To make your shopping decisions easier we have been working closely with suppliers, our sponsored athletes and passionate cyclists to produce an easy-to-follow, useful and informative guide to help you make the correct choice when choosing Trainers.

Any products featured in this guide will have been actively researched / tested to find the qualities that sets them apart from others. Spend a few minutes to read through and if you still need a little extra help simply contact us and we will be glad to help

Introduction to Trainers

Cycling is a time and labour intensive sport, there are no shortcuts to success. Perhaps not good news for the time poor among us, but there is a piece of equipment all cyclists should own which will help maximise the training time you do have - especially when it's dark, wet or just inconvenient to be 'out there' . A turbo trainer. A traditional turbo trainer is basically a tubular steel bi/tripod which holds your bike by the rear axle, attached to the trainer is a steel or rubber cylinder on which the rear tyre sits. As you ride the bike, the rear wheel turns the cylinder which in turn is attached to a resistance unit. Some adjust the resistance applied to the rear wheel automatically as your power output increases, others are user adjustable. Most will accept a wide range of wheel sizes covering 26in mountain bike, 650c and 700c road sizes. There are also versions which work in unison with a PC and others which don't require a separate bike, adaptations of the static bikes found in gyms and health clubs - ideal if you've got the space. When buying a turbo trainer you need to know what you're looking for as there are a lot of small but critical differences between essentially identical looking pieces of equipment. There's the type of resistance unit, wind, magnetic or fluid - each make different amounts of noise (wind being the loudest and fluid being the quietest), manual or auto resistance adjustments, computer readout. Only you will know how much technology you want or need from your turbo trainer. Wiggle stock a range of units from several manufacturers across the price band from entry level right up to something a pro racer will recognise. Training on a turbo trainer allows you to focus on particular aspects of your riding or fitness without the distractions that occur when out on the road or trail, there are no cars, no rain or slippery mud to deal with, just you your bike and your goal for the session. Some riders love turbo training, loving the hum of the spinning tyre, others find turbo training hard mentally because there's little outside stimulus. You'll know in minutes which you are. For those who need something extra to keep them spinning, some trainers come with instructional DVD's for a degree of coaching, other users may simply opt for an MP3 player and inspirational music, or their favourite bike DVD for inspiration through the perspiration. When you've got serious training ahead, get it done on a turbo trainer.

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