A Bike Trainer Lets You Ride Your Own Bike, In Any Weather, And Do It In Comfort.
When the weather gods are against you it doesn’t mean you can’t ride. With a bike trainer you can ride and get some great exercise all year long.
After you have gone to a lot of trouble to get the perfect bike, the perfect seat etc, it hurts to go through it again with an exercise bike. A bicycle trainer can be the answer.
The only change that you may want to consider is your back tire. If you have a knobbie on your bike. Knobbies are noisy and vibrate excessively. Medium treads are usually OK but you may want a smooth tread.
It's a given that, if you only ride during the warmer months, it will take several weeks to get back in shape and toughen up your butt again. Exercise bikes are great but they never have the same fit as your own bike and they can be expensive.
With a bike trainer you have the same "fit and feel" all year round so there is no break-in period when the nice weather comes.
And there are plenty of styles and types to choose from so finding one that fits your needs is not a problem. About the only thing lacking is the wind in your face as you ride.
On some you pre-set the resistance before you ride.
On others you can change the resistance remotely while riding. These are, in my opinion, the best choice since they enable you to simulate the feel of a real bike ride more accurately.
Some can change resistance automatically as you change speed so the effort and speed follow each other on a natural curve.
Actually, bicycle trainers can be very simple, or very hi-tech if you want to take your training to extremes. They use different methods to control the resistance, usually fan, fluid, or magnets, so you can simulate different riding conditions as you wish. Magnetic trainers are generally quite and price competitive.
Even a basic bike trainer can be adjusted to change the resistance by just shifting gears which may be all of the change that you need.
Some trainers are even computerized so you can simulate an actual race and race conditions. Obviously, these are intended, primarily, for competitive riders.
You will need a climbing block to put under your front wheel so that your bike is sitting level. You may want to use a small step stool alongside your bike to get on and off easier since the bike is raised a few inches to fit on the trainer.
For a great combination a
step through bike
works especially well with a trainer since it is easier to mount and dismount.
When the weather gods are against you it doesn’t mean you can’t ride. With a bike trainer you can ride and get some great exercise all year long. 
