By Erin Beresini, Outdoor

A bike trainer is a great tool for improving your cycling skills and overall fitness level, regardless of what the weather’s like outside. Because it has constant resistance, the trainer has the potential to deliver an even more efficient workout than you’d get outside — but you may have to make it hurt more to get a comparable workout.

The first thing you’ll notice when you hop on a trainer: No hills to coast down. That makes a significant difference in actual time spent pedaling, says sport scientist and cycling coach Neal Henderson, owner of Apex Coaching and Consulting.

“When you’re outdoors, even in time trials and racing scenarios, it’s normal to coast 10, 15, even 20 percent of the time,” he says. “But when you’re on a trainer, you can pretty much go non-stop the whole time.”

That can make your workout more targeted and allow you to practice things you wouldn’t be able to outdoors, like holding a 100-RPM cadence for ten minutes straight, or focusing on evening out your pedal stroke. It also means you can get as good a workout in a shorter amount of time.

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