The Indoor Riding/ Zwift/ TrainerRoad etc. Thread

Caporegime
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Eugh. Yeah lol.

On another note, how many people continue turboing through summer? It's the first year I'm considering it, and I feel like its more because I'm rehabilitating my knee that I want to keep going, but I've made noticeable power gains since coming back and power/speed work just seems much easier on the turbo. Never thought I'd be considering it in summer though!

It's got me back to looking at power meters as well, given that the info I get out of TR seems wildly inaccurate at times. Doubt I'll ever get permission for that though.
 
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Soldato
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I've got it setup and still use the turbo if I'm short of time for a quick 30 blast etc - Will keep it there as it's behind my work desk so always reminding me that I could jump on it!
 
Soldato
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On another note, how many people continue turboing through summer? It's the first year I'm considering it, and I feel like its more because I'm rehabilitating my knee that I want to keep going, but I've made noticeable power gains since coming back and power/speed work just seems much easier on the turbo. Never thought I'd be considering it in summer though!

It's got me back to looking at power meters as well, given that the info I get out of TR seems wildly inaccurate at times. Doubt I'll ever get permission for that though.

Last year I didn't in favour of enjoying the outdoors and also my garage turns in to a sauna 25+ degrees as the sunlight beats down on the metal door all day :eek: So unless it was raining or cool enough I was outside. Changes in weather too tend dictated my training days as well as I'd rather be outside though don't find indoor training monotonous at all.

My focus during the last half of 2016 was primary cycling, no longer lifting, and until the recent turn in the weather have been on the turbo 4-5 times a week setting myself up for a strong start to 2017 :cool:

Ride quality, rather training benefit, will suffer in some regard outdoors due to undulation in grade, change in road surface and other unavoidable hazards interrupting any intervals. But you can mitgate this by not coasting and endeavouring to keep your power output continuous and gauge this by HR zone if you don't have a PM.

I won't be following a plan religiously but will continue to periodise my volume, work on any weak areas and structure outdoors rides & route profiles to replicate an indoor session/workout as much as possible. So climbing/riding at the same power as an interval on the trainer with similar recoveries. Fortunately I have a PM so know this with certainty. I will probably get a few AM sessions in before work during the peak summer months when it's cooler.

If you do train with Power outdoors you'll notice that it can take quite a bit of work to achieve a similar average or notional power outdoors as it does on the turbo.
 
Man of Honour
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Even when I was training on the turbo more I found it very hard to stick to it when the weather outside was nice. It's just so much more pleasant to get out and about. That said, in terms of training benefit the turbo will almost certainly give you better bang for buck purely because it's easier to be strict/more focused. If that matters to you more than just going out and riding randomly (which is fine if it does) then the turbo is a better choice in many ways.
 
Caporegime
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I don't think I'm so distracted by the outdoors now that I'm no longer in the Alpes :'(.

I think I'll aim to still do one session a week, and make it something tough.
 
Soldato
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Doing something structured outdoors gets the best of both. Hill-repeats and then riding with decent pace, not freewheeling and keeping your HR up.

If you know your local area well you'll know the length & grades of the climbs and can guesstimate your times & rough effort/power levels required to get up them. So if a TR workout was 5 x 6 minute effort at Sweetspot find a suitable seated climb(s) and ride up it/them with a little in reserve and recovering on the descent, use the to & from trip as a warm up/warm down :cool:
 
Soldato
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Eugh. Yeah lol.

On another note, how many people continue turboing through summer? It's the first year I'm considering it, and I feel like its more because I'm rehabilitating my knee that I want to keep going, but I've made noticeable power gains since coming back and power/speed work just seems much easier on the turbo. Never thought I'd be considering it in summer though!

It's got me back to looking at power meters as well, given that the info I get out of TR seems wildly inaccurate at times. Doubt I'll ever get permission for that though.

I'll probably turbo year round as its more time efficient and I like being reasonably fit.

Did 45 minutes tonight rather than sitting on the couch watching bad TV I'm not interested in.

I'm also a little afraid of being hit by a car after doing full gas efforts.

I used to do hill reps one day a week in Australia, 3x10 or 5x5 or 5x7 with my training buddy or solo, used to feel a bit feint at the end of them but went to work feeling awesome and it makes a massive difference.
 
Caporegime
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The nearest hill worth repeating to me is roughly 1hr20 away. Guess I should get my act together :p.

How to hide the cost of a power meter from the revenue protection officer..
 
Soldato
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@BennyC I think you said you were hovering over a new trainer with the 12% discount. It's been upped to 17% until the 20th. FYI

It arrived yesterday morning :p +3% Quidco = £200 off a KickR. Hopefully what I'll fetch for the Vortex :)

(Ta for the prompt though! Must stop hemorrhaging money...)

Not used it yet as it was far too nice to sit inside yesterday and then raced today. Might give it a whirl tomorrow or later in the week ;)

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Soldato
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25 Sep 2006
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How are you finding the new trainer?
If you've ever set it up in this weather!

Good thanks, was off work yesterday so did 30 mins easy 'recovery' spinning and also to test new shoes as well. Great to be able to control it from the Elemnt and not have to use a phone or tablet App.

Bit fatigued so spun tonight but nothing exciting but is refreshing, if you can call it that, to be at the mercy of ERG mode again. Weighs a ton too and to precious to leave in the garage so I guess lugging it's 25kg+ mass back and forth makes up for not doing any real lifting these days :D

Unsurprisingly found it to be within 1% or so of my P1's but will do a proper comparison at some point. Spindown takes silly time :o :)
 
Soldato
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Triathlon relay in May, so I've taken to jumping off the turbo before the warm down (of Sufferfest videos) and running round the back lawn a bit to simulate heading into transition. Thankfully we're not overlooked, so the neighbours won't be wondering WTF I'm up to!
 
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