How to balance your year-round training with the Wattbike Atom

Despite its meteoric rise in popularity over the past couple of years, indoor cycling is pigeonholed by many cyclists as a winter-specific discipline. And while there's some truth to this rhetoric, when it comes to structured workouts, preparation and tapering for specific events, indoor riding can be a valuable supplemental form of training; even during the warmer summer months.

The value of riding outside is indisputable. The experience is cathartic and helps offset the stressors of everyday life - it's the reason we all started riding in the first place. But as you progress as a rider, the next steps are often categorised by testing yourself against others in the form of competition such as road races, time trials and hill climbs, which is where structured training comes into the picture. Attempting these sessions in an outdoor setting is never easy. In fact, if you don't live near a hill or quiet open roads, it's very difficult to complete specific workouts without any interruptions - sometimes these interruptions can also be outright dangerous, too. 

That's why indoor training makes sense in theory. Owing to the nature of riding in a static environment it can be an arduous task, so it's worth looking at ways to make the experience worthwhile and more rewarding.

 Find an indoor training setup that works for you

Equipment will always be a personal choice and indoor training isn't any different. When it comes to indoor training, there are two main equipment choices: a turbo trainer or a smart bike, both of which have various pros and cons. For some, the turbo trainer represents a viable option as it lets you use your existing bike but also places extra stress on your bike, and often doesn't last as long as a smart bike.

A smart bike such as the Wattbike Atom represents a great investment due to its durability, solid pedalling platform and ability to deal with repeated efforts not to mention the corrosive properties of sweat. The Wattbike Atom is regarded as a pioneer in the best smart bike segment. With a built-in power meter that records at 1000 times a second to an accuracy of +/- one per cent across the entire power curve, it provides the rider with reliable metrics and comparable training data.

The Wattbike is also fully adjustable to match your in-real-life bike setup and can be used by multiple riders in the same household. The on-the-fly adjustability makes it ready to ride out the box with no need to remove the rear wheel like a smart turbo trainer.

 Get motivated by setting a goal

Structured training is a pointless exercise without a goal in mind. A goal will not only give you something to focus on - both in the short and long term - it will make completing your workouts all the more fulfilling. Keeping the overall goal in mind will also make it easier when it comes to choosing an indoor training tool such as the Wattbike Atom over riding outdoors, the value of which brings us to the next point. 

Mix up your training with indoor and outdoor sessions

We hear you. Summer has its perks and the thought of riding indoors when the skies are blue outside sounds like torture but it's worth considering dividing your training into morning and afternoon sessions, keeping the hard interval work for indoors and the easier rides (active recovery, endurance and temp sessions) for outside. By splitting up your sessions, you can still benefit from the good weather and balance your outdoor miles with structured indoor intervals on the Wattbike Atom - it's a win/win. 

Experiment with the best indoor cycling apps

There's a cornucopia of indoor cycling apps currently available, all of which represent a great way of making the indoor cycling experience more enjoyable. While many of the indoor cycling equipment manufacturers possess their own indoor apps - the Wattbike Hub is a great tool, too, boasting a series of performance tests and training plans developed by world-class coaches and sports scientists - third-party apps are proving a very popular way to keep riders entertained for longer. 

Apps such as RGT Cycling and Zwift are immersive in that they allow you to race and ride against/with other cyclists from all over the world. With ANT+ and Bluetooth FE-C compatibility, the Wattbike Atom will automatically control the resistance and road-like feel on screen to provide the most realistic training experience on the market.

The Wattbike Atom is currently available with a £100 Sigma Sports voucher and free shipping. Two-year guarantee and 30-day free returns come as standard. Visit www.wattbike.com  for further information on all of the Atom's features.