General Cycling Discussion - Do trainer miles count?

I want to know what people’s opinions are regarding trainers and the "miles" they log on them. Do trainer miles count in someone’s annual mileage tally?

CHEERS.

Mark

I think so, your still making the motion

No. No they do not.

if you have a good enough reason for not riding the road... then i say why not

i think that if you have any resistance at all and you keep a decent heart rate and cadence and you're actually sweating... then you can count the miles

it's still not riding, but you're puting miles on your legs

this is a repeated debate...I would LOVE to could trainer miles as real miles. LoL. I'd be running 15mph average alllllll the time

I'd say yes, mileage is mileage reguardless if not your indoor or outdoor. Of course the roadie elites will argue that until the day they die but its still mileage on your bike and body. My road bike hasn't seen daylight in over 6months, yet I still ride it when I can't get the mountain bike out.

I don't simply because my pickup is on the front wheel :). If I were riding on rollers I would probably count them.

Sure, ride your trainer and count those stationary miles while the rest of us slug it out in the dark, the cold, the traffic, the wind, the hills...

And BTW, I've memorized everyone's handle here that said it was OK so I discount any mileage reports they make. :D

I am using a roller, and the front wheels are turning and my computer sensor is registering the miles I am putting on the computer, so I count them as miles I have actually ridden my bike, I can't separate the actualy riding on the road and the time I spend on my roller. Now the answer, yes, I count them as miles rode.

maybe you could count trainer miles as a half. So if you do 4 miles on the trainer when you tell us all how many miles you did say 2 :). Becuase its true, your not forging the river like others.

No matter what anybody says, trainer miles aren't the same as road miles. They're aerobic workout, and technique practice, but I don't consider them real miles and don't count them.

I'm not telling anyone to stop this discussion, but I helped beat this topic to death in this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=71579).

I want to know what people’s opinions are regarding trainers and the "miles" they log on them. Do trainer miles count in someone’s annual mileage tally?

CHEERS.

Mark

I use my HRM to do a conversion to what I call "RMEs", or Road Mile Equivalents. I use data from previous rides to approximate road miles based on my heart rate. I have 4 levels: 60-70%, 70-80%, 80-90%, and 90%+. I equate each heart rate level to a specific mph, and then simply use time as the final part of the equation. Therefore, I can easily compute (I use an electronic spreadsheet) how many RMEs I’ve done given a specific effort on the trainer. This formula can also be applied to mountain bike rides in order to compare apples to apples.

This formula obviously changes a bit as the season progresses, and I get more fit. However, it’s a nice little approximation that allows me to compare differing rides based on effort. Moreover, it's a much more accurate way to count road miles than simply using your bike computer. :)

Do trainer miles count in someone’s annual mileage tally?

No...unless, of course, you ride someplace that's very, very, very flat.

The calories expended, on the other hand, do count. :D

I'm not telling anyone to stop this discussion, but I helped beat this topic to death in this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=71579).

Deja vu

Not counting trainer miles favors those who live in warmer, more rideable climates without a lot of snow, blizzards, ice, etc.

If you will look at BikeJournal.com's top mileage riders, every single one is from a "warmer" climate.

Count what you want for the purpose it serves you.

wasn't this thread already done?

No matter what anybody says, trainer miles aren't the same as road miles. They're aerobic workout, and technique practice, but I don't consider them real miles and don't count them.

Thank you, Sir. I couldn't have said it better myself and your taste in bikes is impeccable. :D

YES! They absolutley count. Whether you're riding 10 miles outside or 10 miles on a trainer or rollers you have still gone the same distance. 10 miles is 10 miles. It is the same amount of physical distance outside in terms of inches, feet &/or miles travelled as it is on a trainer. So don't ever let anyone tell you any differant.

I think they should count double!!! Riding a trainer is so mind numbing, boring, depressing and insane that anyone who can stand to sit there sweat and go no where deserves any number of miles they choose to assign the non-ride.
Greg Ihatetrainersreallybad

Mountain bike miles don't add up as quick as road miles so if we are not going to count miles on the trainer what do we do about that. LOL I count hours trained to stay clear of this debate. I trained for one hour today-guess where.

