How Smart Bikes Can Help You Survive the Winter

I once had a bike trainer years ago. It was an old Blackburn Trakstand. It was heavy and effective: got me through the off-season and shed a lot of pounds. During the awful New England winters, I would put my De Rosa into the trainer and pedal in my mom’s basement for hours. I’d have earphones on with some loud music blaring and some crumbling drywall to stare at for an hour. It was bliss.

The flywheel on this contraption was enormous and my back wheel would slip often. Getting it up to high revolutions meant the cylinder created vortexes in the basement. All you could hear was this turbine-like humming (hence the earphones). At the end of any particularly intense workout, I would take the bike off the stand and inspect the quick-releases. The weight of the trainer would inevitably chew up the finish of the quick-releases. Ah, the good old days.

This Is Now

These days bike trainers have embraced smart technology and interactive platforms. Long gone are the days of sweating to the beat of your own drummer in your basement. Today’s devices are lighter, quieter (and sturdier) than their predecessors. But the most exciting advancement is that you are no longer biking alone: you are competing interactively with other cyclists.

Smart Trainers

A Smart Trainer is essentially an interactive cycling trainer, connecting to popular apps like Zwift, FulGaz and Rouvy. The apps control the environment (replicating hills and wind), converting those elements into bicycle resistance. Within this virtual world, you can bike with other virtual cyclists in the program, or compete against them.

In addition, all the apps and technology records your wattage, cadence, heart rate and other data. The reports aren’t just distance and time. As a result, you can view the efficiency of your workout and compare your past performances.

Smart Investment?

However, there is a price to pay for all of this convenience and technology. These systems are not cheap. For example, Peloton has created its own Smart Bike linked to its staggeringly popular interactive platform. The cheaper bikes cost just over $2000. Plus, you need to shell out $36 / month for the subscription. At the end of the game you’re looking at a minimum $2,500 initial investment.

I bought my Blackburn Trakstand used for $50 in 2009.

Technology has moved indoor training toward an interactive online community. And that’s great: I’d much rather compete against someone in the basement than be reminded about the drywall I need to finish. It’s like the video games my millennial nephew plays, except they are more expensive and keep you active.

Spinning Indoors Vs. Riding your Bicycle Outside

Weather

Is it worth the price to have a fancy Smart Bike in your house? That’s a personal question that needs answering on multiple levels. For one, it depends on where you live and how brutal the seasons can be. In live in southern Sicily. The coldest it gets here in the winter is in the mid-40s with some heavy rain (occasionally a dusting of snow). I can wait out the bad days and go for an 80-kilometer ride in temps touching the mid-70s (did that two days ago).

I don’t need a contraption like this. But maybe you do, or at least you should consider it.

In the northern United States, winters can be brutal (and dangerous). No one I know “chooses” riding in the snow and sub-zero temperatures because it’s a good time (although riding in a warm, light rain can be good for you). The bike industry makes specific bicycles available – fat tire bikes – specifically manufactured to ride safely in the snow.

The winter is four months long. Can you afford to not touch your bicycle all that time on account of miserable weather? If not, consider a Smart Bike

Traffic

Weather isn’t the only factor governing a Smart Bike purchase. Maybe you have a gym membership and like your spin instructor. But do you want to drive to the gym in a snowstorm or during rush hour? What are the chances you’ll get stuck in traffic and miss the first 10 minutes? You may lose more time in the car than you do at the actual spin class.

Let’s say that weather wasn’t a problem where you live. Consider the traffic situation. If you live in a city like San Diego or Los Angeles, it may be a chore (or even dangerous) biking out of the urban sprawl. Maybe you can save your longer rides with friends on the weekends when you drive your bike out of town. But for now, compete with them on the interactive circuit.

Terrain

I once had a guest from Gainsville, FL. He loved to join me on many mountain trips like the Pyrenees and the French Alps. Problem is, there aren’t a lot of mountains in Florida. He used to tell me how he’d ride over the same bridge 100 times just to get 100m of elevation in a day.

