my record is 6hours on the rollers.

I'd rather ride in the pouring rain at 40 F than ride indoors. And I have.

Write-in vote: I don't have a trainer.

My new solution to trainors is to run outside for 25 minutes and then get on the trainor for another 25 minutes. I get a good workout, the boredom is not unbearable, I get some fresh air without beating my self up too much so alls well. The once or twice a week in the winter that I ride the trainor alone getting to the 50 minute mark seems like a month.

I got the trainer because I of racing.

I became indifferent to the trainer when I got one that was quite enough to ride and watch movies at the same time. I now regularly do 2 hour trainer rides multiple times a week.

They keep me out of the cold and wet.

They make me LOVE being back outside when I do long team rides on the weekends.

I saw an ad somewhere that read "It's where races are won that don't start for another 6 months". And it's true.

I don't have to wear multiple layers of clothes from head to toe to ride on the trainer.

I don't have to ride or drive anywhere to start my "ride". Much more efficient.

I'm sure several of these have been stated, but I didn't read through every post.

Because if you want to do intervals on the road in LA proper during weekdays, you've got to do it in the dark at 5AM, or it's impossible.

If I had regular access to a Velo track, that would be my preferrred place to do intervals, but there's really no alternative otherwise out here despite the glorious 60F winter weather.

To keep in shape.

I actually don't mine my trainer some of the time ... as winter goes on and on, it starts to wear on me a bit. But riding it is a whole lot better than hanging the bicycle up and then starting from scratch come spring.

Of course I don't have to worry so much about that these days. :D

Nailed it.

I wonder if runners on a runner forum set up a pole asking: why do you run on a treadmill if you hate it?"

I hate my trainer. I race. I hated it when I didn't race.

I do it to stay in shape when I can't ride outside. I can focus better on the trainer, do intervals, watch TR videos or Spinervals CDs. the interval sessions help me, and by focus I mean i can concentrate on my form, heart rate, etc., without having to watch for traffic or other things we encounter on the road ( here now that also include ice and snow).... which reminds me, the trainer is indoors so its warm............

It was 1 degree (F) out this morning, and it will be 6 degrees after work. It is dark when I get to work, and it is dark when I leave work.

I have no choice but to love my trainer. Besides, my wife gets all hot when she sees me sweating, and when the groaning starts- it's game on.

This is actually an EXTREMELY common question, that is asked nearly weekly on running forums.

There are lots of east-coast marathon runners who don't blink an eye at 2-3+ hour workouts every weekend on the treadmill, ALL winte-springr long. These aren't even particularly hard-core ones - it's pretty par for the course for a disciplined marathoner, even a slow one.

I was surprised at first at how even some hardcore roadies become total weenies about getting on the trainer.

I hate my trainer before I get on it and while I'm on it. When I'm done and my legs are mush, I think, "meh, it's not that bad."

The difference: Treadmills are easier than running outside since you don't really have to push yourself. You just have to keep your legs moving fast enough so the belt doesn't throw you off.

Trainers are harder than riding outside. You don't have as much momentum, you don't get the breaks as easily, you don't get a more cooling wind when you pedal harder, each pedal stroke is harder because you lose momentum in the rear wheel quicker and therefore have to pedal just a little extra to keep speed up, the bike doesn't move underneath you, etc, etc, etc.

It's not being a weenie, it just sucks ass.

I don't know anything about treadmills, but one thing I was wondering is if peoples' attitudes towards trainers/treadmills depend on how they're using them. One of my neighbors was a marathoner and I'd see him running for hours. But he'd be watching TV, reading a book, etc at the same time.

Maintaining a steady pace for long periods of time has to be a totally different kind of experience than riding the numbers during interval sets.

Lately my trainer days have been my easy days. So I like it. I do less than an hour, and I tend to use lower gears with higher cadence.

I do hate my trainer...but I really like my rollers so far: good workout and you must concentrate on proper form. My wife has taken a liking to the trainer, so I feel it was a good investment after all ;-)

Suffering on the trainer through winter, is better than suffering alone in the summer.

The answer, of course, is loathing. Unadulterated (self) loathing.

Some of us ought to wear hairshirts on the trainer rather than jerseys.