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Creating the ultimate pain cave

Make the perfect setup for indoor riding this winter

Winter is almost here and that means it’s time to ramp up your indoor training. Riding inside doesn’t even need to be a strictly winter activity. There are many cyclists who now swear by fitness gains achieved by riding inside as much as they can. It creates a focused and efficient training regime. There are no cars, no stoplights, and you can create streamlined workouts to help you achieve your goals. The turnaround is way quicker too—you can just throw on your shorts and jersey, jump on the bike and get to it.

Of course, you’ll need a room somewhere in your house for your indoor workouts. It could be a corner in the basement, a guest room or your kitchen.

What if you could make your exercise room, with an unlimited budget, the perfect pain cave? Here are 13 features of the ultimate riding room to get you thinking big about riding hard indoors.

Trainer

The Elite Suito-T is perfect for your pain cave. It ships with a Shimano freehub that works with 9/10/11-speed cassettes so all you need to do is pop the cassette off your training wheel and stick it on the trainer. Attach your bike to the trainer, and you’re all set. The Suito-T is quiet, too. Although you’re going to want to keep your bike on the Suito-T all winter so you can jump on and off for training, if you do decide to put the trainer aside, the tall, skinny Suito-T stores away nicely.

Fan

You’re going to need a powerful fan to stay cool on the trainer. Ideally, get a fan with a remote so you can increase the airflow post-warmup.

Mat

Beneath your trainer, you’ll want an Elite Training Mat. The mat will help reduce floor vibrations, so you don’t irk your spouse or roommate. The mat will also make your setup a little more sturdy and protect your floors.

Wireless keyboard/mouse

You’ll need a table near your trainer to cover in bottles, snack wrappers, used tissues and damp-with-sweat towels. Add another item to the pile with a wireless keyboard for those particularly chatty group rides. If you’re running Zwift off your computer, a wireless mouse is also very handy for accessing and navigating the menu. You may want to try an Elite Training Desk for your laptop and phone, too.

Grade simulator

What are the only things missing with riding indoors? Corners and climbs. Well, good news. The Elite Rizer is a seriously cool machine. It can lift or lower your bike as you ride, simulating riding uphill. The Rizer moves up and down, as well as fore and aft. What’s cool is not just how it feels going up steep climbs, but when you’re riding the rollers. You’ll feel your bike travel over the rolling terrain. It’s about as close to the sensations of riding outside as you can get on an indoor trainer set-up. The benefit to running two Elite machines is that the communication between those devices is greatly improved. The tools for riding within virtual worlds keep getting better. With the Rizer, Elite has made an accessory that really adds to the experience.

Phone mount

It’s useful to have your phone close for Zwift Power ups or just a quick email check. Get yourself a quality phone mount so it doesn’t fall off with all the jostling as you race your pals in Watopia.

Screens Galore

You’ll need a computer for those neverending Zwift sessions. But hey, this is the ultimate pain cave, the place where cost is not a concern. Get yourself an Apple TV and an iPad to run Zwift and the companion app. In fact, why stop at one big screen TV? You can run Zwift on one television, and then throw on Tour de France videos on the other screen. Set up the 2021 TDF on repeat to inspire. Just to be on the safe side, you might want to consider a signal booster so your Internet is good and strong in your pain cave.

Inspiration

What’s better to inspire you than posters of your favourite pro cyclists? That image of Michael Woods or Marianne Vos as they climb a mountain, staring back at you, will definitely help you put the hurt on.

Fridge

Even with the fan, you’re going to get hot. Hydration is key, so a fridge in the corner with lots of cold water bottles is a necessity. You might even stash a few beers in there for your post-ride.

Facilities

If you plan on riding for a while, you probably want to have a bathroom installed in your pain cave. Remember, the sky’s the limit here when money is not a concern. A proper bathroom is far superior to Lionel Sander’s lo-fi solution of a “pee bucket.”

Trainer kit

You sweat a lot on the trainer, and sweat can be corrosive. You can’t really show off your team’s kit to anyone indoors. Also, you’re really wearing it down by riding in it and washing it frequently. Some brands, such as Rapha, have developed specific clothing lines for indoor training. Think of your feet, too. A number of brands have started to develop well-ventilated trainer-oriented shoes specifically for spin classes.

Sweat control

Let’s face it, the high-powered fan can only do so much. You’re going to get sweaty. There’s no pain without perspiration. Get yourself a sports towel. Sure, you could just use some of your plain-jane terry cloth towels from the bathroom upstairs, but if you want something lighter and easier to handle when it’s covered in sweat, stick to a towel made for exercise, like the Elite Zugaman.

While you’re at it, you’re going to need a state-of-the-art adhesive sweat strip that fits nicely on your forehead and keeps perspiration from dropping down your face.

You’ll also want something to protect your bike from sweat, such as Elite’s Protec Plus sweat cover. It will catch and trap your perspiration, which is essential for protecting your ride and avoiding super gross floors.

This story is presented by Elite.