You get no undulation in power output inside on the trainer, well much less so than when outside, and the inertia (feel) will affect recruitment in different parts of the pedal stroke. Couple that with lack of distraction being indoors, inferior cooling and the resulting heart rate drift and... voila.
The Indoor Riding/ Zwift/ TrainerRoad etc. Thread
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This article sums it up really well: http://alex-cycle.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/turbocharged-training.html?m=1
That new sufferfest looks brutal! 
Jumped onto a WBR 'Buffalo Herd' ride/race on saturday afternoon. 2.5w/kg group ride around Watopia flat for 4 laps. The first 3 laps with Sprints and the end part of the final lap as a race. The w/kg was lower than I was looking for as it's mostly aimed at C riders (and I'm technically a B) so I helped out doing some 'keeping' (riding riders back on who'd dropped) and lots of turns on the front. I smashed (and 'won' the first 2) sprints, before trying to take it easy for the 3rd lap before the race lap. Finished 7th overall, although the results got screwed so I'm still looking for my first real ZP result. That's 4 organised group rides/races now and I'm still lacking 'results' in my ZP panel. Grr!
https://www.strava.com/activities/887502275
Sprint 1 (13s), Sprint 2 (13s), Sprint 3 (12s), Race (5 minutes at @330W+, 29mph & 500W sprint finish I'm pleased with!)
Going to jump on this EVR race later if I can. I'll have 'raced' WBR, KISS, MGCC & EVR then.
Jumped onto a WBR 'Buffalo Herd' ride/race on saturday afternoon. 2.5w/kg group ride around Watopia flat for 4 laps. The first 3 laps with Sprints and the end part of the final lap as a race. The w/kg was lower than I was looking for as it's mostly aimed at C riders (and I'm technically a B) so I helped out doing some 'keeping' (riding riders back on who'd dropped) and lots of turns on the front. I smashed (and 'won' the first 2) sprints, before trying to take it easy for the 3rd lap before the race lap. Finished 7th overall, although the results got screwed so I'm still looking for my first real ZP result. That's 4 organised group rides/races now and I'm still lacking 'results' in my ZP panel. Grr!
https://www.strava.com/activities/887502275
Sprint 1 (13s), Sprint 2 (13s), Sprint 3 (12s), Race (5 minutes at @330W+, 29mph & 500W sprint finish I'm pleased with!)
Going to jump on this EVR race later if I can. I'll have 'raced' WBR, KISS, MGCC & EVR then.
I decided not to continue with Sufferfest after the trial - the app is great but it needs to mature quite a lot in my opinion, so next winter I'll probably use that instead of TrainerRoad.
In the meantime, spent 3 hours on the turbo doing Koip on TR yesterday. Not that physically taxing, but really difficult to stay engaged mentally for the whole ride. I don't felt like I slacked off, and viewing the data back suggests I didn't, but man it was tough to get the hours/minutes to tick by. First time I've felt like that on the turbo, but then I guess it is pretty dull!
In the meantime, spent 3 hours on the turbo doing Koip on TR yesterday. Not that physically taxing, but really difficult to stay engaged mentally for the whole ride. I don't felt like I slacked off, and viewing the data back suggests I didn't, but man it was tough to get the hours/minutes to tick by. First time I've felt like that on the turbo, but then I guess it is pretty dull!
I'm actually splitting my longer 2:30-3hr+ turbo sessions up on a Sunday as well as incorporating some actual Z1/Z2 work rather than bottom end of Z3/Z4. Not because I need to MTFU, far from it plenty of long 3hr+ sessions in the bank, but because I find it more recuperative and also I don't feel like Sunday really exists if the entire morning is spent in the garage on the turbo.
I actually spend longer in total on the turbo throughout the day but this way it feels like less and I actually see the morning and can be more productive.
Up around 8AM to be productive for 2hrs until 10AM then first session until midday. Jump back on around 4PM for 90-120 minutes for something a little more structured. Also I tend to have a harder faster paced ride (weather allowing) or turbo on the Saturday too and find first thing the following day a little too loathe some to be 'back at it' again.
