How To Make Your Bike A Stationary Bike

If you want to turn your road bike into a stationary bike, all you need is an indoor bike trainer and you'll be well on your way to cycling in your home on your own bike.

Step 1

Research indoor bike trainers. As with road and mountain bikes, there's a wide variety of indoor bike trainers, ranging in price from $100 to $1,200. In general, as the price goes up, so does the quality of your ride. Most manufacturers offer more affordable trainers that certainly get the job done, and more expensive options with more bells and whistles to make your ride smooth. The higher-end trainers offer more options to customize your ride.

Bicycling.com suggests the Nashbar Watt Master Fluid for fitness-minded riders looking to step up their cycling game, or the Tacx Satori for the recreational rider looking for a very stable, compact home unit..

CycleOps Power Beam Pro allows the rider to input wattage or slope for precise training goals. It comes with a console and software to help create a targeted workout based on heart rate at power output.

Step 2

Set up your indoor bike trainer. Some models require a little bit more setup. Others are ready as soon as you pull them out of the box. Whatever model you choose, before leaving the store make sure you have all of the accessories you need to ride. Some models require a "cup" for your front wheel.

Step 3

Place an exercise mat under your trainer to protect the floor from scratches or sweat. Install your bike onto the trainer. Get on your bike and test the installation.

Tips and Warnings

Don't let the winter season's snow and ice keep you from riding. Other options for indoor rides are stationary cycling classes, indoor cycling bikes and rollers. Almost every gym offers indoor cycling classes. An instructor leads the workout, so you can concentrate on moving that fly wheel. Indoor cycling bikes are great for your home gym. They can be expensive, but you could find a used one. Rollers are like treadmills for your bike. Picture a track with with a few aluminum rolling pins mounted between the tracks. Rollers are known for delivering realistic road rides.