UKC

I'm in the market for a home trainer. The type where I remove the back wheel, rather that the other option with a training tyre (Not sure if these have different names?). Has anyone got one they recommend? I have a budget of up to £500, but there are lots of different models so I don't quite get the differences. Also, are they generally just plug and play? In a way that I take off my back wheel, slot on my bike and get peddling? Are there any hidden extras I might need (other than a front wheel holder)? 

Not quite answering your question but...

I bought a cheap bike, not one I'd ever want to use on the road myself circa £250, plus a reasonable tacx trainer with bluetooth etc.  plus the training tyre and front wheel holder. Perhaps £600 total. 

The bonus is I'm not wearing anything out on a good road bike and in spring or autumn when weather is fickle I can easily decide between in or out. 

Points to consider are location, you'll get warm, that air moving over you when cycling for real has quite a cooling effect. Cycle indoors where it is 20c and you'll melt! 

Extra to buy or engineer phone or tablet holder if you plan to watch stuff, zwift etc.

I've got an Elite Turbo Muin ( i think)

250 from halfords.

The turbo is fine, but the software is mind bending bad.

It’s called direct drive. 

I got the Elite Zumo from Halfords about a year ago for ~£500. It’s direct drive (the type you’re after) rather than wheel on. I dithered about getting one for years as I’ve an aversion to indoor training, but I have to say I haven’t regretted one penny: it’s great!

However, I only use it with Zwift (also great), which costs ~£12 per month. Also worth every penny as it makes indoor training so much more interesting.

it is pretty much just a case of wheel off, bike on, plug in and go. But I tend to leave my bike on rather than taking it on and off: it’s not hard to do I’m just lazy.

Good luck

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I upgraded from a Wheel on Tacx thing to an Elite Directo during lockdown 2020. Best £700 odd quid I’ve spent in my bike. It’s been excellent.

currently on sale at wiggle for £399. So you can use your spare budget for a charity shop TV (if garage based training) and a fan, in fact 2 fans!

Everything personal choice, but I can’t stand Zwift, I’m not into computer games. To get faster Sufferfest/SYSTM is a good bet. For enjoyment and escaping the dreariness of the UK Kinomap & Rouvy are excellent, though Rouvy has gone all a bit AR recently which is a shame. Kinomap has some beautiful routes though.

Are you really sure you'll use it?!

I only say as someone who has spent money on indoor trainers/bikes over the years but has never actually got in to using them...!

I have a Jet Black Volt direct drive smart trainer, been really impressed so far. Power change in ERG mode is really fast. And not had any issues with loss of connection. I had a lifeline Xplova Nova S before which was great (even better road feel dnd very solidly built) but it didn’t use a standard Bluetooth protocol, it didn’t transmit power data that the SYSTM app could display but it worked fine with Zwift. Both can be picked up for under £500 online.

A front wheel holder isn’t really needed with a direct drive trainer, but you can use one or a pile of books/ bricks/wood to raise the front wheel to simulate riding uphill.

You’ll need a cassette tool and chain whip to swap your cassette between your rear wheel or to fit a spare cassette to the trainer, some trainers do come with a cassette fitted but it will be 11 speed. 

a yoga mat or some foam jigsaw tiles to put underneath to catch the sweat, protect the floor and give a tiny bit of rocking movement.

Don’t forget to budget for a subscription to a simulation/ training app, most offer free trial periods. They are what actually make riding indoors bearable. 

Find somewhere you can leave it setup         so you can just jump on and go, without having to spend time setting it up. A Wall mounted TV at a comfortable height for viewing whole your sat on the bike.

For what it's worth...

I had always scoffed at the idea of indoor trainers till last autumn when I realised that I just wasn't getting out on the bike in cr*p weather - normally I'd go for a run (more time efficient and not so bad in the rain), but that's off the menu these days (knacker hip). So I got a smart trainer set up permanently (more or less) with a spare bike and some free trials of various apps (Zwift, Tacx, Rouvy). I now find that it's an excellent way of ensuring that I do 'something' most days, even if it's just an hour of intervals to get warm without putting the heating on. There's actually something quite satisfying about (virtually) pedalling round a sunny Sella Ronda (Rouvy) while the hail is hammering on the conservatory roof!

One thing I did find that made big difference to the comfort was a 'wobble board' under the trainer which allows the bike to move a bit side-to-side as you pedal. Home made (of course): A piece of scrap plank with some rounded 2x1 screwed to it and a two old squash balls as dampers.

Lesson? Try it, you never know if it works for you till you do.

Thanks for all the feedback. In anticipation I have already made space in my man cave. I have a few races this yearn the cyclocross in the winter, so anything that can help me train will be a bonus. I work from home so it will be easy to get some indoor sessions completed when I can't get out. I also like the idea of rigging up a cheap 2nd hand bike, as long as I can accurately mimic my ride position. Let's get shopping!

I don't think that's as important as you may think. Indoor cycling feels very different - mainly due to the fact that you're on an totally smooth surface (the steel roller), so the're no 'buzz' or vibration coming up. My indoor setup is much more 'aggressive' (more saddle-to-bar drop) than I can stand outdoors, but still feels fine. YMMV of course!

I just measured my bike fit from my road bike and loosely transfered it , plus added a more comfortable seat after the first winter, compared to outside I found I moved around a lot less, stood up much less...

I've just got the cheapest but surprisingly sturdy Aldi bike trainer for £45 in a spare room with a wide-open window + a spare bike to which I added a Wahoo cadence sensor and with which I can also use a chest-strap heart sensor.

It has none of the bells and whistles of Zwift etc, but has been a godsend the last few weeks when I have hardly been able to go running at all. I can read and listen while I ride if I want, and even solve crosswords, albeit at the cost of some pace, I find. From the cadence sensor I can estimate my distance and speed and that's it. I also can't vary much as I go along but for now at least that hasn't mattered.

If I go for another, fancier trainer and a subscription, I'd prefer the ones that take you over real alpine routes over Zwift. FulGaz?

Tacx has courses all over the place too. I can't really cope zwift, I'd rather just watch a movie. 

As mentioned above, with a perfectly smooth roller, no chip-seal, no potholes and a wobble board that allows some side-to-side movement, I have found a hard saddle in the indoor bike to be no problem (compared to outside in the real world). Similarly, I don't need padded gloves indoors, but do outdoors.

Make sure you get a fan. Ideally one with a remote control.

I  keep a broomstick handy, so I can poke the on-off button from a distance.