Anyone who knows me or follows me on The Socials or logging apps will be sick to death of the turbo training rides I've done over the winter.
Aside from my regular commute, about 20 miles a week, I haven't pedaled a single stroke outside since the start of October last year. I have lost track of the hours I have spent in the unheated room we have at the back of the house that doubles as a place where Mrs Lul scrubs and cleans the tools of her trade - knives, clippers, files, and assorted torture implements that she needs for her mobile foot care business - I guess it's a Pain Cave twice over.
I've just totted up the number of miles loaded up to Strava (where my follower count is still bafflingly high) and I could not believe it - I've done over 1000 virtual miles since the time the clocks went back. I'm not sure I've ever done a winter like that, and by contrast the nine months back to the start of spring 2023 reaped a miserable 800 miles, including commutes and some big weeks with multi-hour sportives in them.
I'm certain that there are cyclists who have done many, many more miles than me over the same period, and almost definitely more accrued outside than I've managed, but it opened my eyes to the benefits of indoor training.
I do quite a lot of solitary riding, so the lack of company isn't a major biggie. I have, mind, just started using Zwift and kind of like the cyber-companionship of scores of fellow cyclists shunning the outside. Having recently started on Zwift, mainly out of curiosity to see how much it has changed since I first turbo'd, I was aware that this coincided with Zwift's launch of their new Cog + Click hardware.
Essentially, it's a single cog replacement for the multi-ratio cassette on your direct-drive trainer unit. This, along with the Click shifter unit allows you to vary the resistance in the same way you would do by shifting traditionally.
At a retail cost of around £80, the kit is a lot cheaper than an additional cassette if you have any of the high-end group sets.
As if that wasn't enough, the Cog itself can be used with anything from an 8-speed to a 12-speed system, meaning that if you have more than one bike (or more than one person using your trainer) it cuts out the faff of having to change out cassettes and/or freehubs.
This all sounds wonderful and exactly the right way to go to make turbo training more accessible - but there is a catch. The Cog + Click currently only works with Zwift's Hub turbo trainer, and with Wahoo's KICKR Core units.
If you're in the market for a new turbo unit, this might just be the excuse you've been looking for. But don't throw a strop if not - there is another way.
Wahoo, gussets!
It wasn't until I discovered that the SRAM rear mech on my trainer bike hadn't been moving for maybe about a week - I was doing a Sufferfest session that had lots of rapid cadence and power changes - that I realised the eTap battery had died.
I leave the trainer in ERG mode, which automatically sets resistance to a specific wattage target during a turbo trainer session. ERG is an abbreviation for 'ergometer' and is a feature found on almost all smart trainers these days - it's basically what makes smart trainers 'smart. While it can be a bit laggy in hitting the target wattage, for me it works far better than shifting through the gears when your session calls for higher or lower power.
The kit, from Gusset Components, retails at £34.99. It consists of a 16T sprocket and some spacers, designed to fit on a SRAM XD freehub and basically convert your SRAM drivetrain to single-speed. It's described as being compatible with the XD driver only, but will also work just fine with the slightly wider XDR hub using the provided adapters.
I have had to remove my eTap battery to stop me from accidentally shifting the chain off, but the bona fide Zwift Cog comes with a pair of plastic cups to go on either side of the Cog in case you forget or twitch your shifting fingers.
I must have done over twenty hours of training now with this setup with no issues whatsoever. I've yet to try a different bike on the trainer but aside from the minor adjustments to the shifting as mentioned before, I can't see any major problems.
I have also tried the hack on several training platforms, including Zwift, Wahoo SYSTM, and MyWhoosh with the latter only throwing up minor niggles when trying to maintain a constant power level. I can also see benefits from reducing the wear on chains and cassettes, thus saving money.
It's entirely possible that Zwift and Wahoo are working on getting the Switch to work with other smart trainers, especially the KICKR V6. That I would very much like to try. Should that happen I may have a low-mileage XD single-speed converter for sale.
In the meantime, with the days getting longer and the weather becoming more clement, I may find myself not indoors so much - although I don't miss duelling with traffic and potholes.
XD 1-ER Kit, £34.99 from gussetcomponents.com
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