I am on the market to purchase my first home trainer, and it is quite an overwhelming world! As I didn’t find a wiki already in the forum, I thought it could be a good time to create one, compiling your answers.
My expected usage is to use the trainer for power-driven structured workouts and heat training sessions, with a GRX 12-speed mechanical gravel bike (Canyon Grizl), 12×142mm rear thru-axle. As I have a TrainingPeaks subscription, I was thinking to use TrainingPeaks virtual. However, it looks like most of the direct drive trainers don’t offer the microspline option, so here I am for advice. Which ones do I need to consider? What other stuff do I need to acquire (I see there is ANT+ antenna for sale, do I need one?).
Below, a beginning of wiki.
Minimal setup for using a home trainer:
home trainer, it could be direct drive (removing the rear wheel and linking the rear axle of the bike to the trainer) for more accurate power reading, or roll-on, for more compact and cheaper setup. Direct drive trainers tend to be more quiet.
bike, ideally not your best one to preserve it.
mat, to keep things quiet
table or support for the tablet / laptop
tablet / laptop with bluetooth and wifi, if you wish to use an online training platform
subscription to an online training platform
one or two fans
Considerations when buying a home trainer:
Bike compatibility: type of cassette, rear axle specifications. Microspline directly compatible trainers are rare, but for GRX 12-speed, a 105 12-speed cassette on a HG hub do the trick
Cassette: a Zwift clog can replace the cassette, offering virtual shifting instead but only works with Zwift.
Maintenance of the bike:
Waxing the chain helps to keep the bike surroundings and the room cleaner (Brad’s advice from one of the Geek Warnings)
Removing sweat after each session
If planning to use the bike outdoor prolonged indoor use, it is highly advised to do a check-up, looking for corrosion traces.
I think the best buy currently for the ‘casual’ trainer user is probably the Kickr Core 2 that was just released
I believe MyWhoosh and Rouvy both support virtual shifting, with MyWhoosh being free you could continue using your TrainingPeaks workouts
I think you missed the most important accessory for indoor training: at least one fan. You don’t need to go crazy but I really like having a fan with a remote so I can ramp the airflow as needed
For a mat: I just used the cheapest yoga/workout mat I could find
The sweat corrosion is an issue, but I think it’s an overblown issue for most people. Unless you’re a heavy sweater and doing zwift races regularly without protection for the bike, it’s probably an annual check when you’d be due for new bartape anyway
To help manage sweat drippings, I have a sweat guard that has an elastic loop that goes around the seat post (it easily stretches over a saddle) and fastens to the handlebars with velcro. It keeps sweat from dripping on most of the top tube as well as the stem, headset, head tube, etc. I have one made by Tacx, but a lot companies make them. As a bonus, my wife sewed together two thick, microfiber towels and then made two “button holes” spaced and sized so that my levers fit through them. This serves three purposes: it helps keep sweat off the handlebars; it keeps the towel easily accessible; and the button holes keep the fans from blowing the towel off the bike.
Fans. I opted for two high velocity floor fans with tilting output nozzles to put air where I need it. I just turn ‘em on full blast before I start. When done and have wiped the frame down, I point the fans at the bike to help ensure nothing stays wet.
My office is carpeted, so I’ve got a sheet of plywood I cut to fit a rubber mat. It makes things a bit more stable for me.
As for smart trainers, I think what’s best will vary with a rider’s needs and wallet. I’ve been using an Elite Suito for 4 ½ years without any issues. There are some really good smart trainers available at low cost today, although tariffs may increase costs significantly depending on where you live.
FWIW, I immersion wax my chains. I get very little wax flaking off, and what does flake off falls on the mat.
For direct-drive trainers, you don’t need a microspline carrier per se. You need to be able to put a 12-speed Shimano-compatible cassette on there, and that shouldn’t be a problem. You can use a regular HG freehub body with a 12-speed road cassette. You’ll probably wind up with different gearing.
A smart trainer here will talk to your head unit/smartphone/tablet/computer via Bluetooth, so you don’t need ANT+.
If you haven’t checked out DCrainmaker.com and/or GPLlama on Youtube, they’re both good sources of info (and they’re Escapees).
I think the smart thing is to get a beater bike for dedicated trainer duty so you don’t wreck your good bike and can leave it set up, but that’s not an option for everyone. This is the idea behind the Zwift Ride.
Minoura and Tacx have made tablet holders that clip onto your handlebars. You can still find them, but I get the impression they’re both out of production. I’ve used both; the Minoura is OK, the Tacx is a little nicer.