TURBO TRAINERS KIT ZONE
For many triathletes, a turbo trainer is essential. Sophisticated trainers allow us to do efficient sessions out of the cold and away from traffic, with training apps like Zwift making time pass and fitness increase without getting bored. When choosing yours, it’s important to consider goals, budget and your set-up. If you only dabble in the great indoors, aren’t particularly competitive and don’t have a dedicated training space, consider budget smart trainers to track power numbers reasonably accurately, or a ‘dumb’ trainer that just provides resistance. You could get started for under £300, and considerably less if you choose the latter.
Spend £1,000 or more on a latest generation smart trainer, and it’ll be highly accurate, calibrate itself, and may even move for an even more realistic experience. Deluxe trainers are heavy, though, so are best for those with a permanent ‘pain cave’.
Here’s a selection of the best trainers, with options to suit all budgets.
WAHOO KICKR MOVE
Wahoo’s newest smart trainer is essentially a Kickr on rails. For your extra £300 you get a new base providing 20cm of fore-aft motion, which Wahoo claims is ’a more realistic riding experience than ever before’. It also provides some lateral movement, although some of this is via Wahoo’s ‘AXIS feet’, which come in two sizes depending on your weight. Speaking of weight,