I actually spend longer in total on the turbo throughout the day but this way it feels like less and I actually see the morning and can be more productive.
Up around 8AM to be productive for 2hrs until 10AM then first session until midday. Jump back on around 4PM for 90-120 minutes for something a little more structured. Also I tend to have a harder faster paced ride (weather allowing) or turbo on the Saturday too and find first thing the following day a little too loathe some to be 'back at it' again.
You can have the support team stitch them or alternatively leave the workout paused or just skip to where you ended the first session for the second bout.
I'm not doing this for particularly intense rides, this is just aerobic/tempo work but if it was sweetspot/threshold/VO2 Max/anaerobic I'd be less inclined due to training benefit though, they have discussed the merits of splitting sessions up on their podcasts recently. Can't remember their conclusion
but I don't think it was detrimental, just my preference.
Hi guys.
New to cycling, have been hopping on the bike and riding on my own little world for a bit.
But due to work and time, I can only go so often.
Have been thinking about getting a T-trainer & a pair of rollers too. Just so I can do as much as I can.
Question though:
1) my only bike so far is a CX bike. https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/tcx-slr-1-2016
Will this limit the amount of trainers I can use, as it's a little different to a road bike. And, the tyres I use atm are 32mm.
2) I've heard a lot about zwift. Is this like the Strava of indoor training? And what is needed to set up a trainer to it? Is a power meter required?
Thanks. I understand there might be lot's of info in the thread already, but cheating and asking as I have no run out.
But will read through later on. Any help on giving me a tl:dr on what is the go to turbo trainer atm would be great. thanks.
New to cycling, have been hopping on the bike and riding on my own little world for a bit.
But due to work and time, I can only go so often.
Have been thinking about getting a T-trainer & a pair of rollers too. Just so I can do as much as I can.
Question though:
1) my only bike so far is a CX bike. https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/tcx-slr-1-2016
Will this limit the amount of trainers I can use, as it's a little different to a road bike. And, the tyres I use atm are 32mm.
2) I've heard a lot about zwift. Is this like the Strava of indoor training? And what is needed to set up a trainer to it? Is a power meter required?
Thanks. I understand there might be lot's of info in the thread already, but cheating and asking as I have no run out.
But will read through later on. Any help on giving me a tl:dr on what is the go to turbo trainer atm would be great. thanks.
Bike is fine for a turbo trainer - however get a proper turbo tyre for it. last longer and don't destroy your existing rear tyre
Turbo trainers range from £50 to £1000 - budget dependent it's up to you what you get but if you can stretch to it a "smart" trainer is your best option.
Zwift/Trainerroad/Sufferfest are all indoor training/riding helps - most do 7 days free etc so you can try before you buy etc - in effect zwift is a "virtual" road/race enviorment. Assuming you get a smart trainer, and a bluetooth dongle to your laptop/pc/ipad etc - your trainer will talk to zwift/TR/sufferfest and adjust the difficulty/power output etc based on what your doing.
Hope that makes sense.
KISS base C/D ride, 11th.
Finally got a Zwiftpower result last night! Woohoo!
I'd wanted to jump in a CAT B race but laptop was being an arse (25 minutes to boot & start Zwift WTF!) so I missed the start. I jumped in a base CAT C/D race and just spent the whole time trying to keep below 3.2w/kg on the flat (the cutoff to get disqualified). Classified as 11th with an overall average of 3w/kg I'm happy with as so many of the riders around me got disqualified.
Did another few efforts afterwards to stretch my legs and do a longer cooldown.
I've got spare SSD's so going to clone the lappy onto one next weekend (or maybe even tonight if I can find my caddy...), fairly sure it's the HDD being slow as 100% activity nearly the whole time, with hardly any CPU & RAM. Grr!
Finally got a Zwiftpower result last night! Woohoo!
I'd wanted to jump in a CAT B race but laptop was being an arse (25 minutes to boot & start Zwift WTF!) so I missed the start. I jumped in a base CAT C/D race and just spent the whole time trying to keep below 3.2w/kg on the flat (the cutoff to get disqualified). Classified as 11th with an overall average of 3w/kg I'm happy with as so many of the riders around me got disqualified.
