I read recently that a number of Pros like to ride the turbo for an hour or so before having breakfast in the morning to jump start the old metabolic system. Which means that now I ride the trainer for an hour in the morning before breakfast. I think the Pros probably do it to lose weight, and I do it partly for that reason but also to burn off the hangover which comes as a result of my status as a semi-professional drinker.
I used to ride an old Tacx trainer, but I found riding the device only slightly preferable to shoving bamboo shoots under my fingernails. Then I got a LeMond Revolution and now I actually look forward to my morning sessions. I’d been interested in the LeMond Revolution trainers for some time, but it wasn’t until I discovered that the device is based on a direct-drive trainer that Greg’s coach built for him in the 80’s that I decided to embark on my new morning ritual at the mercy of one. After all, if it was good enough to help LeMan become a Tour de France winner, then surly it was good enough to help me get less fat and become less of a weakling.
The first thing you notice about these little numbers that you remove the rear wheel from your bike and mount the Revolution in its place. This means no wheel slippage on the mag and what amounts to a remarkably pleasant ride feel. The second thing you notice about the trainer is that its bloody hard to spin up; I start crossed in a 53×26 and can hardly turn the pedals at first, but there is no way I’m shifting into my little ring on a trainer on account of my not being a giant sissy. The third thing you notice is that it’s actually fun to ride; I turn on some old Cycling movies and before I know it, I find my buzzer going off indicating the hour has already passed. I had no idea riding a trainer didn’t have to suck.
But lets be clear: we are road cyclists, and we ride on the road. A long ride in the cold wind and rain is preferable to even an hour on an indoor trainer. But trainers do represent an important training tool and as such should be a part of every Cyclist’s arsenal. I’m on it every morning, and as the season looms I’m looking to it more and more for intervals and power work. Not to mention that as I prepare for my Hour ride on Festum Prophetae, I’m training Obree Style on my Revolution.
Before we get too carried away with this indoor riding business, let’s review some examples of acceptable reasons to ride a trainer:
Examples of unacceptable reasons to ride a trainer:
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@frank Does this mean you're putting in turbo sessions before your commute? What time are you getting up in the morning or has the book been such a success that you've retired (or been released by your employers to spend more time on activities closer to your heart)?
Sportcrafters rollers with the resistance drum at the back. Awesome. Add the fork stand for the Sufferfest videos where you know you are going to black out just a little and lose balance. Double awesome.
I'm sure the Revolution is a good bit of kit, but by the looks of it, I'd need to build a new wing on the side of my house just to accomodate the thing. And could I really be arsed with the whole back wheel on/off thing. Nah. Oh but I'm forgetting that Frank has a squillion bikes so has no worries on that front.
I can't agree to this. We're not professionals, and there's no reason why pre-breakfast we could not eat a banana, get on our bikes, and go ride for an hour or more--to work, for example. Snow and ice will, should, keep us off the roads, but for such days there are cross-training options. When it's dark, we can clip on lights. I suppose if you travel a lot for work, you could, as your only option, end up on one of these things in the hotel exercise room, and in that case, you have my deepest sympathy. Other than that, the only reason I would ever get on one of these is during recovery from injury.
@Ruud
That's a bit over simplistic.
I don't travel much as part of my job but my wife does so I'm often limited to the roller/trainer option - leaving the kids alone in the house is not an option that I'd wish to take up.
I don't mind riding around in the dark but darkness, interval training induced hypoxia (or even just peaking in two months belly breathing induced wobbles), pot holes and traffic aren't high on my list of things to mix.
Besides, whilst I'm not a pro, there's no reason why I can't approach my training in as pro like manner as possible, it's more likely to get results than fannying around. I all for the Graham Obree method of reducing the variables down to the rider - that way if I don't go as well or better than last time or as planned, I've only got myself to blame. Can't see how that is in any way Anti V. They're not meant to be a substitute for getting out on the bike but they are complimentary.
@TBONE
Check this out for track school!
Keirin racer school in Japan
@Chris
+1
It's easy to say "Just get some lights", but I could strap a white dwarf star to my stem and it still wouldn't make Seattle area drivers any less stupid and blind. And I suppose there are places where streets are lit and there is a bit of shoulder to ride on, but not where I live. And to top it off, adding a lot of lights makes my bike look ugly. So riding outside at night just isn't my bag.
My argument here is, if you think that riding should not be done inside, I hope you never, ever sit and watch TV. If you're sitting and doing nothing in front of the flat screen, you could be pedaling. And you should be.
@Chris points taken! (certainly about not leaving kids alone in the house); it's personal, which is why I took care to phrase in personal terms--from the (admittedly little) experience I have with these things, I hate them!
Nice, but Obree does spend quite some time in his training book stressing that your trainer must have magnetic resistance only, in order that all your efforts are directly comparable.
Too much scope for variance with air pressure/temperature changes with air based resistance (and fluid based) apparently.
There is nothing (exept for smashing hill repeats) than a awesome wattbike session. When pushing 310 watts for 20min then doing 5 min intervals is awesome fun. #Rule no.5 becomes more and more aplicable in those dark sessions of pain while pedaling your ass of and not going anywhere.
I love the feeling of an indoor trainer on your own bike but wat bike is awesome!
If Sir chris hoy loves it i forsure will bust my ass for those quads!