Outside, it’s dark and freezing cold. Inside, Ruben Dhondt is sweating profusely, pushing 400 watts for 20 minutes on an indoor trainer. You may never have heard of him, but Dhondt is one of the best Esports cyclists in the world. The 25-year-old financial consultant is part of a growing group of indoor specialists capable of producing WorldTour-level power numbers.

What makes these riders remarkable is not just their performances in the virtual world, but their lives in the real world. Almost all of them work full-time jobs and squeeze elite-level training into half the volume ridden by pro road racers. These are the stories of people finding elite performance in the margins of everyday life.

Medicine by day, Medals by night

• Name: Francesca Tommasi
• Age: 27
• Lives: Verona, Italy
• Years Eracing: 3
• Occupation: Medical doctor
• Biggest result: 3rd – UCI Esports World Championships (2025)

With 1km to go in the 2025 UCI Esports World Championships, Francesca Tommasi was sitting fourth, seven points shy of the medals at her first ever Esports Worlds. But she wasn’t going to settle for fourth. Tommasi went all-in with a solo attack, risking everything, and she made it. The 27-year-old crossed the finish line and earned maximum points, moving her up into third and the final spot on the podium. It was the result of a lifetime for an Esports rider whose vocation is equally if not more demanding.

Occupation and sport have always gone hand-in-hand for Tommasi. She describes her time in medical school as “very challenging” in part because she was also competing as a professional runner. “I always thought it would be worth it," she says. “I believe that my sports side and my student side have never been in conflict, but rather they have strengthened each other: certain aspects of one helped me get through difficult times with the other, and vice versa.”

Tommasi was working towards her medical degree when she competed in the 2023 Giro d’Italia Donne. For a time, it was elite sport getting in the way of her profession, not the other way around. So she took a step back from road cycling, and in 2024 set her eyes on the UCI Esports World Championships. Training less than 15 hours per week, Tommasi is able to fit cycling around her professional schedule. “You can train at any time of day, and training sessions are more time-efficient and do not require the long hours typical of road cycling. For example, on very busy workdays I can fit my training into an hour or hour-and-a-half session, either before work or in the evening when I get home.”

Tommasi follows a simple training plan that allows time for work and recovery. Each week, “the sessions are varied and include high-intensity and low-intensity sessions, gym training and core stability work. Recovery weeks are built into the programme.”

As for nutrition, the Italian loves to cook. She describes a typical race morning: “I love eating toast with yogurt and marmalade and a piece of pie or plumcake that I usually make a day or two before.”

You might think that Tommasi would be kept busy by training, racing and being a medical doctor, but she also runs her own small business, baking cakes, breads, pizzas and pies. There is much more to her life than Eracing, and although she will target a repeat of her Worlds podium, the bigger picture includes a plan to open her own medical practice in the next year.

Tommasi follows a simple training plan that allows time for work and recovery. Each week, “the sessions are varied and include high-intensity and low-intensity sessions, gym training and core stability work. Recovery weeks are built into the programme.”

As for nutrition, the Italian loves to cook. She describes a typical race morning: “I love eating toast with yogurt and marmalade and a piece of pie or plumcake that I usually make a day or two before.”

You might think that Tommasi would be kept busy by training, racing and being a medical doctor, but she also runs her own small business, baking cakes, breads, pizzas and pies. There is much more to her life than Eracing, and although she will target a repeat of her Worlds podium, the bigger picture includes a plan to open her own medical practice in the next year

From Running Track to Zwift Podiums

• Name: Ruben Dhondt
• Age: 25
• Lives: Geraardsbergen, Belgium
• Years Eracing: 4
• Occupation: Financial consultant
• Biggest result: 2nd – Zwift Games Overall (2025)

Perhaps the most remarkable part of Ruben Dhondt’s rise to the top of indoor racing is that he has never raced outdoors. The former 800m runner took to Zwift in 2021 as “alternative training during the dark and cold winter days.” Dhondt had just been diagnosed with a hip impingement, putting an end to his track-and-field career.

Working remotely as a financial consultant, Dhondt lives with his parents and siblings at the base of the Muur van Geraardsbergen in Belgium. He works until 5:30pm, splits chores with his family, and trains in the evening. The 25-year-old is still able to train 15 hours per week.

Dhondt is self-coached, and uses these three pillars to achieve peak performance: “having fun, listening to my body, and consistency”. Dhondt does largely the same training week after week, rather than focusing on a training camp or goal race, which “means I need fewer rest periods so I can be more consistent over a long period.”

Though he keeps track of his training, he doesn’t complete structured workouts. Instead, he races himself fit. “I select a race I want to participate in and adjust my racing style to the training stimuli I need.”

Another contrast between Dhondt and professional road riders is his riding style. Like other runners-turned-cyclists, the Belgian prefers to ride out of the saddle at 65-75rpm. Rarely does he stay in the saddle for more than five seconds at a time, but the style works for him. When it comes to racing, Dhondt has one major quirk in this routine: he warms up next to his bike, not on it. Instead of a typical pre-race warm-up, “My warm-up is usually a 15-minute activation session that I do on a fitness mat – a habit from my track and-field career.”

Dhondt listens to upbeat techno music while racing, and always has the course profile in front of him. When it comes to specialised training methods, he has only one: heat training. “Heat training mirrors the effects of altitude training,” he explains, “and it is also less expensive than booking a trip to Calpe [in Spain].”

The rest of Dhondt’s training is basic but effective. “The difference between a good and great Esports racer can be found in marginal gains such as fuelling properly, taking supplements – caffeine, sodium bicarbonate, etc – effective recovery, getting enough sleep, focusing on protein intake and consistency.”

The Belgian had an exceptional 2025, earning top results in elite races throughout the year. He says that finishing second overall in the 2025 Zwift Games increased his “confidence and motivation that I could perform well in this sport.” That right there is a lesson in itself: confidence is critical. We have all been spat out the back of a Zwift peloton, wheezing and suffering, defeated and deflated. Don’t let it knock your confidence; it’s part of the learning process.

The racer who quit her job to discover her limits

• Name: Katerina Karamani
• Age: 28 Lives: London, UK Years Eracing: 2
• Occupation: On career break after 10 years in corporate finance
• Biggest result: 1st – MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club Endurance Climb

A decade ago, at 18 years old, Kat Karamani was “juggling a university degree, qualifying as a chartered accountant, working full-time in a demanding role at KPMG and training.” It may sound like a recipe for burnout, but she says it was “the most challenging period of my life and gave me a level of resilience that still underpins everything I do now.” A year ago, Karamani decided to take a career break from the corporate world and committed to Esports cycling. She is already competing at the highest level of verified racing.

Karamani trains more than any other Esports racer we’ve interviewed: 20 hours per week, plus daily yoga and stretching, and an hour of weekly core work. But the work doesn’t always come easy, as she has to balance training with work and family commitments. “I’m learning to be compassionate with myself and listen to my body,” she says. “I’ve learned to back off without spiralling into fear about losing fitness.”

"For me, the mental focus is what separates a good racer from a great one,” says Karamani. “The best riders are very good at staying present and not getting too caught up in the outcome. Instead, they focus on executing the next effort well.”

To find her best legs, Karamani’s routine includes course recon the day before a race, the same wake-up time and pre-race food. “I do a 15-minute warm-up, finishing about 10 minutes before the start,” she says. “I like to stretch and take a few minutes to get mentally in the zone, running through the course in my head. I don’t overthink weigh-ins, and I fuel and hydrate just as I would for a hard training session. Having these routines gives me a sense of calm and control.”

Karamani’s partner has four kids, “so family life is part of the picture.” When the going gets tough, she falls back on her routines, narrowing her focus, and minimising distractions. And Karamani is aiming big: the UCI Esports World Championships, to be exact. Having already worn the GB national team kit in the Worlds semi-final, the next step is earning a spot at the Worlds in Abu Dhabi.

Combining caring and competing

• Name: Elyse Gallegos
• Age: 39
• Lives: Huntsville, Alabama
• Years Eracing: 5
• Occupation: Registered nurse in neonatal ICU
• Biggest result: 11th – UCI Esports World Championships (2025)

Before flying halfway across the world to Abu Dhabi, UAE, Elyse Gallegos said goodbye to her two children, aged four and seven.

The registered nurse from Alabama, USA, trains 10-15 hours per week and competes alongside the best Esports cyclists in the world. While

her competitors have time to go to the gym, then have a massage or ice bath, Gallegos jumps straight from training to cooking for her children and helping them get ready for school.

Amid the chaos, Gallegos finds time to wake up at 1am to race the MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club, where she is a regular top-10 finisher. Her

results were so good that she was invited to compete in the UCI Esports World Championships, where she finished 11th in Abu Dhabi. Routines and planning are everything for Gallegos. This is how she prepares for a race: “I have notes written out for the course, bottles made, pedals charged, kit laid out, scales and video ready to go, so it’s just automatic when the 1am alarm goes off to race at 2am every Sunday.”

Gallegos does a 10-minute yoga session before weighing in for verified races, and this is all taking place at one in the morning. Gallegos does more gym work than most cyclists, fitting in three sessions per week on top of two high-intensity interval days and base miles. When it comes to fuelling, she has her pre-race routine dialled, consuming bicarb, electrolytes, carb mix, honey, and a caffeine tab between the weigh-in and race start.

At 39, Gallegos is still aiming to improve in the upcoming seasons. Her big goals this year are to finish on the podium in the MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club, and improve upon her 11th-place finish at the UCI Esports World Championships.

Indoor Incentives: Six-figure prize funds

Esports cycling has become a lucrative career for many athletes. Top earners can expect to win more than £100,000 per year in prize money, the majority of which comes from the MyWhoosh Sunday Race Club which offers thousands of pounds in prize money every weekend.

Some countries put on prestigious national championship events complete with a live audience, in-person racing, big prize money, and a coveted jersey. Denmark and Sweden are leading the way for in-person Eracing, and rumours are circulating about the formation of an Eracing international race calendar and Olympics aspirations.

I recently highlighted the brilliant Zwift Spring Sale, which featured the Zwift Ride Smart Frame at its best-ever price, and saved a massive $200/£200.

The Zwift Ride Smart Frame with the Wahoo Kickr Core 2 bundle, at up to 23% off, also matched the best-ever price, and a saving off $200/£200.

However, the clock is now ticking, and both these incredible Zwift deals end on March 31. So if you're looking to gear up with the best setup for Zwift, or already own a Zwift-compatible smart trainer and are upgrading to the outstanding Zwift Smart Frame, now is most definitely the time to do so.

Shop the Zwift Spring Sale – Ends March 31

A Zwift Membership is essential, of course, to use Zwift, and an Annual Membership is the best value option that comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee for new subscribers.

Right lets get to those Zwift deals...

Last chance Zwift Ride Smart Frame deals

In our Zwift Ride Smart Frame review, Tech Editor Simon Fellows reckoned it was, "a simple concept executed brilliantly". Which sort of says all you really need to know about the Zwift Ride. The Zwift Ride is compatible with nearly all of the best smart trainers, and there is a handy drop-down menu to check if your trainer is compatible before purchasing. Zwift says the Ride Smart Frame deal is only while stocks last, which suggests they maybe close to selling out.

Last chance Zwift Ride with Kickr Core 2 deals

The Zwift Ride Smart Frame with Wahoo Kickr Core 2 is one of the best options to consider if you're getting into indoor training for the first time. The Wahoo Kickr Core 2 is already our best value smart trainer, and it comes with the brilliant Zwift Cog and Click. Cog and Click enables silent, virtual shifting. It also gives users full control of gearing, but also in-game control of all of Zwift.

If you're not looking for a deal on Zwift and perhaps gearing up for summer, then why not head on over to the Cycling Weekly Amazon Spring Sale hub, where you'll find all the best Amazon deals on cycling essentials from Amazon's Spring Sale.

The clocks are about to change, the weather is getting warmer and many outdoor cyclists will be on the lookout for the arrival of swifts in the skies above the hills, a surefire signal that summer is on the horizon at last.

Meanwhile, for those who like to mix alfresco riding with and indoor pedalling, the online training and racing platform Zwift has just announced a raft of exciting spring and summertime drops to following on from the Big Spin, with new virtual velo experiences for riders to enjoy, including a whole lot gravel and some excellent additions to the Paris map in the Virtual Tour de France.

Veteran and high-flying Zwifters will also be thrilled to hear that the number of levels cyclists can smash through has been raised above 100 for the first time, and those who have achieved the century will be able to show this off on their status.

Grit hits

One of the big announcements for the new season is that Zwift are this year embracing gravel riding in a much bigger way, both with new bikes and maps. From 6 April, riders will be able to race Gravel Mountain, Zwift’s first gravel-only map, with designers promising digital ‘dust, speed and loose lines’.

How that will feel in reality we look forward to finding out, but the course is set in a visually vibrant red-rock environment with technical features including medians, corner berms and ultra-wide roads.

Launching on the same day, and continuing through to 3 May, is the PAS Racing Series. This four-stage gravel series will see riders tackling the Gravel Mountain maps, plus another new gravel route in Makuri Islands. Races will run hourly, and there will be a custom Pas Normal kit to unlock.

Of course, gravel bikes will be available from the Zwift Drop Shop, where 18 new bikes and 13 new wheelsets are going to be gracing the virtual shelves from this month, with a heavy focus on gravel gear.

• Grab the Zwift Ride with Wahoo Kickr Core 2 with up to 23% off, equalling its best-ever price.
• 20-minute effort or a ramp test - which Zwift FTP test should you do?

Virtual Tour de France

Zwift is the official software platform for the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, and for six weeks, between 2 July and 16 August, the Tour Fever Challenge will invite riders to complete five stages of racing, which includes some very exciting route additions, along with five new badges to chase.

Eagerly anticipated updates to the Paris map include the incorporation of the famous Montmartre climb, which proved massively popular in the real world when it starred in the road race route during the Paris Olympics. Last year's Tour incorporated three loops of Butte Montmartre during the final stage, to great acclaim, and it will now be a regular feature in the world’s greatest cycling event.

From 26 June, Zwifters will be able to experience what it’s like to virtually ride up the short but punchy cobbled climb to the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre for themselves.

Get out

Although built as a virtual platform, with the aim of combining gaming with fitness activity, Zwift’s designers have embraced the new season by putting one foot into the outdoors as well, offering guidance for real rides alongside the indoor training offering. The underlying concept is that committed riders should do both, in order to maintain peak fitness.

The company claims that Zwifters who continue to cycle indoors throughout the summer are 8% more likely to hit their riding goals than those who don’t, with new users experiencing an average FTP increase of +18 watts, compared to only a +7 increase for riders who stick the indoor bike in a corner and ignore it during the warmer months.

Over the summer months, as Zwift plans to launch its first indoor/outdoor challenges, which Zwifters will be able to connect to via their Wahoo, Garmin, or Hammerhead accounts. Ahead of that, from 6 April Zwift Camp: Breakthrough will support Zwifters as they prepare to transition to the summer season proper. This camp revolves around five workouts, focussing on fitness but also including drills to improve technique, stability and control for outdoor cycling.

Virtual training platform Zwift is about to fire the starting gun for the third iteration of its most popular pedalling challenge, The Big Spin.

Set entirely in the online world of Watopia, the 2026 event, themed 'Adventure is Calling', will see participants on indoor smart training systems like the Zwift Ride Smart take on four stages, virtually cycling through a quadrant of dramatically different environments across four weeks, beginning on Monday 16 March and lasting until 12 April (followed by a make-up week).

E-racing and indoor cycling has seen a spike in popularity in recent years, and initiatives launched by Zwift have been playing an active role in encouraging more women to get into competitive cycling.

The 'Adventure is Calling' tour kicks off with the Desert Discovery stage, which will be contested on the Flat Out Fast route across 21.4km of level terrain featuring just 46 metres of accumulated elevation - the perfect setting for fast group riding. From here riders will enter the imaginary jungle to take on the lumpier 21km-long Hidden Temple stage, with 147m of elevation, which utalises the platform's more demanding Mayan San Remo layout.

During week three, riders set off to the synthetic seaside for the undulating 26.3km Lost Coast Adventure stage, which rolls along the Southern Coast Cruise segment, enabling cyclists to sustain some decent pace.

The fourth and final stage, Titans Grove, takes place on the Sand & Sequoia set, where riders race along 20.1km of mixed digital dirt and asphalt, with 175m of elevation.

Along the way, participants will be able to tap into a rewards system, giving them the opportunity to unlock exclusive gear for their avatar, including footwear, headwear and eight different kits.

With the event spanning the holiday period, Zwift has hidden some Easter Eggs across the course, with Mystery Spinners placed at the end of some segments, through which riders who have completed the stage can score Big Spin 'vault' prizes (coveted items from previous Zwift Big Spins in 2024 and 2025, such as the BMX Bandit and the Atomic Cruiser).

The way the tour has been organised preserves the social culture of the challenge, with group rides setting off each hour on the half-hour mark for people who prefer to pedal in a virtual peloton.

Alternatively, you can use the Big Spin to organise Meetups, Club Rides, do the route during a workout or just ride the stages solo whenever suits.

I recently highlighted the brilliant Zwift Spring Sale, which features the Zwift Ride with the Wahoo Kickr Core 2 bundle, matching the best-ever price on the Ride. However, Zwift has now added the Zwift Ride Smart Frame to its sale, and it's at a record-low price, saving you up to $200/£200.

Which is fantastic news. If, like me, you already have a Zwift-compatible best indoor smart trainer like the Wahoo Kickr Core 2. As it means you can upgrade your current indoor setup to the brilliant, faff-free solution for considerably less.

Right now, and for the first time, Zwift has dropped a huge $200/£200/€200 off its standalone smart frame, taking the Zwift Ride Smart Frame down to just $599/£549/€599.

The Zwift Ride is an all-in-one indoor cycling solution that’s always ready to go. In Fellows Zwift Ride review, he gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars. Even at its full RRP, he thought it was an incredible value for money choice when compared to the best indoor smart bikes from rival brands like Peloton, Wattbike and Wahoo.

Fellows branded it as "a simple concept executed brilliantly" and the "ultimate smart bike for Zwifties".

Given the star rating and the overwhelming positive quotes above, you won't be surprised to know Simon really didn't find much wrong with the Zwift Ride. His only real critique was the lack of crank length adjustment, which, in his opinion, would have elevated it to a perfect 5 out of 5.

As I mentioned, the Zwift Ride Smart Frame is a fantastic upgrade, If you already own a Zwift Ready or Zwift Cog Compatible smart trainer. The Ride can unlock the full potential of Zwift and thats is largely in part due to its built-in handlebar controllers. The real beauty is that it's always ready to use, no trailing your outdoor bike through the house, removing wheels, and just the general faff involved there.

So, if what you're looking for this spring is to get serious about your training and sort out a proper Zwift setup, the Zwift Ride Smart Frame is without doubt one of the best places to start.

It's worth noting that Zwift Ride and the Cog system are only compatible with Zwift, so if you already subscribe to another platform, then you will need to subscribe to Zwift on top.

All the Zwift Ride Smart Frame deals are live now, with full details below. They run from now until 31st March, so we'd advise grabbing yours now, as with all the best cycling deals, it's only while stocks last.

If you aren't looking to upgrade your indoor riding setup this spring, why not head over to our Amazon Spring Deal Days hub, which my colleague Matt has curated and was genuinely surprised by how good the deals were. He has found 33 bargains for cyclists this spring.

This includes deals like 20% off the Cycplus AS2 electric bike pump and the lowest ever price on the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt 3.

When I told people I was going to ride a spin bike for 24 hours straight, it was met with a lot of raised eyebrows. It’s understandable, once you learn I can’t actually ride a bike. And yet there I was, signing up for Bigmoose’s Project 1 Million, volunteering in a team of five, among hundreds of people, to cycle for an entire day. I was ready to find out just how much a spin bike could take out of someone with zero endurance experience.

Signing up to Project 1 million – in an effort to help raise £1,000,000 to fund mental health therapy – I had envisioned an entirely different experience; sitting in a quiet room, spinning, maybe listening to a podcast. I expected boredom to be a big challenge here. I was very wrong.

The atmosphere was like nothing else I’ve experienced. With the themed music hours, spin instructors, lively hosts and fun performances, there was constantly some sort of distraction from the growing aches and pains.

It was the people involved that really levelled up the experience, whether it was the friends and family of spinners cheering people on, the amazing volunteers filling up water bottles and giving out unlimited sweets or other spinners giving their words of encouragement after their sessions on the bike, this is really what made the event as special as it was.

The one thing I did let myself down on was preparation.

In my defence, I originally signed up for one hour on the bike to begin with. It was only four days prior that I eventually agreed to 24 hours. I was entirely winging it and that was quite obvious.

I did, however, really believe I had outdone myself in the snack department. I turned up with a sandwich bag for every hour. This was great for the first few hours but, by the time I had eaten six bananas and so many handfuls of bland crackers and rice cakes, my plan went out the window. I just wasn't hungry at all and the very unappetising selection of snacks did not help my case at all.

At around the midnight mark my team ordered pizzas. I knew I needed to keep eating and this sounded like the more appealing approach. Whilst it felt great in the moment, I am convinced that those few pizza slices were the cause of my early morning slump that only the coffee given to me by a lovely stranger at 7.30am could save.

