A turbo trainer is a necessary evil in winter.

The very mention of a turbo will strike fear into many cyclists – or send them into a boredom-induced coma – but when it’s blowing a gale or the roads are covered in snow and ice, an indoor trainer allows you to ‘ride’ whatever the weather.

Sure, you can’t beat the feeling of tarmac beneath tyres but a turbo trainer is also a great way of keeping your training focused – particularly if you race through winter – as it enables you to sneak in an interval session to keep your top-end fitness in shape without worrying about traffic lights, road furniture, other road users and, of course, the weather.

It’s why a time trial specialist like Alex Dowsett, the Commonwealth Games champion in the discipline, uses a turbo through winter, while Team Sky coach Rod Ellingworth also believes in their usefulness.

As ever, there are plenty of features on offer, and options available, when buying a turbo trainer. We have looked at what to consider over the following pages.

Want to get going on your turbo? Take a look at our guide to turbo trainer sessions including strength efforts, threshold, sweetspot, VO2 Max and cadence drills.