Training & Nutrition - Do any of you do the BULK of your winter training indoors?

With winter and darkness coming around, it's tough to find daylight hours to get in a good hard and long bike ride.

Do any of you do the bulk of your winter bike training indoors on trainers/rollers? I know a lot of runners who do, but I was wondering if the monotony of the bike trainer (more time required) makes it impossible.

If you do, please post on how much you rode indoors, as well as the effect on your performance once you got back outside.

i plan on doing this, but i don't really have a life. I want to spend at least 2 hours a day on the trainer/rollers. Use the rollers on my resting days and focus on spins and endurance and then use the trainer to build up some strength.


I would love to ride outdoors but i can't find anyone to ride with in the winter!!!

I do about 50% indoors. I'll try to get outside and ride as often as I can. Of course, I am stationed on a submarined and didn't figure that time in the 50% of my riding.

-Barry-

With winter and darkness coming around, it's tough to find daylight hours to get in a good hard and long bike ride.

Do any of you do the bulk of your winter bike training indoors on trainers/rollers?

I have rollers, but seldom use them. I get totally bored riding rollers for much time at all. Instead, I've put lights on my bike and ride in the mornings before work. I ride 15 to 20 miles each morning. It was 31 degF this morning, but with enough layers, it's easy enough to stay warm for at least an hour. Fortunately, I don't have to deal with icy roads like some folks up north.

I only hit the trainer once/ twice a week in the winter if I can't get enough riding in.

Other than that, I ride my MTB in the woods after /before work during the week once or twice and hit the road on the weekend for a 3 hour ride saturday, and then MTB/run on sunday or vice versa depending on the weather.

Once we get enough ice and snow, I will hit the trainer twice a week and weights twice a week and then run the other mornings/evenings

With winter and darkness coming around, it's tough to find daylight hours to get in a good hard and long bike ride.

Do any of you do the bulk of your winter bike training indoors on trainers/rollers? I know a lot of runners who do, but I was wondering if the monotony of the bike trainer (more time required) makes it impossible.

If you do, please post on how much you rode indoors, as well as the effect on your performance once you got back outside.

I don't know anyone else's aspirations with riding, but let me give you a prospective cat2's thoughts.

I started "training" and racing last year with 3-6hrs/wk on the trainer during winter. I did a little collegiate C races and had minor success in the April months. I picked up my training when it got warm outside. I slowly ramped it up to 6-8hrs/wk outside during the spring months with mostly outdoor rides, which was enough to put me into cat4 packfill. In summer I put in a lot of 9-10hr weeks and won my first cat4 race at the end of this season. I now know what it takes to be a strong rider.

I started training for next season 1.5 weeks ago. My first week I put in 2hrs on the trainer, 5hrs outside with a total TSS of 400. This week I'm a little sick (sore throat, headache, runny nose), but hope to put in 6hrs on the trainer and get 450TSS. I will, hopefully, ramp this up to 7-800TSS/wk (8-10hrs/wk) and hold it there until it's nice enough to ride outdoors.

Is it impossible to do your training all winter on the trainer? No. But, truthfully, it's only the 2nd week and I already want to kill myself. It will get easier as routine sets in, but it will definitely never become easy.

I do the bulk of my winter training indoors ... from about now (beginning of November) to around the end of March. I've been doing this for YEARS! I usually try to ride my trainer about an hour or so a day, 5 days a week ... sometimes longer on the weekends.

Of course, I do supplement this with weightlifting, yoga, outdoor winter activities, and outdoor cycling.

I'll be setting up my trainer this weekend, I think.

What effect did it have on my performance come spring? Well ... it's a lot easier to ride in the spring when I've been faithful with my trainer cycling throughout the winter!

Being new to this, I am saying yes. I will do most of my winter taining indoors. I am riding the trainer about 3 days a week with targeted training (hill intervals, climbing, TT tests, sprint intervals & recovery rides). Typical indoor ride so far is anywhere from 40 mins to 1.5 hrs. I am still trying to get out for longer rides on Saturdays, but at some point the weather will break enough where I'll probably move that inside as well. I'm looking forward to my first 3 hour trainer ride :cry:

Living in Calgary, I was forced to spend a lot of time on rollers and in the gym with freeweights. On the other hand, I'm now stationed in Vancouver, and if I get onto a free day, I will be outside, because I can. I think it all depends on your location, and how willing you are to ride in rough weather.