Something many people have also questioned me on is my choice of clothing. It was a given that everyone would be wearing the same orange spotty tees that Bigmoose friends always champion, so I didn’t feel I had to have much thought over my outfit. My lack of experience meant I hadn’t even considered the thought of padded cycling shorts. The silver lining of this is that people were impressed all the more but I certainly would not recommend it.

Here are the things I learned...

Inexperience wasn’t a disadvantage

I really had no business signing up to an endurance ride, with barely any skill or knowledge. I only started taking up spin classes two months before the event; this is ultimately what made me realise this was the kind of challenge I needed in my life.

Surprisingly, being a novice had its perks. Without expectations or bad habits to unlearn, I could focus entirely on the essentials: keep pedalling, stay hydrated, and get through each hour.

Somewhere between hours five and ten, I realised I was learning something bigger than just cycling technique; I was building patience, persistence, and the strange pride that comes from doing something you never thought you could.

By the end, I understood that endurance isn’t something you’re simply born with and sometimes, the hardest challenges teach you the most about yourself. For the first time, I felt like I could push through uncertainty and actually surprise myself.

If surviving as a total novice was a victory, enduring the endless spin routines was the real test.

Endurance is built by showing up again

As well as the general spinning, there were spin classes which ran every other hour, all led by my team, Studio Tarw, and I did pretty much every single one.

Some sessions were deceptively easy like the 8am spin, 20 hours in, which somehow felt like a breeze. Others, like the 6am class at hour 18, felt like the bike was winning. At about 4:30am, I began to regret every decision I had made up to that point.

It’s only when people start saying, "It’s OK, you’ve only got 8 hours left", that you really begin to understand the scale of things.

Endurance isn’t linear. Your legs don’t care how fun a routine may be; they just keep reminding you that they exist. But the variety helped in its own way. Between classes there were interviews, live bands, video tributes, and emotional talks from people that had been helped by Bigmoose, a mental health charity. It was exhausting, emotional, chaotic and exactly the kind of distraction my legs needed to keep pedalling.

Purpose changes how suffering feels

Purpose doesn’t make your legs less tired or your hips less sore, but it changes how the struggle feels. I wasn’t just spinning for me; I was spinning for the people whose stories filled the room, for the cause behind the chaos, and for the small sense of pride that comes from doing something you never thought you could.

Seeing how Bigmoose supports mental health, and knowing that my efforts contributed to that, gave every pedal a new weight, one that was meaningful rather than miserable. By the time I made it through, I realised that simply showing up, pedalling through hour after hour, and refusing to quit was a huge personal achievement in itself.

Spin bikes are their own kind of torture

If you’d asked me before this challenge what a spin bike could do to a person, I would have given a vague shrug. Now I know. It’s relentless. Your legs ache in ways you didn’t know were possible, your hips and back stage a constant protest, and the minutes can feel like hours. The physical and mental pain can make you question why you ever sat on one in the first place.

Of course, this is probably true of an ordinary bike too, but I don't know that feeling.

The fact this feeling of suffering was shared created a powerful camaraderie. Strangers came up to cheer me on, to offer a smile, a word of encouragement or a coffee. The communal struggle turned the torture into something inspiring. Your body might hurt, but your heart swells a little, too.

By the end, I understood that spin bikes are brutal, unforgiving machines. But they’re also the perfect stage for people to show up for each other, and for small acts of encouragement to turn exhaustion into achievement. Pain became pride, struggle became community, and surviving the spin bike felt like a triumph in more ways than one.

A full day on a spin bike is brutal. But so is skipping the chance to do something meaningful. Thanks to Bigmoose, I got to push my limits, cheer on strangers, and feel part of something bigger than myself. Whether on a bike, on your feet, or cheering from afar, the charity lets everyone make an impact and if I had any advice it would be to get involved (and wear padded cycling shorts) because you can do hard things.

And between now and the next Bigmoose event, my next big challenge will be... learning to ride a bike.

Every year, Zwift runs the Tour de Zwift - the indoor training app's biggest virtual tour to help riders keep fit and ready for the outdoor season. While this is open to riders across the globe, it's particularly popular in the Northern Hemisphere, where inclement weather forces training indoors.

Tour de Zwift is a six-week event that takes place from 5 January to 22 February, with three distances available per event: Long, Standard, and Short, which Zwift says 'can be ridden or raced'. The tour is not just for cyclists; runners can enjoy shorter events of between 5-10km, depending on the time of the week.

While most riders and runners will use this event to unlock routes and farm XP points, dedicated indoor enthusiasts can enter the Ultimate Challenge, which comprises finishing every distance (long, standard, short) across all six stages, totalling 557.9km. To sweeten the deal, not only will you receive a 12,500 XP boost, but every Zwifter who completes the Ultimate Challenge will earn an entry for a chance to win a TDZ x Pedal Mafia Zwift Ride Smart Frame.

The Zwift Ride was designed to deliver the ultimate experience on the Zwift platform. The Ride combines all of Zwift’s best tech – Zwift Play controllers, Zwift Cog, and Zwift’s virtual shifting – in a well-priced 'smart bike' that is easy to maintain, clean, and move from room to room. While we've seen many users customising their Zwift Rides on Instagram, the TDZ x Pedal Mafia Zwift Ride Smart Frame won't require any personalisation, as it comes outfitted in a limited-edition Tour de Zwift-themed colourway, dominated by shades of peach, green, and cyan.

Tour de Zwift 2026 route and stages

Stage 1: Makuri

Long: 49.3km/695m
Medium: 35.1km/316m
Short: 34.6km/196m

Stage 2: France

Long: 51.2km/336m
Medium: 35.2km/193m
Short: 19.8km/241m

Stage 3: Innsbruck / Yorkshire / Scotland

Long: 36.9km/656m
Medium: 29.6km/547m
Short: 20.8km/211m

Stage 4: London

Long: 40.9km/565m
Medium: 23.6km/164m
Short: 20.3km/219m

Stage 5: Watopia

Long: 25.3km/1,167m
Medium: 25.3km/537m
Short: 19.1km/157m

Stage 6: New York / Richmond

Long: 40.2km/315m
Medium: 33.7km/261m
Short: 5km (12km lead-in)/19m

Riders can purchase the real-life limited-edition Zwift x Pedal Mafia Tour de Zwift kit via Pedal Mafia and can sign up for the event on Zwift.

Winter is a challenging time for cyclists, but indoor cycling has made things easier. While there are many indoor training apps to choose from, Rouvy differs from Zwift and MyWhoosh by allowing you to ride real-world routes from around the world in vivid detail. To help get through the dregs of winter and even beat the Rapha Festive 500, the Czech company has launched a virtual training camp designed to get you ready to tackle the summer cycling season head-on. The camp combines training plans and workouts from WorldTour outfits, Team Visma | lease-a-Bike, and Lidl-Trek, including iconic training camp destinations around Europe.

The training camp comprises a three-month block that you can break up to suit your needs. Choose from an intense four-week intensity block to a full-on 12-week base plan - all of which has been created by WorldTour coaches. The winter training camp runs from December 2025 to February 2026 on the same routes as the professionals, and also includes opportunities to join virtual group rides with Team Visma | Lease a Bike and Victor Campenaerts.

The Base Builder is a 12-week plan created by the coaches of Team Visma | Lease a Bike. The program follows contemporary training principles and is used by riders such as Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert. There are 39 workouts to choose from, designed to build a solid foundation and unlock aerobic performance.

If you’re looking for a quick-fire FTP-boosting block, the four-week plan designed by Lidl-Trek’s sports scientists uses shorter, progressive workouts to develop threshold and speed. It’s designed for experienced riders looking to increase their functional threshold power.

One of Rouvy’s unique selling points is real-world video with an avatar overlay, creating an immersive experience unlike other indoor cycling apps - this is a real benefit when it comes to giving users the same visual stimulus and European routes as the pros who spend much of their winter riding in these warm, exotic climates. Riders can look forward to stunning views from Calpe in December, before heading to the volcanic island of Tenerife in January and Girona in February.

All three destinations feature a collection of brand-new routes. Six from Calpe and Costa Blanca, including the iconic Coll de Rates and Vall d'Ebo climbs, eight from Tenerife (including Pico del Teide), and four routes from Girona and the Costa Brava region.

If you’re not up for committing to a training plan or prefer riding as you go, Rouvy subscribers have a unique opportunity to ride with Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s Victor Campenaerts on 1 January 2026 at 3pm GMT (free trials available for new users who want to join the ride). To ensure you don't miss out, register in the Rouvy app.

The Wahoo Kickr Core remains one of the best smart indoor trainers and is used by many riders who use indoor cycling and racing to stay fit. Its popularity stems from the unit's reliability, durability, and relative accuracy, not to mention a price point that doesn't require a second mortgage. Having first launched in 2018, there’s a new model in town – the Kickr Core 2.

While it borrows a host of modcons from the range-topping Wahoo Kickr V6, the Atlanta, Georgia-based company has kept most of the design blueprint unchanged over the original Core, which is good for two reasons: it keeps the price down and retains the familiarity that made the original such a well-received and successful unit.

The new features have elevated the overall package, boosting perceived quality while maintaining the realistic, refined user experience that the Core platform has built its reputation on.

Design details

The Kickr Core 2 is almost identical to the outgoing model, retaining the same body design and graphics, belt-drive configuration, and flywheel. While this might be disappointing to some, it ensures the Core 2 fits with Wahoo’s corporate identity and keeps pricing in line with the outgoing model – something that will appeal to both current and prospective users, given the cost-of-living crisis and rising supply chain shortages and costs.

That said, there are some structural changes around the legs and feet, which represent improvements. Where the original Wahoo Kickr Core utilised rounded legs, the Core 2 features a new colour-coded mounting bracket and flat legs, which are claimed to improve stability and provide a better support and pedalling platform. It all looks rather refined and well-manufactured.

Eagle eye users will notice a few small but significant details on the unit itself. This includes the Wi-Fi logo and a multi-colour LED panel, introduced to aid diagnostics and troubleshooting. How it all works is somewhat complicated, but the upper LED indicates the connection status (Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) and flashes depending on the number of connections. The lower LED has five flash modes: green (power), white (flywheel movement), orange (Zwift protocol), purple (virtual shifting), and red (errors).

While Wahoo has improved the package quite significantly, two features have been omitted: a Direct Connect Ethernet port and a carry handle. Neither is a deal breaker, but at a claimed 13.6kg (14.1kg actual), some users might struggle to move it from room to room or up and down stairs. I’m inclined to overlook this, given what it brings to the entry-level smart-trainer segment.

Specifications

The Wahoo Kickr Core 2 can be purchased in several configurations, including the Zwift Cog and Click (pictured here), an 11-speed cassette version, and the Zwift Ride/Core 2 bundle. Whether you opt for the Zwift Cog or cassette option, the price is the same. Pictured here is the Core 2 with Zwift Cog and Click, an all-inclusive package designed exclusively for Zwift. It features virtual steering with 24 gears and allows you to control the entire application via the Click buttons.

The key specifications include a maximum power output of 1,800W, Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity, 16% gradient simulation, and a claimed maximum accuracy deviation of +/-2 per cent – the same as before. Updates over the outgoing Core include Kickr Bridge (data from heart rate monitors and other controllers directly through the trainer to your training app), automatic firmware updates, Race Mode, Wi-Fi, automatic spindown (zero-offset calibration), and virtual shifting.

At 52 x 59.7 x 47cm, the Core 2 is identical to the outgoing Core but is significantly lighter at a claimed 13.6kg vs 18kg. Put to our scales of truth, the Core 2 registered an actual weight of 14.1kg with Zwift Cog fitted, 14.3kg with an 11-speed cassette and 13.9kg without the cassette or Zwift Cog. It’s compatible with different wheel sizes, but unlike its pricier V5 and V6 siblings, it has a fixed height.

Owing to the unchanged innards and moving parts, the Kickr Core 2 features the same direct-drive, belt design, complete with a 5.4kg flywheel and an electromagnetic resistance unit; it utilises essentially the same flywheel as the 2016 and 2017 Kickrs.

Set up

The entire setup experience is intuitive and easy to carry out. It's so easy, in fact, you might not even need the instruction manual. The box includes the Kickr Core 2 unit with pre-fitted Zwift Cog, Zwift Click buttons, two flat legs, and AC power adaptor. Other bits and accessories include the four bolts for the feet assembly (complete with 6mm Allen key), thru-axle adaptors, a quick-release skewer, and a 1.8mm spacer (included with the cassette version only).

The axle adaptors (12x142mm and 12x148mm) and quick-release skewer allow you to fit older or newer versions of the best road bikes to the Core 2. To fit my Cannondale SystemSix, I required the 12x142mm adaptors. Unlike some older smart trainers, the Kickr Core 2 has clearance on either side of the flywheel to safely install a contemporary disc-brake road bike – no caliper rub here. There will be no issues for gravel or mountain bikes either.

Pro tip: because of the single cog at the rear, you'll need to shift your derailleur to center it under the Zwift Cog – failure to do so will result in misalignment and a horrible rubbing noise. Once you've found the correct position, you can also fine-tune the chain alignment by cycling through one of 10 positions to find the quietest setting. That said, even with the straightest chainline, there's still some chain noise, but nothing too obtrusive.

There's a bit of assembly required before you can get going on Zwift. To make things easy, Wahoo has pasted some chevron stickers on the feet and the underside of the unit's mounting bracket to ensure correct alignment and fitment. All that's required is to tighten the two-bolt configuration on each leg with the 6mm Allen key included in the box. The next step, if you don't already have the Zwift Play Controllers, is to mount the Zwift Click buttons to your handlebars or the inside of the controls/shifter – I prefer the latter.

The fastening procedure of Clicks is not very refined, requiring a double-up of two rubberised bands on each end, but they do the job. The Zwift Clicks feature a new design that gives users complete control over the app, including menu navigation, shortcut buttons, and Virtual Steering. To wake the Clicks, press any button; they will light up via their LEDs when they are ready for pairing. Once paired through the app, the LED will glow solid blue and automatically enter 'sleep mode' when disconnected from the game.

While the Core 2 is compatible with the best indoor training apps, the model pictured here is Zwift-compatible only. You'd need to remove the Zwift Cog and fit a cassette should you wish to pair it with MyWhoosh and other apps. Once you've got it built and have mounted your bike, you'll need to connect the Core 2 to the Wahoo app and your Wi-Fi network to make firmware updates a breeze – once connected, Wahoo will roll out updates automatically.

Performance and accuracy

As expected with all Wahoo Kickr units, the Kickr Core 2 is smooth in operation with a realistic road feel. The unit reacts well to gradient changes in Zwift but is found wanting in terms of inertia owing to the 5.4kg flywheel. While this sentiment might sound a bit harsh, compared to the Kickr V5 and V6, it's still very refined and shares many similarities with its premium siblings.

The Zwift Cog is compatible with ERG mode, and while I don't use this feature very often, it allows you to remain in a single gear for your entire workout because the trainer's resistance adjustments make shifting irrelevant, provided you dial in a steady cadence to avoid unnatural resistance from the 'spiral of death' (this occurs when a trainer in ERG mode increases resistance as your cadence drops).

Having used the new built-in Wi-Fi on the Kickr V6, I can confirm it works flawlessly, with no drop-outs recorded during my testing protocol. Like the V6, it also gets the auto spin down feature, which automatically calibrates the trainer whenever you coast or come off the pedals – compensating for temperature swings and ensuring accurate performance. As a rider who does a fair bit of eSports racing, I still suggest a manual zero offset (calibration spindown) after your first ride or whenever you move the unit to ensure the best performance. If at any point you are unsure of the power readings, you can connect your cycling computer to a secondary power meter (pedal, crankarm, or spider power meter) and dual-record to check how the two devices align. While the Core 2 doesn't quite meet the 1% minimum accuracy requirement for elite-level cycling esports racing, the 2% claimed accuracy is within acceptable levels for entry-level, direct-drive smart trainers.

To test the Core 2's accuracy, I conducted several rides and intervals, but felt the lack of repetition in some of the Zwift races I completed forced me to dig deeper and record better intervals than standalone workouts. All my testing was carried out in sim mode, as I feel it's more realistic and natural than ERG mode.

If we look at the graphs, the Core 2 tracked within +-2 % across the power curve. While the 1-second power appears to be off by 4%, given that the Core 2 and Favero Assioma Duo pedals could be reading +/-2% in either direction, there's nothing really ominous to report here. The longer the sprint went on, the closer the two power meters aligned, with the 5- and 15-second figures coming in at 0.39% and 0.81%, respectively. The average power for the whole session was pretty close at 324.3W (Wahoo Kickr Core 2) vs 319.4W (Favero Assioma Duo).

The longer-interval comparisons looked good, too, with the 1-, 5-, and 10-minute power showing a deviation of 2.05% at the worst. For me, the 20-minute power comparison is the most essential metric, as many indoor workouts don't last much longer than 30-45 minutes. Looking at the power curve, the Core 2 and Favero Assioma Duo power pedals tracked within 7 watts of each other, with the pedals reading slightly lower at a deviation of just 2.17%. This is very good.

Since the Kickr platform uses software and clever algorithms to estimate cadence, I didn't really focus too much on these figures, but it's worth stating that the Core 2 and Favero Assioma Duo pedals were within 0.95% of each other: 62.7 vs 63.5rpm.

Value

Despite the £499.99 / $US549.99 / €549.99 sticker price, Wahoo has done well to keep it in line with the outgoing Core's RRP of £499, which is incredible considering the original Kickr Core retailed at £699 when it first launched in 2018.

Looking at its rivals, the Core 2 goes head-to-head with the new Elite Rivo with Zwift Cog and Click, and, to a lesser extent, the Van Rysel RCR with Zwift Cog and Click. The Elite Rivo looks impressive on paper with a similar pricing to the Core 2; £499.99 / $US499.99 / €519. While it offers the same gradient simulation as the Core 2 and built-in Wi-Fi functionality, the claimed +/-2.5% accuracy falls short of the Core 2.

The Van Rysel RCR might lack the brand cachet of the Core 2 and Rivo, but it's the brand's range-topping unit and naturally boasts an array of impressive specifications such as a maximum deviation of just 1%, max power output of 2,800W, and gradient simulation of up to 27%. These are impressive features and specifications, but it comes at a cost – £749.99 / $US999 / €798.99. Like the Core 2 and Rivo, it comes factory fitted with a Zwift Cog, making it compatible with all bikes.

As it stands, there's a lot of choice here, but Wahoo has forged a reputation as one of the best smart trainers in the business with a refined and realistic riding experience and an after-sales service network to boot. Not only is it nearly £250 / $US449 / €249 cheaper than the Van Rysel RCR, but it also benefits from a better feature set than the similarly priced Elite.

For what it's worth, the Van Rysel, Elite Rivo, and Core 2 all come with a 2-year warranty for peace of mind while riding.

As an aside, with Black Friday almost upon us, there's every chance you'll be able to pick up the outgoing Wahoo Kickr Core and Kickr Core 2 on a deal, so make sure you give our Black Friday Bike Deals hub a browse to avoid missing out.

Verdict

The entry-level smart trainer segment is saturated with options of all price points and specifications, but the new Wahoo Kickr Core 2 has raised the bar and refined the concept – it's the undisputed new leader.

Tech spec: Wahoo Kickr Core 2 with Zwift Cog and Click

RRP: £499.99 / $US549.99 / €549.99
Weight: 14.1kg with Zwift Cog
Connectivity: WiFi, ANT+ FEC, ANT+ Power, Bluetooth FTMS and Zwift Protocol
Companion app: Yes
Accuracy: +/-2%
Max power: 1,800W
Max grade: 16%
Freehub compatibility: Zwift Cog, Shimano 9/10/11/12-speed road cassettes, Shimano 12-speed MTB, Campagnolo 9/10/11/12-speed, SRAM NX 12-speed with Shimano body and SRAM 12-speed (with XD/XDR body)

I spend most of the year traveling between the biggest road races in the world but having spent the weekend at the 2025 UCI Esports Cycling World Championships, I think there’s a thing or two that the road calendar could learn from the increasingly popular virtual world…

It’s not an arms race

Big budget teams win big prizes, that’s just the way it is on the road and it’s not just a case of hoovering up the best riders. To compete at the highest level you need a lot of cash. For example, Remco Evenepoel’s dominance in time trials isn’t just down to his legs, but also a very expensive bike and many hours spent in a very expensive wind tunnel to optimise his position.

It’s the same on the track, so much so that a cost cap similar to F1 is being introduced to prevent wealthier nations such as Australia, Team GB and Japan from gaining an advantage which is out of reach for many of the lower budget nations and competitors.

Compare that to the Esports Cycling World Champs and things couldn’t be more different. I spotted just three team bikes for example. The rider’s accommodation and transport is paid for by event organisers MyWhoosh, and the equipment such as smart trainers and fan are provided by Elite. As for the bikes, well, I haven’t seen that many rim-brake bikes in one place for a good 5 years or so.

In fact, many of the bikes feature fairly low tier stems and handlebars, decade old frames are commonplace and front wheels that you could find on an online marketplace for less than the price of the bearings in the World Tour substitute. Why is this the case? Well, the bike makes next to no difference, as long as the gearing is working and to the rider’s taste then concepts such as aerodynamics, weight and frame compliance fade into the inconsequential.

The strongest rider more than often wins...

