Smart Trainers and Lockdown, watt now?

As lockdown was announced in South Africa the demand for indoor, and in particular, smart trainers drew some peak watts.

Traditionally designed for the European winters and loved by serious cyclists, smart trainers have had a niche market in South Africa and the Southern Hemisphere, our temperate winters and long daylight hours have until now stunted the growth of these devices.

Brands such as Elite, Wahoo, Tacx and Cyclops have been struggling to keep up with demand now, but what is the hype and what benefit do they hold other than indoor training?

And after lockdown do I still need one?

Safety - as our daylight hours reach their annual low we find ourselves out in the dark and no matter how effective our lights are there is always a higher element of risk in the dark.

Unfortunately bikes are hot property and riding alone leaves you exposed to those who wish to liberate you of your much loved bike.

Weather conditions in winter can be trecherous as it gets colder and wetter.

Convenience - So often our days don't go as planned so that 3hr afternoon ride is just not going to happen, smart trainers give the opportunity of getting that ride in even if its a shorter version.

Measured Training (Watts) - Structure in a training program is vital to achieving your goals, with a smart trainer you are able to pin those training sessions down to the watt. No more guessing at efforts and no more esaping hard rides.

Coaches (real and virtual) are able to formulate highly effective training programs for each individual using smart trainers and are also able to track athlete progress in a real time manner.

Socialising - Believe it or not it's becoming the place to be. Meet ups on Zwift or Virtual races on Rouvy are creating new global social networks both in race environments and also as a relaxed gamified versions of your favorite Saturday morning ride.

The demand for smart trainers post South Africa's hard lockdown has declined slightly, as expected, but not as much as distributors had anticipated as the market realises the true value a smart trainer can offer all cyclists.

As more research and development is poured into smart technlogy watch this space for devices that you havent even dreamt of yet. Mind still to be blown.

My first smart trainer was an Elite Direto and I have stuck by the brand. My Direto took a beating both from myself, and also in a training environment for multiple users and it never missed a watt.

My new favorite is the Elite Suito which in terms of tech and price is difficult to match on the market today.

Need help deciding on a device? Contact me for any help or suggestions.

Need a training program? Get in touch.

#makeithappen