PeteHski

Interesting thread. I use a smart trainer for indoor structured training and outdoor riding for endurance, group rides, mtb etc. Plus target events of course.

They all compliment each other perfectly. My bike handling skills don’t vanish after indoor training sessions. I can often get a higher quality workout from riding indoors. My local terrain lacks long sustained climbs, so I often simulate alpine climbs on the trainer with accurate grade simulation, so power and cadence are both realistic. I lift the front wheel to get the right position too. It works for me when I go back outside and doesn’t feel a whole lot different.

Outdoor winter road riding where I live is too dangerous for my liking. I would rather maintain my fitness indoor with the odd outdoor ride on brighter days. In spring I come out of the box fully fit. I don’t think I could achieve that from exclusively riding outdoors unless I moved to southern Spain.

Andy Somnifac 

Not sure where anyone indicated that handling skills vanish, just that there are plenty of people who have taken up cycling during the pandemic and are Zwift/Peloton warriors that ended up having a very rude awakening once they ventured out onto the road for the first time. I've seen a lot of this around me locally.

rivers

During the early days of the pandemic, myself and my friends did a lot of zwifting, usually together. We were only allowed to ride on our own or with a member of our household outside- so our group riding skills took a massive hit. And we realised it on our first ride out in a group of 6. We just forgot simple things like calling out potholes. So we worked on it- even working with a local coach just to get those skills back.
but Zwift/trainer road/sufferfest/any sort of structured program will get you bike fit, but not necessarily road fit.

PeteHski

It seemed like people were polarising those who train indoors vs those who ride exclusively outside. My experience is that ONLY keen cyclists ever invest in a smart trainer + Zwift setup and most Peloton users are in it more for general fitness than any serious outdoor cycling/racing.

I haven’t seen any of these “Zwift warriors” emerging from the pandemic who can’t ride bikes. Where I live a few people did take up cycling during the pandemic, but it looks like they just dug out their rusty old bikes from the shed and took straight to plodding around the local roads. I’m pretty sure those guys were not smashing it on Zwift races beforehand!

Andy Somnifac 

The only thing I've seen said is that there are things you won't get from indoor training that you will get from group riding. It can't be a stretch to believe that bike handing skills don't develop indoors, nor do group riding skills (also evident in triathletes that only ride alone).

And you can't extrapolate that they aren't out there because you haven't seen them. Trust us, many of us have. And there are still plenty of Zwifters that are still only riding indoors. Strava is full of them. You don't need to invest much to get going on Zwift. You can get a trainer for a few hundred bucks, and you don't need the latest aero carbon bike w/ the latest weight weenie bits. An old steel frame w/ a 20-year-old groupset can get you started.

I've seen a good number of riders who come out to group rides after having been on Zwift for a year and:

1. Be an absolute menace that no one wants to ride anywhere near because they have no concept of how to hold a line.
2. Be absolutely humbled because they think they're super strong because they've been using a (poorly set up) dumb trainer and Zwift's ZPower estimate is GROSSLY overestimating their power. They think they've been doing rides where they're putting out 350w for 2 hours so they go out with a fast group and are immediately spit out the back.

Trust people when they say they have seen a "Zwift Effect" with their own eyes.

PeteHski

Okay, I'll accept that you live somewhere full of dumb asses

AlanO

I’ve always ridden because it’s fun. Pretty sure pedaling in the basement isn’t much fun.

afm199

Great thread!

I've been rehabbing from spinal injury for 18 months. The Doc let me get on my trainer at about a month after surgery. He said stationary only, no free standing rollers, so I rode a resistance trainer for months. At a certain point he said the bone in my spine had healed enough to go ride the road.

All that indoor riding had indeed been to my benefit. I wasn't close to my climbing ability, I needed months to get my wind back, but I was very happy that I could quickly start doing long rides again. I have a schedule that has me working out about 22 days a month, more or less evenly between weights and bikes. If I can't get outside ( weather, heat, or smoke from fires) I ride the resistance trainer and watch videos of motorcycle racing, lol.

Seattle Forrest

Damn kids today!

SoSmellyAir

Yes, but basement probably has better wifi coverage for sending LOL and WUT back and forth, which is all kids nowadays care about.

Andy Somnifac 

It's not the most fun, no. But it gets results when outdoor conditions aren't ideal.

But even if any of us would prefer to ride outside, none of us are in any position to yuck someone else's yum.

rsbob 

Outdoor riding has a purpose and training indoors, especially during bad weather, has a purpose as well. They are not mutually exclusive. If one combines them, the result is better fitness all around. Don’t know why there is such an effort to demonize one when they are both complimentary. Think we have enough polarization without brining it into cycling.

spelger

it is not that much fun like riding outdoors but it sure beats sitting near the window on a rainy/snowy day crying while wishing the weather would cooperate.

Sy Reene

You could go bowling instead.

nomadmax 

Provided you put in the same level of intensity and duration; a wink is as good as nod to a blind mule.

But, I don't like riding in close proximity to riders who spend most of their time indoors, unless they ride rollers.

AlanO

The original question was is it better to ride inside. My answer is still no.

spelger

i don't see how bowling in the rain or snow is any better.

PeteHski

I'm glad someone else has noted this polarised attitude too. I thought it was just me!

SapInMyBlood

There's also group rides that will push you way more than a zwift ride in a way.

There are rides around me that average 37-40+ kph over a 50k course.. That's not racing, that's just a Saturday ride with a rotating pace line

sacr

People talk about getting too hot on an indoor trainer and need a fan. I actually prefer my indoor trainer, rather than going on a ride for the sake of exercise(i dont need to worry about idiots in vehicles taking me out, or other cyclists riding past/spitting their virus into my path) ( I only ride my bike for transport).