Part of the thrill of road racing is that literally anything can happen - a puncture, an untimely crash, an ill-positioned camera motorbike or sometimes even riders being sent the wrong way. Exciting for the fans, yes, but is it fair? Fairness doesn't really come into it. How many victors have we been robbed of due to ill fate over the years? Would Mads Pedersen have a Paris-Roubaix title to his name, for example? We’ll never know.

At this year’s UCI Esports Cycling World Champs it’s almost impossible to argue that the two strongest riders didn’t win. Jason Osborne in the men’s and Mary Kate McCarthy in the women’s dominated their respective categories and they had the platform on which to prove their superiority to the world. No tacks, over-enthusiastic fan with a flag or potential landslide could prevent it. Can the same be said for road racing?

It’s far more spectator friendly

I love watching road racing; I'm lucky enough to work in an industry where I can generally have it on in the background and (kind of) call it work but I’m all too aware that I’m in the minority and that cycling has a looming audience problem.

Millions tune in for the Tour de France but where are these ‘fans’ the rest of the year? Why are more and more cycling races being pulled from free-to-air platforms? The truth is, many cycling supporters are watching the YouTube highlights in the evening rather than six hour stages.

A good example of this is my favourite road race on the calendar, Milan-San Remo, the first and longest monument of the season, with a length of 297km. The fastest riders will complete this at break neck speeds of just over six hours, but how much of it is worth watching? Well, 99% of the action is almost guaranteed to happen in the last 30 minutes.

Compare that to the Esports Worlds and there were three stages for both the men and the women, with each trio of races taking under an hour to complete.

In this time, there’s points up for grabs literally every minute or so and the whole thing is streamed for free on YouTube. With diminishing attention spans I think road cycling is going to have to adapt to retain audiences and the Esports model has a lot of positives.

Whether this is an increased number of intermediate sprints counting towards GC times, shorter more intense races or more transparency of heart rate and power data, I don’t know, but there’s some exciting ideas that road cycling could borrow.

Equal race distances and prize money

Controversial I know… I’ve read the comments on Facebook from the last article we wrote about this. The Esports Worlds featured identical stages for the men and women bar a slight difference in pace of the chase line in Stage 1. The prize money was also identical, just as it is for MyWhoosh’s Sunday Race Club races.

Equal prize money and race distances is rarely the case in professional road cycling as well as major races happening at different times of the year for each gender. The indoor cycling model meant that the men’s race was immediately after the women’s with each benefitting from the increased fan base and atmosphere.

On the road, people camp out from early morning to secure the best spots. How cool would it be if these fans got to see twice the action on the same day? I wouldn’t mind betting it would open a lot of eyes to how exciting races from both genders can be. This might happen at some races, like the Tour of Flanders, but why not more?

It’s far more likely to find hidden future talent

Anyone can qualify for these Worlds. You don’t need to belong to a team, you don’t need to be a known name, you just need an indoor trainer and a WiFi connection. This year’s edition had an allocation of spots for national governing bodies and then up to 40 slots for public qualification. Where else can you battle it out with the best as a completely unknown cyclist?

Road racing has been dominated by European riders since its inception, that’s where the majority of the teams are after all, but there’s just as much talent from other continents waiting to be discovered and road cycling isn’t doing enough to find it. Esports adds another pathway to a pro-contract. Win the Worlds, whatever the format, and people are going to take notice.

Muov is a UK-based brand that aims to offer a more realistic experience during indoor training. It also boasts extremely high levels of accuracy with a claimed +/- 1%.

In my view however, excelling at being an indoor trainer doesn’t necessarily mean achieving perfect realism. From my experience over several months of riding the Muov I've found it enhances and makes indoor riding it's own thing and that in turn, makes it more fun.

That’s not to say the Muov bike lacks realism. In fact, short of riding on your own bike this is the most realistic indoor cycling experience available, featuring moving bars and a tilting action that, once you get used to it, is genuinely brilliant.

I first learned about the Muov TiltBike at an event a few years ago where they hosted demos featuring pros and punters riding the bikes, seemingly having a great time. Seeing the row of Muov bikes set up in front of large screens reminded me of waiting for my turn on Sega Rally in our local arcade.

The bike has undergone several updates since then, likely improving feel and appearance, and the current version feels very polished.

The frames are made from carbon fibre here in the UK, where they can also be custom painted to order. The frame comes in three sizes – small, medium, and large – and stem, bar width, and saddle options are configurable to match your fit. The cranks are adjustable in seven increments, ranging from 150mm to 175mm, simply by placing the pedal axle in the threaded hole marked for your preferred length, just as you would attach a normal pedal to your crank. Q-factor – the distance between the pedals across the axle – is similar to that of a road bike, 150mm.

When detached from the heavier base, the frames are quite light (5.9kg) and could be neatly stored against a wall in your garage or training space. If you’re compromised on space, it’s good to know you can actually tidy it out of the way if you need to. The base is portable too, although not light at 35.9kg. All up the device is 41.8kg total.

Swapping or fitting the frame is straightforward, with a solid, secure, and squeak-free connection designed to last and withstand regular changes. I’ve hardly needed to adjust mine, but it’s simple and feels logical. The base system, like most smart bike trainers, has most of its mass at the rear, making it easy to move around, without the frame on top, and it’s designed to be stored against a wall if needed. I’ve kept mine set-up constantly but tried storing it temporarily, which proved straightforward. It’s not light to move around, but you’re not stuck with it in place like you would be with a Wahoo, Stages, or Wattbike product. Thankfully it’s also easy to set up when needed.

That said, it somewhat reduces the point of a dedicated trainer if you put it away each time. The main benefit of a smart bike trainer is to jump on and ride without set-up sapping your motivation.

The custom painting option is cool. You might say what’s the point of fussing over a custom paint job for a bike that never leaves your house? It might seem extravagant, but it’s perfect if aesthetics matter to you, or you enjoy the thrill of styling something just the way you want it. Few training devices – treadmills, ergs, rowers – come in anything other than black, so having a Muov bike painted to match your training space, gym, or existing fleet, might be a big plus. The one I borrowed was painted pale blue with a pink dazzle camo style pattern and it looked the bee’s knees.

What is the Muov like to use?

My unit was delivered via the ‘whiteglove’ service by the Muov team, which they initially promised to the first few customers. Whether or not they’ve sold enough to maintain that service for everyone that orders one now, I don’t know. However, they set up the frame and handlebars to be millimetre perfect for me, carried it upstairs, fitted my pedals, and explained the product thoroughly. That kind of service is typical for us pampered journalists, but for Muov to offer it to customers is really pretty special.

Once set up, connecting to your chosen app Bluetooth is simple and reliable. It connects via Bluetooth BLE FTMS, or Wifi and there's even an Ethernet port. The Muov bike is basically a big Zwift controller, that fits and feels like you’re sitting on your real bike. Apart from the disconcerting initial wobble, which is fine once you realise you're not actually going to fall off – it's actually really easy to use.

Where other systems need buttons added on, this one has them mounted in the shifters, just like a Playstation or Xbox controller. It's really neat integration, and you could almost imagine riding them on the road. Whilst it’s not quite as spot on as Zwift’s own controllers, all the buttons are essentially there, and you drive Zwift or other platforms with it straight out of the box.

The really cool aspect of it is the steering. Yes you can turn the bars, but we don’t actually turn bars to steer a bike once moving, or not in the direction some might assume. I was expecting it to feel a little more strange than it does, but the way the ‘fork’ at the front of the bike connects into the tilting mechanism to the middle of the bike, allows you to steer using lean, and in a way that feels like the physics of an actual bike. They could have set the front end up differently, and many people wouldn’t have noticed the absence of the counter steering feel.

And they may have been satisfied with just turning the bars, but the fact that the engineers thought about the physics of a two-wheeled vehicle is really impressive. The result is a pretty decent simulation of how you might steer an actual bike. It’s certainly much better than just being 'passable' and feels fun.

In Zwift and other games you're guided around the route by the software, unless you have access to compatible steering controls. That opens up a wider world, in that you can position yourself on the track, steer around corners, and add another level of interaction, collecting power ups, and drafting. To some advantage I'm told, although I just enjoyed the added interaction of moving around the world I was riding in in a slightly freer way.

Although impressive, that realistic aspect doesn’t matter so much, but still, what Muov has achieved here is quite successful; while trying to create a more realistic experience, it has ultimately resulted in a better indoor cycling experience. Think of this as a bike-like Xbox controller that aims to make you feel like you’re in a cycling game rather than creating a hyper-real experience. There are no potholes in that simulated world; there’s no need to catch power-ups in real life either, and in that sense, it’s better to view it as just a great way to play a cycling game. Although it is certainly realistic, insofar as that matters.

Pedalling resistance feels as real as any of the other trainers out there. And it maxes out at 2500w which is plenty for me and most of you. Cadence is all the way up to 165rpm which I can't manage. The machine will simulate up to a 25% incline. And the data refresh rate is 30hz with an accuracy of +/- 1%. Which is very accurate, if true. I had no reason to believe the electronics we're exactly as described however. There's also two USB's located at the front for convenient charging.

Mechanically speaking, I did enquire as to how the bushings are made in the tilting mechanism, and the tech they’re using is surprisingly simple, and extremely strong in use, with no wear or sogginess, or change in the movement in months of using it. No odd noises either, and it's belt drive, so isn't horrendously noisy in use.

You can lean it right over (12 degrees in total) and it will hold you there. I certainly couldn't destabilise the bike on its base in normal use. Leaning it right over is pretty fun to do the first few times, especially when showing it off to mates. Which I did, at every opportunity.

The way it works when riding requires some engagement of your subconscious mind, and presumably muscle groups you may not use on a static system, but it doesn’t feel arduous or energy sapping, and moving the bike underneath you just feels as good as an indoor experience could reasonably get. With rollers you physically have to concentrate to not fall off, it’s not at all like that, but does require some engagement with your brain, and that’s a positive, not a negative, in terms of engaging with it long term.

Is the Muov value for money?

With something this expensive, it really is hard to discuss value without recognising that this is a product targeted at the very well-heeled N+1 community.

Who’s got £5k laying around for an indoor trainer? You could buy an actual bicycle that many would consider a dream machine for the same amount of money.

That said, I have to appraise it from the point of view of someone who might buy it. And those people deserve a good rundown of the value available here too. We also have to consider in the context of other, similar products.

The Stages SB20 bike, which I have owned in the past and used extensively, claims to be “the most realistic and immersive virtual cycling experience available”. Muov can challenge that position pretty confidently now I'd say.

However, the Stages set up is strong. With it’s realistic position, adjustability, and very good pedalling feel, I’d have to say, I don’t think you can really do much better than it and it’s nearest competitors, such as the Wahoo bike, in terms of a static virtual riding experience.

The former costs around £1,699 and the Wahoo Kickr Bike all the way up to the Pro model is around £3,499. The latter arguably has a much broader, simpler range of adjustability than the Muov. Both the Stages and Wahoo are directly comparable to the WattBike Atom in the middle at £2495. The WattBike probably has the most bike-like pedalling system, but they’re all pretty good, and the pedalling doesn’t feel massively better or worse on the Muov.

But none of those tilt.

For a similarly immersive gaming experience to the Muov you can get close by adding the Zwift Play system to your existing smart trainer setup. They’re relatively cheap at £79.99. Or you could just buy the Zwift bike with Kickr Core 2 for just over a grand.

Still, none of those tilt.

So the question is, how much do you need the tilt?

As much as I have raved about how much fun it is, there’s some practical aspects to the movement available on tilting systems. The movement does better recreate the movement you need to make to keep a bike upright, and as such, can mean fewer problems with comfort in the long run. Being more comfortable for longer is critical to performance on the road or indoors, but in the case of indoor cycling, it’s also pretty important for motivation. The tilting systems simply reduce the impact of a fixed position.

An alternative option for a tilting trainer is my colleague Aaron Borrill’s favourite, the Saris MP1 NFinity Motion Platform. That costs around £1699, along with everything else you need, including a smart trainer and decent bicycle to go on it.

That means, if you’re using your best bike, or even second bike, your set-up could easily stand you at twice what a Muov bike costs.

Conclusion

If I were testing a normal bicycle here, I’d feel very comfortable commenting on almost any aspect of its design, handling dynamics, construction, or geometry. I am a subject matter expert in those areas. When it comes to indoor trainers, I've used a ton of them, but I’m judging the product based on whether or not I enjoy the experience and how many aspects of it worked well or didn’t. I’m appraising it in the way any normal user might, with a similar level of experience.

When it comes to the best smart trainers, smart bikes, or even the best exercise bikes, if you want one you can custom paint, boast to your mates about how the carbon fibre frame was made in the UK, use at home in your fancy space, and have more fun than anyone using almost any other system, then the Muov bike is absolutely, emphatically, unrivalled.

As an Xbox controller for your Zwifting experience, Zwift’s Play or even Zwift’s own static bike may have a slight edge in terms of the electronic interface, but in terms of an integrated system that feels like riding your bike in an amusement arcade — and is just as much fun — I am very confident that nothing compares to this for the experience.

The Muov TiltBike is an outstandingly fun and convenient way to gamify your training and enjoy it even more. Yes, it’s more expensive than a month in the Maldives, but for an activity that wasn’t even particularly fun until Zwift, Rouvy, My Whoosh, and others came along, Muov made the controller that makes that experience even better – without any of the limitations or fussiness that some competitors, or the many accessories you could buy, just intrinsically have built in.

If you even like indoor training at all, the Muov bike is arguably the most outlandish and fun way to experience it and if anything is going to get you doing more of it, it's this. If you already love indoor training, you’re just going to absolutely love it. Period.

Providing you’ve got the readies to go out and buy one.

While live power outputs, avatars, training-plan-bar-graphs and virtual worlds keep our eyes focused on the screens in front of us when we're on our indoor trainers, we still need something to listen to.

So for Indoor Training Week we asked the CW team what fills their ears (and sometimes eyes as well) while they're spinning away in solitary confinement in their pain cave. AKA, spare bedroom or garage. From death metal to bakery programs, some of the answers below surprised us.

If it’s an easy ride, I’ll put on a podcast – ideally one long enough that it won’t finish halfway through and leave me sweatily thumbing my phone in search of something else. The trouble is, most long podcasts are intolerable. The tolerable ones tend to be the sprawling political chats on Novara Media, about how capitalism is dooming us all to eternal misery and servitude – which, by comparison, makes serving my pace-setting Zwift master feel almost liberating.

If it’s a hard session, I’ll scan Spotify for an upbeat playlist of maximally mainstream bangers. Lyrical complexity is the enemy here: the catchier the hook, the better. ‘Blinding Lights’ by The Weeknd reliably delivers a few extra watts, but without question the adrenaline-spiker par excellence is ‘Don’t Call Me Up’ by Mabel.
David Bradford, Senior editor

For a long time, trainer time was my only TV time. The garage was the only place in the house with a television, so I used my 45-minute to 1-hour sessions to catch up on The Great British Bake Off or Grey’s Anatomy. I also enjoy watching documentaries on the trainer, breaking them up over a few workouts. These days, we have a TV in the living room, so most movies and shows happen there, but I still use trainer time to watch sports or shows my wife isn’t into. For hard sessions, though, it’s just me and the Zwift or Wahoo SYSTM screen.
Anne-Marije Rook, North American editor

It’s heavy metal music for me, and the heavier the better. There’s something about the double kick drum pedal and pig-squealing vocals that really gets me in the mood. I once timed a Zwift race with my playlist so it started on the exact moment Corey Taylor screams “I push my fingers into my eyes” on Slipknot’s ‘Duality’, my cue to give it hell. I saw Slipknot live about a year ago, actually, and half expected the screen behind them to flash up and tell me my second interval effort was about to begin.
Tom Davidson, Senior writer and features coordinator

I have to listen to music when on the trainer. If I'm watching a program, or listening to a podcast that demands my attention I know I'll get distracted and drift from my target wattage. No doubt harking back to some formative nights out in the late 1990s, I usually go for dance music, easily found on the BBC Sounds app via their Dance Anthems or Pace Setter 'Sounds'.

Not only do they play some old classics (Orchid Anthems as I know them, so called thanks to many heady nights out in an old, long lost nightclub in Croydon.) but they introduce me to some new tunes that - now my clubbing days are in the distant past - I wouldn't otherwise hear. Some of these I'll then download and add to my own playlists. And I have to admit to once hitting a prescribed wattage empowered by K-pop Demon Hunters which my eight-year-old regularly forces me to listen to.
Simon Richardson, Editor

What sounds I listen to on the trainer these days depends a lot on what riding I'm planning to do on it. Something involving hard effort – a time trial or something even worse, such as Emily's Short Mix, for example – is going to require a set of tunes that are appropriately rousing. I usually go for something upbeat, melodic, punky and alternative: The Menzingers perhaps, or ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead.

For more common or garden zone two pedalling, I find the sounds are there to keep me company rather than shove me unremittingly towards the edge of my physical capabilities.

In which case it's usually going to be soulful, bluesy rock, or maybe some sort of functional health podcast – Peter Attia or Rhonda Patrick, for example – allowing me to benefit from an explanation of the exact health-giving processes that are taking place in my body as I carry them out.
James Shrubsall, Senior News & Features Writer

Wattbike Atoms have, worryingly, become an integral part of my existence. In fact, at last count I’ve spent a total of 39 days, two hours and 16 minutes sat astride one. Dedicated or doolally. You decide.

So what is it about the Wattbike Atom that so clearly rings my bell? Through its three iterations – the third of which is on test here – Wattbike has fine-tuned what already started out as a premium quality product. The first Wattbike I tested, and later went on to buy, was released in 2017. At this time my daughters were young and my wife was working shifts, so I had very little time to venture out onto the open road. After working my way through a series of (comparatively) sub-standard smart trainers (the selection was admittedly sparse eight years ago) I was fortunate enough to find the Atom in my crosshairs and the world suddenly became a better place. Pedalling was fluid, transitions were smooth, it provided a steady platform to wind up big watts and the sound never – I know this because I asked her – never penetrated the adjoining wall to my next door neighbour’s living room. “No,” she said, “I’ll occasionally hear an anguished howl, but there’s no mechanical drone disturbing my evening soaps”. To be slightly more scientific about the matter, the first Wattbike emitted some 70 decibels at 200 watts – similar to that of a washing machine and this has remained more or less a constant through each of the three additions.

All of the big boxes, then, were ticked off – the first version of the Atom it seemed, was although significantly dearer than a garden variety turbo trainer, the holy grail of indoor training. And it went on to get better…

If you’ve been paying attention to anything I’ve previously written you’ll be aware that I can shed a litre of sweat just by looking at a turbo. In fact, during a recent trip to Precision Fuel and Hydration’s Heat Chamber, I entered the Hall of Fame (shame?) as one of the sweatiest people to ever darken their door.

The first Atom, then, was flawed only in that it hadn’t been given the Shrubsall Sweat Test and after some six months of riding, sweat ingress had become an issue and the power inlet towards the back of the bike had also corroded.

Enter the second edition - the Wattbike Atom Next Gen. Not only had the fairings of the bike been made impenetrable with weld-esque seals, but the power inlet had been repositioned underneath the bike. It would take literal bullets of sweat and a radical overhaul of the law of physics to break this version.

The only gripe I had, which hung over from the first version, was that although gear transitions were smooth and more or less instantaneous, they didn’t come with the reassurance of a ‘click’. Would this be addressed in the new 2025 model?

The build

Well, no, not exactly, but there was a more tactile feel to the shifter - not quite a ‘click’ more of a recoil from a rubber button that’s similar in clarity to the Wahoo Kicker bike, but not quite as pronounced as the Zwift Ride. Zwift has also introduced an in-game ‘click’ which almost negates the need for this, but it would still be a welcome addition.

The facade of the bike is also slightly different with previous silver fairings being replaced with matt black, giving it a more premium look. ERG mode has also been enhanced to offer a clean transition when the bike is making the gear changes for you.

But for me, one of the biggest improvements here doesn’t come via its prowess underway - after all, that’s more or less been on the money since day dot. No, the new Atom’s key upgrade is the ease of adjustability. Gone are the days of rifling through your drawers for the correct Allen key to tweak geometry. Saddle height, reach and stack height are now a cinch to fine tune by way of ergonomic paddles – much like the Wahoo Kicker bike. The levers are chunky enough for good purchase but remain unobtrusive to the point of barely being visible when riding.

The saddle also gets an update but this is an item with often very personal preference so it’s easy to swap out for your own perch. Unlike the Wahoo Kicker bike which offers up a choice of crank lengths, the Atom’s remains fixed at 170mm which for me has always been perfect and is generally considered optimum for producing power.

The ride

The Atom offers feedback aplenty within Wattbike’s in-house app. Pedalling dynamics and power data combine to help you become more efficient at varying cadences and wattages – a great way to save power and identity weakness. My right leg, as I’ve always suspected, indeed something that was recently highlighted in a DEXA Scan, tends to do a lot more work than the left – something that was quickly picked up on by the software.

On planet Zwift – where I put most turbos stupid enough to enter my pain cave through their paces – I was firstly mindful that the new Atom tops out at 2,500 watts. My name’s not Matt Richardson and I’d be lucky to trouble half of that figure, but it’s testament to the solid structure of the bike that it can withstand such punishment and not leap frog through the shed wall and halfway up the garden.I managed a lung-throbbing 1,300 watts and the bike – which weighs in at 45kg, a kilogram heavier than previous iterations – stayed rooted to my shed floor.

