Indoor Training Space

I’ve finally settled into the shorter days and my body has adapted to the colder weather.  Most mornings I’ve found myself downstairs riding the indoor trainer.

Once I created an indoor training space that I could leave setup, the frequency of my indoor training went up tremendously. It made training so much easier, I just get up in the morning, make a water bottle and head downstairs to ride.

Much isn’t really needed to create your space for indoor workouts:

  1. Your bike
  2. Trainer
  3. Metal Rear Skewer for your bike (most trainers come with this)
  4. Riser block for the front wheel
  5. Mat or towel for under your bike
  6. Fan
  7. Towel for you
  8. TV or a music source
  9. Workout videos
  10. Rear Mount Computer
  11. Heart Rate Monitor

It is important to keep indoor workouts fun and easy to make happen. Having a dedicated area with the above items is the first step.

Trainers work best on a solid surface. If the space you have is carpeted consider getting a sheet of plywood and placing your trainer on that. (I’ll cover the different trainer options in another post.)  Next you need a rubber mat for under the bike or a towel. I prefer the mat since it is easy to clean up and will protect your floor from any water from your water bottle or perspiration that might make it to the floor. A towel will accomplish the same thing as a mat but needs frequent cleaning.

The fan is the next important component of your indoor training space. Moving air across you will keep you cooler and more comfortable on the bike. You’ll be surprised how much of a difference it is to not have air moving by you as you ride.

The next component of the space is more of a personal preference. Do you prefer to work out listening to music? Or do you prefer to watch TV or a work out video. I tend to lean toward the TV option. I like to use the commercials as points in the work out for interval or sprints.

The rest of the components are fairly straight forward. So don’t delay, set up your training space today!

About Ernest

Ernest is the owner of the Crofton Bike Doctor located in the Village of Waugh Chapel Shopping Center. Ernest has been in the industry since 1989 when he first started to work at the Bike Doctor of Arnold. During that time I developed a love for cycling and retail. I graduated from the University of Maryland and live and ride locally. I enjoy riding off road and on the road as well as doing a little bike touring. As a teenager I did a trip in Maine and then over to Novia Scotia which helped cement my love for riding. Since then I have done tours in the Canyons of Utah as well as several trips along the C&O Canal. Today I have both mountain bikes and road bikes that I enjoy riding. One of the most exciting things now is my wife is beginning to develop a passion for riding and we have begun mountain bike together as well as some light road riding.
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