Road Cycling
- Thread starter FrenchTart
- Start date
Any of these, or the suns too strong or traffic is too heavy and I'm looking at a indoor session. I like to enjoy my real cycling and have it as something I really look forward to. I also swear the rain, sun or high traffic levels really get into drivers heads and the amount of insufferable drivers goes up 10x.
Caporegime
Just need to get the right turbo setup. I watch Youtube or a film on a large screen and use Zwift and its great. Only complaint is that I haven't got a dedicated setup that I don't have to faff with setting up.
My indoor bike is permanently set up, so getting on it is less work then getting dressed for going out. It's over 10 miles just to get to any decent proper quiet roads here, and if not back before late morning there will be plenty of close passes and people honking at you on the return as there is little opportunity to pass.
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Caporegime
I'm so lucky where I live. Its 5 minutes ride until I am on country roads. None of the roads I cycle on regularly are so busy that I hold cars up for long. Honestly its the cars that hold me up massively on any congested bits.
I think for me it’s still the movement of the bike and the sensations of how it responds which the turbo just doesn’t replicate. The feeling of a light or heavy bike. How it reacts to your inputs etc
It’s still cycling exercise but different muscles and just isn’t the same!
Maybe I need a tilting table thing for my setup!
It’s still cycling exercise but different muscles and just isn’t the same!
Maybe I need a tilting table thing for my setup!
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Caporegime
I've been considering one of those rocker plates but I would need somewhere permanent for that sort of thing.
You're completely correct, its not even close to the same as being out on the road. I do most of my Zwifting on ERG mode as well. Its largely a switch off and get fit type thing for me. That being said, when I did even 6-8 weeks of structured training on Zwift I got a lot fitter than I had just riding.
Soldato
When I started cycling, I remember a friend saying to me 'its all about time in then saddle, just ride', which to an extent it is... but... not all time in the saddle is equal. Definitely had my most significant gains doing a proper indoor training plan.
Need to be more dedicated to your outdoor training as well and you'll get the same gains, and you're more likely to add on a few miles during the nice days as opposed to jumping off and going back indoors (if you're not already).
Soldato
But outdoor can't be done as precisely, surely? Sure, if you have to do 3 x 4 minutes of 350W, you could do pretty close to that if you find a nice hill, but indoor is a lot easier to hit exactly what they want you to do? I get that it perhaps doesn't have to be THAT precise. Just do a bunch of hill reps perhaps, or some sprints I guess, but as I say, it's so much easier indoor with it all laid out ahead of you. (Then the benefits of not mattering about the light and the weather... and other road users etc, like being in the middle of an effort but having to give way to someone for something)
Caporegime
No but it depends how much time you have and how much you value it. Its much easier to jump on the trainer for a few hours in the week as opposed to faffing to go outside and trying to find somewhere to complete your training. You also probably want a power meter.
Zwift is easy and convenient and makes doing a structured workout a breeze. You can do it while you catch up on some TV or youtube as well. When I go outside and the weather is nice I want to not be thinking about anything else but enjoying the ride.
I don't know how much I would enjoy forcing myself to go outside when the weather isn't very nice and I am going to be doing a boring session.
Soldato
HELP!
My friend and his son want me to go for a 4-day cycling trip to the Pyrenees from 21-24 September - he wants to climb the Tourmalet, Aubisque and the Soulor.
Sounds great but I'm currently part way through a 3-4 week holiday drinking beer and eating what I want, I weigh around 115kg (I'm 6ft 5 so not that fat!), and haven't cycled much at all this year. I'll have around 4 weeks to train but I live in a pretty flat region with no long climbs, but a few short sharp hills.
I know it's impossible to answer but as I've never climbed a mountain I want to know if you think it's possible?! How hard is the Tourmalet?
Any insight is appreciated!
Edit: And any training tips other than climb as much as possible - thanks!
My friend and his son want me to go for a 4-day cycling trip to the Pyrenees from 21-24 September - he wants to climb the Tourmalet, Aubisque and the Soulor.
Sounds great but I'm currently part way through a 3-4 week holiday drinking beer and eating what I want, I weigh around 115kg (I'm 6ft 5 so not that fat!), and haven't cycled much at all this year. I'll have around 4 weeks to train but I live in a pretty flat region with no long climbs, but a few short sharp hills.
I know it's impossible to answer but as I've never climbed a mountain I want to know if you think it's possible?! How hard is the Tourmalet?
Any insight is appreciated!
Edit: And any training tips other than climb as much as possible - thanks!
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Rent an e-bike.
big climbs like that are an hour plus of extremely high effort. If it's flat round your way, and you dont have a turbotrainer, then to get that level of effort you're probably looking at some TT style efforts over 25 miles ish?
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Caporegime
Thats going to suck unless you lose weight and train hard. 115kg at 6'5" is quite large regardless of how much of that is muscle and hills punish weight. I'm 6'2" at 83kg and I feel it on hills.
By the sounds of it you will be back and heavier than before around the middle of August so you would have basically a month before you head over there.
The Tormalet is 17km with 1200m of elevation over that distance. If you don't have hills to train on and you do hit your training super hard I think you will have a pretty bad time considering you haven't cycled much this year by your own admission. I don't know how your current fitness is but even for a reasonably fit cyclist this sort of thing would be hard.
What was your last ride distance, time and elevation wise?
I don't want to put you off but thats a big ask IMO. Others may differ in their views on this.
Soldato
Shame, you've just missed Tourmalet on the new Zwift climb portal calendar. https://zwiftinsider.com/portal/col-du-tourmalet/ suggests close to two hours at 2W/Kg, so if you have a local short ramp that is ~7% and you can do compact circuits climbing it for 2+ hours, you should be sorted for the hol.
I haven't done 2W/Kg for two hours this year with my long covid and I'm now ~92Kg instead of ~80Kg and super fit (for me) this time last year. I've only done two 2-2.5 hour rides this year back in May and the second one at ~1.6W/Kg left me drained for days.
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Associate
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- 5 Apr 2004
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The challenge with hills is the constant grind where you don't get a chance to coast and get your legs back.
You can go slow so you're not out of breath but your muscles will still fatigue.
I personally think it's doable to push yourself but if you're not fit and have excess weight then you won't want to do that effort again over multiple days.
Rent an ebike. Otherwise it might ruin the trip for others.
You can go slow so you're not out of breath but your muscles will still fatigue.
I personally think it's doable to push yourself but if you're not fit and have excess weight then you won't want to do that effort again over multiple days.
Rent an ebike. Otherwise it might ruin the trip for others.
Soldato
Yeah, thought as much - I already said no, but he's insisting. Hiring an e0bike is a great idea though! I already thought I could probably suffer through 1 day but multiple climbing days isn't possible. Non of us are super fit but they are much smaller than I am.
I'll get him round for a BBQ, err salad, when I get back and talk about it.
@fez last ride was around 68km 700m+ 3 hours in Feb
Thanks for the advice!
I'll get him round for a BBQ, err salad, when I get back and talk about it.
@fez last ride was around 68km 700m+ 3 hours in Feb
Thanks for the advice!