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Stopped my excuses and got that indoor trainer

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Stopped my excuses and got that indoor trainer

Old 02-19-20, 11:56 AM
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cisbrane
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Stopped my excuses and got that indoor trainer

At the start of 2020 I looked back at Strava and was sad to see how little I rode. Excuses after excuses - too cold or too hot (100F+), too dark out, too early, no time, etc... I managed to maybe ride once a week.

So in January I spent the money on a Kickr Core trainer + Zwift subscription, and it has made an immediate difference in my life. Gone are the excuses above and my cycling fitness is coming back, and I'm overall more happy. I love finding group rides (low D category only) on Zwift as it really helps with my motivation. Now blazing Texas Hell Summers won't stop me from riding if I don't get a chance to start by 7am. Really like some of the Zwift communities, and there are Clydes on Zwift!

This may be obvious, but I highly recommended getting an indoor smart direct drive trainer if you find that you can't get enough time outdoors -- even during the Summer months. I dreaded my old wheel-on indoor trainer. I had Zwift, but the wheel on trainer ate my tires so it was such a pain to swap between trainer and outdoor tires all the time (my rims have super tight clearance; I have broken levers...). Going to a smart direct drive is a game changer, and now that many trainers are now so silent, it's a good time to get one/upgrade.

Excited to see where 2020 goes!


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Old 02-19-20, 12:59 PM
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HeyItsSara
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that's very nice! I take indoor spin classes - 3 times a week for about 9 years now. I have pages of stats!!!
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Old 02-19-20, 01:51 PM
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@cisbrane Great job! I use Zwift and my KICKR currently for training. When not feasible to ride outside (time constraints....or whatever) I am using TrainingPeaks and custom workouts I created by modeling some workouts from whatsonzwift.com and scheduling them. It has worked fabulously in keeping me on task. Additionally I use a 2nd TV to watch Directv, Netflix, Hulu etc while I run Zwift on other TV thru Apple TV. I usually do structured workouts in ERG.
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Old 02-19-20, 03:35 PM
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@cisbrane CONGRATS! I'm having a serious lack of motivation at present. Maybe it's just winter. But I do have a lot of personal life issues kicking me in the head right now too.

Last year I just chugged along on a dumb trainer and watched videos. For this winter I replaced my old mag trainer with a used Kurt Kinetic fluid trainer, and added their iNride sensor for power output. I call it my "Half Smart" trainer, since it doesn't adjust the resistance on hills. I'm all in for less than $150. And I see the value in a full wheel off smart trainer. Maybe by next winter.

Motivation is a tough one to kick. On the other side of that, I did add two more project bikes. One I will leave at my son's house and bring bike the bike I left there for his use. He doesn't. But I like to ride with the Grand Kids no matter the weather. So having a bike there is a plus.
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Old 02-19-20, 04:03 PM
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cisbrane
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Originally Posted by Beachgrad05
@cisbrane Great job! I use Zwift and my KICKR currently for training. When not feasible to ride outside (time constraints....or whatever) I am using TrainingPeaks and custom workouts I created by modeling some workouts from whatsonzwift.com and scheduling them. It has worked fabulously in keeping me on task. Additionally I use a 2nd TV to watch Directv, Netflix, Hulu etc while I run Zwift on other TV thru Apple TV. I usually do structured workouts in ERG.
Yeah, I think next up for me is schedule some training. I just did Tour de Zwift which had 7 stages and really motivated me. However, now that it's over, I'm not sure what to do but just randomly ride around. Still enjoy that - but having a planned workout is a good idea. I have been toying with getting TrainerRoad (not peaks) and then running TrainerRoad and Zwift simultaneously. Gotta get those sweat drops for upgrades!!
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Old 02-19-20, 04:52 PM
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My local cycling club (an unofficial group), have joined a few rides and races in Zwift, even using a Discord server so we can chat with each other. And THAT is a game changer in a lot of ways. You can't "see" your team/club mates, but you talk with them, encourage, razz, tease...

I had a big month in December, Tour of London, and last month kind of fizzled. Only 1 real ride this month, a couple half hearted rides...
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Old 02-20-20, 08:43 AM
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Originally Posted by zjrog
[ I'm having a serious lack of motivation at present. Maybe it's just winter. But I do have a lot of personal life issues kicking me in the head right now too.

Motivation is a tough one to kick.
.

That makes things tough for sure --- im experiencing this as well
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Old 02-20-20, 09:42 AM
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Originally Posted by DMC707
That makes things tough for sure --- im experiencing this as well
Having a tougher time lately managing certain issues. Still doing better than I could be, but it saps all my strength and energies. Dealing with a near invalid spouse is not easy, especially while still full time employed.

I hope you find your way through your troubles Brother...
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Old 02-27-20, 04:20 PM
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Originally Posted by HeyItsSara
that's very nice! I take indoor spin classes - 3 times a week for about 9 years now. I have pages of stats!!!
I get no data from my spin classes. Very discouraging. All it says is i rode for an hou and went 0 miles. Messes up all my numbers on Strava.
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Old 02-29-20, 11:13 AM
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Originally Posted by cisbrane
At the start of 2020 I looked back at Strava and was sad to see how little I rode. Excuses after excuses - too cold or too hot (100F+), too dark out, too early, no time, etc... I managed to maybe ride once a week.

So in January I spent the money on a Kickr Core trainer + Zwift subscription, and it has made an immediate difference in my life. Gone are the excuses above and my cycling fitness is coming back, and I'm overall more happy. I love finding group rides (low D category only) on Zwift as it really helps with my motivation. Now blazing Texas Hell Summers won't stop me from riding if I don't get a chance to start by 7am. Really like some of the Zwift communities, and there are Clydes on Zwift!

This may be obvious, but I highly recommended getting an indoor smart direct drive trainer if you find that you can't get enough time outdoors -- even during the Summer months. I dreaded my old wheel-on indoor trainer. I had Zwift, but the wheel on trainer ate my tires so it was such a pain to swap between trainer and outdoor tires all the time (my rims have super tight clearance; I have broken levers...). Going to a smart direct drive is a game changer, and now that many trainers are now so silent, it's a good time to get one/upgrade.

Excited to see where 2020 goes!


I am too heavy for wheel off trainers so I went with a good wheel on smart trainer with a spare wheel and trainer tire. I just swap out wheels and am ready to ride. I just have to buy a duplicate cassette for the spare wheel so I am riding apples to apples, and not apples to oranges.
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Old 03-07-20, 03:52 PM
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Found one in budget. Ordering today. I've missed my bike.
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