But mine is a wind resistance machine, so whatever power i"m developing is powering moving air in the room, most of it being directed on the body, keeping, not quite as effective as keeping one cool as one's bike moving through the air but almost. Why dont more people use these or why did they go out of favour.

Yes, its challenging to change the resistance, one can put fabric over the wind vanes to reduce the resistance, Ive actually removed too vanes from mine so I can maintain a cadence of over 60 for an hour or so, and yes they are noisy.

mattcalifornia

For me, one of the biggest benefits of indoor training is time and efficiency. A lot of days, I am pressed for time, and I can just throw on some bike shorts, fill a couple of bottles and jump on the bike in the garage. I don't need to pump any tires, set up my computer or lights, or muck around with cleaning my sunglasses, packing nutrition, and the rest of the checklist of things it takes to get out the door on my bike. More importantly, I can cram a full workout into 45-60 minutes (even 30 minutes some days) because after a 5 minute warm-up, I can jam full speed with no coasting, no stop signs, no traffic, etc., and I can do it in the dark with no problem. Obviously, outdoor riding is more fun, but a 45-minute indoor ride is better than a 45-minute outdoor ride. Unfortunatley, that's my choice many days.

PeteHski

Makes no difference to me. I can push myself just as hard indoors or outdoors. I hit my all time 90 min average HR on Zwift recently. I would find it hard to keep pushing that relentlessly hard on a typical outdoor ride with “stuff” happening. Indoors you can be fully focused on simply mashing the pedals without any micro-breaks whatsoever. I find the indoor trainer much better for most structured interval training too. But for longer endurance rides I much prefer going outdoors, providing the weather is okay.

rsbob 

It may be my imagination but I have not seen one person who uses an indoor trainer criticizing indoor training. On the other hand, many who don’t use one seem to have Devine knowledge about them. To me it seems like criticizing an aircraft captain for hitting clear air turbulence, when one has never flown a plane. I tend to place my trust in experts and not conjecture by those with no direct experience. But that is just me. Call me crazy.

Guntrainer

Although old, I do not think my goals or needs are different from most folks who love to ride. I want to improve with every ride. I ride hard. I also use a recumbent trainer at the gym. I train harder than I ride. As was said, stop signs, etc.

I would never think that riding exclusively indoors would make me a better rider. Maybe a more dangerous rider.

I use the HIIT option on the trainer. This has helped me with leg strength and cadence. Today, I achieved a maximum cadence of 183 rpm on the trainer, just before and into the High Intensity Interval. Did not stay there long. At the end of the interval, I was grunting out leg presses at 48 rpm. I have worked up to the maximum level on the trainer, which is level 20. I do 3 hours of cardio, six twenty minute sets on the bike trainer, and three twenty minute sets on a rowing machine. Also, lifting and a total body workout for around three hours. It has rained a lot and had temps over 95 this season, so twice a week at the gym has worked for me.

What has this done for my cycling?

I ride the Natchez Trace, the first fifty miles or so, arguably the hilliest part. My last ride got me to a little over 47 mph on a flat. Things felt good, and I stretched it out. The hills felt good. A one kilometer pull on a good hill going out and a worthy two kilometer pull coming back were easier than usual. I typically ride an 85 mile loop.

With this said, I have a Cat 700 tadpole trike. Don't look down your nose at this machine. When I bought it, it was the fastest production trike. Period. It took about 18 months to get the speed on hills about where it was on a diamond frame.

Folks are right about upper body strength, especially on a 'bent. That is what a gym is for. Balance in attaining your desired fitness is the key. One cannot be a beast on the road if they only train indoors. OTOH, hitting it hard in the gym and oudoors can make you a better beast on the road.

sterlingsam

Spinning (via Soul Cycle, Peloton, Wahoo, Zwift, etc.) and bicycling on the road both use some of the same muscles, but spinning does use more of the hamstrings. This is because of the flywheel, which is typically 14-18kg. Cycling, however, uses a lot more of the body muscles, esp. lower body. Abs, forearms, hamstrings, gluts, shins, calves, and quads. The thighs, in particular, are worked harder cycling. Unless you are pedaling pretty much all the time while cycling, you will achieve better cardiovascular fitness with spinning. Unless you are spinning for hours and hours, however, there is no comparison between the calories burned. Cycling will burn many more calories than spinning, fighting the headwind, avoiding potholes, debris, cars, dogs on leashes, etc., taking on hilly terrain, high mileage. If you have limited time to cycle, as I do, I might suggest riding a heavier bike. I thought I was a pretty good cyclist, until I went to Denmark, rented a bike comparable to what everyone else was riding. In that situation, other than the under 10 year olds, most Danes can blow you away, while holding their cell phone in one hand, a warm beverage in the other! This is because they start riding very early, and they ride in dry weather, the rain, the snow, every condition. Americans, as a whole, tend to ride only in dry weather. That is the difference which accounts for Danes being much strong bicyclists than Americans and their average BMI is reflective of that. Spinning, of course, will not help you develop any outdoor cycling skills, climbing those hills, descending, riding with the wind behind you, riding with the wind in your face, etc. Spinning, however, is a form of exercise where you can literally close your eyes while doing it. That is, there are no hazards, such as cars, and careless drivers opening their doors on you without looking back, potholes, to look out for. This accounts for the majority of spinning riders being women, and majority of outdoor cyclists being men. Easily 80% of spinning riders are women while more than three-quarters of outdoor cyclists are men. Largely a safety concern, but also sexual harassment, clothing, time, etc.