Sometimes riding your bike outside isn’t an option, especially during inclement weather. or during a pandemic. While it’s safe to bike outside with a face mask on, riding at home may be more comfortable on days when you’re mask-ne is flaring up or you’re not in the mood to wear a helmet. If you are an avid cyclist, training for an event or just want to ride for exercise, then an indoor bike trainer might be a good solution.
What is an indoor bike trainer? It’s basically a stand built that you attach your road or mountain bike to make it stationary. They’re relatively inexpensive and can give you a flexible in-home option for days when you’d rather not duke it out with a thunderstorm to get your workout in.
Whether you are a competitive cyclist or Peloton enthusiast, an indoor bike trainer can keep you in your training zone and keep up your stamina when you can’t get outside or to the gym. Plan your workouts around your schedule and enjoy riding anytime in the comfort of your own home, while watching your favorite TV shows or listening to your own music. Also, if you’d rather not spend a fortune on an indoor stationary bike because your outdoor bike was expensive enough, this is a great way to enjoy the best of both worlds with a less-expensive second purchase.
Whatever the reason, we have sourced some of the best and highly-rated bike trainers on the market that will make riding indoors something you can actually look forward to.
1. BalanceFrom Bike Trainer
This bike trainer stand from BalanceFrom works on any ground surface and fits any road or mountain bike with a 26-28″ wheel. It effectively simulates real cycling and won’t scratch your wood floor. It has a wide base for superb balancing and is very easy to install. It has eight different resistance settings, similar to a stationary exercise bike, and the handlebar mounted controller allows you to easily switch between them.
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2. Sportneer Bike Trainer Stand
This bike trainer stand has five anti-slip rubber feet and is built with a wide base and low stance for super stable balance. It includes a seamless, noise-reducing design for a smooth ride with any bicycle, although road bikes do tend to be quieter. This stand has six different resistance settings and a curve between them to simulate real cycling conditions when you can’t make it out onto the real hills. The easy press-down lever clamp releases the bike from the stand easily whenever you’re ready to take your bike for a spin outside.
3. YAHEETECH Premium Steel Indoor Bike Trainer
This strong, sturdy and stable indoor bike trainer has low-noise magnetic turbo built-in for a peaceful exercise experience on your own bike in your home. The feet on the stand are non-slip to keep the stand from skidding and damaging the floor during a workout. Each cap also has “teeth” that vary in thickness, making it easy to level out the trainer when needed. It also has a foldable design that makes it easy to store when not in use.
4. Alpcour Bike Trainer Stand
This indoor bike trainer stand is magnetic and employs the same quiet magnetic resistance technology that the stationary bikes do with your own road or mountain bike. The flywheel mechanism built-in creates strategic drag against the wheel to simulate the real cycling experience you get outdoors, and the strong stable stand will keep you secure during your ride inside. There are six different levels of resistance with this stand in particular, and the front wheel riser and anti-slip rubber pads will keep you from shifting around too much. The whole stand also has a foldable frame design that’s lightweight and compact so you can travel with and store it easily.
5. Bonus Pick — CyclingDeal Bicycle Workout Mat
If you’re going to invest in an indoor bike trainer for your road or mountain bike, we recommend getting a protective workout mat as well. It’ll protect your hardwood floor or carpet from the bike setup as well as sweat, water and other debris that may fall off. This one is soft, extra thick and durable with 6mm of PVC and no strong odor smell right out of the box.