Laminarman

I am a newbie and the problem I'm faced with is living with all hills around me. I've posted elsewhere about my problem of getting base miles in to increase my ability to ride for long durations. No matter which way I go from my home, I need to leave enough in the tank to make my 2.5 mile climb back to my house, not a fun matter when my condition is not great.

The problem I have is time. I can get out for a 30-60 minute ride for 10-15 miles 4x/week and hit the hills (I have no choice where I live). What I would like to do is drive my bike to flatland to ride long distance to build my base but I just do NOT have time with work and three kids to do that (one of whom is in somewhat poor health demanding more time from us). I'd like to get up to 50 mile rides. Does anyone use a trainer (ie Kurt Kinetic) for base building? I can get on that after kiddies are asleep about 9pm and put time in, or before sunup. Is that a viable strategy?

Joe Friel says in his training bible that for beginning cyclists base building and long duration, low intensity rides are most beneficial, but a few pages later says the ability to clear lactate is best done by high intensity shorter workouts. I certainly get that on these hills and while my climbing is getting better, after 15 miles my body starts to feel real cramped since I'm not used to being on the bike that long. The LBS said just ride the hills, forget the rest but I don't have a good base yet (at least I don't think I do).

Any advice is appreciated. Again, the issue for me is time to ride during daylight. Night time is out, I'll get wasted by a truck out here in the country.

Carbonfiberboy 

Yes, I remember your previous post.

I use rollers in that way. I don't like training on the road at night or when it's raining either. I do 1/2 hr. easy ride almost every morning on them, and then whatever else in the evening. You can use them in a periodized program if you have a resistance unit with them, just like riding outside. Gets a little boring, but not too bad. Hurting legs can be quite entertaining. Performance has a reasonably priced set with resistance. You could try riding the hills twice a week, one ride longer than the other, and the rest all on the rollers. Some people ride them thousands of miles/year.

Creakyknees

sure, use the trainer/rollers. they're great for situations like yours.

Laminarman

Cool, thanks. For example, I was pumped, I had tonight free to ride. Then our ten month old gets a fever and stays home with me while my wife takes the other two shopping. The baby slept soundly, so I could have put the baby monitor in the garage with me and ripped it on the trainer for an hour or so. I'm going to get one tomorrow. Frustration.

ericm979

I hate trainers, they are so boring. But if that's what it takes, you have to do it.

Besides the trainer, you can get lower gearing for your bike so you can make it up the climb home without killing yourself at the end of a long ride. I have a wicked climb to my house so I can sympathize. It took me years before I could do it regularly.

Another option is to bring the bike in your car and ride from work, or somewhere between home and work. That's assuming you have showers at work or join a gym nearby....

Carbonfiberboy 

Which is the reason for using rollers instead. I never get really tired of them. One can always find some interesting drill, goal, test, etc. I'm trying to master aerobars on them now. Although 1:45 is about my personal limit, I know people do centuries on them.

JPradun

Just a suggestion for a trainer you will be using for more than just warming up for a race:

Get one with a heavy flywheel. The KK is great for this, but something like the cycleops does not have enough inertia to feel good for longer periods of time (ie, over 15min).