Table of Contents
Cycling Equipment & Accessories
Trainer Mat – A thick rubber mat for underneath the bike and trainer. Cycling brands sell these, but they're just super overpriced, thick rubber mats. Get something cheaper on Amazon or at your local hardware or ranch supply store. A lot of people actually buy horse stall mats and use those. They're super thick and durable. Reduces noise & prevents any sweat damage to your floors.
Trainer Table/Desk – Holds your laptop or phone for workouts. If you're going to be using training software that runs on an ipad or a laptop, or even just want to have a remote, your phone, maybe a water bottle in front of you, you should definitely have a small table or desk. If you're crunched for space, a simple countertop can work, OR even better, a folding shelf. I have a folding shelf in my garage so if I ever put the trainer away I can fold the shelf basically flat against the wall. You want the desk or shelf over your front tire, to reduce your reach.
Fan – Yes there are fans that adjust based on the intensity of your workout. That's crazy. Go to your local hardware store and buy the big a** industrial fan. Put it in front of you. Pro Tip: get a remote controlled plug for the fan that will allow you to turn it on and off with a remote, from the bike.
Sweat Control – some people try to put those little top tube protectors on their bike to block the sweat but they just chafe our thighs. We prefer to try just limitng the sweat comingoff our face and head. Always good to have a couple sweat bands or hats nearby if you're a heavy sweater. Just google "sweat damage bike" to see what sweat can do to your bike.
Towels- have towels that don't scratch your face for wiping sweat and that are big enough for covering your stem, handlebars and top tube when sweating.
Building a pain cave and want info on what kind of trainer to buy? Check out our guide.
Storage & Organization
Keep your space tidy with a dedicated gear shelf or wall hooks for shoes, towels, and nutrition. It's so convenient to have your cycling gear stored right next to where the bike is set up. Ideally, you have a Bag with enough storage for shoes, helmet, kit, nutrition and more on the wall where you can reach it.
While you're on the trainer (or lifting, if you have room for weights), you could need sweat bands, towels, or a quick gel. Plus, it just makes sense having your shoes and heart rate monitor right there, so you can grab what you need and hop on the bike quickly.
Entertainment & Screens
People are very opinionated about the best entertainment for a trainer ride. Us? We can't believe that anybody stares at a zwift avatar or just listens to music the whole ride. We need movies, shows, or youtube. We minimize Trainerroad to the bottom of the screen and try to zone out watching something.
Headphones:If you're a music listener, or will be conencting headphones to a TV or a laptop, PLEASE LISTEN. Headphones are not more sweat proof just because you paid more. $200 does not buy sweatproof headphones any more than $30 does. We've tried so many pairs and eventually, they all die. The expensive ones don't last any longer than cheap ones. Look for IPX8 waterproof rating and be ready to buy another pair in a year or two, if not sooner, depending on how much you ride and sweat. On Amazon, if you buy cheap ones, there are companies that will just replace them when they die, which is awesome.
TV or laptop or iPad -If you're zwifting, the bigger screen the better. If you have a ton of space, a big tv is nice, but laptops are perfect for small training spaces. You can't really watch a 50 inch tv with your front tire almost touching the wall. It's just too big.
Lastly, for motivation, just go to youtube and search POV cycling crit or POV bike race. So much good content to get you fired up for those intervals.
Bonus items - Weights and gym equipment
If you're serious about getting faster, strength training should be happening. If you don't have a gym membership, that's ok, because you can get pretty far with very few pieces of equipment. Best case scenario, you have a squat rack, bar and plates, and maybe a bench of plyo box to use for Bulgarian Split Squats (the best exercise). Trap/hex bars are awesome and in a pinch, heavy dumbbells can get you through a tough leg day too. Lastly, not every day has to be leg day. Get a pull up bar, do some pushups and let's be well rounded athletes!