Bike Trainer AKA Winter Riding Thread
 

Just as soon as I told myself I was going to participate in Strava's "Eddy Merckx 1969 Challenge" ( http://www.bikeforums.net/clydesdale...l#post17123383 ) a series of this and that came up, to include going out of town, that is making it difficult to get in the miles to meet the miles criteria. In years past this would mean simply not being on the bike. THIS year I broke out the trainer and put in some time.

What I used to do was say "Dang, can't ride today like I planned, I'll just bear down tomorrow and get it done..." and then "tomorrow" wouldn't happen because of this and that. Before you know it a week would go by and no riding would happen.

SO... this year when I noticed a difficult stretch coming up I went ahead and got my trainer out and started to setup my little area. At first it was just my laptop propped up so I could entertain myself with some Netflix. Then I added a spare monitor. In a few days I'll add some speakers so I won't have to use my headphones.

I have a Kinetic Fluid trainer which I purchased last year. Didn't use it as much as I should have. I was still trying to go DISTANCE on my bike. This year I am doing some distance but I'm doing more WORKOUTS.

HOWEVER... this year I am dedicating myself to use it and keeping the time on it shorter but more focused. I think that will help avoid the dread of boredom while on it.

Here is this thread. How are you going to keep "riding" during the cold months? Are you hard core and go outside anyway? Do you stop riding and pick it back up in the Spring? Indoor trainer?

Let's try and keep each other motivated this Winter.

10-25-2014 I hope to head to Mishewaka, IN and pick up a set of these :-).

http://i.imgur.com/CrpAbUv.jpg

I also got a YMCA membership for the wife and I, I will do 2 days a week on days I would not ride in nicer weather (will not ride road bike once they put salt down on the roads the first time). So I can do some stationary bike there when I workout. Doing the "Anatomical Adaption" phase from The Cyclists Training Bible right now. So when I hit the Y I do 30 minutes stationary while I'm there.

I work second shift, the Y does have "spin classes" but the latest one starts at 545am, it would be irresponsible overall for me to go to sleep at 12 and get up at 5am 2-3 days a week, I'm mature in years enough to know that leads to burn out quickly.

I am thinking about grabbing a knobby tire for my Trek 7200 and studding it to play around with a little this winter :-).

Although for like $50 it looks like I could just buy a 700x35 for the rear.

Bill

Well after a long hiatus from here and cycling... decided to make a come back... ;) And this is a timely topic for me as the days are getting cooler and shorter...

So my game plan is:

I've got a Schwinn spin bike that i've dusted off... i park it in from the the big screen and put on some music video...

There is a little fitness studio down the street that offers Spin classes. I love the group environment and the instructors push me way harder than i could ever push myself at home! Right now due to kids soccer practices i'm only able to go once or twice a week... hopefully over the winter i'll be able to get more classes in per week.

And finally.... once upon a time.... like 20 years ago, i was hard core and rode year round.... Thought those days were long gone... however my motivation is higher than ever ( we have 6 month old twins which will do wonders for your motivation when you have to think about chasing TWO toddlers around! LOL) so i'm actually considering buy a Fat Bike and trying to ride over the winter... at least on the weekends... Right now i'm leaning towards the Trek Farley 6 but also considering the Surly Pugsly and Orgin 8 Crawler...

Would really love to be able to go into Spring with a sold base!!!

Kinda liking this tire for rear, might just leave Specialized Nimbus 700x35 up front.

Amazon.com : Schwalbe Marathon Winter HS 396 Studded Road Bike Tire (700x35, Allround Wire Beaded, Reflex) : Sports & Outdoors

Damn you WonderMonkey! Making us be all accountable and stuff! ;)

Actually I should do the same as you ... if I set up the trainer I can't use the excuse "but it's not set up." I've gotta figure out where I'm going to set it up, more than likely in the sunroom but I'll have to put the space heater out there when it gets really cold.

I too am planning on shorter, more intense and more focused. Plan to add the Sufferfest videos to the mix, run them through the laptop, into the TV and the surround sound out there. Should be a great pain cave.

All of that said, I'm planning to ride outdoors as deep into the winter as possible. An old work friend of mine used to try to ride outdoors at least once a month, all year around. I might try that too.

I have a trainer. I find it mind numbing. Also, there sn't much space for it. It's collecting dust in the basement.

Tried rollers back in the 90s. Could never get the hang of them so I sold them.

I will still ride to work (a whopping four miles round trip) and for shopping/errands as long as it's not icy out. If the winter isn't bad, I will do some road rides. Other than that, I will hike outside and/or go to the gym and ue the eliptical and/or spin.

