How do you train on your trainer?

[RunYun]

I thought it would be interesting to here other people’s winter training routines. I've been back on the bike since December 1st and continue to push myself, but like most indoor training boredom is the enemy. Here is my current routine:

* Sunday 2-3 hr ride steady endurance with ever increasing resistance.

* Monday 1 hr cardio intervals. Currently 5 min / 5 min off.

***Tuesday Rest***

* Wednesday 1 hr strength intervals. 2 min / 2 min off. Up to max mag setting and tough gears.

***Thursday Rest***

* Friday 1 hr steady with various intervals thrown in.

* Saturday 2-3 hr ride steady endurance with ever increasing resistance.

I have managed to go from 235 lbs. to 215 since December and am working to get back to my racing weight of 170 lbs. As the months progress the times and resistence settings tend to increase for each of my workout days. Three hours is about the max I can go on the trainer without going nuts. Music keeps me motivated, but you all know how it can be.

What types of routines are the rest of you using?????????????
:D

[Dutchy]

I am impressed that anyone can spend more than an hour on a trainer! I only use mine for recovery rides as there are no flat roads here and even then I am off the thing in 30mins. I sometimes use it when it is very windy but I try to avoid it, usually not riding at all. If the weather is really wet, I will ride my FS MTB for a change of pace and scenery.

I am seriously impressed.

CHEERS.

Mark

[Maelstrom]

My jaw dropped. I can't do more than an hour before falling asleep. Kudos to you :) I don't use a routine as I don't plan to compete. I workout and I ride periodically. Until I can make it outside for more rides on the mountain my biking is 3 hours a week.

[ParamountScapin]

Wow! Talk about hardcore. Have you tried the VHS tapes? There are quite a number of them out there that lead you through different riding routines for training. And help break the boredom by providing a moving visual picture. But 3 hours? Man, you are very dedicated.

[juciluci]

wow... you really are dedicated and you have done so well :beer:
one hour on the trainer and i start to fall asleep.. outdoors i can ride my bike til i fall off hours n hours later.. and still feel refreshed.. on the trainer all i want to do is doze off..
i am not much of a tv/video person.. guess i better get that mp3 player i got for my birthday going and give it a try.. up til now i have just tuned the tv to"the edge" or "mmm" for music.

i am still astounded.

[mrfix]

Wow, you are one dedicated cyclist. I try to imulate routes that I normally ride when riding outside, I increase resistance to simulate climbing and decrease to simulate level ground or slight inclines, I ride to a timer, 4 hard, 2 easy, 5 hard, 4 easy and so on and so on. my rides go from 1 to 3 hours or 15 to 40 miles. I have a cyclops fluid 2+, it's pretty close to real road feel but there are no down hill sections.

[roadbuzz]

This is my first year using a trainer... here's what I've been doing since ~Jan 1 (prior to that it was all base... very boring).

MW & sometimes F: 1 hr. recovery... not effortless, but not difficult.
T: Anaerobic intervals @85-93% MHR, cadence between 90-110 rpm. 10 minute warmup, 5 sets, 5' work/5' recovery, 5 minute cooldown after last recovery. During the intervals I alternate sitting and standing... sit 1 minute, stand 1 minute, etc. Next month, I will increase the intensity hopefully to 88-98% MHR.
Th: Leg speed, same as T, but focus is easy gearing, high cadence. During 5 minute intervals, keep cadence above 120, 130 last minute, all out last 10 seconds. (Those are high cadences for me, working towards being able to sustain 150) No standing! ;) Next month I plan to increase resistance, trying to keep cadence high.
Saturday or Sunday (depending on weather cooperation): Outdoor endurance ride at a moderate pace, currently between 60-85 miles.
Other week-end day: ride outdoors if possible, just having fun. If trainer-bound, usually another recovery type ride. :rolleyes:

Etc: Bike commute to work (10 miles round trip) as weather allows, which hasn't been much so far this year.

I don't spend much more than an hour at a time on the trainer. On recovery-type rides I'll read, listen to Evening Edition, or music. Training days I listen to music. FWIW, the time goes pretty quickly when I'm doing the intervals... it's the recovery/base mileage stuff that drives me up the wall.

One cool thing about the trainer, as opposed to the road, is that you can dial your conditions to the work-out requirements. And you can focus on things like pedaling efficiency, etc., that are harder to do on the road.

Comments? Suggestions?

[Maurizio]

My winter training is wicked eratic. I go 'balls-out' when I'm feeling good, and take time off when I'm tired. I can stand up to 3.5 hours (the length of a Tour tape/DVD) on the trainer at a time, but usually climb off at about 2.5 hours which is when chaffing starts to set in pretty badly, and things get unpleasunt besides the pain that's SUPPOSED to be there.

But what is the trainer REALLY good for...?

BREAKING YOUR FRAME OF COURSE! I was spending an hour on the trainer doing a 60 minutes time trial type of effort (I put out a around 310-ish watts depending on how good I'm feelingd during these efforts) and snapped my left chainstay on my scandium Pegoretti towards the end of the effort. The US importer said I was the first person in the country to have to warranty a Pegoretti, so they called Dario Pegoretti in Italy, who said that rather than giving me new frame just the same as the last, he wanted to build me one totally custom just like he does for pros. Not just custom geometry, paint, and my name on the bike, but even custom drawn tubing he's going to get from Dedaccai. I'm so psyched!!!

