Barrettscv 

With daylight savings time starting this weekend, I’ve added two weekday evening workouts to my riding schedule. I’ll still ride outdoors as much as possible, but going indoors guarantees that I’ll be riding several days a week and maintaining my fitness.

I’m fortunate to train at Vision Quest in Chicago. The operate 15 hours a day, seven days a week. I use my own bike installed on a Computrainer. I train with other riders, the workout is the same but the load on the bike is adjusted to the strength and fitness of each cyclist.



I started on Thursday with a set of 20 minute full effort sessions to determine my power output. I averaged 243 watts. This value is used to set the resistance on the trainer for the next few weeks. Most of my training classes will last 90 minutes.

Anyone else? How do you train when the weather turns freezing and the days are short?

Gravity Aided

I use a combination of exercycle (at home or the Athletic Club)
an old Minoura Trainer,
and my trike,an old Sears Free Spirit 3 speed.
Sleeting downstate right now ,
so it may be a trike day .

PXrider

I do everything I can to ride outside until there is snow on the roads. I'm able to adjust my work schedule so that I can work at home a couple of days a week starting early (5:30 AM), then take a cycling break around 9 AM for an hour or so before showering and heading in to the office for the rest of the day. This allows me to ride in daylight at least a couple of days a week. After the snow hits I'm back to my trainer setup in my un-heated garage with Sufferfest videos to motivate me. I find I can use that as long as the temperature is above 15 degrees fahrenheit as I'm out of the wind and self-heating if I am riding hard.

There is a Vision Quest nearby in Highland Park, IL. Maybe I'll give it a try.

stapfam

When I had to do serious training-I used to go to the gym three a week after work and just get a serious long ride in at the weekend in the winter months. Then we got some decent lights and went out for about 3 hours offroad to keep the cycling trim twice a week and cut down to one night at the gym. We did initially cut the gym when we got the lights but had already found that an hours solid cardio on 5 different machines was improving the parts that cycling just did not reach.

billydonn

Weather is still pretty good around here and we are hanging on putting in as many outdoor miles as we can. If last year is any indication, our Velo Garage crew will reconvene for indoor training around Thanksgiving. I have done a couple of spin classes on days when my work schedule won't allow outdoor rides, but nothing consistent yet. I'm actually looking forward to indoor training this year.... it is low volume high intensity stuff.... a great thing for winter.

Click here to view last year's indoor fun.

BluesDawg

I guess when it comes down to it, I am dedicated to bicycling more than I am to fitness. So when the weather keeps me from riding as much or in the way I do in better weather, I'll ride however I can. I tend to ride mountain bikes more in colder weather and I'm thinking I'll ride dirt roads more than paved. I don't expect to ride much on the trainer or in a gym.

Barrettscv 

Hi Don, I'm excited to start my indoor training again. The combination of indoor and outdoor riding will keep me active. I'm a few pounds lighter with a little more power than the last time I was tested in January. I'm hoping to improve power by 10% in the next 9 weeks.

Hi B+D,

Yes, living in a northern city discourages outdoor riding in winter to some extent. The indoor season does allow me to focus on fitness that improves my outdoor riding fun. If I want to ride any steeper hills close to home, I need to go indoors :-).

billydonn

BUMP

Michael,
How's this going for you? 243 watts for 20 minutes is really strong! Hope you aren't getting any stronger!