We’ve already covered what to look for when shopping for a smart trainer. Now that you’ve picked your trainer, let’s look at all the other things that can make your indoor cycling experience better, more comfortable, and a little easier to stick with through the cold months.

From keeping yourself cool to choosing the right training platform, a few simple additions can make a big difference. You don’t need to build the ultimate pain cave overnight. Start with the essentials and add to your setup as you figure out what works best for you.

READ THE BLOG: HOW TO CHOOSE A HOME TRAINER

Must-have accessories

Your trainer is the foundation of your indoor setup, but a few accessories can make riding more comfortable and protect your bike and space.

SHOP TRAINER ACCESSORIES

A good fan

If there’s one accessory we’d recommend prioritizing, it’s a fan. You don’t have the same airflow indoors that you get outside, so your body can heat up quickly, even during relatively easy rides. A good fan helps keep you cool, regulate your body temperature, and make harder efforts more manageable.

For longer or higher-intensity sessions, more airflow is usually better. If you have the space, positioning one fan toward your face and another toward your torso can provide even more cooling.

Trainer mat

A trainer mat helps protect your floor from sweat, reduces vibration and noise, and gives your setup a dedicated space. It’s particularly useful if your trainer is set up on hardwood, laminate, or another surface you’d rather keep sweat-free. It also makes cleaning up after a ride much easier. Check out the Wahoo Kickr Trainer Floormat or the Van Rysel Flanders Turbo Trainer Mat. 

A table or shelf

A small table, shelf, or dedicated stand next to your bike can make your indoor setup much more practical. Keep your water bottle, phone, snacks, towel, remote, and anything else you might need within easy reach.

It’s also a simple way to stay focused. When you’re training at home, it’s easy to get distracted by everything around you. Having everything you need close by means fewer reasons to get off the bike and helps you stick to your workout from start to finish.

One of our best-sellers is the Van Rysel Home Trainer Table. It sits perfectly in front of your handlebars and gives you a compact, dedicated spot for everything you need during your ride, without taking up much space.

Sweat protection

Indoor riding can get sweaty quickly, especially when you’re riding in a warm room with limited airflow. A sweat guard can help protect your bike from moisture around the headset and top tube, while a towel nearby is always a good idea. Regularly wiping down your bike after indoor rides can also help prevent sweat from sitting on components.

A screen or device

You’ll need something to display your workout, virtual route, or training platform. A laptop, tablet, phone, monitor, or TV can all work depending on your space and how you like to ride. If you’re following virtual routes or structured workouts regularly, a larger screen can make it easier to see what’s happening without constantly looking down.

You can start with whatever device you already own and upgrade later if you find yourself spending more time indoors.

Heart-rate monitor

A heart-rate monitor isn’t essential for everyone, but it can be a useful addition to your setup. Heart rate gives you another way to understand your effort and can complement the power data coming from your smart trainer. For riders following structured training, having both power and heart-rate data can provide a more complete picture of how your body is responding to a workout.

Picking the right training platform

Once your hardware is sorted, the next question is: What are you actually going to ride? There are more indoor cycling platforms than ever, and they offer different ways to stay motivated. Some focus on virtual worlds and social riding, while others put more emphasis on structured training or realistic routes.

Zwift

Zwift combines virtual riding with a social, game-like experience. You can ride virtual worlds, join group rides and races, complete workouts, and meet up with other riders. It’s a good fit if you enjoy having other people around and like the motivation of seeing other riders on screen.

ROUVY

ROUVY uses real-world video footage to recreate routes from around the world. Instead of riding through a fully virtual environment, you can ride routes based on actual roads and climbs.

It’s a popular option for riders who enjoy exploring different places or want a more realistic visual experience.

MyWhoosh

MyWhoosh offers virtual riding, structured workouts, group rides, and racing. It provides another option for riders looking for a connected indoor training experience without needing to commit to the same platform as their riding buddies.

Structured training platforms

If your main goal is fitness or race preparation, you may be more interested in structured training than virtual worlds. Platforms such as TrainingPeaks can help you follow a training plan and complete prescribed workouts, while many smart trainers can automatically control resistance during those sessions through ERG mode.

The best platform depends on what motivates you. Some riders want virtual races and group rides. Others would rather put on a workout and focus on the numbers.

How to choose the right platform for you

There’s no single platform that works for every rider. Think about what will actually make you want to get on the bike.

Choose a platform based on what motivates you:

• Want a social experience? Look for group rides, races, and an active community.

• Prefer exploring? Consider platforms with real-world routes and scenery.

• Training for a goal? Look for structured workouts and training-plan integration.

• Want to keep things simple? Choose a platform that works easily with your existing devices and trainer.

• Training with friends? It can be worth choosing the same platform they use.

Most platforms offer a trial period, so take advantage of it. A platform that looks great on paper might not be the one that keeps you motivated after a few weeks.

Build your setup around how you ride

The perfect indoor cycling setup doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with your smart trainer, add a good fan, protect your floor and bike from sweat, and choose a screen and training platform that make you want to ride. From there, you can add accessories and upgrades as you figure out what you enjoy.

The best setup is ultimately the one that gets you on the bike consistently, even when it’s dark, cold, and raining outside.