Indoor cycling with accessories & Zwift: How to start your journey into virtual training worlds

You’ve decided on an indoor trainer – great choice! Now it’s all about getting the most out of your new training environment. Whether you want to explore the virtual worlds of Zwift or Rouvy as realistically as possible or simply train effectively: with the right equipment, you can increase both fun and comfort during your indoor training sessions. We’ll show you which software and which accessories you should know to get through the winter well prepared.

If you haven’t yet decided on a turbo trainer, take a look at our big indoor trainer comparison.

Essential accessories for your indoor training

To enhance your indoor cycling experience, there’s plenty of useful equipment. From basics like front wheel supports or protective floor mats, to sweat catchers and towels, and even technical accessories such as body temperature sensors, electronic steering plates or gradient simulators – this is just a small glimpse into our accessories range. Here are our recommendations for you.

Please note any compatibility requirements with your trainer system!

Protection & cleanliness: A must

Indoor training makes you sweat: without cooling airflow, sweat often starts pouring even during easier workouts. That’s why it’s important to protect not only the floor but especially your bike from sweat. Dripping sweat can cause corrosion particularly on the handlebar and headset.

• A training mat protects the floor from sweat and mechanical stress. It also reduces noise and vibrations.
• Sweat catchers keep your frame, handlebar and headset dry, protecting your bike from unnecessary damage.
• A towel within easy reach is also indispensable during indoor training. You can wipe away sweat quickly and prevent it from landing on your bike, the floor or in your eyes.

Comfort and ergonomics: For long sessions

For more comfort on the indoor trainer, full control over your body data and the perfect view of your training software (or your entertainment programme), these practical tools help:

• A front wheel support brings the front wheel to the right height so that the front and rear wheel axles are level and you sit in a neutral position on the bike.
• Laptop stands, tablet or phone mounts ensure that you can position your chosen device securely and firmly within the optimal field of view. Some also offer additional mounts for water bottles, towels and stored jerseys.
• A compatible heart rate monitor ensures better monitoring and additional control of your training.
• A fan helps cool your body while riding on the trainer. Some smart trainers or smart bikes can even simulate riding and headwind with a compatible fan.
• A body temperature sensor is excellent for indoor training to ensure, due to the lack of airflow, that your body temperature stays within an optimal range.
• And not to forget: the right saddle (here is the blog post) in combination with the right shorts. On the trainer you sit much longer in a static position on the saddle, so you will immediately notice if something doesn’t fit.

Realism upgrade: For the ultimate riding feel

Do you want to make your indoor training in the virtual worlds of Zwift and co. even more realistic? Then adding more movement on or with the bike is exactly what you need! A nice side effect: the load on your body varies during the ride, relieving pressure on your seat area, hands, back and stabilising muscles.

• A compatible gradient simulator makes your virtual training rides even more realistic. You simply clamp in the fork and an intelligent control system raises or lowers it to simulate climbs and descents.
• An electronic steering plate, sometimes combined with a gradient simulator, also brings more fun and variety to your training. It allows you to steer during online sessions, stay in the slipstream or overtake other riders.
• With movable plates or feet that you can mount under the trainer and the front wheel support, the entire unit can move slightly, making the riding feel more natural.
• For some direct-drive smart trainers, there is the Zwift Cog and Click Upgrade Kit, consisting of a cog and remote control. The kit replaces mechanical shifting on a cassette with virtual shifting. This eliminates shifting issues, reduces wear – and makes it quieter.

FAQ: Indoor trainer accessories & Zwift

Can I use Zwift without a smart trainer?

If your trainer is basically Zwift-compatible but does not record data, you can retrofit some of the required sensors to use Zwift or other training apps to a certain extent. For this, you need a speed and cadence sensor or a power meter. However, keep in mind that without a smart trainer (one that communicates bidirectionally with the training app, i.e. interactively), resistance will not be automatically adjusted to the elevation profile, and you must ensure yourself that you maintain your target power values.

What does Zwift Cog and Click mean?

Zwift Cog and Click is an upgrade kit for your compatible bicycle trainer. Some trainers in our shop already come with this kit; you can recognise them by the name extension. With this upgrade kit, the cog replaces the cassette and enables virtual shifting, so no mechanical shifting is required during your training. With a wireless remote control (Click), you operate your trainer to change gears virtually, i.e. to adjust resistance.

What is the benefit of movable plates or feet on my trainer?

Because the bike on a trainer (except on rollers) is firmly clamped at the rear, riding on a trainer is much more static than riding outdoors. With motion plates or movable feet under the trainer (and the front wheel support), the bike moves more like it does on the road. This makes riding feel more natural and varies the load on your body, making your training more comfortable. Check beforehand which system your trainer is compatible with!