ElliptiGO indoor workout | (Bike) ohne Sattel

Zuletzt aktualisiert | last modified: 4. April 2024

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Which trainers are available?

I prefer to train outside. However, if you want to train regularly or even with a training schedule and do not want to switch to alternative sports, you cannot avoid an indoor solution.

Basically, there are three categories of indoor trainers for bicycles.

First there are the popular Direct Drive Trainer or Wheel Off Trainer, which are grown onto the bike with their own cassette instead of the rear wheel and are therefore driven directly over the chain. This variant is comparatively quiet and has no special requirements for the tires. Technically, however, it is ruled out for the long stride models from ElliptiGo.

The second category is Roller Trainers, in which the rear wheel drives a roller with a resistance device. These are also called Wheel On Trainers. They are louder and have certain demands on the rear tire. The less profile, the better.

Finally, there is the „Free Roller“, where the bike is not attached but is driven freely on usually three rollers. I won’t consider this variant any further because, in my opinion, it can be completely rejected for an ElliptiGO. If there is anyone who can handle one of the ElliptiGO models on a Free Roller, please contact me.

Smart versions are available in all categories, but mainly for Wheel Off Trainers. Routes can be ridden using various apps. With high-end trainers, the resistance curve is adapted to the terrain. There are also smart accessories, such as fans for a headwind that adapts to the ride.

Which trainers can be used with an ElliptiGO?

In the past, ElliptiGO officially offered roller trainers from the KINETIC brand due to the lack of its own alternative. However, many conventional roller trainers hold the bike rigidly on the rear axle. According to the manufacturer, such devices can more easily cause unwanted effects to the frame during training. Therefore, an own device, the Fluid 365 Stationary Trainer, was developed and the rear resistance unit was designed so that the rear wheel can move from side to side while the handlebars are fixed.

When training with the Fluid 365 you can see how the back of the bike moves. Therefore, I can understand that the use of standard trainers could be suboptimal for the frame. When riding on an ElliptiGO, there are significantly more rolling movements than on classic bikes with a seat.

For my second home in an apartment building in the city, I wanted to use a quieter and intelligent Direct Drive Trainer together with the MSUB. I asked the manufacturer whether there is anything to keep in mind. I was strongly advised not to use this kind of trainers „due to frame issues“.

There currently doesn’t seem to be a real alternative to the Fluid 365 for indoor workouts with an ElliptiGO.

The ElliptiGO Fluid 365

The Fluid 365 is a Wheel On Trainer with a fixed roller and generally compatible with all current ElliptiGO models. It consists of a rear resistance unit and a stand at the front.

The connection between the two components is the bike.

That’s why the trainer requires significantly less space when not in use than an additional cross trainer or bicycle ergometer. The green front wheel box can be easily removed, making the front stand very narrow at 14 centimeters and easy to stow away.

Assembling and removing the ElliptiGO is quick and easy. Assembly may take a little longer if the bike model is changed. More information can be found in the operating instructions.

According to the manufacturer, the Fluid 365 has a resistance curve that corresponds to the real driving experience of an ElliptiGO on the road. This statement quite theoretical. In my opinion, the driving behavior is at best comparable to driving on flat terrain. Nevertheless, the resistance can be easily defined by the cadence in conjunction with the gear shifting as desired for the respective workout.

Technical information about Fluid 365 can be obtained from the manufacturer or importer.

Indoor workout with the ElliptiGO 11R

In winter, my 11R is mostly on the trainer and offers a good – even spontaneous – training option.

With the combination of 11R and Fluid 365, a very efficient indoor workout is possible. Typically, I ride between ten and twenty kilometers per training session, which takes between 20 and 50 minutes each, but sometimes just a quick sprint session of five kilometers.

With the 11R, I mainly use the larger gears. With an ElliptiGO 8C, the range of the gears might be a little too less for the way I train. However, I can’t really say anything reliably about indoor training with an 8C or 3C due to a lack of own experience.

With the 11R on the trainer, it is no problem at all to get your heart rate up to the maximum range. Particularly, a very efficient interval training is easy to implement.

The serial Schwalbe Marathon Racer tires work great with the trainer. That is useful because unlike a derailleur gearshift, you can’t easily swap the 11R rear wheel for indoor training.

The long stride bikes with their load wheels are not quiet, and a roller trainer is also rather loud due to the system. If you live in an apartment building, you might want to talk to your neighbors before using a long stride ElliptiGO on the Fluid 365.

Indoor workout with the ElliptiGO SUB

The Fluid 365 settings are identical for the Long Stride bikes and the SUB.

You can also train perfectly indoors with the SUB. High pulse rates can be achieved even faster than with the 11R. But the training also involves more of the legs, as is the case on the road as well.

I don’t really train with the SUB on the trainer very often. I like the 11R better and prefer to use my SUB outside, which is why I haven’t tested whether the Schwalbe Marathon 365 I am currently riding is suitable for a roller trainer. But I could imagine that it is a bit too rough for that. In any case, the SUB standard tires can be used without any problems.

Indoor workout with the ElliptiGO MSUB

There is a separate setting on the trainer for MSUB and RSUB. While the RSUB’s standard rear wheel can be used on the trainer, this is not the case with the MSUB’s wide and coarse mountain bike tires. Here you either have to permanently use a rear tire suitable for roller trainers or change the rear wheel for indoor use. The MSUB’s wide front tire also doesn’t fit well into the front wheel box.

I recently bought a used RSUB wheelset with standard tires and mounted a used MSUB cassette on the rear wheel so that I can use the MSUB on the trainer as an alternative to the 11R. The RSUB wheels both fit on the MSUB without any problems. In addition, the wheelset can also be used on the road.

Smart indoor workout with the Fluid 365

Unfortunately, the Fluid 365 is not smart at all and can therefore only be used to a limited extent with the relevant indoor sports experience apps. Minimal functions are possible with speed, cadence and pulse sensors, but app-controlled, terrain-dependent resistance adjustment is not possible. So, indoor training on the Fluid 365 can quickly become boring.

There are some lessons from the manufacturer, but they’re not really great in the long term.

Although I prefer to train outside, a really smart and quieter indoor trainer is something I’m missing for my ElliptiGO bikes.

Accessories for the Fluid 365

I use commercially available mats as a base for the two components of the Fluid 356 and a simple fan to create a bit of a headwind during indoor workouts. If the trainer is stupid, the fan doesn’t need to be smart either 😉 .

By chance, I came across a bike protector for bike trainers. With a few additional Velcro straps, the part fits perfectly on the 11R, does not interfere with movement and does a good job of keeping some of the inevitable sweat away from the surrounding area.

If you put a towel on it, the protection is even better.

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