The best way to test the real ride feel of a turbo trainer, in my experience, comes via the cut and thrust of a Zwift race. Numerous gear changes, surges, following attacks, sprinting and drafting would all have to be played out on Zwift’s virtual roads. As usual I cannot fault the experience. Gear changes are quicker than a mechanical transition, pedalling is incredibly fluid in drafting situations when soft watts are required, and it doesn’t take long to scroll through the gears to launch an attack.

For me it’s this ride feel and simulation that sets the Atom apart from the competition – a secret sauce that Wattbike has built its name on. Yes, you pay a premium for the name, and for the fact that it’s a standalone trainer. Indeed at £2,499 this isn’t the sort of purchase that comes without serious thought. But this is the sort of machine that, if properly maintained, cleaned and sanitised, will provide you with many thousands of miles of sweaty indoor cycling.

This article is part of a series called ‘A love letter to…’, where Cycling Weekly writers pour praise on their favourite cycling items and share the personal connection they have with them. The below content is unfiltered, authentic and has not been paid for.

Do you remember the origins of indoor training? I’m not quite sure I do, but I do remember the days of hiding away in my parents’ freezing cold, dusty shed, smashing out 40-minute sessions with Sufferfest DVDs, playing from a portable Matsui TV on top of the tumble dryer.

For those who don’t know what Matsui or Sufferfest is or was, you weren't missing out. The latter was a once-popular series of recordings of bike races, offering an almost point-of-view angle that you’d watch while home training – an activity that was, back then, universally loathed.

The concept that you could put a DVD in to add realism to your indoor training was considered high-tech progress at the time, but as the series’ name suggests, it wasn’t any more pleasant.

The general idea was you'd start the DVD, perhaps a recording of the peloton from a recent Paris-Roubaix, and then start pedalling. The DVD would play whether you pedalled or not, and you'd be expected to adjust the resistance needed for full immersion in the bunch, thanks to a clunky plastic lever that attached to your handlebars.

Once or twice a week, I'd bolt my bike into the shed-dwelling trainer, squash my tire down onto the resistance roller, and set off – figuratively speaking, of course; I never really went anywhere, physically or virtually. Nor would I speak to anyone.

Those who were really into it could buy a 'turbo tyre'. They were bright pink or yellow, I believe, perhaps made of different compounds – I have no idea. If you were a turbo tyre person, like my friend Will was, you’d be taken more seriously, and claim benefits like lower noise levels, better grip on the roller, and the chance to save your race-day tyres. I never bothered buying one, saving my coins instead to impress my friends when I met them on outdoor rides.

As fond as my memories are of those Sufferfest DVDs, the whole experience never quite hooked me into indoor training. I suppose it was the loneliness of it, and the basic technology's lack of appeal.

The industry has since progressed in leaps and bounds.

Back in those days, I was using a trainer that cost me about £60. The trainer I’m using now, thanks to my current job of testing wonderful tech, costs £5,000 more.

And the best part is, I no longer have to train alone. Yes, I may have the Rolls Royce of trainers, but even with more rudimentary set-ups, I can brush virtual shoulders with my friends and thousands of other people around the world. Sufferfest tried its best to give us a sense of immersion in the peloton, and I doth my cap to it, but platforms like Zwift have taken it to a whole new level.

Today, I’m grateful for the chance to be transported into Wattopia, where I can race my mates up Alpe Du Zwift, when they’re anywhere else in the world but here. Indoor training is no longer a solo tale of suffering, it's a chance for real connection. And as much as I never thought I'd say it, it's a pastime I now enjoy – when it's cold and rainy, at least.

Now I know if I retreated back into my parents' shed today, it wouldn't just be me and the Matsui. There'd be Carlos from Spain, Rachel from Canada, and my mate Will, all trundling along together, getting fitter cycling online.

Wout van Aert is to lead a group ride on ROUVY this week, as the first of a series of pro-led events on the app.

The Visma-Lease a Bike star will take part in the ride on Thursday, 30 October at 5pm GMT/6pm CET/1pm EDT on the indoor training app, with a live Q&A following. The Belgian has recently returned from an off-season holiday, and is likely ramping things up towards cyclo-cross.

Van Aert and whoever decides to take part will be virtually riding on Tenerife’s Pico del Teide, 23.1km with 376m elevation gain, so a nice way to blow out the cobwebs inside, or the cobwebs on your home trainer. Participants can even see a livestream of Van Aert tackling the same route via Instagram; it's open to all ROUVY subscribers.

Thursday's event will be the first in a number of events where ROUVY riders will be joined by cyclists from Visma-Lease a Bike and Lidl-Trek over the winter. 6,500 people signed up to the first ride with Van Aert, so it is a popular activity.

The press release reads: "Opportunities to ride with cycling’s elite are few and far between, but ROUVY is making this a near-reality with these live-streamed social rides where you’ll get to virtually rub shoulders with some of the world’s best riders."

"We’re always looking for ways to add engagement to our users’ indoor cycling experience, and connecting with the professional riders and teams which we work closely with is a great way to bring together riders of all levels in one virtual event," Antonín Parma, ROUVY's product experience director, said.

"It’s also a perfect way for us to spotlight some of the stunning and exciting ride routes we have from all around the world coming this autumn - from popular training camp destinations such as Tenerife, Denia and Calpe, to much more far-flung corners of the world, including recent additions like Bolivia, Sri Lanka and Tajikistan."

If you're wondering whether to plump for Rouvy or Zwift for your indoor riding this winter, then take a look at our guide, all part of indoor training week here at Cycling Weekly. Subscription to Rouvy costs $19.99 / £17.99 a month, although there is a free trial for new users. For more info on the Wout van Aert ride, click here.

After 275 events we're relaunching the Wednesday evening Cycling Weekly club ten as part of Indoor Training week. We've selected six new Zwift courses all perfectly suited to time trials, the first of which is Bon Voyage in the France world. Our club ten starts at 6pm every Wednesday night with the race running as a time trial, with staggered starts and no drafting.

>>> Enter our club ten each week via our events page on Zwift

Each route will be used twice before moving onto the next course. Once all six routes have been used we'll be back to Bon Voyage to cycle through them once again. If you're new to Zwift, check out our guide to getting set up on the platform.

Having started in 2020, thousands of people have ridden our races over the last five years with course records set on the five courses we've used in that time. Now it's time for some new records to be set, and maybe some new names on the results sheet that appears in Cycling Weekly magazine each week.

New courses

Bon Voyage, France world

With very little elevation on the profile this will be a fast circuit. The full Bon Voyage route is three laps of a circuit that then finishes on an extra section of road that features some Paris Roubaix style cobbles. The roads used for a ten mile race will be revealed on the night.

With no climbing we recommend selecting the aero focused equipment from your Zwift garage. Or, if you want to gradually get faster and faster, setting PBs along the way, start our with slower kit and gradually select faster and faster equipment.

Countryside Tour, Makuri Islands

A ten mile route so perfectly suited to our club ten, the Countryside Tour features a 2.5km climb and some off-road sections, meaning this won't be the fastest of our new courses and will make for some interesting kit choices.

The climb is the Temple KOM, a 2.5km climb with an average gradient of 3.6%. Makuri Island was launched in 2021 ahead of the Japan 2020 Olympics. Although not linked, the virtual world was perfectly timed ahead of the Covid affected Games.

Loch Loop, Scotland

Zwift's Scottish routes were launched in February 2023 and designed specifically for the UCI esports world championships. According to a Zwift insider this section of the Scottish world was designed with ten mile time trials in mind, so we had to include it. It's another flat course with a few little rises in the second half of the 8km circuit so be sure to make sure you have enough in the tank for the second lap.

Jurassic coast, Watopia

Anyone who has ridden in Zwift has ridden in Watopia, and if that's you, the chances are you've ridden these roads. The Jurassic coast route starts on the twisting roads of Titans grove (look out for dinosaurs) which is anything but flat, but as it moves out to the coast road the inclines disappear and it's fast and flat all the way to the finish line.

Waisted 8

The Waisted 8 course is our second in Watopia, and another virtual route that features a short climb - Jarvis KOM - in an otherwise flat circuit. The full course is 30km long, but our race only features 16 of those. The usual start position for this circuit is just before Watopia's volcano, that it skirts around, before the Jarvis sprint. From there it island hops over to the Fuego Flats in the desert.

Gentil 8

It's back to France for the last of our six new courses and the Gentil 8 circuit. The full course is 25km, and takes in the Petit KOM and four sprints. The 2.7km, 4% climb is the only section of the route with any gradient in, meaning it should be another fast course.

All our events will be run in time trial format, with riders setting off on in small groups from the conveyor belt and drafting turned off.

Tips for riding a ten mile TT on Zwift

• Get set up: Ensure you have everything you need before getting on your bike. This starts with logging on in plenty of time. Zwift rolled out new sections of their New York world on October 28 and your app will need some time to update before you ride. Then it's you and your bike. Ensure your bike is correctly set up, you have water to hand and a fan ready to go. A towel over your handlebars is also a good option for keeping the sweat out of your headset and stem clamp
• Warm up: Ten mile time trials are fast and furious, you do not want to star with cold muscles. Ideally you'd spend at least 20 minutes on a warm up. Start by spinning your legs gently before gradually increasing your effort. You should end with 2-5 minutes at the pace you will be racing at. If you ahve time it's a good idea to then spin gently for 2-3 minutes before a couple of activation efforts. These are typically 10 second sprints with high cadence and low resistance.
• Starting effort: Don't fly out of the gates too fast as that initial effort can come back to bite you in the end. Gradually build up to your race pace over the first 1 - 2 minutes
• Pacing yourself: On a flat course you'd ideally ride at a steady state throughout the race. A pace that you can sustain evenly over the course of the race, no matter how long that takes you. If that's 250 watts for you, then any effort over that will likely reduce your power output at the end. If you're new to this it will take a few weeks to get to know your effort. If you don't know what wattage or heart rate you can hold for 10 miles, we'd suggest riding at an effort at which you could just about hold a conversation at, using short sentences inbetween breaths.
• Warming down: It's a good idea to keep spinning your legs for at least five minutes after you've crossed the finish line, bringing your heart rate down steadily.

Our old course records

The biggest turnoff for me when it comes to indoor riding is the faff of setup. Even with the best indoor smart trainer and being fortunate enough to have a dedicated bike set up on the trainer for the whole of indoor season, it's the digital aspect that sends me barmy.

My daughter's tablet is the only piece of tech at home capable of running an online platform (thanks to work laptop firewalls and security settings), so between negotiating with her to use it, then the inevitable 'software update' that seems to haunt me for every session, I'm often in a bad mood before I've turned a pedal let alone even thought about what session Im going to ride.

So imagine my joy at being offered a purpose-made bike, with a screen that works on the flick of a switch. Could the new Echelon EX-5s become one of the best exercise bikes for me?

Construction

When it comes to exercise bikes, there are several points of construction to consider, not only the bike's design but also the software platform it uses. I've broken these features into chunks to make it easier to digest:

Construction:

The bike itself is primarily made from robust, heavy-duty, powder-coated welded steel. This prevents rust and corrosion from sweat and sports drinks; however, it also makes the Echelon EX-5s exceptionally heavy. In the box, it was stamped with a 60kg load, but once set up (more on that shortly), Echelon says it weighs around 56.5 kg / 124 lb, with 13 kilograms of the weight attributed to the flywheel at the rear of the bike.

The handlebars are made from the same powder-coated steel and feature a typical 'spin bike' design. This provides several hand position options, depending on your comfort with in and out of the saddle.

At the front of the bike is a plastic bottle holder mounted under the handlebars, capable of holding two bottles of any size thanks to its deep and long design.

At the rear is a metal, plastic-coated dumbbell rack. This is an optional extra for the Echelon EX-5s bike, allowing you to purchase the official weights or use your own; however, it limits weights to just 2 lbs / 1 kg.

Unlike the Peloton bike, the Echelon EX-5s does not have automatic resistance. Instead, this is controlled by the rider via a manual-indexed knob that adjusts the magnetic resistance on the flywheel between levels 1-32.

Measurements and limits

The overall footprint of the bike is approximately two meters long by at least 150 centimeters high. Width-wise, the support feet, which have large rubberised pads on the soles, span 50cm across. These measurements (specifically height and length) would be at the extreme as there is adjustability on the saddle and bar, but I would consider allowing for these numbers, before you buy, when planning a location at home for the Echelon EX-5s.

Your comfort on the bike can be refined by setting the four adjustment points just right. The saddle moves up/down by ten inches (17 adjustment settings) and forwards/backwards by four inches; and the handlebars: up/down by 6 inches and forwards/backwards by three inches. The screen is actually mounted on a spur of the bars, so it will move up and down with the bar height, but can be flipped over 180degrees when using for off-bike workouts.

According to Echelon, this should work for riders ranging between heights of 4'5" - 6'8 to use and up to a weight of 136 kg / 300 lb.

Q Factor or, essentially, the gap between your legs when pedalling

The pedals attach to crank arms, to spin the flywheel on an exercise bike and this one is no different. They measure 170mm here which is pretty normal and comparable to a road bike. The Q factor, however, the distance between the outside faces of the crank arms, measures 204mm, which is considerably wider.

Road bikes pedals are typically around 160mm apart, a mountain bike, usually 170mm, with even a hybrid bike falling somewhere in between. This will mean a wider stance than you might be used to if you're expecting this to feel like a regular outdoor bike.

When cross-referencing the Peloton bike, which, like a mountain bike, has a 170mm distance between the cranks, the Echelon EX-5s will feel much wider when pedalling.

Screen

The screen on the Echelon EX-5s is a large 21.5" high definition touchscreen, which, once logged in, will enable the rider to access classes and workouts via a tap of the screen. If you are participating in an off bike workout, it neatly flips 180° to make it easy to see and use. However, again, another thing to bearing in mind when deciding where the bike should live at home.

Echelon digital platform

As with almost every exercise bike these days, the Echelon EX-5s has its own digital platform, Echelon Fit. It's worth noting that, like any indoor bike, the EX-5s is intrinsically linked to the brand's online world of classes and virtual riding, which usually comes at an extra, and usually monthly, cost.

Echelon says that it is possible to use the bike without committing to a subscription via the 'Freestyle' mode, but workout statistics and other information will not be stored.

If you want those features, membership prices vary depending on the length of your commitment, with the cheapest access option ranging from £19.99 / $TBC for two years upfront to £29.99 / $TBC for monthly payments.

This price includes more than just a spin class; it offers everything from live and recorded bike classes, yoga, meditation, and strength sessions to recorded images of famous mountain climbs, such as the Alpe d'Huez or Mont Ventoux. However, as mentioned above, none of the resistances are auto-adjusted.

There is also a newer FitOS platform, which enables access to a variety of online apps, such as entertainment (Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Spotify, etc), news, social media, and the Echelon World. This last app draws inspiration from platforms like Zwift, letting you race others in a VR world.

The benefit here is that it makes the Echelon EX-5s resemble a smart bike more closely, and the brand claims it will auto-adjust resistance when used with a programme that supports it. This feature is included free with the premium membership, and with up to five members on one plan, it could be an ideal option for a family.

The ride

Bike performance

The bike itself is solid. The large, tacky rubber pads under the wide feet do a really good job of securing the bike to the floor, even when you are out of the saddle or spinning at a fast cadence. I have the bike on a tiled floor and find it hasn't traveled across the floor at all, which has happened to me with both a turbo trainer and rowing machine.

The overall riding position will be more comfortable for some than others. Having moved all adjustment points to replicate as close as possible my natural road riding position, I still find even with the saddle setback at full extension that my feet are forward of my hips, and the wide Q-factor is also noticeable, and slightly odd feeling. This should not bother you at all if you're not used to riding on the road of course, but if you're expecting that outdoor style experience or position, and are used to it, you will notice.

I'm comfortable enough with 45-minute maximum ride times, but wouldn't want to use it for a long endurance ride, especially when clipped in. The saddle, like most exercise bikes, has been enlarged in volume and size. It's not the worst saddle I've ever sat on, but I would prefer options of small, medium, or large when purchasing to improve longer ride comfort.

In theory, you could replace both the saddle and pedals with your own choices. The saddle rail mount is a curious design, and you'll need to ensure compatibility with other options. However, changing the pedals is easier, which could help reduce the Q factor somewhat. The pedals work with Shimano's SPD style cleats, or you can use toe cages to secure your feet if you prefer that feeling, or just use them like flat pedals, with no foot retention.

Sharing the bike between riders is easy; just remember the adjustment setting number you prefer. I do have a slight 'ick' as these numbers don't really relate to anything, coming in half-inch spacing, but it's a minor thing once you know what it is. My only other gripe here is that the numbers for the Saddle height are all on the right-hand side, making it tricky to see if the bike's home location is closer to the wall on that side, as mine is. Adding the decals to both sides really wouldn't have blown the manufacturing budget.

When on and riding the machine, the bike feels very smooth. The red adjustment knob is easy to turn, and its bright colourway makes it visible in your peripheral vision, making it simple to reach for a resistance change.

There is a slight time lag of about a second between turning the knob and the resistance changing, but other than in over or under loading moments, while the electric magnetic resistance kicks in, it doesn't really cause an impact.

For most riders, the 32 resistance levels will be enough. I was up towards the high twenties a couple of times during rides and could still pedal at around 60rpm. I suspect that if you're a particularly strong rider, the hardest resistance will bottom out before you do, but it will still make you breathe hard and your legs sting, which is what really matters.

The issue becomes more noticeable when riding in FitOS World mode, where the resistance is automatically adjusted. I honestly thought it wasn't functioning for a long time until I realised it was set so lightly, it barely felt active. I need to spend more time with the bike to figure out if I can adjust these settings, and I will also contact Echelon since this really undermines the feature.

It's important to note that the Echelon EX-5s is a smart exercise bike, not a smart bike or home trainer. If you're seeking an experience closest to outdoor riding, there are better options available. However, if you're looking for a low-impact exercise that you can do at home, this bike is a great choice.

Echelon screen and digital platform performance

The digital interface is the key feature that distinguishes many exercise bikes. The screen on the Echelon EX-5s is incredibly clear and large enough for me to use without my glasses, something I struggle with on my phone or bike computer nowadays.

The screen responds to finger taps for menu selections, and the digital Echelon Fit platform responds swiftly, which makes a huge difference for me. Watching a spinning wheel on a computer is one of the most frustrating aspects of modern technology, and it drives me nuts that indoor cycling apps seem to do this every time you try to use them.

The only downside of the touchscreen is that, even after just a handful of rides, I can already see my fingerprints all over it. You'll need to give it a wipe down after each workout, as is hygienic anyway. It wouldn't have hurt for them to include something for that purpose.

So far, the Echelon has been responsive and often ready to ride before I am, which is incredibly refreshing and motivates me to keep coming back to this stress-free way of riding.

I've not used the bike for weeks on end yet, but so far I've worked my way through a good selection of recorded and live classes, which I've found fun, and even dabbled with the ride experience options.

The classes are the same format as a spin class: an instructor on the screen telling you what to do. The difference is that this time there's no cheating. Your resistance level is shown at the bottom of the screen, along with cadence and power data; heart rate would also display here if you had a compatible monitor. The instructor indicates what resistance rating and cadence to hit throughout the class, and you're encouraged to do it. Occasionally, I missed this instruction, but thankfully, I was never named and shamed.

Personally, I found the classes fun. They are kitsch and cheesy, much like real spin studios can be, but as long as you approach them with the right attitude, then you'll also leave each workout in a good mood, having done some serious pedalling and worked up a good sweat.

There is a leaderboard slideout, which, according to Echelon, 'calculates percentiles using averages from users who have completed similar workouts', and it can give you a reference of where you stand with other Echelon riders. I find leaderboards a bit hit-or-miss for my motivation, depending on the direction of the numbers. So, when I was unimpressed with my riding performance, I just swiped it off the screen and just enjoyed the ride.

So far, I've paid zero attention to power data. I've found that I've been so focused on listening to resistance numbers and cadence in class that I've forgotten to even glance at the watts my legs are putting out.

The ride experience, which lets you choose to ride up a famous mountain or through an area like Tuscany, left me wanting more. It's like riding with Google Street View vision, and without auto-resistance, you're left to apply your own, with your cadence either moving you along faster or slower. Echelon needs to decide what it wants to do with this feature, as it feels like a letdown compared to classes . In my opinion, it would be better to remove it altogether until it can truly improve the ride features.

The other area that needs improvement is the Echelon FitOS World. It's still early days for this part of the brand's platform, and it has the potential to compete with some of the cycling app giants. However, it's not quite there yet, so lower expectations if you're hoping for a Zwift Wattopia style experience (for now).

Post rides, you can analyse your stats via the Echelon members portal, where you can get an overview of everything from a year to a day. Each session can be examined in detail, allowing you to see a breakdown of your workout statistics.

Value and conclusion

The Echelon EX-5s is more than just a Marmite bike of loving or loathing; some people, like me, will fall somewhere in the middle — really appreciating the added value it can bring into the home, but still seeing room for improvement.

Looking at alternatives on the market, the EX-5s can truly go toe-to-toe with the Peloton, and nothing else in the exercise bike market even comes close.

The positioning could use a slight adjustment; I'd like to see everything angled forward a bit more and the digital platform is nearing perfection, but isn't quite there yet.

The resistance could benefit from some recalibration to prevent riders from spinning out, especially since being new to riding doesn't mean you aren't strong, particularly in the auto-adjust feature of FitOS Worlds.

