A coach's thoughtful ponderings about trainer usage
#1
Rubber side down
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Teh Quickie Mart
Posts: 1,769
Bikes: are fun! :-)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 225 Times
in
105 Posts
A coach's thoughtful ponderings about trainer usage
I read this short article about the effective usage of trainers and liked it well enough to post it. Here ya go:
LINK
LINK
Last edited by Clipped_in; 12-19-19 at 11:51 AM.
Likes For Clipped_in:
Likes For smashndash:
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: VA
Posts: 1,437
Bikes: SuperSix Evo | Revolt
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 733 Post(s)
Liked 815 Times
in
414 Posts
Did my first SST workout yesterday in the cycle gym that I have access to (Stages cycles w/powermeters). Gonna do that 3 times a week, while still getting outside as much as possible. Should make for a good balance and hopefully build some speed/strength over the winter.
#5
Perceptual Dullard
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,410
Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 914 Post(s)
Liked 1,131 Times
in
487 Posts
I read this short article about the effective usage of trainers and liked it well enough to post it. Here ya go:
Link
Link
Likes For RChung:
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times
in
1,417 Posts
Very reasonable. Shockingly so. And it makes feel better about not shelling out big bucks for a smart trainer if I was just going to have to put it on a dumb setting anyway.
Last edited by caloso; 12-17-19 at 12:52 PM.
Likes For caloso:
#7
working on my sandal tan
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: CID
Posts: 22,627
Bikes: 1991 Bianchi Eros, 1964 Armstrong, 1988 Diamondback Ascent, 1988 Bianchi Premio, 1987 Bianchi Sport SX, 1980s Raleigh mixte (hers), All-City Space Horse (hers)
Mentioned: 98 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3870 Post(s)
Liked 2,563 Times
in
1,577 Posts
I read this short article about the effective usage of trainers and liked it well enough to post it. Here ya go:
Link
Link
Good article, though, thanks for sharing it.
Likes For ThermionicScott:
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times
in
1,417 Posts
#10
Senior Member
Likes For zacster:
#11
just another gosling
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 19,527
Bikes: CoMo Speedster 2003, Trek 5200, CAAD 9, Fred 2004
Mentioned: 115 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3885 Post(s)
Liked 1,938 Times
in
1,383 Posts
My wife was just given an old CompuTrainer and she loves it. Finally, she can ride with power, whoo whoo. However it's not connected to any device, so she can't record TSS, too bad, but oh well, she still records hrTSS. She only uses it in erg mode. It has made a difference for her, being able to dial in just the right power for steady-state or intervals. Very useful. She keeps it spinning at around 90 cadence and 16 mph and just hits the buttons for resistance. So simple. I admit to giving her workouts based on her FTP measured on the trainer. She likes that, so it's all good.
Rather than virtual training, we get outside on the tandem year-round and do some damage..
Rather than virtual training, we get outside on the tandem year-round and do some damage..
__________________
Results matter
Results matter
Last edited by Carbonfiberboy; 12-17-19 at 07:29 PM.
#13
just another gosling
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 19,527
Bikes: CoMo Speedster 2003, Trek 5200, CAAD 9, Fred 2004
Mentioned: 115 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3885 Post(s)
Liked 1,938 Times
in
1,383 Posts
Yeah, I just use my resistance rollers for all inside riding. I gotta say that they've more useful to me now that I have a Powertap hub on my single. There's enough resistance that I can do anything I want on them. Don't need an erg mode to hold the power steady, nope. I'm only bored during cool-down. I do have to pay attention, which is good. A friend once walked in during a roller session. I looked up, said Hi, and was on the floor. Just got little pedal cut on my calf.
__________________
Results matter
Results matter
#14
RacingBear
I disagree on erg mode. Unless you are basically going to failure you are not going to go in to "death spiral". It helps to keep you in right zone. Personally I like erg mode. I think it makes me do work outs more consistently and higher quality.
Also you can drive zwift or whatever with your PM, and not trainer PM. So you get same numbers inside or outside. That being said it helps if your PM supports bluetooth. ANT+ is kind of finicky. Specially for short intervals. Although it could be just my environment is super noisy.
Also you can drive zwift or whatever with your PM, and not trainer PM. So you get same numbers inside or outside. That being said it helps if your PM supports bluetooth. ANT+ is kind of finicky. Specially for short intervals. Although it could be just my environment is super noisy.
Likes For UmneyDurak:
#15
Senior Member
I'm an ERG mode junky and have used it to good effect for about 3 years. It keeps me honest, and with an 8 speed road bike the thing I hated about training previously was how tough it was to dial in a good power/cadence combo. With ERG I can just keep a steady cadence and my Hammer keeps me on power. It's not without its downside though, I think mentally it's tougher for me to do any steady intervals outside on more rolling terrain because of the mental focus it takes to stay in the zone and shifting. But that might just be a me problem, since it was tough before I got the smart trainer!
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Music City, USA
Posts: 4,444
Bikes: bikes
Mentioned: 52 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2622 Post(s)
Liked 1,429 Times
in
711 Posts
I hate erg mode as it "feels" really unnatural, but I like resistance mode or simply climbing up one of the mountains. It feels easier to self-select a good cadence than in erg mode, which always feels like it's trying to get me to slow cadence down.
#18
Senior Member
I go back and forth between structured workouts in ERG mode and free form riding. There's a place for both.
#19
• —
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Land of Pleasant Living
Posts: 12,215
Bikes: Shmikes
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10148 Post(s)
Liked 5,841 Times
in
3,145 Posts
I like erg for a couple of canned workouts a week. It allows me to ignore power and concentrate on cadence and I think it’s good for working on those parts of the power-cadence-duration space that I might otherwise tend to avoid because they’re uncomfortable.
#20
Uber Goober
One issue I never see addressed in these kind of articles is motivation. You can get a wonderful workout in all kinds of ways, but if it doesn't incorporate some degree of fun, you're a lot less likely to continue it. I know some people who just love going to a gym and doing a spin class, but that's got very little appeal to me, and if that kind of thing was what cycling was all about, i'd find a different hobby.
__________________
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
Likes For StephenH:
#22
Newbie racer
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 3,406
Bikes: Propel, red is faster
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1575 Post(s)
Liked 1,569 Times
in
974 Posts
One issue I never see addressed in these kind of articles is motivation. You can get a wonderful workout in all kinds of ways, but if it doesn't incorporate some degree of fun, you're a lot less likely to continue it. I know some people who just love going to a gym and doing a spin class, but that's got very little appeal to me, and if that kind of thing was what cycling was all about, i'd find a different hobby.
There have been a few confusing and sad forum topics about that over there.
I get living crap places or being afraid, but take up another hobby if you’re cutting the off all the good parts. Be happier.
Likes For burnthesheep:
#23
Uber Goober
I will direct your attention to the Slowtwitch triathlon forums. Where people only train indoors period, then go do one outdoors race per year. Some even run indoors all year. Zero outdoors. Some of them not even with the visual stimulation of Zwift.
There have been a few confusing and sad forum topics about that over there.
I get living crap places or being afraid, but take up another hobby if you’re cutting the off all the good parts. Be happier.
There have been a few confusing and sad forum topics about that over there.
I get living crap places or being afraid, but take up another hobby if you’re cutting the off all the good parts. Be happier.
__________________
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
Likes For StephenH: