Turbo trainers

Tacx T1000 Antares rollentrainer

The Tacx T1000 Antares is a roller trainer in black and blue that lets you ride indoors on your own bike. You set the bike on the rollers and pedal on the spot.

What you get

Roller trainer
Black and blue colour
Tacx brand, T1000 Antares model

Why a turbo trainer?

Training indoors is efficient. You ride exactly the effort you want, without traffic, junctions or descents. An hour on the trainer is often similar to an hour and a half outside, because you never coast. That makes it ideal for intervals and winter training.

There are three main types. With direct drive you remove the rear wheel and put the chain straight onto the trainer. It is quiet, accurate and solid. With wheel-on, the wheel stays in the bike and a roller presses against your rear tyre: more affordable and more compact, but louder and slightly less accurate. Rollers are free-standing drums you balance on: you train balance and smoothness, but resistance is lower.

Good direct drive trainers are typically accurate to about plus or minus 1 percent, wheel-on trainers 2 to 5 percent, and simple rollers usually measure nothing. For power-based training that difference matters.

A trainer needs a few extras: a mat, a fan (you sweat far more than outdoors) and, for wheel-on, perhaps a special trainer tyre. With the right setup you will use it often and regularly.

Direct drive, wheel-on or rollers

The three systems differ a lot in noise, accuracy and price level.

System	Noise	Accuracy	Price level	Suits
Direct drive	Quiet, usually 55 to 65 dB	Very good, about 1 percent	High	Lots of indoor riding, online racing
Wheel-on	Louder, 65 to 75 dB	Fair, 2 to 5 percent	Mid	Getting started, occasional use
Rollers	Medium, own roller noise	Usually no measurement	Low to mid	Pedal smoothness, warming up

Noise and accuracy are indicative and vary by model and setup.

Choose it if

You want to train indoors on your own bike without swapping wheels
You are after an entry-level roller set from Tacx
You want to train well in winter or bad weather.
You train with power or follow structured intervals.

Choose something else if

You want a fixed base where you can push hard without balancing
You mainly enjoy riding outdoors: indoors it can feel dull.
You live in an apartment with thin floors: watch noise and vibration.

How to use a turbo trainer

Set it up
Put the trainer on a mat on a level surface and set it level. Place a fan nearby.
Mount your bike
With direct drive you take off the rear wheel and fit the cassette on the trainer. With wheel-on you clamp the bike by the quick release and adjust the roller.
Connect your trainer
Connect to your app via Bluetooth or ANT+. Run a calibration for a reliable reading.
Warm up
Ride easily for 10 to 15 minutes before your session. Have plenty to drink.
Wipe down afterwards
Wipe sweat off bike and trainer, because it corrodes the frame, bars and parts.

Good to know

On rollers you keep your own balance, which takes a little practice
Check that your wheel size and tyre width fit the rollers
Check that the trainer fits your axle standard (12 mm thru-axle, quick release) and your freehub.
Wheel-on trainers wear your rear tyre quickly. Use a dedicated trainer tyre.
Sweat damages your bike. Use a towel and a protective cover.
Keep firmware and calibration up to date to stay accurate.

What you get

Why a turbo trainer?

Direct drive, wheel-on or rollers

Choose it if

Choose something else if

How to use a turbo trainer

Set it up

Mount your bike

Connect your trainer

Warm up

Wipe down afterwards

Good to know

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