Overall, this product is currently about 20% cheaper than Peloton for the bike itself. While the monthly membership costs are similar across the two brands, the Echelon membership covers up to five profiles, offering excellent value for money if your household takes full advantage.

Would I buy one? Probably not. Would I encourage my family members who don't have confidence to ride outside or to have a gym membership? Absolutely yes.

Specifications

• Bike constructon - Powder-coated welded steel.
• Dimensions - 52"L x 20"W x 50"H
• Weight: 56.5 kg / 124 lb
• Flywheel: 13 kg rear placement
• Resistance: 1–32 levels manual magnetic resistance
• Max user weight: 136 kg / 300 lb
• User height range: 4'5" - 6'8"
• Adjustability: Seat: 10” up/down, 4” forwards/backwards; Handlebars: 6" up/down, 3" forwards/backwards
• Display: 21.5" HD touchscreen flips 180° for off-equipment workouts
• Pedals: SPD-compatible clips + Adjustable toe cages
• Extras: Rear-mounted dumbbell holders, two water bottle holders

If like us you're spending more time on the turbo then keep an eye on the CW website this week for all the indoor training content you need to make the most of winter. We've been tidying up our paincaves now that winter is homing into view as there's no need to back off our riding just because here in the northern hemisphere the daylight hours are getting shorter and shorter.

Throughout indoor training week we'll be posting up to date content about the products and platforms we use and test, along with expert training and riding advice from coaches and pro riders.

Plus, we are relaunching the Cycling Weekly club ten! Every Wednesday evening at 6pm (UK time) our ten mile time trial runs on Zwift. After 275 events on five regular courses, we're switching to six new courses. This week's event will be on the Bon Voyage course in France before we move onto Countryside Tour, Loch Loop in Scotland, Jurassic Coast in Watopia, Waisted 8 and Gentil 8.

That means six new course records are waiting to be set and the current ones will be left untouched. Each week the results are printed in CW magazine, with times taken from www.zwiftpower.com.

Whether or not you're new to indoor training, here's some of our articles, from buying to training advice and lots more besides.

Indoor training buying advice

• Best smart trainers - Our guide to the latest turbo trainers
• Best exercise bikes - From budget to fully connected machines
• How to get set up on Zwift - all the kit you need to get up and running.
• Budget trainers - How to get set up without the cost
• Rollers versus trainers - Which one is best for your?

Indoor training advice

• Indoor / outdoor riding - how to strike the balance
• Riding position - should your indoor position mirror your road riding position
• A winter indoors - how one rider faired heading out on the road after four months
• Extreme indoor riding - how some riders are pushing the limits
• My training space - check out some amazing CW reader paincaves

Indoor riding might be about to get even more realistic, with a new Wahoo patent suggesting ‘side-to-side’ leaning might soon be a feature on an upcoming smart bike from the brand.

The patent, filed earlier this year and published last month, is for an ‘exercise bike with side-to-side motion mechanism’, and appears to be an unreleased product.

The design drawings of the bike closely resemble Wahoo’s Kickr Bike Pro, which was released this month with a new ‘grade simulation’ tool for climbing. This new product, however, has a larger, sturdier base containing a side-to-side tilting mechanism.

It would not be the first indoor bike that leans, but would mark a major innovation for Atlanta-based Wahoo, one of the market’s leading brands, who are yet to incorporate this technology.

A description of the product within the patent filing reads: “A bike trainer includes a rocking base having a bottom surface with an arc shaped rocking surface. A pair of support legs are each connected to a side of the base by a tilt mechanism. A main frame extends upward from the base and supports a seat. A pedal assembly is rotatably mounted to the main frame and drivingly connected to a flywheel assembly.”

Writing within the patent, Wahoo says the idea for the trainer came in response to the fact that conventional trainers “do not adequately simulate a realistic rider feel on the exercise bike”.

In 2017, the brand introduced its Kickr Climb product, a tool that attaches to the bike’s front forks to simulate climbing gradients indoors. This technology is now part of Wahoo’s newly launched £3,499.99 Kickr Bike Pro – “the most immersive indoor training experience yet” – which tilts up and down, simulating inclines up to 20%.

Side-to-side movement has existed in certain indoor exercise bikes as far back as 2020; BowFlex’s VeloCore bike introduced its leaning mechanism in 2020, while MUOV launched a bike in 2022 that tilts up to 12°.

Leaning on an exercise bike is said to help exercise the core and upper body, improve stability, and increase comfort on longer indoor rides, by alleviating static pressure on the rider's joints.

Over the years, smart bike users have sought to reduce discomfort by using rocker plates, large boards on which the bike and trainer are mounted. While allowing more natural movement, these plates do not fully imitate the leaning motion a rider would experience when cornering outdoors.

As with all patents, there is no guarantee that Wahoo’s latest filing will be made reality. The patent serves to protect the intellectual property of the idea.

Contacted by Cycling Weekly, a Wahoo spokesperson said: "We do not comment on our future roadmap except to say that Wahoo are continually innovating to help achieve our mission of building a better athlete in all of us."

MyWhoosh has launched a new world ahead of the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda this month. The road worlds are to be held on the African continent for the first time in it's history with a week of races starting on September 21.

As official UCI partner, MyWhoosh has created a new world inspired by African landscapes that will host the UCI Cycling Esports World Champs in Abu Dhabi this November and a three part mission called Chasing Rainbows to show off the best parts of the new virtual world.

Stage one of Chasing Rainbows is a group ride on a replica of the ITT route around Kigali, Rwanda's capital that is hosting the week long World Championships. These rides are available to take part in from 15-21 September.

Stage two runs from 22-28 September and is a recreation of the 15km long road race finishing circuit to be used in the elite men's and women's events.

Stage three that runs from 29 September - 5 October debuts the route to be used in the 2025 Esports World Championships later this year.

The elite women's individual time trial gets the racing underway in Rwanda on Sunday, September 21, with Demi Vollering, Chloe Dygert and Britain's Anna Henderson lining up as the favourites. The men's elite time trial follows the same day with under-23, junior and the mixed relay TT following over the next three days.

The road races start on Thursday with the inaugural women's under-23 road race in which Great Britain line up with a strong team having decided to focus on this event and not put a team in the senior women's event.

Tadej Pogačar will start the men's road race as the outstanding favourite. With over 5,000m of elevation in the 267.5km event, the Slovenian is expected to defend his title. Belgian's Remco Evenepoel will be a challenger while two of the best one-day riders in the men's peloton, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert are not racing.

The women's event looks set to be another battle between Tour de France Femmes winner Pauline Ferrand-Prevot of France and Demi Vollering of the Netherlands.

MyWhoosh is a free to use online cycling platform that pairs with all of the best indoor smart trainers and indoor smart bikes currently on the market. It is now the leading destination for elite level virtual racing after Zwift announced it was stepping back from it.

It is also the partner of our annual Big Ride Challenge in which riders select one of fours distances they aim to cover over the year. It's free to sign up to the Big Ride challenge and along with the annual mileage target, riders are set monthly challenges along the way. We also have social rides on MyWhoosh every Thursday at 5:30pm (BST)

It's a busy day for the world of indoor riding, which, like the proverbial bus, has three of the best turbo trainer press releases coming along at once.

The brands' twinning (or throupling) of launches dates back to 2023, when the two giants of indoor riding partnered up after a patent spat, after Wahoo launched legal action against Zwift for alleged patent infringement.

Since then, the two brands have been working collaboratively, resulting in much more seamless integration between the ecosystems, with today's updates on the Wahoo Kickr Core 2 and Bike Pro and Zwift Ride Smart Bike being the latest beneficiaries.

In its first update in seven years, the Kicker Core 2 now comes with the Zwift Cog and Click or 11-speed cassette for the same price.

Wi-Fi connectivity is now standard, and, according to Wahoo, not only enhances connectivity across phones, tablets, and other devices but also enables faster data transfer speeds compared to Bluetooth or ANT+, which should prevent any annoying data lags.

Wahoo has paired this update with the launch of the brand new Kicker Race Mode, which both brands say delivers near-instantaneous power response, giving you more control over your Zwift avatar and your online riding experience.

This connectivity improvement update extends to data collection, introducing a new 'Kickr Bridge' that streams heart rate monitor data directly through the trainer app, eliminating the need for additional sensor platforms.

This all forms part of a redesigned turbo, which Wahoo states now offers a faster and more stable setup.

The good news for Zwift fans is that the update swings both ways, with the Zwift Ride Smart bike now coming with the all-new Wahoo KICKR CORE 2 as standard.

The Wi-Fi connectivity now also allows users to manage all firmware updates through Zwift Companion, which Zwift says further enhances the rider experience by unlocking the full potential of Zwift and making it easy to find clubs, friends, events, as well as track your fitness progress.

While updates are great, money off is better, and it's rare for prices to go down rather than up. So we very much welcome the news that the complete setup reduces by £100 and €100 in the UK and EU, bringing the cost down to £1099.99 and €1199,99, respectively. In the US, the cost of shipping has been reduced from $110 to $75.

While the Zwift Ride Smart Bike improvements and updates will steal a lot of the limelight from the interwoven launches, we must not overlook Wahoo's Kickr Bike facelift, which now becomes the Kickr Bike Pro.

The brand's flagship indoor bike now features redesigned ergonomic shifters, not that we struggled with the previous ones, but which will now facilitate easy access to Zwift in-app features.

The brand has also upgraded its touchpoints thanks to a new partnership with Fizik for the saddle and handlebar tape, along with a new, mysteriously worded 'ergonomic handlebar specifically designed for indoor riding'.

As for exactly what that feels like, it is still to be discovered, but with the bike having just landed with us, we'll soon be able to reveal all.

The Kickr bike pro is priced as US $3999, CA $5,249.99, UK £3,499.99, EU €3,999.99, AU $6,299.95, JP ¥510,000.00, and available to buy from today.

The Kickr Core2 will cost US $549.99, CA $899.99, UK £499.99, EU €549.99, AU $899.95, Japan ¥99,000 and again is on sale now.

Developed to work with Wahoo SYSTM, Zwift, Rouvy, TrainingPeaks Virtual, MyWhoosh, and more (please see brand websites for full details).

A new patent from SRAM suggests the American components manufacturer is plotting its entry into turbo trainers with a unique double-chain design that could make indoor cycling more straightforward.

Published on Thursday, the patent is for an indoor trainer with a “closed loop component”.

The design appears to work by attaching the bike directly into a mount, and disengaging the chain from the cassette. The chain is then placed onto a separate cog, itself attached to another cog, which drives another chain linked to the resistance wheel.

The bike is attached to the trainer with “axle supports”, meaning the only element that needs to be moved is the chain. Neither the back wheel nor the cassette are engaged, and are therefore not set in motion.

SRAM’s design – potentially the company's first turbo trainer – seeks to resolve the limitations of existing trainers, which are split into wheel-off and wheel-on categories.

In the first instance, where users have to remove the rear wheel, a separate cassette is often needed, as well as adjustments to the derailleur.

Wheel-on trainers do not require the rear wheel to be removed, but can cause wear on the tyre, which is typically engaged for resistance. So as to not deteriorate their road tyre, wheel-on trainer users tend to fit a separate training tyre to their bike.

“In both cases [wheel-off and wheel-on], installing a bicycle on a trainer may require significant mechanical aptitude, time, and additional bicycle components,” the SRAM patent says. “In addition, various components may experience additional wear with either type of trainer, whether in the drivetrain and/or on the rear tire.”

SRAM’s proposal allows users to leave the rear wheel on the bicycle while bypassing the cassette and rear wheel. This, the patent says, means wear on the tyre and cassette “may be greatly reduced”.

“In addition, the bicycle may be quickly and easily installed on the trainer without the need to remove or adjust various components.”

As with all patents, there is no guarantee that this product will ever be made into reality. The patent filing means SRAM has protected the design, and may do with that what it wishes.

Last month, SRAM also published a patent for a ‘smart wheel accessory’ – a bike wheel with an integrated sensor capable of feeding back live data on tyre pressure, rim health, and wheel lean.

Cycling Weekly has approached SRAM for comment on the indoor trainer design. In the past, a SRAM spokesperson has said the company does not comment on patents.

Recent indoor training platform price increases may have left you looking for an alternative, and if you’re one of those people, then good news because we have an alternative to share with you which is 9x times cheaper than the market leader.

The name of this app is of course, icTrainer and of all the paid for apps out there, icTrainer is leading the way in terms of cost, but what may surprise you is the number of features the platform packs into this very accessible price point.

Use the voucher code CWV24 for 44 days free trial, valid until the end of January 2025 - download here.

Live Data

What you’ll notice early on is that icTrainer makes one thing clear via the bold statement on its website, ‘Just Train - No Game’. It says that because icTrainer was built for those wanting to seriously develop their cycling ability while doing so in a cost effective manner.

But, this is also why you can enjoy the usual live metrics in the app such as, power, heart rate, cadence, left/right balance as well as the lesser seen, core body temperature, muscle oxygen saturation and gearing from your Di2. It really does offer a wealth of information allowing you to dig deep in your training.

Ride your favourite roads, at home!

If you have a favourite route near where you live, or if you’ve been on holiday and fallen in love with the sights and want to relive the experience, then good news. icTrainer allows you to upload your own GPS routes so you can ride them from the comfort of your own home.

On the other hand, if there’s a climb or route you’ve always wanted to ride, then there’s a good chance you can find it in icTrainers library of more than 200 routes. Simply scroll through their catalogue of rides and you can enjoy tackling those climbs with video too.

Workouts & Training Plans

As I mentioned earlier, icTrainer is made for those who want to better themselves as athletes. As such, you’ll not be surprised to find pre-made workouts and training plans to help guide you through the process.

And an extra bonus is that you can even make use of the workout builder, if there’s a particular session that you’re wanting to create.

Cross-platform Compatibility

We, as cyclists, are a finickity bunch as we all have our own favourite platforms to log and track our training on. So, to make life as simple as possible, icTrainer is compatible with a whole host of platforms including but not limited to Starva, Training Peaks, Garmin and many others.

This means that whatever other activities you’re tracking, you can ensure all your efforts are being logged in the same place and if for whatever reason icTrainer doesn’t happen to currently offer a platform you’re tracking on then, you can simply ask them to add it and they’ll do their best to get it connected.

The same goes for hardware too. icTriner is compatible with brands from Tacx, to Wahoo, to Saris, to Elite and so many others. So again, no matter what set up you either currently have or may look into buying, you’ll almost certainly be able to connect to icTrainer.

Entertainment

Indoor training can be a solitary pursuit but it doesn’t have to be. For group training, icTrainer can also offer video chats to keep you and your friends connected while you train. It means you can enjoy the groupride chats even through those cold winter months.

On the other hand, if you prefer to keep your head down and just train, but want a way to help pass the time through a long effort, then icTrainer's integrated web browser means you can stream content from the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime or even YouTube.

But don’t worry, if you don’t want to be on a video chat and you don’t want to stream video content then you also have the option to just listen to music through icTrainer which will match the cadence of your workout to give you an extra boost!

Partner Mode

You know what they say, ‘couples that train together stay together’... Right? Well, if there’s any truth behind that, you’ll be happy to know that two riders can train at the same time on the same computer.

And, because icTrainer doesn’t need an internet connection to work, you can take it one step further and train in the garden, or on the balcony, or in the basement. The only limitation is where you can think of to train!

This also has a big implication on how icTrainer is able to offer their platform at such a low price. By not running its system from the cloud, it doesn’t need to pay large sums of money for servers and in turn can pass that huge operational saving onto its users while also boasting a claimed climate-neutral operation.

Virtual Shifting

You may have clocked earlier that I mentioned you can connect your Di2 grouset to icTrainer and you may have wondered why that would be of any use at all.

Well, in addition to being able to see your gearing, you can also use the Di2 buttons to make virtual shifts. If you don’t have a groupset with this functionality then, you can always make virtual shifts via the interface.

So, as you can see, icTrainer is jam packed with features and to be honest, that wasn’t even all of them. Some of them are entirely unique to icTrainer and when you pair all of that functionality with the incredibly low price, it certainly makes it worthy of consideration.

Put it this way, the monthly fee of the market leader is only just less of what you’d pay for the entire year for icTrainer.

If you’re keen to give them a go you can use code CWV24 for 44 days of free riding, when you apply the code in app. So, head to this link to get started now.

I’ve ridden the Kickr Core a heck of a lot in 2024, thanks to a particularly wet summer, but I’m still absolutely loving it. It’s inexpensive – especially so right now, with this Cyber Monday deal – quiet, unobtrusive, accurate and reliable. It also provides a ride feel that’s so convincing I honestly don’t miss the slightly heavier flywheel of its pricier, big brother, the Kickr. Okay, it doesn’t carry momentum quite so well, but that's really not a biggie.

In fact, the lighter Kickr Core is more portable, making it easier to tidy out of sight, which is a bonus in a shared household. The substantial difference between the two is price, with the Kickr typically more than twice as expensive as the Kickr Core. It's also widely compatible, so fitting your bike shouldn't be a problem.

So, is the feature set bargain basement too? Not at all. Power maxes out at 1,800 watts, which is more than many WorldTour sprinters can generate. If that’s not sufficient I recommend you sign a pro contract and get given a better specced machine for free!

Connectivity is broad. It includes ANT+, Bluetooth, ANT+ FE-C, with near-instantaneous setup on a wide variety of supported devices including smartphones, tablets and Apple TV. Compatible training apps include Wahoo X SYSTM, Zwift, FulGaz, Trainer Road, Rouvy and BKOOL.

Accuracy is ± 2%, which is more than sufficient for most needs, and I found both ERG and SIM modes work authentically and faultlessly in Zwift, the platform I’ve been riding the most this year.

Compatibility is a strong point. The Kickr Core will work with pretty much any road, gravel or mountain bike with a frame that takes 24", 650c, 700c, 26", 27.5", 29" wheels. For this deal, Wahoo sells 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 or 12-speed cassettes as optional extras, or you can simply install the one that came with your bike.

Specs

• Maximum Power Output: 1800 Watts
• Maximum Simulated Grade: 16%
• Minimum Simulated Grade: -10%
• Product Weight: 40 lb / 18 kg
• Drivetrain: Belt Drive
• Resistance Type: Electromagnetic
• Power Accuracy: +/-2%
• Connectivity: ANT+, ANT+ FE-C, and up to three Bluetooth Connections
• KICKR CORE smart trainer can be used with your own cassette or you can purchase one from Wahoo.
• Hub Types: 130/135mm QR, 12x142, and 12x148 Thru Axle
• Adapters: Includes 130/135mm QR adapter & hub spacer, 12x142/148 adapter & hub spacer, 1.8mm cassette spacer
• Maximum Rider Weight: 250 lb / 113 kg

Back in the early summer, I was one of the first people in the UK to experience Zwift Ride, the pioneering new smart bike that’s as ingenious as it is simple. It's made by the clever people behind, you guessed it, the indoor training app Zwift. Little did I know back then just how much of an impact it would have on my life.

You see, I suffer from a common heart complaint called Atrial Fibrillation, a rhythm condition that makes the probability of suffering a potentially lethal stroke five times more likely. The symptoms can be subtle, which is why it’s so dangerous. Fortunately, I recognise I’ve got it, but it can catch some people unaware, with deadly consequences.

Anyway, one of the best ways to protect yourself against the condition getting worse or, for that matter, suffering from it in the first place, is to keep active. If you think about it, the best protection we have against ill health is frequent doses of good diet, great sleep and regular exercise.

In the early autumn, I was abruptly called in for heart surgery – a relatively simple procedure called an ablation – to arrest the condition’s progress. Moderate exercise is good for recovery but, ironically, episodes of rhythm abnormalities can increase dramatically for up to two or three months post-operation. Frankly, heading out on a road ride wasn’t worth the risk, which is why having a Zwift Ride already set up in my home was a blessing.

Using Zwift Ride I was able to exercise every day in a controlled manner, knowing I was in a safe environment. A few months on, I’m now well-recovered, thanks in large part to Zwift Ride. I've also managed to keep to a healthy weight, something I find difficult without regular exercise.

Hopefully, you don’t suffer from a heart condition but for anyone interested in keeping in good shape – that should be everyone – I thoroughly recommend Zwift Ride. Trust me, it’s not just for young, lycra-clad athletes training for KOMs and QOMs. Sure, you can use it as a race platform but there are plenty of accessible workouts on Zwift that focus on well-being and community.

Zwift Ride is already one of the least expensive smart bikes on the market, and right now you can get an additional 20% off for Cyber Monday. Just apply the code CYCLINGRIDE20 at checkout. Remember, you’re worth it.

Read my full review to get the complete low-down but essentially the Ride smart bike offers the ultimate experience on Zwift for beginners and experienced riders alike. It provides a level of control that no other smart bike can match, in an accessible, attractive, easy-to-use package that can be used by the whole family.

Zwift Ride specs

• Rider Fit Range: 152 - 198 cm
• Saddle Height Min-Max: 59.9 - 86.5 cm
• Stepover Height: 76.4 cm
• Max Rider Weight: 120 kg
• Crank Length: 170 mm
• Dimensions:136 cm L x 58 cm W
• Weight:35.4 kg
• Drivetrain: Chain
• Pedals: Flat Included (compatible with standard pedals)
• Saddle:160mm W x 245mm L
• Handlebar Height Min-Max: 86.3 - 102.4 cm
• Handlebar Width: 42 cm (center to center)
• Integrated rechargeable controllers: 20 hrs. Per charge
• Handlebar Controller Power: Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery (1050 mAh)
• Handlebar Controller Power requirements: USB-A, 5v, 1A
• Power Accuracy:+/- 2%
• Maximum Power Output: 1800W
• Maximum Simulated Grade: 16%
• Flywheel Weight: 5.4 kg
• Resistance Type:Electromagnetic

Connectivity

Bluetooth.