I think they should count double!!! Riding a trainer is so mind numbing, boring, depressing and insane that anyone who can stand to sit there sweat and go no where deserves any number of miles they choose to assign the non-ride.
Greg Ihatetrainersreallybad Couldn't have said it better myself.

Trainer miles do not count except to help maintain or improve your fitness. ************ is not the equivalent of sex and you don't brag to your buddies about how much you masturbate do you?
If you want to keep track of how long and how hard you ride the trainer (and you should) that's fine, but it is not Cycling. It's not fair that it is cold and snowy in the north, but it's not fair there is no skiing in Florida either. If reporting big mileage in January is so important to you, move south.

Trainer miles do not count except to help maintain or improve your fitness. ************ is not the equivalent of sex and you don't brag to your buddies about how much you masturbate do you?
If you want to keep track of how long and how hard you ride the trainer (and you should) that's fine, but it is not Cycling. It's not fair that it is cold and snowy in the north, but it's not fair there is no skiing in Florida either. If reporting big mileage in January is so important to you, move south. Jeeez did we really have to go there. :D

count them if you want. Its your training

It's not fair that it is cold and snowy in the north, but it's not fair there is no skiing in Florida either.
Heeeey, they DO have skiing in Florida. They do it behind dinosaur-burning boats. :) I guess the other option for northerners would be to actually ride outside. It'd be cold, and the distances less before frostbite set in; but the miles would be real and they'd be quality, too.

Hey, I am 65 and a bit overweight at 210 lbs, and ride a mtn bike with panniers and rack riding hills at 10,000 feet. Compared with a 24 yo skinny 140 lb rider on an 18 lb bike riding flats at sea level, my miles should count DOUBLE! :D

It is all nonsense! You really can't compare "miles."

I would but my computer crapped out mid june last year and
I haven't bothered the replace it.
I don't count my actual road milage, let alone the
countless numbing hours on the rollers.
Marty

Yes and no.
Count. Don't count.
Ride. Don't ride.

It is really up to you. Don't worry about what others think on this subject. I use the trainer and count the miles. I'm not riding outside for long in -47F temperatures. Just ain't happening! I have a bike computer on the trainer bike hooked up to the rear wheel to get an accurate mileage count.

for me, i count time on the trainer rather than miles. i'm going to start counting time on the road too a little more often as well. i feel i get a better workout if i have a certain amount of time to work with. just a mental trick for me though.

I'm confused. Does milage matter for qualifying to get license or something? It's only for personal satisfaction, right? Does it matter what others think?

You can disregard them,you can erase them,you can
ignore them,but your muscles will show them anyway.
in other words
I don't count them...but they'll still count

I'm confused. Does milage matter for qualifying to get license or something? It's only for personal satisfaction, right? Does it matter what others think? After reading this post (and some others) one would think it mattered a lot. Some people don't want to be riding less miles than a biker counting trainer miles, more than likely this is a manhood thing. :rolleyes:

well said, thanks for the words of wisdom

Good question-why do I bike, I ride bike to ride bike!

************ is not the equivalent of sex and you don't brag to your buddies about how much you masturbate do you?

:D :eek: :D :eek: :D :eek:

Trainer miles do not count except to help maintain or improve your fitness. ************ is not the equivalent of sex and you don't brag to your buddies about how much you masturbate do you?
If you want to keep track of how long and how hard you ride the trainer (and you should) that's fine, but it is not Cycling. It's not fair that it is cold and snowy in the north, but it's not fair there is no skiing in Florida either. If reporting big mileage in January is so important to you, move south.

I take it the sex part of this response is spoken from someone who is single. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But while single guys brag to their buddies about their sex lives. Married men don't. Why? Well for one married men only have one sex partner, at least they should. And if it ever got aback to his wife he was bragging about his sex life with her, can you imagine the trouble he'd be in? When a guy gets married he becomes a bit more respectable when talking about his wife to his buddies. And another thing is often times who is buddies are often changes too. A guy usually goes from having a lot of single friends to not so many, but then he has a lot more married friends then he used to. Why? Well no one actually knows, it just sort of happens.

