Stationary Bike Stand Buying Tips and Reviews
If you train indoors, there are more than a few good reasons why you should buy a bike trainer mat.
They might seem a bit redundant at first, but trust us, once you own one you won’t look back! Primarily, they give you stability and help reduce sweaty odors and stains on your floor; but the number one reason you’re going to want one is that they greatly reduce the noise all bike trainers inevitably make. If you live with or above other people, they will be the first to thank you for investing in a trainer mat. Seriously.
And yep, stop looking at yoga mats as an option, they’re just not tough enough for most trainers and decent training sessions.
We took a look at some of the leading bike trainer mats on the market for you…
CycleOps Training Mat
At 65” long by 36” wide, this is quite a small mat (it’s actually the smallest on this list), but should be big enough for most indoor training needs. It is made of tough rubber, which is only 4 mm thick but very dense. This makes it easy to roll up after use but provides plenty of sturdiness and weight when laid out.
The mat is waterproof, so you can clean the sweat and grime off when you’ve finished with it. The rubber base also anchors the mat to the floor, even hardwood, which keeps your trainer in place during your workout.
A very solid trainer mat, typically priced at around $60 – and the perfect accompaniment to the CycleOps Fluid 2 trainer. For more info and an up-to-date price check, click here.
Kinetic Training Mat
This mat comes in at a whopping 72” long by 36” wide and is a well made product from a trusted name (we might have mentioned it before, but we love Kinetic’s trainers, such as the newly released smart versions of the Road Machine and the Rock n Roll trainers).
Its rubber structure is smooth on the underside to keep it in place during training but textured on top to hold drops of sweat and items of bike grime. As this is also rubber, it does not absorb anything, but will need some cleaning after use.
The size of the mat means it absorbs noise over a larger floor area, as well as being able to cope with the very biggest trainers. Of course, you will need the requisite floor space.
Typically priced at just over $60, this is a quality option. For more info and an up-to-date price check, click here. See our review here.
Ascent Resistance Training Mat
Even bigger than the Kinetic training mat mentioned above, this training mat from Ascent measures a huge 78” by 36”. It will easily hold your bike and any trainer and provide your floor with a lot of protection over a large area.
It is made of synthetic material, with the upper surface designed to hold on to sweat and grime. The large area of the mat also absorbs a lot of sound.
If you use cleats, the surface can seem a bit fragile, as if it might puncture or tear when you walk on it. Training frames and wheels should be fine, however.
This one comes in at around $40, so is very budget-friendly. For more info and an up-to-date price check, click here.
Tacx Rollable Trainer Mat
This trainer mat from Tacx is based around foam, and supported by other various materials. Its mixture is designed to cope with a lot of those nasty and less nasty fluids from your training session, but is till washable.
It is slightly narrower than other mats, at 33.5” wide, but covers 69” in length. It is slightly deeper than other mats, at 6 mm, but will still roll up fairly easily for storage.
To be clear, this trainer mat is mainly designed to deal with sweat and water spills, rather than reducing the noise of your training session. This is largely because of its foam-based mixture which is not as dense as rubber mats, hence letting more noise through. This mat is ideal if you only train occasionally, and not too heavily.
Coming in at around $80, this is probably only for Tacx fans. For more info and an up-to-date price check, click here.
Wahoo KICKR Multi-Purpose Floor Mat
The Wahoo KICKR is another large training mat, measuring 78” long by 36” wide. It has a pretty tough surface, designed to hold lots of training related fluids and spills. In fact, the surface gives a little when you walk on it, making it feel more like a traditional mat than some others. It also has a beveled edge, which keeps the mat firmly attached to your floor covering, and hence ensuring very decent stability.
This extra depth makes the mat a bit bulky to store, although it is perfectly easy to clean after use. The mat is also at the expensive end of the scale, coming in at around just under $70.
But it is a quality option and favored by many pro cyclists for their indoor sessions. For more info and an up-to-date price check, click here.
In Summary…
All the above bike trainer mats are well designed and should help you train better – while keeping on friendly terms with housemates and neighbors! Our ultimate trainer mat of choice is probably the Kinetic trainer mat, though the CycleOps and Wahoo mats are also worth considering. Happy training!