We've teamed up with Zwift again to bring you a great deal on its Ride trainer as part of continued 10th-anniversary celebrations.

Cycling Weekly readers can get a jump on Black Friday with 20% off when applying the exclusive code CYCLINGRIDE20 at checkout. The code is valid in the UK, EU and USA from November 26th until December 2nd.

We rate the Zwift Ride highly, so much so that we rated it the best value smart bike. After many months of use, attached to a Wahoo Kickr Core, we still appreciate just how straightforward it is to swap between different users thanks to the Ride’s letter system allowing for quick adjustments to the set-up for each user - it’s a great feature for families or any multi-user household.

The Zwift Ride is suitable for riders of all levels, and the ride feel continues to be excellent, with just the right amount of movement. It’s quiet too and the virtual gearing is a joy to use. Similarly, the navigation and action buttons have become second nature, allowing us to move effortlessly through the various menus and views without cause to lose focus on our riding.

Zwift is also running a Black Friday sale, with many significant discounts available on its site, including:

50% OFF Zwift Play

50% OFF Apparel & Accessories

20% OFF Select Training Accessories, inc. JetBlack Table, Tray, Fan, HRM, Training Mat, NPE Runn

Terms: Code is redeemable on Zwift.com/shop in the US, UK and EU, 20% off Zwift Ride 1 use per customer, Valid while supplies last, Expires Dec 2nd, 2024, can not be combined with other discounts or redeemed for cash.

We've teamed up with Zwift to bring Cycling Weekly readers a brilliant early Black Friday cycling deal. Right now, Zwift is offering 10% off eligible indoor smart trainers when applying the exclusive code CYCLINGZ10 at checkout. The code is valid now in the UK, EU and USA until Tuesday the 31st of December 2024.

Included in the discount are some of the brand's latest additions to its smart trainer line-up, including the Zwift Ride, and the Zwift Frame, plus all Wahoo Kickr Core variants, with or without bundled Zwift memberships.

So there is something for everyone, regardless if you're already a seasoned indoor rider and thinking of upgrading your smart trainer or making a first-time purchase and delving into indoor riding for the first time.

We've highlighted a few deals below that show the discounts on some of our favourite tried and tested Zwift hardware and represent a significant saving.

Eligible smart trainers

• Zwift Ride
• Zwift Frame
• Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One
• Wahoo Kickr Core with cassette
• Wahoo Kickr
• Wahoo Kickr Move
• Wahoo Kickr Snap

This brilliant offer is part of Zwift's continued 10th-anniversary celebrations which have seen the leader in the best indoor training app market enhance its virtual world Watopia, and add updates to its training and racing content.

Terms: Code is redeemable on Zwift.com/shop in US, UK and EU, 10% off Zwift selected trainers with or without Zwift membership bundles, 1 use per customer, Valid while supplies last, Expires Dec 31st, 2024, can not be combined with other discounts or redeemed for cash.

Black Friday's may have come and gone, but Cyber Monday is here and the deals are still coming thick and fast. Online retailers are still enticing cyclists with a plethora of deals so if you’re looking to upgrade your indoor training set-up this Winter fear not - you haven't missed the boat yet, but deals are moving fast.

We’ve found some of the best smart trainers at discounted prices, including $350 off the Garmin Tacx Flux S and a number of price drops on popular Wahoo models, such as the highly-rated Kickr.

And it’s not only smart trainers that are seeing healthy discounts beyond Black Friday. We’ve been updating our best Cyber Monday bike deals page and our cycling shoe & clothing deals. So far this Black Friday sale period, we have seen some of the lowest prices we have ever seen on Garmin products, So make sure to check out all the deals found by Hannah in her roundup of all the best Garmin deals this Cyber Monday.

Cyber Monday Smart Trainer Deals

USA

• Zwift Use code CYCLINGZ10 to get 10% off Zwift & Wahoo tech
• Amazon Cyber Monday deals
• Competitive Cyclist Up to 38% off Wahoo & Tacx
• Garmin Deals on Flux S, Flux 2 and Neo 2T
• Backcountry Garmin & Wahoo included in Cyber Monday Sale
• REI Smart Deals on Smart Trainers and Accessories

UK

• Zwift Use code CYCLINGZ10 to get 10% off Zwift & Wahoo tech
• Sigma Sports Smart trainers and accessories deals
• Tredz Black Ticket smart trainers
• Evans Cycles Cyber Monday smart trainer discounts
• Garmin Deals on Flux S, Flux 2 and Neo 2T

US Smart Trainer deals

You might also like - USA

UK Smart Trainer deals

You might also like - UK

Smart Trainer FAQs

Lou Bates is one of Great Britain’s strongest indoor bike racers, bound for the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships this weekend.

A former rower, she turned to triathlon in her mid-twenties and competed in Ironman events, also once finishing fifth at the Barcelona marathon. She then dedicated herself to cycling, winning the National Hill Climb Championships in 2016, before being introduced to indoor racing on Zwift at the end of 2019. She has since represented GB in international competitions, and, this Saturday, will race on MyWhoosh at the World Championships in Abu Dhabi, UAE, having qualified first in the semi-finals rankings.

Bates, 43, has achieved all of this while working a full-time job as a project manager, and a part-time career as a yoga teacher. Ahead of the World Championships, Cycling Weekly asked her for her top tips for virtual racing. Here’s what she said...

Know your power profile

"My peak power is not great. I am not a fast twitch person in any stretch. Genetics is not on my side, I think, from that standpoint. But the good thing is that I’m very fatigue resistant, so my peak power doesn’t necessarily drop over the course of a hard race.

"Identify what kind of rider you are. Are you a diesel that suits the long climbing races? Are you a sprinter? Are you somewhere in between? You might be happy just racing those races that suit you. But if you want to get better at some of the other races, think about your power profile and what things you want to improve, then do some workouts specific to that, and try to get those bits of your power profile up.

"Sometimes, long sprints can work really well indoors. It’s not a dealbreaker if you can’t hit super-high power. It’s more of a dealbreaker if you can hit that power, but can’t sustain it at all. My husband, for example, is the complete opposite to me. He’s a fast twitch person, but once his one match is extinguished, then it’s just gone, and he’s gone.”

Don't be afraid to draft

“When I first started on Zwift, I used to have a super-high watts per kilo compared to everybody around me in races because I wasn’t saving energy by drafting. I was putting out way more [power] than I actually needed to because I was panicking to keep in the group.

“I would say get into some group rides. There are a ton of group rides that have intervals in them where you’re riding in a group; there’s a leader, and they’ll say, ‘Ok, for the next five minutes, we're going to do four watts per kilo’ or whatever. You can practice staying in the draft. It’s super-handy.”

Practise the courses

“If you’re racing on a particular course, it can be super-helpful to go on that course beforehand and know where the hills are, where the downhills are, and if there are any lumps and bumps that you need to be aware of. In e-racing, every time there’s a hill, the pace always goes up.

“The beauty of e-racing is that, in real life, if you were to do a recon of a course, you might have to drive for an hour to get there. Whereas on these platforms, you can generally get into the world or course that you’re going to be racing on and have a practice quite a few times.”

Have a fan... and a dehumidifier

“Cooling is very important. I have a number of fans, and a dehumidifier, because sometimes in the UK, if it’s raining, it can get really humid and sticky.

"I also have loads of towels, lots of nutrition and fluid. These races, they may be short, but you can burn a ton of energy, and also need a lot of hydration.”

Be meticulous with equipment

"I keep an eye on all of my equipment just to check that it’s not drifting, for example due to temperature changes. Before events, I’m super careful about that, so I will always do test rides and stuff like that. I wouldn’t want to not know that my equipment wasn’t accurate until I race. That would be a nightmare.”

“I have my secondary power source, so I have power pedals with my turbo trainer, and I pretty much record every ride, just so that I can keep an eye on my turbo, because even though a lot of turbos claim to be within 1% accuracy, environmental factors can affect your turbo readings.

Diversify your training

"My training volume is between 15 and 20 hours a week – 15 hours on the bike. I do a couple of gym sessions to help on the bike, but also for just overall health. I’m a 43-year-old woman. I need to be looking after my bones, my hormones, my overall body health as well. Part of that is doing these gym sessions, and obviously doing yoga as part of my yoga teaching.

"In the spring and summer, I tend to go outside a lot more, mainly because I’ve done a big block over the winter, and that’s generally when the race season is for e-racing. I tend to use the summer block to do my base building, and do lots of outside racing. I like doing some bike packing and other stuff that is completely different to e-racing, getting back into nature."

This article is part of Cycling Weekly's love letter series, where our writers pour praise on their favourite aspects of cycling. The below content is unfiltered, authentic and has not been paid for.

It turns out I have more in common with retired pro Alex Dowsett than I first thought. I’ll point out the differences first; he’s a former Hour Record holder, two-time stage winner at the Giro d’Italia, and six-time national time trial champion. He also rode on the WorldTour, cycling’s highest level, for 12 seasons of his career.

I’ve never come close to the WorldTour. I’ve never even done a race. And yet, Dowsett and I seem to have a shared interest: we both do ramp tests for fun.

For the uninitiated, a ramp test is a quick way of working out your functional threshold power (FTP). It typically involves hopping on an indoor trainer and increasing your power output every minute, until your legs give way and you collapse over your handlebars. Think of it like the bleep test from school, except there’s no PE teacher making you do it. The better riders (see: Alex Dowsett) will last for upwards of 20 minutes. Us mortals run out of breath in the time it takes to boil rice.

A few weeks ago, Dowsett posted an Instagram video of himself on Zwift. “Two years into retirement from pro cycling I’m trying a ramp test,” he wrote. There was, I assume, no sports director or team manager hanging over him, holding a metaphorical gun to his head. It seemed a personal life choice, one made for the love of the sport.

I remember doing my first ramp test last year. I had signed up for a Zwift winter training programme, and the test was planned as my baptism into indoor riding. Its results, I was told, would become the yardstick for all my sessions thereafter. I naively blocked out an hour of my evening to do it, and it was over in 15 minutes.

The test began at 100w, an output at which most toddlers can ride comfortably. It then increased – or ramped – every minute by 20w. I levelled up and up, 120w, 140w, 160w. I felt like I was freewheeling. Then came 180w, 200w, 220w, and the screw began to turn.

As I eked into the high 200s, I sensed my limit on the horizon. The whole point of the test is to break you, leave you sweat-drenched and alone in your front room, an empty, breathless shell. There comes a moment when you fall onto the back foot, and the ramps keep demanding more. For me, that moment came at 360w. I bowed out with a yelp. A ferrous taste of blood flooded my mouth.

And yet, the next week, I went back for more. Masochism is the derivation of pleasure from pain, and I had fallen head over cleats for the cruel ramp test. I liked the dopamine hit, the sense of achievement, that came with each level increase. The feeling of my heart racing in my chest made me feel alive.

While most people might do one ramp test a year, and begrudgingly too, I ended up doing three last winter alone. I’m now plotting my return, for no reason other than my own will.

For those interested, Dowsett’s results were “significantly slower” than they were during his pomp. Mine will no doubt tell a similar story. But, in a sordid kind of way, I’m looking forward to the drama of it, all of it, from the hopeful first pedal strokes, to the final depleted one, and the aftertaste of blood.

I'll almost certainly go back for more.

Between busy lives and the unpredictable nature of the weather, espcially here in the Northern Hemisphere, there are strong arguments for bringing your cycling indoors. One of the best ways to do this is with the best indoor smart bikes.

Smart bikes offer more dedicated tools, and if you have the space or possibly don't own a bike, something that is always set up and ready to ride, unlike the best smart indoor trainers. The best indoor smart bikes also offer a far more realistic riding experience and superior ergonomics and overall cycling experience than the best exercise bikes. Add the ability to connect seamlessly with a variety of indoor training apps and your choice of the best bike computers, and you have an immersive training experience that provides a wealth of real-time data to allow you to track your progress and improve your fitness.

In recent years, bikes like the Zwift Ride have elevated the experience by allowing you to control your avatar and incorporating video game features to break the monotony of indoor cycling. However, the Wattbike Atom still tops the list, ticking almost every box. Now in its 3rd generation, we have yet again awarded it the full 5-star treatment.

Best Indoor Smart Bikes

The best indoor smart bikes 2026: Our top-rated

Best overall indoor smart bike

The Wattbike Atom has worryingly and rightfully so, a bit part of my life. To date, I have spent exactly, 39 days, two hours and 16 minutes aboard on of these machines, aimlessly pedalling away and going nowhere. I am not sure who that reflects on more, Wattbike, for just how got it is, or on me for just being a bit doolally.

So... why do I keep giving it 5 Stars? Now in its third-generation, the overall ride experience of the Atom is second to none and keeps getting better with every update. Even if they still haven't added a click to the shifter for a more 'positive' shifting feel, they have however, at least made it more tactile. My only moan, over.

Otherwise the Gen 3 sees some big updates, the tool free adjustment will be welcomed by those who do need to store the bike away or for those where more then one member in the house uses the bike. Alongside this the Atom now tops out at a whopping 2500 watts, which is fine and maybe even a target if your name is Matt Richardson, for mere mortals like myself that's plenty.

The best way to get a feel for any indoor smart bike experience is to get on Zwift and get racing. The almost jerky nature of riding in a bunch, surging speed, following attacks and sprinting, quickly tells you how responsive the bike is and well it reacts to a number of different scenarios. Yet again I can't fault the Atom, its incredible fluid, quick to change and near flawless.

• Read our full Wattbike Atom indoor smart bike review

Best budget indoor smart bike

The Zwift Ride is an interesting offering. Designed to make smart training more accessible, it’s essentially a steel frame that can be paired with a smart trainer. We reviewed it as part of a package with the Wahoo Kickr Core.

Greater accessibility may start with the reduced costs of the Ride compared to some smart trainers, but also extends to the ease of set-up. We found that dialling in the basic fit was a breeze with Zwift’s ‘sizing by letter’ system, meaning you’re able to adjust the bike pretty quickly, making it a good fit for a household of multiple users.

Once set up, you have access to plenty of Zwift tech, from its straightforward cog system, a single sprocket hub that facilitates virtual shifting and means you don’t need a cassette. We found that in combination with the Kickr Core, it delivered excellent shifting and a surprisingly quiet operation. The shifter buttons continue the theme of accessibility, and we found them intuitive to use.

• Read our full Zwift Ride with Wahoo Kickr Core review

Smoothest indoor smart bike

The headliner here is the smooth ride that the Neo Plus delivers. It uses Neodymium magnets to create resistance within the flywheel and we can attest that it works like a dream. It’s comfortably one of the smoothest smart bikes we’ve ever tested, most apparent when we were using Zwift, with the precision of the ERG mode impressing us greatly. The accuracy of the power meter proved to be spot on as well.

But the features don’t stop there. The range of adjustments are impressive and allowed us to really dial in the fit with ease. There’s also an inbuilt fan as well as holder for your tablet as with the previous model, but the shifters have been completely redesigned. We found that both their functionality and comfort have been improved, something that couldn't be said for the last Neo Plus offering. There’s also a slimmer seat post and an increased range of crank length options. It all adds up to a worthwhile upgrade.

• Read our full Tacx Neo Bike Plus review

Best for multiple users

Like the Atom featured above, the Proton is a weighty number. In fact, at 48kg, it’s one of the most robust bikes in this guide. Fortunately, it comes with wheels fitted to make it easier to move around, but it's probably best suited for those who have a dedicated training room where the bike can stay put.

As far as set-up goes, the Proton is wonderfully simple. Adjustment is tool-free, and we were able to position the saddle and bars correctly in seconds. If you plan on sharing your smart bike with other users, it’s a real bonus. Getting started on the Proton is just as straightforward, too, thanks to the free hub, which means you don’t have to have a third-party subscription to an app such as Zwift.

While the Proton is a more affordable offering from Wattbike, you still get plenty of value for your money. The gradient simulation at 25% and peak power of 1800W are both comparable to the other models featured in this guide. We also found it to be highly accurate, as well, again comparable to far more expensive machines.

• Read our full Wattbike Proton smart bike review

Best for realism

An initial look at the Muov smart bike, and it might look excessive, especially given its overall RRP of nearly £5000. Carbon fibre frame made in the UK, high levels of adjustable fit and customisable paint to name a few. However, innovation always comes at a cost, and that is what Muov believes it offers: a very new and 'real' experience, unmatched by its competitors.

There is no denying that indoor riding is monotonous; the best training apps have gone a long way toward bringing a bit more fun and realism to indoor training, without a doubt. Performance-wise, the Muov really doesn't offer much more than the Zwift Ride, which is effectively a bike mounted to a Wahoo Kickr Core 2. The video game features and the party piece 'tilt' really elevate the experience. This "gamification" really turns what is a chore for me into a fun and far more engaging experience.

There are also a lot of other nice features, which others offer but not consistently. It's surprisingly stable for a smart bike, and the level fit adjustment is closer to those used by professionals in shops. As I mentioned, there is no hiding from the price; at nearly double the cost of the Wattbike Atom, it's hard to justify over something as good as the Atom is.

• Read our full Muov Bikes Road smart indoor bike review

Best for gradient simulation

If you’re after a realistic ride feel from your smart trainer, then the Kickr won’t disappoint. We loved the physical grade changes, the simulated shifter and the customizable gearing ratios, all of which make the Kickr feel a lot more like your regular road bike. The 5-point fit adjustment doesn’t hurt either.

The real-time gradient changes can simulate climbs up to 20% as well simulating descents of -15%. Both are made possible by the Kickr's ability to tip backwards and forward. As for the gear ratios you can choose from Shimano, Sram or Campagnolo cassette ratios, allowing you to configure the bike to match the gearing on your actual bike(s).

We appreciate the option to be able to add regular components to the Kickr too, meaning you can fit your favoured stem length, saddle or handlebars to make you feel more at home.

• Read our full Wahoo Kickr Bike review

Spec Table

How we test

The Cycling Weekly team has ridden hundreds of virtual kilometres on all the smart bikes featured in this guide. Our reviews and scores are based on a variety of areas, including ease of setup, app connectivity, specification, and usability

All of the smart bikes were tested across multiple sessions. This allows us to find the base and test the bike’'s ability to accurately replicate sessions and data. These findings are then cross-checked against a power meter or other forms of home trainer.

While most of our testing is completed on Zwift, allowing us repeatable reference points, we also check compatibility with other third-party indoor cycling apps where possible.

Perhaps most importantly and although subjective, we try to relay the concept of 'ride feel' - that is what pedalling feels like on the bike during a variety of different efforts. This perhaps more than anything else, dictates how enjoyable it is to use.

If you would like to know more about how the Cycling Weekly team puts the best biking products to the test, why not visit our How We Test page?

How to choose the best indoor smart bike

You may also need...

Aside from a bike to ride there isn't much more needed to get going with indoor smart bike training. If you are going to invest in your setup then here is nine ways to make your indoor cycling experience more enjoyable. My top recommendations from this list are definitely a good fan and finishing with a cake.

Unless you already have a set training plan, maybe one from a coach or team, then one of the many third-party cycling apps is recommended. They are great at keeping the monotony at bay and a great way connect with the wider cycling community.

Last but not least, cycling indoors is hot, even if its freezing outside. Having cycling kit designed specifically for indoor use that helps disperse the additional heat and has high wicking properties, makes indoor cycling a far more comfortable experience.

Frequently asked questions about indoor smart bikes

Wearing the best headphones for cycling out on the open road is a divisive issue, not just between cyclists and other road users but also amongst ourselves. In this guide, we aim to help navigate this tricky topic by providing useful information and recommendations for a variety of scenarios. Such as how various designs and features can help keep you safe, the sound quality, and even the laws surrounding outside use.

Headphones for cycling will likely need to withstand a range of scenarios, possibly even outside of cycling entirely, since many won't want to own multiple sets. This places significant demands on the best headphones. Fortunately, we are consistently testing the latest offerings, with a number of members of the Cycling Weekly team being self-proclaimed audiophiles.

Our experts' testing takes into account a variety of factors, including sound clarity, how well they stay in place, battery life, performance in the elements, and overall durability. Our testing largely took place indoors, as this is where the majority of the team uses them. We weighed up how they perform while racing aboard some of the best indoor smart trainers. However, we've also included some options suitable for use while riding outdoors, for those who choose to do this, laws allowing, of course!

Once all these considerations are taken into account, our experts rate the Shokz OpenRun Pro bone-conducting headphones not just the best for cycling, but also an excellent choice for everyday use.

Best headphones for cycling - tested and rated by Cycling Weekly

Best Overall

Reviewed by Tom Epton - Tech Contributor

Considered by many as the founder of open ear and bone conduction headphones, Shokz (formally known as Aftershokz) are a household name of this style of headphones, and it has delivered the brand a loyal consumer base.

