of a television for added entertainment and to help the miles click by. Specialized DVDs are also available that will provide specific workouts that range from mild to grueling.

Losing Weight: Aside from being healthy, bike trainers actually cause you to sweat. This means that you are burning calories and potentially losing weight. With the resistance mechanism on the trainer, you can adjust the amount of resistance for a harder workout. When the weather is too cold or too hot for outdoor activities, you can use an indoor bike trainer to maintain your fitness program throughout the year.

Building Endurance: Because you hold the same body position and use the same bicycle parts with a bike trainer, you can actually build more endurance than most other indoor exercise machines. While there are different types of trainers, Rollers offer the most effective endurance building options. This is because Rollers do not support the bicycle and the rider must balance the bike on his own without coming off. This is a more challenging workout for anyone.

As  mentioned before, Indoor cycling trainers come in a variety of types that are categorized based on resistance. These include Magnetic, Fluid, Air-Resistance and Computer trainers. There are also Rollers and Turbo Trainers that function on a slightly different system. Each type of trainer offers its own benefits in terms of resistance, noise level and overall functionality.

Regardless of the type of trainer, both professional cyclists and exercise enthusiasts can take advantage of the numerous benefits provided..