MDcatV

i'm a cat 2, RRs and crits with a couple of stage races.

crits 75 to 90 minutes,
road races are typically +/- 3-ish hrs.

El Diablo Rojo

Slightly off topic. I've got 4" Kreitler rollers...they are the full alloy drums (the expensive ones) I added a Tacx mag unit to get some resistance but it sounds like two pieces of rough metal being rubbed together. First I thought mag systems were second only to fluid in the being quiet category...and baring that how much more resistance would going with the 2.5" drums give me?

MDcatV

it's meant as a compliment

Smallguy

is it safe to assume you do not find breaking up the rides over 2-3 shorter ones has any effect on your endurance?

my category for next year is gonig to be an average of 32km/h and no more than 80km distance distance wise so roughly 2.5 hours tops.

I'm hoping I can bring enough fitness to the table to place well in the first few races even though I won't be peaked

gsteinb

gotcha. It read as if you thought that what I was doing was unstructured and a waste of time. bygones.

Enthalpic

I can do 1-2 hours no problem but after that it's a real chore. The few 3 hour sessions I've done have all been "indoor group rides" which makes the time go by much faster and keeps you honest.

GirlAnachronism

Same here. I'm just doing whatever workout is in my schedule from my coach, and if it happens to be indoors, so be it. I think we all have different tolerances for indoor riding, though, and for me it's not the torture it is for others.

gsteinb

I saw no reason to ride outdoors last week. I had very specific wattages to hit, and it was nasty as hell. Getting the workout in was simply easier and more palatable indoors. Plus I save a boat load of time not getting decked out in full on winter gear. I watched season one of Nurse Jackie, and something else that I forget now. I started the just ended season of Dexter this morning. I don't have much motivation to ride outside when the high is in the 20s.

15 hours. All on the rollers, and mostly single sessions. 2 days off.

king-tony

I can't hear my TV over the massive fan I bought.

jsutkeepspining

i just finished a 2 hour trainer ride. It wasn't too bad.

aggro_jo

You guys decide this ahead of time?

milliron

I regularly did 2hr sessions on the rollers last winter. Not any more though. I've since moved to a location with better winter riding.

Same. I'd either watch a movie with subtitles or listen to an audio book on headphones.

carpediemracing 

2.5s will give you much more resistance.

Mags, old ones anyway, are noisy as heck. See if some grease will help - the magnets move a bit and the clacking (at high frequency) causes much of the racket. Grease helps sooth the impacts. Also see if the shell is loose or cracked or something.

mollusk

Ken,

I live where you live. It has NEVER been so bad outside that I would ride indoors for 2.5 hours instead of riding outside. Maybe you can do it, but I can't. The only time I have ridden indoors for more than one hour was when I had time to ride the Gators were playing an NCAA basketball game. Even then it was hard to do.

Riding indoors sucks.

MDcatV

i'm leaving soon to go do 1.5 hrs. before dinner.

the thought of it makes me want to work longer. almost.

waterrockets 

Can't hardly wait.... August 2011... August 2011...

Fat Boy

https://www.kreitler.com/wattage.php

Short answer. The 2.25" rollers are a big deal. ~240 watts at 20mph and ~400 watts at 30mph. It's almost worth having both the big ones and the little ones. I have the big ones, too, although with the plastic end caps, and I use the fan. Having said that, I can see just running the small rollers and being much quieter. Sometimes if I just want to just spin for a bit I'll unhook the fan and just spin. It's hard to get much of a workout doing that, but it's fine if you just want to play with form.

And about 1 1/2 hours is all I can do without getting off the bike and allowing a little circulation. For some reason any stationary is a real pain in the ass.

kensuf

How quickly you forget about how miserably wet and cold last winter was. Plus, I wasn't able to get out during lunch as much as I am this year (it seems like when I care less about what the boss thinks, I can ride more).

El Diablo Rojo

Thanks for that link! Based on their chart the 3" drums may ne the perfect compromise.

Grumpy McTrumpy

based on that chart, my power on the e-motions with 0 resistance is similar to 4.5" kreitlers, even though the rollers are 3".

Oh and my recommendation for EDR:

larger speakers, more powerful amp.

mattm

I don't wanna turn into a wuss by riding in dry/warm conditions only, so I don't use the trainer at all. =]

Now if you have snow/ice concerns.... that's a different story - studded tires may come in handy.

mollusk

Somehow I got 1400 outdoor miles in last January.

El Diablo Rojo

I'll need one that goes to 11

The problem isn't that the noise bothers me it's that it bothers my wife.

I'd rather get the workout done with the proper intensity than going out and freezing my arse off. When you are shivering after each interval on you cool down that's not fun nor productive.

My what a big number you've got there big boy

mollusk

I was in great shape last February and still did nothing with it in terms of results. I raced like an idiot all spring.

I'll probably do the same this next season.

Racer Ex 

Adjustments can be made in most cases.