The standout feature for me is that you can choose between two headphone sizes. This makes the Shokz a better-than-average fit. For someone like me with a small head, I often find that there's often a lot of spare headphone band hanging round the back of my neck. Choosing the 'mini' size, which measures half an inch/ 1.5cm smaller (size guide is here) does away with a lot of the 'bounce' issue or jersey collar Vs headphone clash while on a bike. It also makes laying down recovering with them on a better fit.

The full titanium frame and stripped back design allows the weight to be as low as just 28grams, and a smidgen more for the standard size at 29grams.

Sound-wise, I found the Shokz OpenRun Pro top-notch, which is easier said than done when it comes to bone-conducting headphones. If you're outside and descending a hill at speed, wind rush will overcome the headphones, but from my experience of testing several sets of open ear headphones, Shokz are not alone.

As with the other brands of open ear headphones, there is some guesswork to know exactly when they do require a charge, the app does have a one glace exact percentage gauge, but when switching on or following the correct button pressing sequences, an audible alert will let you know if the battery level is high, medium or low.

If fit and sound quality are the main headphone drivers for your open ear bone conducting headphones, then you won’t be disappointed; however, when compared to others, they seem lacking in additional features. When comparing these with the Suunto Wing headphones, which offer things like an additional power bank, integrated LED lighting and provide a much higher ingress rating than the Shokz’s IP55 one. If it wasn't for the fit options, you'd need to weigh up choosing these over other brands, even at the slightly lower price tag. But there are four colourways, and a robust storage case, a must-have for headphones in my opinion, might seal the deal.

• Read Tom's full Shokz OpenRun Pro bone conducting headphones review

Best for helmet compatibility

Reviewed by Charlotte Broughton - Tech Contributor

While Shokz OpenRun headphones are brilliant, and their bone-conducting tech really does offer fantastic sound for something that is nowhere near your eardrum. They can be on the pricey side, and because of the connecting cable around the back of your neck, they don't always play ball with your helmet. I, for one, have struggled to find a decent set of open-ear headphones that would work with an aero-style helmet. Enter the OpenFits from Shokz.

Initially, I was unsure if the OpenFit wouldn't stay in place, as I had experienced this issue before with some in-ear headphones and even some wired ones I had used in the past. No such problems, and the Openfits were so simple to set up, so I was riding and feeling comfortable straight away.

I was just surprised at how much sound actually reached my ear. Okay, audiophiles will moan about the lack of bass, but you have to remember that while they are much closer than a bone conducting headphone, they aren't actually in your ear. In this way, they work similarly to over-ear headphones, but without the bulky pads and muffs. I used the in-app settings to increase the bass by utilising the bass booster function, which appears to enhance the overall sound.

While the OpenFits are great, I do have a couple of issues. Firstly, the touch controls are hit and miss and largely too sensitive when you don't want them to be, which can be frustrating out on the road. The fact that the case doesn't charge them is also a bit of a miss from Shokz; literally every set of headphones has this function now, at least they are USB-C, I suppose.

• Read Charlotte's full Shokz OpenFit Open Ear headphones review

Best for sound quality

Reviewed by Joe Baker - Tech Contributor

As a musician, I can be particular about sound quality. While I am far from having the best ears, I do like to immerse myself in the sound, regardless of the situation. If I am putting headphones in, I want them to sound good, and, like anyone, I want that at a reasonable price.

Over the last few years, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have become my go-to for a number of reasons, and despite my preference for affordable headphones, the Bose Earbuds are not cheap. However, totally worth it!

Bose's world-class noise cancellation, thanks to their CustomTube tech, creates a little sound bubble for me, whether I am on the train heading into the office, on a plane to a press camp, or just to block out the noise of the turbo trainer. For the occasional time, usually when I am out on a big ride or bikepacking, and using them outdoors, the switch to 'Aware' mode is really simple.

While I am aware we are a cycling publication, the QuietComforts are also great for using in the gym, with sweat, but also just staying in place. Which leads me nicely to their comfort on the bike.

I don't think I am alone in finding proper in-ear headphones tricky to get a good fit, espically at the more affordable end of the spectrum. The customizable fit, as you expect from Bose, but also the higher price, make a big difference. As I already mentioned, they stay snug and secure even during intense efforts.

Last but not least, the quick charge has saved my day on more than one occasion.

Best for handsfree operation

Reviewed by Hannah Bussey - Tech Writer

Squeezing the extra features into the Suunto Wing headphones does mean that they weigh in at the heaviest of the all the open ear headphones on test, but only marginally 33 grams.

I found really straightforward to get started with this pair thanks to the well developed Suunto umbrella fitness app, which made headphone setup a doddle. The easy to follow instructions and toggle buttons meant I had my own listening settings dialled and paired with my phone in just a couple of minutes.

Even with the additional grams in weight, and the inability to choose a smaller size, à la Shokz, the Suunto Wings were still very comfortable, and after a couple of minutes, if it wasn’t for the actual sound, I would have forgotten I was wearing them.

I found the big bonus with these headphones is the hands free control feature. Despite being skeptical at first, it really was as simple nodding or shaking my head to answer or decline a call, or, best of all, the ability to skip a music track. If they allowed me to turn volume up or down it would take these to the next level.

I did find that the sound wasn't as crisp as some of the other headphones on test, notably the Shokz, or the air conducting Oladance OWS Sports headphones. Switching between ‘normal’ and ‘outdoor’ sound control does pump up the jam, improving the ‘distant’ sound quality and making it a little richer, but I found it missed a little depth.

I’ve not tested these up to their claimed 10 hours of playback time, and as with all headphones, it is a bit of a guessing game as to the level of charge. However with the Suunto Wings, not only do you have the usual blast charge, 10minuites on charge provides three hours playback, but you also get a proprietary mini power bank for charging on the fly, giving you an additional 20 hours of charge.

This is a great as standard addition, and would make these my go-to option for bike packing, weekends away or just exceptionally long rides.

Add to this the integrated LED lighting for extra side visibility to other road users as well the high dust and water ingress ratings, means that there’s a lot packed in.

The only down side is that features like these don’t come for free, putting the Suunto Wing headphones into the upper price bracket.

5. Best AirPods for cycling

Reviewed by Andy Turner - Tech Contributor

The question with AirPods is always whether they are better than the previous version. In the case of the Pro 3 versus the AirPod Pro 2's that is a resounding yes. While there are slight downgrades in things like the case's charge time to support the more powerful buds, there are some significant, worthwhile upgrades.

The big upgrade is the noise-cancelling function. Apple claims it is twice as powerful, which I cannot measure, but thanks to the more advanced H2 chip, and from what I am hearing, the increase is noticeable. This has also had an impact on the transparency mode; the improved performance, which can now filter traffic noise from the wind, is a real game-changer for cyclists. Previously, I would actually just ride with one earbud in the left ear and leave the right in the case.

As a serious cyclist and a coach, the latest feature that really impressed me was the integration of a heart rate monitor. When compared to my Wahoo Trackr, it not only provided very comparable numbers, but it is also very good at tracking sudden changes during an explosive effort. Unfortunately, this is currently not a compatible feature with the best bike computers like my Garmin, so it seems somewhat redundant for many cyclists. For those who do use their phone on the bars or maybe an Apple Watch, it avoids the need for a third-party heart rate monitor and builds on the generally very good Apple Ecosystem.

There is one other issue, however; occasionally, the left earbud will produce a loud chirping noise. After a bit of research, this, for some, has been down to the fit of the earbud and 'airtight' seal needed for the ANC (active-noise cancelling). While I set the headphones up using the fit system from Apple, a reduction in bud size has made improvements. This seems to happen more after a long time in the saddle, presumably due to a buildup of moisture. Worth noting that the smaller size did mean, from time to time, the buds then did let in more wind noise, as the seal, I am guessing, isn't as good. Given that I didn't have this issue with the Pro 1 or 2, it's a frustration. Also, it may not be an issue for everyone. I reached out to Apple for comment, but I have yet to hear back.

• Read Andy's full Apple AirPods Pro 3 headphones review

Best Over-Ear Headphones

Reviewed by Andy Carr - Tech Editor

I feel like I need to mention that it is unlikely most will use over-ear headphones out on the road. So, my testing for the H20 RIPT Ultras was solely indoors on one of the best smart bikes I have on test.

The RIPT Ultras are H20s top of the range headphones and feature the brand's immersive Real Isolation Performance Technology noise-cancelling tech. They claim to help athletes like Mathieu Van der Poel warm up without the noise of the crowd and hubbub around them distracting them from their focus. This could equally work for those who have busy family lives or in a gym environment. For me, as someone who lives on his own in the middle of the countryside, this was of no concern, so I was really looking for the sound quality to justify the H20s cost.

Given that there is stiff competition in this market from a number of recognised manufacturers and ones with decades of experience, the H20s hold up well. An Audiophile will pick holes in them, I am certain of that, but a pair of audiophile headphones doesn't offer what the RIPT ultras do. The ability to wear these while active and, more importantly, sweating heavily sets them apart and all while offering a very respectable sound.

What really stood out was how comfortable they are. Over-ear headphones aren't the best sports attire, but the H20s buck the trend, even using exclusively the silicone muffs, which I thought for non-sports use might be a bit much. However, they balance grip and pressure around the head and ears very well.

While the sounds isn't quite where some would want for the price, you have to balance that out with the protection from sweat and being able to use them in more scenarios.

• Read Andy's full H20 Audio RIPT Ultra headphones review

How we test

A large part of testing headphones for cycling here at Cycling Weekly is about their functionality and how they perform in use. While we will comment on whether we think audio quality is poor or very good, we are not conducting a quantitative test with replicable results.

What we are primarily looking for is how they perform on the bike. Testing for things like battery life, resistance to sweat, rain and dust. How well do headphones fit with helmet straps and shells, and which features and functions can enhance our cycling experience? For example, the responsiveness of ANC (active noise-cancellation) modes, or, in the case of the Apple AirPod Pro 3, how the heart rate monitor compares to a more traditional chest-strap system.

This testing will be done both indoors on one of the best indoor smart trainers or one of the best smart bikes. For outdoor testing, this will depend on the IP rating of the headphones; however, our testers will try to test in a wide range of conditions, especially when commenting on ANC function and durability.

For more on 'How we test' all the latest products and how we conduct our reviews, have a read of our more in-depth overview.

Meet our testers

How to choose the best headphones for cycling

For everyday use, owning a pair of wireless in-ear headphones, also known as ear buds, can be a game changer. With no tether to your device, you gain a significant amount of freedom of movement. Apple Airpods Pro lead the charge, but the market is awash with options now. From the masses however, the athlete focused Jaybird Vista 2 really stand out as offering some of the best headphones for cycling, not only with its sport fit, sweat and waterproofing, but also the ability to toggle between sound immersion, ambient sound amplification, as well as options in-between.

If sound immersion is your thing, but 'in-ear' isn't, then 'on-ear' will be an ideal pair of headphones for cycling for you. If you have traditionally been put off by the thought of the heavy weight and keeping them clean, then the Adidas RPT-01 Sport On-Ear are ideal headphones for cycling as they feature stay-put ergonomics, sweat-proof and water-resistance design, with washable parts, built for sweaty workouts.

The biggest benefit is that bone conducting headphones leave your ear canal open, helping you to maintain your spatial awareness as well as remaining aware of ambient noises. However, this does mean that there is no noise cancelling/ sound immersion option for someone wanting to completely dial in to their ride.

The down side is that in order to sit in the exact location to transmit the vibrations, they come with a somewhat rigid structure. So although they are considered one of the ideal headphones for cycling outside, there can be helmet interference with the fit.

There are a lot of varieties on the market, with some offering one-touch sound amplification, meaning you don't have to remove the headphones to have an in-person conversation. Built-in mics also mean that it's possible to pair with a device for a call or Discord chat.

However with their size comes the obvious interference with helmets, and therefore they are far from idea to use outside. The other issue that most riders note is the heat build up, so it's important if you do opt for on-ear headphones that you choose a sports specific option, which will aim to be more breathable, sweat resistant and have washable pads.

The Climb is Wahoo’s “grade stimulator”. Sitting in place of your front wheel the motorised unit raises and lowers the front end of your bike, stimulating inclines between +20 and -10%. Once paired with your smart trainer and training app, the Climb simulates the incline changes of the road on your screen to give – what Wahoo claims – is a “truly immersive indoor training experience”.

We went indoors to see how much difference it made to riding the best of the smart trainers.

Wahoo Kickr Climb: construction

Setting up the Climb is really easy. Just remove your front wheel, select the correct pair of adapters according to your axel and fit the Climb in place. If you’re using the Climb with the Wahoo Kickr Move as we did, then you’ll also need the base adapter which is available separately.

In terms of bikes, you can fit any bike with a standard hub onto the Climb. Adapters are included for quick-release, 12x100, 15x100, and 15x110 front hubs. Non-standard hubs – like the Cannondale Lefty – aren’t compatible.

Unlike many smart trainer add-ons, the Climb can only be used with Wahoo’s own trainers (including the Wahoo Kickr Snap, Wahoo Kickr Core and Kickr Move), and only post-2017 models. If you’re unsure what model you have, Wahoo have a checker on the website.

There is a control switch you can leave on the Climb or mount onto your bars through which you can lock the Climb or manually change the gradient.

Technologically the Climb connects directly to the KICKR at the press of a button. Once paired you can see the Climb in your connected apps and directly control through the Wahoo app. During testing we haven’t had any connection issues (which makes for a pleasant change).

Wahoo Kickr Climb: The ride

We rode with the Climb using Wahoo X, Zwift and manual control (you are not limited to Wahoo X and Zwift, the CLIMB will work with any third-party app).  If you have a Wahoo head unit you use it to follow sessions or previously ridden routes, this is exclusive to Wahoo units though and not something we tried for this review.

The Climb and Kickr get on and do the job they’re designed to do. And they do it all very well; it really is as simple as that. The trainer resistance is brilliantly synchronised with the changes in incline, all as dictated by your virtual training session or course.

As you’re still not moving anywhere, even with the Climb the change in effort for a hill comes from the trainer’s resistance not gravity. The Wahoo Kickrs are so good at doing this that it overshadows the effect of the Climb on smaller gradients. But once the elevation reaches something more significant – be it up or down hill – the impact of the Climb is much more obvious. I even found myself tucking down out of the ‘wind’ on long descents as my body matched my bike position.

But the real benefit doesn’t come from virtual aero tucks. On the bigger ascents (roughly >4-5%) there’s enough change of your bike angle to really to shift your body to a climbing position and pedalling dynamics. The steeper the incline and the longer the climb, the more you can feel muscle groups engaging differently. This makes the Climb a great tool if you really want to improve your climbing ability rather than just improve the ability to grind out over-geared efforts.

As well as the training effect that comes with engaging muscles differently, all this change of gradient means there are constant shifts in your position on the bike. These movements have the potential to keep you riding more comfortably and for longer.

Much like the Kickr itself, the ride feel from the Climb is very, very good, but it’s not perfect. We found on sudden big hill kicks the change in resistance of the trainer didn’t time as well with the movement of the Climb. Where outside momentum carries you into the climb so you feel the change of incline before the increase in resistance, it was the other way round on the trainer, with the resistance coming before the elevation. We’re being a bit picky - it’s certainly not a deal breaker - but something for the software development list.

We also found that when really putting the power down out the saddle the Climb has an unnatural side-to-side motion as it rocks on its base. Like that of the Kickr Move, it feels like a movement you have to control, limiting your ability to push through the pedals and pull on the bars. It is not a problem with steady, seated climbing but will be a drawback if you favour powering over the tops.

The wired control unit allows you to alter the gradient, “return to flat” and dis/able app-lead changes. It’s a neat feature (literally and metaphorically) and good to have a simple way of controlling things mid-ride so you don’t have to deal with menus and a touch screen (ERG setting, we’re looking at you).

But, the functionality of this control unit is a bit limited as it doesn’t have a display to show your gradient and, if you’re not following a session on a head unit or app, the resistance drops as you raise the Climb. This means you’re still reliant on the control and readings from your app (and your gears outside an app-led session). If you always ride with a training app open this won’t be much of a problem, but it does lessen the ability for the Climb to be used to complete rider-led hill climb training sessions and seems a bit of a design oversight.

The final drawback of the Climb is the bulk of the whole unit and its power cable and transformer. Unless you’ve got plenty of room and some well-placed sockets these are going to take some arranging and, of course, makes your whole set up harder to move out the way if you don’t have a dedicated space. I had the benefit of using Wahoo’s full-ecosystem but even then found it was difficult to keep the Wahoo Kickr Headwind fan, Desk, Climb and Kickr Move cables out of the way of each other. You’ll also need a place to stow your front wheel and the spare adapters.

Wahoo Kickr Climb: value and conclusion

The Climb will set you back a considerable $700 / £530.  That is considerably less than the Elite Rizer, which comes in at $1,099 / £824.99 - although the Elite system is compatible with any smart trainer brand, whereas the Climb does tie you in to Wahoo's broader 'eco-system'.

Still, although the Climb is cheaper the the Rizer, it's still very much very much a pertinent question whether $700 / £530 is really a price you want to pay. If you are heavily committed to improving your climbing prowess and virtual ride feel, then yes, it would likely be a solid investment. But if that's less of a concern for you, this is one piece of equipment you can probably do without.

Let's get straight to the point: You absolutely don't need the best indoor cycling shoes to cycle indoors. However, with the growth of indoor cycling and racing, along with the popularity of platforms like Peloton, the demand for indoor riding kit has increased significantly.

When paired with the best indoor cycling clothing, indoor cycling footwear can significantly improve heat management. The dispersion or wicking of sweat is one of the biggest challenges to overcome. Owning clothing, and in this case, specific shoes that help ventilate, wick away sweat, and generally keep you cooler, can have a significant impact on performance.

The best shoes for Peloton also need to be gentle on expensive floors, whether it's your parquet at home or at the gym. Given you won't be walking around in them much, they are naturally less need for comfort and compliance, making them more difficult to walk in. This is why many feature soft rubber soles or buffers.

Shoes like our best overall, the Shimano SH-IC501, embody all of these attributes, which is why it has been awarded our highest honour.

You don't need one of the best exercise bikes or a gym membership to enjoy indoor cycling. You can get started with your bike and one of the best smart trainers linked to one of the best indoor training apps.

The quick list

Best indoor cycling shoes 2026 as tested by Cycling Weekly experts

Best overall indoor cycling shoes

Reviewed by Rachel Sokal - Tech Contributor

The Shimano SH-IC501 is an indoor shoe with a two-bolt cleat, ideal for gravel or MTB riders who use this system or those who want the additional comfort of using a SPD cleat on the gym spin bike or their own Peloton.

Of all the indoor shoes I've tested, the Shimano IC501 was the most slipper-like: lightweight and comfortable with a grippy and flexible sole. The anti-odor fabric was a blessing to the contents of my gym bag after particularly sweaty workouts. Available in a large range of sizes as well as both men’s and women’s fits, I personally found these close to a perfect fit, proving exceptionally comfortable when on and riding.

The flexible fabric sock-like upper with a single crisscross Velcro strap makes it easy to put on. The grippy rubber flexible sole and recessed metal cleat are great for walking and, therefore, ideal for a gym bike option.

On the downside, the flex did mean that I didn't get the greatest power transfer to the pedals; this will matter more to some than others, notably cyclists who are diligently measuring the watts or keen on e-racing. There’s also a risk that the combination of the less rigid sole and smaller cleat (compared to a three-bolt road cleat) could cause discomfort during longer sessions. I found this started to creep in on longer sessions of more than two hours.

For those using road pedals, Shimano don’t have an equivalent three-bolt shoe although many of the features of the IC501 also appear on the cheaper IC100 which has both two and three-bolt fittings.

Best for performance in the gym

Reviewed by Simon Fellows - Previous Tech Editor & Contributor

The Fizik Vento Powerstrap Aeroweave is an exceptional shoe; it is light, extremely stiff, and highly breathable. During my testing, which was largely through one of the hottest Summers here in the UK on record, it was a delight. However, the Vento's are so good, anything below 20°C or 68°F, and I started to feel the chill. Now, some of that is me; I feel the cold quite badly, but still, that is still reasonably balmy for much of Northern Europe.

So, how do you justify the price of these incredible shoes?

Simple, I think. They could also make for an excellent winter cycling shoe. Now that might sound odd when you consider that we sometimes get a dusting of snow here in the UK. However, given the popularity of cycling indoors, the Vento could become a year-round shoe if you're serious about your 'Zwifiting'.

As you would expect from a shoe that is upwards of £300/$400, they are incredibly comfortable and, in my opinion, completely justify the price tag. However, I absolutely can get use out of them year-round and my primary shoes. For those who live in warmer climes, they should be at the top of your list, too. However, if you don't ride indoors and winters are cold, you might want to look elsewhere.

Read our full Fizik Vento Powerstrap Aeroweave cycling shoe review

Best for budget

Reviewed by Rachel Sokal - Tech Contributor

The 100 isn’t an indoor-specific shoe but it is very well priced and allows riders to choose between cleat systems (two or three bolt), so a great option for those new to cycling shoes or those who don’t want to spend a lot for a shoe they use once a week at the gym.

On the bike, the Van Rysel shoes perform well. They're not the stiffest shoes out there, but they did a perfectly good job transferring my effort to the pedal without any notable hotspots. The three basic Velcro straps give plenty of adjustment, although if you have narrow feet, like me, you might find it harder to get a good fit compared to a more expensive BOA dial fastening.