That all changes with a Smart Bike.  He now dials the program he wants (mountain adventure, hill sprints, etc) and gets his training in the comfort of his own home. By not getting into his car, he saves time, precious fossil fuels, and can shower at home. And his schedule is not dictated by an instructor: he jumps on the trainer when he wants to.

Pro Competitions

You may think the Smart Bike concept is just a fad. Consider the UCI–the official body governing professional cycling events–is going online for interactive championships. It has become a serious business between the UCI and Zwift announcing a joint venture in hosting the world’s first Cycling esports world championship. So the Smart Bike could make you a world champion.

Still a non-believer? Here are 5 “cheaper” alternatives to the Peloton technology. These worthy competitors all exhibited this year at the Eurobike convention in Germany.

Virtuprocycling: VirtuPro Elite

These German chaps have staked their claim against the giants. They have a patented Automatic Magnetic Resistance (AMR) wheel guaranteeing you 99-100% of an accurate wattage measurement. This is a Smart Bike: meaning you buy the whole package – their bike and programs (just like Peloton). However, you also have the option of connecting to external platforms like Zwift. You can travel all over the world within the program and it allows you to set specific profiles for family members (a great way to get the millennials into cycling). You can even learn more about cycling through their online challenge modules.

Wahoo: KICKR

Those fitness gurus out of Atlanta, Georgia are not only making waves with their navigational equipment and bike computers but also with their Smart Bikes and Smart Trainers. There are plenty of options depending on what kind of budget you have. For example, if you can spend the cash on a Smart Bike, great: go for their KICKR. Need to save for rent? Then try their KICKR trainer. It is a modular system so you can add components to it as you like. Work in small and then go big.

This is one of the most realistic and accurate systems on the market, in a modest package. However, its sturdy construction allows you to beat it up as much as you can. The readings still stay accurate.

Obviously, all the Wahoo systems connect flawlessly with each other and you can install any popular platform on it.

Wattbike: Atom

The Atom from Saris calls itself, “the bike that will make you a better cyclist.” Used by Rugby teams, the British national track team and many others, the bike uses innovative technology called “climb mode” automating the resistance as the hill gets steeper.

With its “real-ride connectivity,” it gives you the ultimate experience in interactive realism. But most of all, it gives you a performance advantage. The data is precise enough for doctors and coaches to gear training. Maybe a little too much information for you but still a viable, cheaper alternative to other systems on the market.

Saris: H3 Direct Drive

For just under $1,000 ($999 to be exact) you can get the American made Saris H3. By “direct drive” we mean you put your drivetrain right into the trainer and pump away. Remember, this is a trainer, not a Smart Bike. But it turns your bike into the most intelligent machine on earth.

It has a wide design to accommodate all bicycle frames, eliminating wheel slippage. Inside the package Saris has installed an electromagnetic resistance wheel, capable of giving you accuracy within a few degrees. And you don’t need any external computers: it will measure speed, distance, wattage, everything you need.

Connect it to Zwift and blow the competition away.

Kinetic: Direct Drive Bike Trainer

The new generation of Kinetic bike trainers has gone super smart. These devices are app-controlled offering the best power-training workout available.

The R1 is impressive. At Eurobike, I had the chance to try out this trainer which sits on its own multi-pivoting base. So you bank turns naturally and roll over ordinary surfaces. In fact, Bicycling Magazine awarded the R1 the Best Natural Feel for Smart trainers. The resistance arrives via interactive connection and you can link it to any of the platforms available.  What’s especially nice is that the system is compatible with bikes requiring a thru-axle. With all the disk brakes you see these days, it’s nice to know someone thought of that.

What are your plans for staying in shape this winter? Comment below and let us know where you live and how you plan on staying in shape for spring. And we’ll see you on the interactive pavement!