- Maurizio

[spexy]

I like the spinervals videos. Something about watching the other people suffering helps.

I never thought of watching a TDF video. That makes a lot of sense. You could almost picture yourself there, attack when they attack, get flicked when they...

no.

Anyway, like the others more than an hour on the thing is mind numbing. I start thinking how stupid my legs look going up and down.

[CarbonRacer]

Make sure you train hard and long enough on the trainer during the off-season, that you hate riding your bike by the time the actual season comes around. :thumbup:

[P. B. Walker]

I've been trying to do 1/2 hour on the trainer in the morning before work and then come home and do 1 hour on the trainer. I usually get the 1 hour in... but I seem to only get the 1/2 hour working out about twice a week. I went out and ordered the last 4 Tour de France's on DVD. The 1999 and 2000 are each 3 hours each. I got the long versions of the 2001 and 2002 tours (10 hours each!). I just not got into the 2000 tour. I'm learning some cool history about the tour.

I don't do intervals or anything, just concentrate on keeping an even spin going at about 75% MAX HR. I try to keep my cadence medium high, which is about 85 for me. If I don't think about it and just ride, I invariably spin at about a 78 cadence. So I try to do a bit faster than that. I'd like to do about 90 but can't seem to maintain that for long. I can maintain 85 for a good period of time.

One thing is sure, I want a better trainer. This trainer is left over from last year and I got it on sale last March. It's a Mag 33 from Aireon. Works ok, but it's LOUD. I've been told the CycleOps Fluid2 is one of the best. I'm seriously thinking about picking one of those up tomorrow.

PBW

[Maelstrom]

Originally posted by CarbonRacer
Make sure you train hard and long enough on the trainer during the off-season, that you hate riding your bike by the time the actual season comes around. :thumbup:

Hahahahahahaha...you made me spill my drink :D

[RunYun]

I'm just getting back into it after taking a couple of years off. I'm going balls to the walls till April when I spend a week fly fishing for trout in PA. It's hard to stop when you watch the pounds fall off and feel great. I am hoping to get back into good enough shape to be somewhat competitive. Sometimes I feel like crap and jump off after 15-20 min. Or if my heart is not into it I do not force myself. If you are forcing it you will burn out too quickly.

The tour videos are a great idea. I just need to get setup in the basement so I can watch my tapes from last year. I would hate to take the TV out of the bedroom and miss the Simpson’s at 11pm. LOL

:beer:

[hotrod]

First, the CycleOps Fluid 2 is very smooth and quiet. Simply changing gears allows me to dial in exactly the resistance needed. I try to get 1 hour per week at 90% MHR. Can't say enough good things about it. Second, riding in my basement is b-o-r-i-n-g! I was doing 30-40 minute each morning. Now, I'm riding mon-wed-fri and doing weights tue, thur, sat. I can really tell a diff in my riding strength. But, more than 30-40 minutes on the trainer is a mental hurdle.

[poptart]

My routine this winter:

1. Put bike in trainer.
2. Ride trainer maybe 2X for ~30 minutes each session
3. Decide to instead use bike-in-trainer as a handy "clothes drying rack" for all of my swimwear, running gear and xc-ski clothing....

I'm not planning to race next season, so I'm enjoying my "other sports" this year.

Good job to all of you toughing it out inside this winter! :beer:

[SipperPhoto]

i've been trying to ride about 40-60 minutes 2-3 times a week.. one day is just a med high spin with maybe some minor intervals involved.. nothing too exciting just trying to breaka sweat and get some base miles in.. another day I work through the gears starting with a warmup of about 10-15 minutes.. get off the bike stretch a bit, then work a decent high cadence through the gears starting at an easy gear and working may way all the way thru to the big ring/small cog combo 2 minutes at a time... it really works ya.. then I cool down for about 5-10 minutes... the other day maybe some intervals or just a good spin... it has been hard to get motivated... but until it stays light until about 7:15 or so.. i'm stuck inside on my evil trainer... weekends I get out.. either ride rode, or maybe play around on my MTB.. since I realized where I moved is some of the best off-road trails in Southern California.. all about 5 minutes from my house... that rules... now i just have to decide on a new bike.. road or dirt.. ahh decisions

Jeff

[Phil Cool]

You could always go really over board & create a cycling simulator !

http://users.pandora.be/phil.stone/TurboVids.htm

these videos are also available in a exerscape version

http://www.exerscape.com/

[Sandra]

I ride my trainer no more than 30 minutes a day. Any longer and I get bored.

[RunYun]

Thanks Phil Cool that is an interesting site. That would sure make things more interesting than looking at the concrete walls.

[Seaman0555]

Wow you guys must have much more desire to ride than me i like it side and have a trainer but anything more that an hour just gets old ill wait till it gets warm then make up for the lost time

[nferyn]

One thing I've noticed when riding on my trainer is that the intensity 'feels' harder than on the road.
I can't understand that you're getting bored if you're not doing recovery rides or long endurance rides on the trainer, the effort (or pain) will keep you focussed

Niek