What is this "Winter" of which you speak?

I first have to decide not only if I will race next year but what type. Once I figure that out I can then plan what type of riding I may do either indoors or out.
I do know I will be away from the bike from early November until mid December wanderin the country chasin critters. No interwebs, no email and for the most part no phone. Life will be good

I don't think the rollers would work for me.... I can see myself laying on the ground in pain trying to stay upright. Have you used one yet? For a fun time go to youtube and see videos of people who haven't gotten the hang of it yet.

What sort of critters will you be chasing?

I WILL prevail and conquer :-). The mfg actually is where I will be buying them, they will let me try a set. They start people off in a doorway at first :-).

This guy here built something that might help with a lot of issues people seem to have starting out ??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=714gw7m87DQ

But it to some degree defeats the fold up and put out of the way parts of the roller design I am interested in. I like building stuff though so if it is needed, or wanted I always have stuff around to do something like he did.

Worst worst case if I turn out to be an utter and total failure at making them my beeatch...they do sell a fork stand to use with them as well :-).

Bill

I found it horribly boring as well.
I let a fine trainer go to rust... Should have sold it...

One thing that has allowed me to consistently use the trainer is to have a specific purpose for that ride.
Due to fun outdoor rides, last three have been recovery rides with hr target of <130 but > 120 and consistent cadence and speed...

However tonight it will be intervals.
Hard to get bored when you're just trying to hit the intervals and target ranges for each AND BREATH AND NOT FALL OFF THE BIKE... Even the RI (recovery Intervals) are not boring as trying to recover HR before next WI (work intervals). Currently I'm using time based intervals, but I've seen HR intervals as well and will likely try them once my HR becomes predictable.

So the cure to boredom for me, it objectives, targets, goals and survival mode training.

Any chance of you filming it, for no particular reason?

Gator was last weekend in South Carolina :thumb:. Got the son-in-law his first, of what I hope is many. They don't like arrows in them.
Nov and Dec are dedicated to Deer (Ohio, Kentuc, Illinois) for the most part. Whatever else me and friends can get into.

/end derail

I'm going to be trying some of those things to help with boredom. Maybe things like each time a guitar solo comes on for a song I'll do a sprint, each time this and that then something else. And such.

Sounds like a good time! I am in bow hunting season. I hunt in KY. In a few weeks it will be muzzle loader but I'll still use a bow.

The whole process of making the rollers my beeatch ?? :-). Or how it looks once I have done so ?? :-). My process of mastering things might not be safe for audiences under the age of 35 hehe, it often involves profanity and such hehe.

Bill

Sure, the successes as well.... I was also thinking of "early attempts" and the sound of concrete meeting elbows, etc.

Just for insurance purposes.

Well it will be inside, so it would be carpet meeting elbows, and the cat making a sonic boom as she escaped the mayhem and tirade of profanity :-)

We don't do winter here. There may be one or two days when it's too cold to ride, but we're just getting to the time of year when it's actually nice to go outdoors.

I have a spin bike in the living room but it is not as comfortable as my bike and I make excuses not to use it. It makes a nice decoration for that corner of the room though.

I read about a guy who was good enough to take off a pair of cycling tights WHILE riding rollers :-).

Snow days I will try the mountain bike; ice days will be the trainer; cold and wet days will be get out and ride. Windy days...well those are trainer days as we commonly get 30 mph sustained winds in Boardman, OR (just east of the Columbia Gorge on the Columbia River), and we have had gusts of 80+ mph on occasion.

I may have to purchase some cold weather riding gear, but that is still less expensive than paying for diabetes medications.

I plan to keep riding until late november, depending on when winter will start this year. Once it's here, I plan to walk/run outside when I'll be able to. I do have a trainer, but I doubt I will be able to use it much this coming winter. My SO is pregnant and due for mid december, the baby will need lots of sleep; so yeah, unless the noise level gets better with a dedicated trainer tire, it won't get much use this winter...

I sold my bike trainer last winter to pay for a new cylinder head for my car. Sold that jalopy soon after I fixed it (go figure) and was given a stationary bike with a built-in computer. I plan on riding my bike outdoors for as long as I can- the cold I can dress warm for, snow and ice is a whole different game that although I rode through last year I'd rather not ride in again if I can help it. Hopefully, we won't see any of it until January. Once the snow falls, I think I'd get enough exercise shoveling snow that I won't miss cycling too much but will probably jump on the stationary once or twice with a movie playing just so I'm not starting from scratch again next spring.

I don't train--indoors or outside. I just ride my bikes.