Absolutely, I’ve been using Strava with my turbo trainer for a while now, so I can give you the lowdown. First off, yes, Strava works well with turbo trainers, but there are a few things to keep in mind to get the best experience.
Setting Up
When you’re using Strava with a turbo trainer, the setup depends on what kind of trainer you have. If you’ve got a smart trainer that can connect via Bluetooth or ANT+, Strava can pull in all the data automatically—like speed, distance, and power—just like it would on an outdoor ride. But if you’ve got a basic turbo trainer that doesn’t have those fancy features, you’ll need to use a speed sensor on your rear wheel to track your rides.
Recording Your Ride
When you start your session, make sure you set your ride type to “Indoor Cycling” in Strava. This is crucial because it tells Strava that you’re on a trainer, so it won’t try to map your ride to an outdoor route, which would obviously look a bit strange!
Calibration and Accuracy
For smart trainers, make sure you calibrate it regularly—some have apps that do this for you. This keeps your power data accurate. If you’re using a speed sensor, just know that the speed and distance on Strava might not perfectly match what you’d see on the road, because it’s more about the resistance level you set on the trainer.
Zwift or Other Apps
A lot of folks like to run Zwift, TrainerRoad, or other virtual training apps alongside Strava. If you go that route, Zwift will usually sync up with Strava automatically, so you don’t have to double-record your rides. You get the cool visuals and structured workouts from Zwift and the social aspect and stats tracking on Strava.
Keeping it Fun
One thing to keep in mind is that indoor rides on Strava won’t count towards certain challenges (like elevation gain or distance goals) unless you’ve got a smart trainer that tracks those metrics accurately. But they still contribute to your overall stats and fitness tracking, which is great motivation.
Final Tips
Lastly, don’t forget to adjust your privacy settings if you don’t want everyone seeing all the details of your indoor workouts. And consider joining some indoor cycling clubs on Strava to stay motivated and share tips with others who are training indoors.
Hope that helps! Happy riding!