I do spinning 2xweek with an instructor (and friend) who is an ex-racer & bike shop owner. He makes it closer to an actual ride than most instructors. Also try to ride my rollers at least once a week. Now if I could only give up beer. Oh, well.

Hour spin class @5:45AM Mon-Fri before work. Tues/Wed night Level 2 Vinyasa yoga class. After yoga class, Tues night 2 hour velodrome motorpaced workout. Sat 50 mile club training ride. Sun 50-75 miles recovery. Getting ready for the 2010 velodrome season. Such is life in San Diego.

Why the heck would you want to do a silly thing like that? ;)

With winter confining me way more than normal, I have been using that Coach Fred program too. For several weeks now. I've been using just parts of it (ILT, 3s, seated sprints mostly). I have some days when the spin is just mostly a recovery ride too. Staying on the spin bike for more than one hour just does not compute with me. I am hoping to go up hills better and ride faster, if and when I ever get to ride outside again!

I do have a pleasant place to spin though and the HR monitor gives me something to pay attention to.

Just went for a swim in the deep end of the pool:

40 minute warm up then 3 x 15 min. @ LT+ It hurts sooooooo good.

I think a guppy could swim on the floor under my bike now.

Unfortunately we can't use the trainers as clothes hangers like we did with our nortic skiiers and treadmills.

I bought a used trainer for $35 a couple of years ago. Used it a couple of times and sold it with the stipulation that it be sold for $35 when he realized he won't use it.

Joe, my pigeon, sold it last year for $35 and made the buyer promise to do the same.

Care to elaborate? I wouldn't mind some amazing results myself this year!

I swear by Spinervals, especially their Virtual Reality series.

Hills that I used to granny out on, I now motor up 3 or 4 above granny. Hills I used to downshift on I don't, or upshift on. Speed up most of my climbs up several mph. I was by no means a climber before, nor am I one now, but I can highly recommend this routine, especially to those not following any structured training.

Routine is geared to a trainer or on the road, but we managed to convert to spinner fairly easily.

edit: if you decide to give it a try, I'd be interested in your results next spring.

I think trainers are tough but a great way to keep in shape.
I am not selling mine!

I have been doing spin classes - I seem to be able to do them as a regeme rather than the trainer. they occur twice a week.

It is a series of structured routines to do on the trainer or spin bike. There are five specific exercises that you work into a one hour indoor ride in various combinations over a 12 week period. The program is designed to build power more than endurance. So far I am pretty pleased with the results but I will know much more when I can ride outside again.

To make a long story short, you get on the trainer or spinner for no more than one hour with a specific plan in mind, as opposed to just pedaling along aimlessly for X amount of time. A HR monitor is very helpful in doing the program, as is a towel and water bottle. The legs are deeply sore and tired at the end of each of these sessions and rest days (or VERY easy recovery rides) are pretty much mandatory at our age. The program actually warns you against overtraining by using the workouts too often.

BD, thanks, I totally misinterpreted the elaboration request, nice summary.

I'd add that a fan also helps a lot. We use spinner bikes, outside the classroom, near a window with a ledge type sill. Water bottle, towel, timer (or clock with second hand), and cue sheet go on the ledge next to the bikes. We made single week cue sheets for the entire series, and printed then off for reference while doing each routine. As BD said, the routines are tough, when you're done you're spent. Two hours a week... what a deal!

PB, this routine is available for 4.00 USD at http://www.roadbikerider.com/booksto..._to_the_Pedals
I'd also highly recommend the RbR newsletter- once a week on Thursdays via email. And free.

not to side track the thread but .... what are you guys paying for the spin classes?

It's in cluded with the YMCA membership, for the family plan, it's $80 a month. That also includes use of the other facilities, and other locations. Not a bad deal.

ANd they're included in our health club membership, ~ 40.00 month. If you're not a member, they're 7.50 (for a day's access)

I belong to the rec center at a nearby university. It's a beautiful, well-maintained facility and I make use of the free spinning classes, swimming pool, equipment room, and indoor track. I've found spinning to be a lot more of a workout than my typical cycling since there are no downhills and some of the exercises are not "natural" cycling things (mainly the "jumps" where you stand up and sit back down at 2 to 8-second intervals).

Generally the mid-morning spinning class is mostly other 40+ people, but yesterday a few students actually showed up. I ended up next to a coed who was wearing very short shorts, and then she proceeded to strip off a couple of upper layers as we started getting warmed up. Of course, I tried not to notice (ha!), but it was tough (especially since we face a wall-sized mirror in the spinning room!). By the way, I've observed that people our age are totally invisible to the college-age kids -- they actually get startled if you so much as say "good morning!" to them. :)

I belong to the rec center at a nearby university. It's a beautiful, well-maintained facility and I make use of the free spinning classes, swimming pool, equipment room, and indoor track. I've found spinning to be a lot more of a workout than my typical cycling since there are no downhills and some of the exercises are not "natural" cycling things (mainly the "jumps" where you stand up and sit back down at 2 to 8-second intervals).