The sole doesn’t offer much grip when walking, so they’re best put on next to the bike. This is particularly the case if you use a bare-metal two-bolt cleat as the mount isn’t recessed in the sole’s grips as it would be on a two-bolt specific shoe.

When set up for a three-bolt cleat, we found it can overhang the edges of the sole when mounted further back. It's not a big problem for riding indoors, but if you start to use them for riding outdoors, it could become a shelf for muck and grime.

Best for style

Reviewed by Rachel Sokal - Tech Contributor

The Adidas Indoor Shoe is a bit different from the other dedicated indoor shoes in our guide. It’s scaled down, sleek, and stylish without any extra cushioning, tabs, or other bells and whistles, although, depending on your colourway of choice, the vibrancy of the shoes does all the talking.

Designed for a three-bolt cleat, these clearly have a more road-to-indoor cycling crossover. Once my foot was on the pedals, the Adidas felt the closest riding in road shoes. The sole was stiff, and I really appreciated the large cleat optimising power transfer. Although, if you’re new to cycling shoes, you might be surprised by the lack of padding.

Because there’s just a single Velcro strap, the fit is less adjustable than in other indoor cycling shoes I've tested. Even with the built-in heel grips, slimmer heels can lift out (more so when walking off the bike). I also noticed where the strap lay across my foot, making me feel uncomfortable after a while if it was really pulled in tight.

The stiff sole and prominent cleat make The Indoor Shoe difficult to walk in, and you definitely won't be able to cross-train in them. These shoes prioritise pedalling performance above gym cross-over.

Best for inside and out

Reviewed by Rachel Sokal - Tech Contributor

In 2021, we reviewed the Torch 1.0 as an outdoor shoe and found it to be an excellent performer for its price.

Given that this was the highest-specced road-specific shoe in our indoor guide, it should come as no surprise that these performed the best on the bike. The stiff sole provides excellent power transfer. I found them comfortable during longer endurance sessions and really felt the power transfer during intense bursts.

I found the upper of the shoes to be one of the most comfortable, with an excellent closure. I felt my foot held firmly but without any hot spots. However, be aware that some might find the toe box on the Torch 1.0 quite roomy, and it's hard to pull the lower Velcro closure tight enough for my narrow feet. Having said that, the main BOA closure does such a good job that it didn't leave my foot moving around excessively.

Whilst the sole isn’t rubberised to the same degree that a dedicated indoor shoe is, there’s a decent amount of grip from the heel material. Combined with the slight flex in the sole, I was able to walk short distances across hard and shiny gym floors without looking like Bambi.

Even when wearing them exclusively indoors. I found that the white upper marked up easily, with the pimply texture catching the dirt and being harder to wipe clean, so it might be worth considering other colours if you like the box fresh look all the time.

How we test the best indoor cycling shoes

Testing the best indoor cycling shoes is not all that different from testing the best cycling shoes or best gravel shoes.

The initial step in any shoe test is to evaluate the fit, which includes cleat setup and depends on the tester's foot type. To ensure comprehensive coverage, we have a diverse group of testers with varying foot dimensions, allowing us to gather the most accurate assessment of a shoe for large, small, narrow, and wide feet.

As with a product we have on test here at Cycling Weekly, we then need to invest time in the product. For Indoor cycling shoes, we need to choose the best smart trainer or wheel, or opt for the best smart bike, and put in some static miles.

Testing shoes indoors is simpler than doing so outside because these bikes and devices are equipped with built-in power meters that provide live data during or after a ride, making them ideal for evaluating a shoe's overall performance. For indoor shoes, the primary focus is on power transfer. While comfort and compliance are still important, they are less critical since you'll likely wear the shoes for no more than an hour, and weather and terrain are not factors.

If anything, what is more important than comfort and something we really would only do with gravel shoes is walk around in the shoes on a variety of surfaces. Firstly, we don't want to be damaging any expensive Gym floors or lovingly laid parquet floors. Also, we don't want to end up on our posteriors in front of our spin mates or loved ones.

For more information on how Cycling Weekly tackles testing the world's best cycling gear, visit our how we test page.

Meet the tester

How to choose the best indoor cycling shoes

Frequently asked questions about indoor cycling shoes

Winter months for much of the northern hemisphere mean decreased daylight and outdoor riding conditions that may be less inviting than the other nine months of the year. For many, this means putting the cycling time on a trainer.

Those who ride trainers year-round will tell you that it’s an effective way to stay fit and avoid altercations with motor vehicles. While it’s hard to question these benefits of riding indoors, there are many other assertions about indoor cycling that are questioned as axiomatic.

Myth 1: Indoor cycling trainers are expensive

Well, expensive is a relative term; what costs a lot for one cycling enthusiast may be throw-away for another. Instead of considering cost when purchasing an indoor trainer, weigh the cash outlay versus expected use and benefits derived. Account for your cycling goals and how you plan to achieve them, how frequently you plan to use a turbo trainer, and what you consider to be enjoyment or obligation.

An aspiring racer who plans on riding 18+ hours a week might consider splurging on a state-of-the art smart trainer—if they can afford it—as it will be more durable, offer more features (e.g., greater max wattage, smoother flywheel, etc.) and provide a more engaging riding experience than a bargain dumb trainer with magnetic resistance.

But if you're just dipping your toes in the indoor cycling world, you can get a perfectly good wheel-on trainer setup for just under $300 USD like the Kickr Snap (on sale) or the Garmin Tacx Boost.

Myth 2: Indoor cycling trainers can damage carbon bike frames

Each bike manufacturer best knows the limits of its bikes—max recommended rider weight, mounting points and fasteners—and has tested its bikes and set safety margins.

Generally, most modern carbon bikes from major bicycle manufacturers are suitable for use on indoor trainers by the vast majority of cyclists. This assumes that you’ve not modified your bike or trainer, and have mounted the bike to the trainer as recommended by the trainer and bike manufacturers.

Of course there are caveats, so if you want an explicit answer to the question if your specific bike can be used on your specific trainer, review the safety statements on the bike manufacturer website or contact the manufacturer directly. If you’re a track racer who weighs 90kg, and intend to practice standing starts while producing in excess of 2,200w on a frame with wispy seatstays, maybe first check with the frame maker.

Myth 3: You don’t need to clean and lube your drivetrain if you’re not riding outdoors

Untrue. While you won’t get your drivetrain muddy while riding indoors, your crank, chain, and cassette will collect any dust and dirt stirred up by the fans used for keeping you cool. And, unlike riding outdoors where sweat is less likely to drop onto your drivetrain, dripping sweat onto moving parts can still corrode them, although more slowly, if they are not regularly maintained.

Wiping down a bike after each trainer ride allows for inspection to ensure everything is in top working condition. Instead of cleaning and lubing the drivetrain after a set distance, consider this quick and easy maintenance after 80-100 hours.

Myth 4: You need indoor-specific cycling kit

Nope — but cycling kit that will keep you dry and cool will help you ride in greater comfort for longer. Don’t skimp on quality shorts with a comfortable chamois. When riding indoors you’ll move less—in and out of, and side to side on the saddle—than when riding outdoors. This means that you’ll be in contact with the saddle more, and chafe-free and wicking properties of quality shorts between you and your bike are as important as when riding outdoors.

Myth 5: Metrics like power, heart rate and FTP are different when riding indoors

False, but the ability to hit and sustain power targets, for example, is different. Riding inside is comparable to a clinical setting, with fewer factors like gradient, road quality, or wind impacting physiological performance. So the data collected while riding indoors are valid measures of physiological performance. However, thermoregulation can be more challenging, even with fans, as well as position on the bike. Heating up too quickly while riding indoors will increase heart rate while also negatively impacting power output. And moving around on the bike can be more challenging when trying to squeeze out every watt when the bike is locked into place.

Myth 6: You shouldn't use erg mode during structured workouts

Untrue. Erg mode dynamically adjusts the resistance on the trainer to a specified wattage. When in erg mode, you don’t have to shift to feel changes in resistance. If you’re doing structured indoor cycling workouts with prescribed power targets, disabling erg mode allows you to go harder or easier based on how you feel. If you’re tired or fatigued, you can hit a lower power target without having to adjust any trainer settings; likewise if you’re feeling good, you can go harder than the specified wattage, pushing yourself to find new limits. Many trainers have a three-second response time, so if doing very short out-of-the-saddle efforts, for instance, it can be frustrating and not as effective to use erg mode. But, sometimes you just want to switch off your head, and get through a workout, and this is where enabling erg mode may be beneficial.

American Kristen Kulchinsky (Virginia's Blue Ridge Twenty24) is one of the most decorated female esports cyclists in the sport's short history. She has countless elite-level victories at Zwift's top level, the Premier Division, and the Zwift Grand Prix. She also represented the U.S. in all three UCI Cycling Esports World Championships editions. But until this summer, she had never ridden a bike outdoors. 

"Outside always felt like this unicorn, something mystical or magical that I couldn’t do," says the 42-year-old  from Long Island, New York. "I started to learn to ride outside, and each day, it was exhilarating to learn something new. Outside felt like the video game to me!"

When she did get outside, however, her indoor fitness transitioned impressively well…

 From Spin Class to Esports

Kulchinsky’s cycling journey started in spin class. For years she attended New York’s high-energy, music-thumping studio classes until an avid cyclist friend, impressed by Kulchinsky’s fitness, recommended that she get a triathlon bike. She did but that bike never saw the outside world and instead found its permanent residence on a smart trainer in her apartment.

When in-person gatherings halted during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kulchinsky left the city and relocated to Long Island, leaving the spin classes behind. Her friend and coach, Josh Lipka, introduced her to training and racing on Zwift, sparking a newfound passion in her. 

"It wasn’t until the pandemic hit that I transitioned from being a fitness enthusiast to training and racing with purpose, which ignited this new passion in me," Kulchinsky shares.

During the pandemic , virtual cycling platforms were among the few competitive options for elite cyclists. As a result, Kulchinsky lined up against some of the best in the sport yet held her own. In the summer of 2020, her online racing prowess and prolific results caught the attention of Team Twenty20—now Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY24—manager Nicola Cranmer, who tapped her to join their growing esports division.

 Kulchinsky decides to prove something to herself 

Despite her remarkable achievements and dominant victories, Kulchinsky found herself in a peculiar position. She’d found her home and passion in the virtual cycling community yet critics continually doubted her talent without real-world results or training data to back up her virtual performances.

The traditional cycling community often regards "Indoor Specialists" like her as detrimental to the sport and are slow to embrace the virtual athlete.

The skepticism is somewhat understandable. Stories of esport athletes making a successful transition from Zwift racing to real-world racing are rare though not unheard of; Jay Vine and Paige Onweller are good examples. 

And so, Kulchinsky decided to prove something to herself. On September 9, 2023, after clipping in outdoors for the very first time only two short months earlier, she lined up for her first real-world race: the Greylock Hillclimb Time Trial

Standing at 3,491’ tall, Mt. Greylock is the tallest peak in the state of Massachusetts. The time trial ascent takes place on a nine-mile course with 2,805 feet of vertical. Kulchinsky conquered the mountain with a time of 45:32 – nearly 10 minutes faster than  her closest competitor and also an age group record for women under 45. 

“The Northampton Cycling Club would like to congratulate Kristen Kulchinsky for her victory, especially in consideration of the non-traditional route she took to the podium,” comments race director Donna Wilson  

“Kristen is an example of how there isn't one way to cycle. With the evolution of technology,  the NCC is eager to discover how others find their way to a bike, a race, an event, or any manner of two-wheeled fun and adventure!”

Her standout performance also earned her the hotly contested Strava QOM by close to three minutes over Canadian Myriam Paquet, a fierce climber in her own right.

"Going from being unable to make a U-turn or clip-in to feeling like I’m one with the bike now is awesome," Kulchinsky noted after her unlikely victory. "There's still so much to learn, yet I am so proud of the progress I’ve made."

Two weeks later, Kulchinsky toed the line of another hill climb. This time, it was a mass start. The Prospect Mountain Hill Climb is a 5.7-mile ascent with an average gradient of 5.7% in NY's Lake George region.

After cordially warning her competitors that it was the first time she would ride in a group, she rode away, winning by almost five minutes over the hill climb series leader, Sonya Bodick. Her 5.24 wkg average for 22:52 earned her another QOM, a course record, and the victory – and even one position before her coach Josh Lipka.

The recently crowned Men's Masters 35-39 Open US National Time Trial Champion put out 4.83 wkg and averaged 425 W to hold Kristen's wheel and, when asked about it, could muster no more than an, "It was awful!"

The race organizer and founder of Unify Cycling, Robert Pollaro, had much more to say. 

"When the final results were in, I was impressed that Kulchinski was fifth overall in just under 23 minutes. It wasn't until the post-race podium ceremony that I learned this was only her second real road race. In fact, she'd come off of the Zwift circuit for Twenty24. Her times and finishes are pretty incredible, given her lack of experience. Talk about surprise!"

Kulchinsky made it three-for-three on October 1, 2023, at the Allen Clark Memorial Hill Climb, on the famed face of Ap Gap in Vermont, which tops out at a grade of 15 percent. Her hat -trick of hill climb victories came atop the scene of the final climb of the Queen Stage of the Green Mountain Stage Race. 

Throughout the GMSR's deep and storied history, several amateur cyclists have ascended to professional stardom on the slopes of the Appalachian Gap. Kulchinsky has that QOM now, too, with a time of 27:36 for 6.1 miles with 1,631 feet of elevation. She won the series crown as the Northeast USA's finest female climber in only three races.

Kulchinsky's only regret is that she didn't have the opportunity to test her newly found riding skill against one of the world's most challenging hill climbs, Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. 

"I enjoyed each step of the process, and when it was time for Mount Washington, I was ready and prepared. Unfortunately, that mountain had other plans, and the officials canceled the race at the line for hurricane-force winds,” she says.

Where to now?

Kulchinsky vows to return for the 51st edition of the Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hill Climb next year. In the meantime, she has her sights set on loftier goals.

"I would love to become a UCI Esports World Champion one day. It would be a dream come true!"

Cycling esports athletes, fans, and enthusiasts aspire to a future with no doubts about the performances of racers like Kulchinsky, and the sport gains acknowledgment as a distinct discipline. They look ahead to a time when female athletes and young girls can explore a love for cycling in an approachable virtual setting and use that as a stepping stone for athletic development.

If you know a Peloton owner, then you already know the appeal of riding high tech indoor bicycles with training programs. But the high price tag is something that scares many folks off. 

Horizon Fitness’ goal is to bring the general consumer a more affordable high tech indoor bike with the freedom to use one’s training apps of choice. 

Somewhere between a traditional flywheel spin bike and the modern smart bikes like Peloton, Horizon’s latest offering, the 7.0 IC (Indoor Cycling) Fitness Bike won’t adjust the ride feel and resistance for you (read: no ERG mode), but it does sport bluetooth connectivity so you can connect your phone, tablet, or any other bluetooth-enabled device to the bike and join in on classes and rides from popular apps such as Zwift, Wahoo SYSTM and even, Peloton.

The bike will communicate the speed, cadence and other activity metrics to the apps, but you’ll still have to manually adjust your resistance, of which there are 100 levels.

I received one to test at the most opportune moment: when I couldn’t ride outdoors due to a broken rib as a result of a bike crash, and the impending and subsequent winter and snowstorms. Having a couple of bike races I needed to train for, I was happy to use an indoor bike as an alternative way to keep my fitness up and my bike-loving brain happy.

Horizon Fitness 7.0 IC Fitness Bike: at a glance

• Make and model: Horizon Fitness 7.0 IC Indoor Cycle
• MSRP: Currently listed at $799 USD
• Weight: 300 lbs
• BlueTooth/ ANT+ connectivity
• 100 resistance levels
• Dual water bottle holders
• Easy to assemble, easy to use digital console, smooth and quiet flywheel 
• Available on Horizon’s website, and select other online outdoor retailers

Horizon Fitness 7.0 IC Fitness Bike: Setting up

Horizon Fitness boasts a long line of indoor fitness equipment and seems to specialize in treadmills, but also offers rowers, ellipticals and indoor bikes. The brand’s name for fame comes from the approachability of their medium-priced, medium-tech equipment which claims to open doors for folks who aren’t looking to spend more than $1,000 on an all-in-one bike. They offer their potential clientele professional grade equipment without locking anyone into subscriptions or memberships and want to give folks the freedom to use anyone’s own favorite fitness app or bluetooth fitness device. 

The Horizon 7.0 IC Indoor Cycle follows the slightly cheaper 5.0 IC model with upgrades including better bike adjustments, another water bottle holder, a USB charging plug in and an included bluetooth heart rate monitor. When purchasing, there are three options for delivery including Curbside, In-Room, and White Glove which means you’ll get more help moving the bike into your house and assembly, respectively. 

The bike arrived at my door for In-Room Delivery and I was able to have the bike left in my desired room in my studio where I could easily unpack it and set it up myself. 

Set up was relatively easy and straightforward. There were few small parts to keep track of and the kit came with the necessary assembly tools and clear instructions. The wiring for the computer was the trickiest part, but it was made easier by a lead wire to get everything where it needed to go without damaging or losing anything. In all, it took me a very slow, pretty relaxed hour. 

My only issue was finding where the electrical outlet plugged into the bike. The outlet did not show up on any diagrams and as someone who has not owned a power-sourced bike, I found this very frustrating (it’s a small divot on the lower left, front fork).

Adjusting the bike to fit my specifics, and the hardness of the seat were probably my biggest grievance for the bike as a whole. As someone who spends almost everyday in the saddle, I was hoping to get the bike to feel comfortable for the long-haul. I maxed out the handlebar height and could not move the seat or the handlebars inward any farther. I eventually felt comfortable in my position but worry about anyone taller than my 5’9” frame, or those with a short torso. 

Horizon Fitness 7.0 IC Fitness Bike: the ride

The pedals are dual pedals with SPD clips and cages on either side that move smoothly and quietly, as do the aluminum, magnetic resistant flywheels. The straps on the cages are a little long and intrusive, and flap around while in full ride mode. It gets annoying but can be fixed by tucking or cutting. 

The resistance on the bike goes up to 100 and as someone who has maxed out other indoor bike resistances, I didn’t even get close to topping out. The transitions between resistance levels were also very smooth without a jarring shift, but still noticeable and, as the largest buttons, resistance changes were easy to access on the computer, even during a quick sprint.

What I love most about the bike is the exact thing that it boasts about: its Bluetooth connectivity and the USB charging outlet. I’m relatively new to indoor training apps and previously only owned indoor bikes to have something to do while I watch Netflix, but I decided to use the included free heart rate monitor and I signed up for Zwift to get the full experience. 

The Zwift app was downloaded on my phone, which I could perch nicely on the bike’s amble-spaced tablet holder and easily see the screen. The app could connect to the bike and the heart rate monitor via bluetooth, and the bike monitored the basic stats such as speed, time, distance, cadence and calories, while the fitness app kept me entertained. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun on an indoor bike. I quickly got sucked into the otherwordly Zwift universe and soon, I started racing. Hard. The bike and the fitness app were able to keep up with my manual resistance changes, and slowing down or coasting didn’t feel dangerous or hard as some other heavy equipment bikes can be. There is, however, an emergency brake on the bike, just in case. The dual water bottle holders are key for strenuous longer rides and easy to reach. 

Besides a very sore tush at the end of my ride, I loved the bike. The bike itself is small enough not to be intrusive or an eyesore in my small studio home, and with wheels on the front, I don’t have any problems moving it around. 

It has the smooth resistance and easy transition range I need, with the technological capabilities I wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. Connecting the bike to a training app was such a different and fun experience, and if you don’t have a training app, or don’t want to use one, the bike has five simple training method options to use as well: manual, distance training, calorie burning, weight loss and interval training. 

Horizon Fitness 7.0 IC Fitness Bike: Value and conclusion

Overall, I’d say the Horizon Fitness 7.0 IC Fitness Bike is perfect stationary bike for an average to avid cyclist who's looking for the quality riding experience and technological advancement of a modern indoor bike without breaking the bank. 

The ability to ride with a training app and then upload my rides to Strava changed the way I look at stationary cycling. I can now join in with my friends on virtual group rides and races, and I use this bike significantly more than I did my previous cheaper “analogue” indoor bike. There are still a few quirks that I'll have to tackle, such as a different saddle for the longer rides and altering the straps on the pedal cages, but for the technological benefits at the price point —and the opportunity to ride a bike even with a broken rib— those are small alterations I am happy to make.

While the summer months are a great time to log up miles on the road and the gravel trails, it's not always easy to find the time for a longer ride. And that’s where the best exercise bikes can help out. If you’re looking to maintain fitness, follow a dedicated training plan or just spin the legs, an exercise bike allows you to do so even during a busy week.

Many of the models featured in the guide allow you to connect with the best indoor cycling training apps, allowing you to benefit from the support of the indoor cycling communities as well as a host of advanced training tools.

I’ve tested a wide range of bikes, from the basic to the more detailed, and have selected my favourites here. My top pick is the Echelon EX-5, chosen because of its robust build, wide range of resistance levels and the large touchscreen included in the package.

While the price tags vary greatly across the bikes in this suide, all feature manual resistance. If you’re looking for automatic resistance, then we have a guide to the best indoor smart bikes for your perusal. And if you’d like to extend your search further we also have a dedicated guide to the best indoor smart trainers which work in conjunction with your bike.

The Quick List