Hiring a Turbo Trainer – why this will revolutionise your year-round cycling experience
Ah the joys of cycling in the UK – the beautiful countryside, the rambling roads, the light breeze whistling through your cycle helmet and the sun beating down, warming you to the core… Apart from, as we all know, the unreliable weather in the UK makes this is a sadly infrequent reality.
But cycling is great exercise, so how do we go about doing it all year round? The answer is easy – arise the humble turbo trainer.
Of course turbo trainers have been around for years, but in the past few years with the development of smart technology, the consumer experience of cycling on a turbo has been totally revolutionised –with Zwift (www.zwift.com), TrainerRoad (www.trainerroad.com) and others coming into the market, the world (almost literally) is your cycling oyster. Not only do these technologies allow you to cycle the world from the comfort of your home, but they also log data which you can be used to improve your training and, ultimately, make you a better cyclist.
“Ride as much or as little, as long or as short as you feel. But ride” – Eddy Merckx
As a frequent turbo trainer user, I am the first to sing their praises: compared to getting out on your bike it is really liberating owning and using a turbo. There is no checking the weather forecast, no having to get up at the crack of dawn to avoid traffic, no layering up to avoid the cold, no worrying about punctures, lights, the amount of charge in my phone. Ok so my neighbour fell off his turbo trainer and thought he may have broken his arm (true story), but in general, they are the safest cycling option out there, and a brilliant option if you’re recovering from an injury, or during pregnancy – any times really when road cycling just doesn’t feel like a good option.
It is also the most efficient cycle training I do – and some of the hardest too – with most of my turbo rides climbing far greater than my road rides. I have exerted my body to the highest level whilst turbo training, and yes - it’s true that you miss the essence of road cycling whilst turbo-training (the views, the banter, the coffee breaks) - but to get an efficient 45 minute blast of training into our every more busy lives, with the benefit of only being a moment away from the sofa if you blow up, the turbo is really a very effective solution.
So now is the time for the turbo. But why hire?
It all sounds very easy – just go out and buy a turbo trainer to use for those winter months. But good quality, high performing turbo trainers are expensive, take up a fair amount of room, and will potentially sit, unused for six months of the year. They need to be stored properly to avoid moisture damage, and then, when you get them out to use them again, you find technology has moved on and there is a better model available on the market.
So this is where www.TurboTrainerHire.co.uk come into our own. We have sourced the best models over different price points that you can hire for a couple of weeks, a few months, or the whole of the winter season. Once we’re through the worst weather you can then send it back and choose another, probably improved version, to hire from us next autumn. Or, if you have grown to love the model you’ve been using, you can simply buy it from us (which also saves you the hassle of sending it back).
There is so much more flexibility when hiring a turbo – it’s a great idea for overseas visitors who are only in the UK for a short while, or equally for events organisers who might want one for an event they are running. We are always happy to chat about what we do and options available to you.
With so many options available, which turbo trainer should I go for?
That is a very particular question, probably requiring another blog entirely, but in brief, talk to us at hello@turbotrainerhire.co.uk and we will offer advice as to which of our turbos would most suit your cycling needs. We pride ourselves on offering the best performance models.
Our ethos with www.TurboTrainerHire.co.uk, as with our sister site www.TriWetsuitHire.co.uk, is to help you achieve your sporting goals. We are a small company but we are passionate about what we do and the products we offer. We also love to talk all things sport & fitness. So get in touch and find out how you can start your turbo trainer journey with us this winter.
Sporting Regards,
Sarah D
hello@turbotrainerhire.co.uk