Generally the mid-morning spinning class is mostly other 40+ people, but yesterday a few students actually showed up. I ended up next to a coed who was wearing very short shorts, and then she proceeded to strip off a couple of upper layers as we started getting warmed up. Of course, I tried not to notice (ha!), but it was tough (especially since we face a wall-sized mirror in the spinning room!). By the way, I've observed that people our age are totally invisible to the college-age kids -- they actually get startled if you so much as say "good morning!" to them. :rolleyes:

I take a spinning class at the local YMCA three times a week. I have noticed that I'm the only one in the 70+ category. It's a good workout, certainly not like being out on the open road. It beats being a couch potato in NW PA during the winter and the scenery can't be beat.

Every other day on trainer from early December through the end of January, but not a pedal stroke so far this month. It glares at me every time I walk by. Maybe tomorrow.

Our spinning classes are primarily 40+. A while back, a couple of 20 something young guys, very fit looking, weight training types joined us for a class. When it was done, one of them, totally soaked, exclaimed "Wow, I've got a whole new respect for you old folks!". Game was on then... They still drop in from time to time...

Work on my I-Magic at least 3-4 times a week. Multitudes of tracks to ride if you want to pay attention to them, challenge your old times, or real-life videos. I hooked it up to my tv, rode Milan-San Remo, Alpe Dhuez, etc. It beats looking at the wall, and it will throw a beating on you if you want it to.

I need lots of mental stimulation, get bored easily. Usually ride trainer, watch TV and listen to Ipod, especially while doing base miles for the winter.

This morning, worked up from easy spin, mid range, 55 rpm big gear tempo for 10 minutes, cool down all within an hour. Wattage numbers vs. heart rate let you know how you are progressing.

A good trainer is nothing but a good diversion while you are working on cardio fitness. I love the I-magic for that reason.

10-4 DP... no problemo. I do not follow the PTTP program to the letter, but I use a lot of elements of it in various combinations. I also like to do some cycles of 2-3 minutes of standing with high resistance and <60 cadence as an element. The important thing is to use time on the trainer or spinner for something more intense than just riding along. I agree that a fan would be nice but I can't fit one in my university locker. And +1 about the RBR newsletter... very good reading IMO. Take care...

Indoor trainer session with Triathlon club. I wasn't smiling once the workout started. I'm the one on the right with the red jersey.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/...bc88970c_b.jpg

Was that Liz Hatch two doors down?

Never mind.

I did TT 2.0 by Coach Troy yesterday. I feel righteous today but at the time my heart was full of hate.

My wife bought me a Cycleops Fluid2 for chrismas. I set it up in the basement with one of my older bikes that isn't likely to get ridden when warmer weather comes around. I just started using it regularly last week. I kinda dig it. I like it better than the elliptical we inherited from the previous home owner. There's no comparison to a real ride, but it keeps the sadle zone in shape for warmer weather. So far, I've just been using my HRM and stopwatch to train, but it's about time to put a cadence computer on it and step it up a little. My neighbor's wife got him a spinner. It's considerably nicer than my setup, but I like the feel of a real bicycle beneath me.

Back on the trainer today, too much ICE on the roads but it is finally melting, yea!! In Jan. 200 miles on the bicycle, 250 miles on the trainer, Feb. hasn't been good at all for the bicycle, except a 4.3 mile FOOD run with the utitlity trailer last Sat., Hopefully there will be a change in the numbers before the end of the month! ;)

Haven't been to the gym this winter but before I did the spinning class I used to do a gentle warm up in the weights room. One night I had a couple of Muscular 20 year olds follow me from machine to machine and they were making a point of adding a great deal of weight to all the machines that I had just used. Till it got to the calf machine. This is one machine where I use maximum weight. First lad got on and found he couldn't raise the weight as it was on Max. he had to take half the weight off. Then his mate called him a wimp and got on the machine. He only managed to put on an extra 20lbs. So I got on again- put it on max weight and only did 10 repetitions- but on each leg singularly.

I did pay for it though- The spinning class killed me that night.

Did a Comp-u- Trainer class today for 2hrs at one of the local LBS, since we're dealing with snow AGAIN. Great workout, not better than outdoors, but better than the boredom on a trainer alone, and challenging since the resistance was mixed up for LT threshold intervals, and VO2 max intervals as well. But I think my brain is calcifying for the lack of fresh air. About 1hr in, I noticed a "thunk" that I thought might be coming from the resistance unit on the rear, turns out I was dragging a brake pad. Suffering makes you stronger I guess...