And finally you can easily have a skiing season in Florida. Northern Florida does get cold enough & it is easy to produce snow with machines as long as you can find a large enough hill. It is, for the time being, impossible to produce enough heat to have a year round cycling season in the mid-west United States or anywhere else the temp. drops below 50 degrees & often snows for 3 months or so out of the year. Notice I didn't say it is impossible to produce enough sunshine or light. Because that is possible, it is the warm temps. & no snow that are hard to come by.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Yes I realise this has been done before, but then what hasn't? I am starting to believe that trainer miles DO count. The reason is this. Imagine you are rolling down a huge decent for 15miles, not pedalling, just rolling down in a tuck position. How far have you ridden? In reality you haven't ridden anywhere, gravity has done it all for you. Whereas if you did 15miles on the trainer, you have actually done a lot more work. Just more coal for the fire :D

CHEERS.

Mark

I do not count trainer or stationary miles into my base miles. I do record them separatly however but not towards my road milage goals. At the end of the year I always only end up with a few hundred indoor miles as compared to the thousands of road miles. I also do not count MTB miles on the local single track into base miles. Anyway that is just me.

I absolutly hate a trainer and stationary. The only reason is to maintain some kind of fitness level until spring breaks. That hate keeps me hitting the road as often as I can. I will ride in pretty bad weather any where above 20F as long as it is not snow, hail and pooring rain.

I guess for bicycle maintenance purposes I would want to keep the approx trainer mileage tucked away somewhere. 5000 road miles + 1000 trainer miles = more than 5000 miles on your chain and driveline. Maybe not 6000 depending on your training habits on the trainer but it's more than 5000 miles nonetheless.

Why not count them. I agree with a lot of posts that state miles are miles. I actually find the trainer harder in some cases, because you are peddling (all the time) vs. outside on the bike when you have glide time. The difference in my opinion between the trainer and outside is the diversity in cycling conditions (hills, et al). I do think it is harder to cycle outside, but I also think trainer miles count!

It is, for the time being, impossible to produce enough heat to have a year round cycling season in the mid-west United States or anywhere else the temp. drops below 50 degrees & often snows for 3 months or so out of the year. Notice I didn't say it is impossible to produce enough sunshine or light. Because that is possible, it is the warm temps. & no snow that are hard to come by.

A What is a "cycling season?"
B If there is one, and it ended, how have I been getting to work this winter?
C What is the problem with snow?
D Above 50 F, isn't it a bit warm for cycling?

Paul

D Above 50 F, isn't it a bit warm for cycling?
Paul

Yes. I'm definitely much more comfortable below 60. Yesterday was an unseasonably "balmy" 40, and I did 25 miles in shorts and a tshirt and gloves. I felt totally comfortable, and as a plus, wasn't drenched with sweat when I got home.

I wimp out below 20F, but 50F, give me a break... :rolleyes:

I count them, in many ways trainer miles are harder than road miles,...if you do them right.
I had a titanium plate screwed to my collarbone and have been off the bike and on the trainer for the last 5 weeks, hope to be on the road next week.

No, it's just like reading books.
Doesn't count for anything, but it makes you a better person.
It's all internal, you know you did it.

If you don't give any idea about the conditions in which you did your "miles," your number is pretty much a waste of pixels for the rest of us. Of course, you don't owe any explanation to yourself, so keep your personal record anyway you please.

I don't count trainer miles. It's all personal preference. Typically, when I'm on my trainer, I don't push myself as hard as I do on the road. I usually just mindlessly spin to bad tv.

If you want to count yours, then count them.

just as i count playing basketball for 30 minutes as 30 minutes of running/jogging; 30 minutes on the trainer can be counted as biking.

my HR is raised, i am training. these are training miles.

and the ************ vs. sex argument is fatally flawed. if the end result of both activities is ejaculation, then both achieve the same goal. are they equally as satisfying? this is the trainer vs. the biking outside thing.

if i did 5,000 miles last year, i can estimate that i did almost 1.5 million pedal rotations. who cares where they were. if you ever saw me do trainer miles, you wouldn't be splitting hairs like this.

I count my trainer miles, if I am going to sit their bored to death and in mental pain than I am counting them. Riding on the road right now is just isn't an option except for Thursday through Sunday so I am counting my miles.