Did another few efforts afterwards to stretch my legs and do a longer cooldown.
I've got spare SSD's so going to clone the lappy onto one next weekend (or maybe even tonight if I can find my caddy...), fairly sure it's the HDD being slow as 100% activity nearly the whole time, with hardly any CPU & RAM. Grr!
for the money the Tacx Vortex is good value - circa £300 - does everything pretty well can't fault mine.
Tacx Vortex Smart is probably the go to budget-ish smart trainer.
Training App wise will depend on how you're motivated. Sufferfest videos are excellent but their app needs to mature a lot. Trainer Road is probably the most complete training solution, and Zwift is better if you need the social motivation side of it as far as I can tell. It's the only one of the big three I haven't used.
Same here, love my Vortex Smart!
The 'Flow Smart' was available from Halfords & Decathlon for around £200 (or less). At that price there's no point getting a non-smart trainer!
Only thing I'll change my Vortex for would be a KICKR... Refirbs you say Benny... Hmmmm!
Might have a few beers tonight and see if that turns up next week...
Not sure how the Flux stacks up against the KickR, not something I've read up on. I think it's accuracy isn't quite as precise (if that matters) regardless it'd be consistency that matters. No idea if it's still around £600 either which would put it at a similar price point, new. Though from my vague understanding of the KickR the second gen has some sought after revisions but credit still due for the gen 1.
As winter comes around (boo-hiss) this year I'll upgrade my Vortex Smart to something with a better inertia, whether that's still a KickR or not I don't know
Edit: Flux
(Had a good experience with RoseBikes this week)
As winter comes around (boo-hiss) this year I'll upgrade my Vortex Smart to something with a better inertia, whether that's still a KickR or not I don't know
Edit: Flux
(Had a good experience with RoseBikes this week
)God damn that was fast!!!!
First proper Zwift race.
https://www.strava.com/activities/891448519
Kiss Europe Cat C. Entered Cat C as I've not raced before on Zwift my last FTP was 243W and I'm 88kg so puts me in that Category. 75 riders and god damn it was all guns blazing from the off. 300W plus for the first 5/6 minutes. End of the first lap it was a group of about 20 or so and pretty much stayed like this till the end. I had a dig off the front with about 2 miles to go but knew I didn't have enough to stay away. Anyway, came down to a large sprint and one guy took off with about 500m to go, I knew I did 600W yesterday for 30 seconds in training so I took off after him and think I held on to 2nd place at the line. Hard to tell but I'm pretty sure no-one got away out front.
Anyway - my average w/kg will be over the category limits I suspect but so will most of the front group as it was 250W-350W most of the way round the 3 laps. Will see what the official results say but will probably get DQ'd but I think most of the front group would do!
At the end according to Zwift/Tacx Vortex my FTP should be updated from 243W to 298W!!!!
Not sure about that but the 243W was set using zwift so I guess it's increase somewhat!!
First proper Zwift race.
https://www.strava.com/activities/891448519
Kiss Europe Cat C. Entered Cat C as I've not raced before on Zwift my last FTP was 243W and I'm 88kg so puts me in that Category. 75 riders and god damn it was all guns blazing from the off. 300W plus for the first 5/6 minutes. End of the first lap it was a group of about 20 or so and pretty much stayed like this till the end. I had a dig off the front with about 2 miles to go but knew I didn't have enough to stay away. Anyway, came down to a large sprint and one guy took off with about 500m to go, I knew I did 600W yesterday for 30 seconds in training so I took off after him and think I held on to 2nd place at the line. Hard to tell but I'm pretty sure no-one got away out front.
Anyway - my average w/kg will be over the category limits I suspect but so will most of the front group as it was 250W-350W most of the way round the 3 laps. Will see what the official results say but will probably get DQ'd but I think most of the front group would do!
At the end according to Zwift/Tacx Vortex my FTP should be updated from 243W to 298W!!!!
Not sure about that but the 243W was set using zwift so I guess it's increase somewhat!!