lprice1023

I am curious if it is best to train on an indoor trainer or ride out on the road. I do a sequence of interval training when I work indoors but have not really figured out how to do a routine when I ride out. My normal route is about 20 miles and has several reasonable hills. In my climate the average wind is 18 mph and it is often much higher. Does this give me any serious interval training?

I rode indoors last night after several weeks of riding outside and my power numbers were down.

travelmama

Outdoors!

ks1g

IMHO: "Yes". Indoors, for me at least, is better if my goal is a steady-state workout where I really want to hit & stay at a %FTP (or HR if you lack a powermeter) for a set period of time and not worry about traffic, changes in terrain, etc. If I expect the intesity will make me glad I don't have to worry about balance, for example. It's winter and the weather is miserable (or downright hazardous). If it's a group class at the local indoor Computrainer center and I can set up with some attractive riders of the the appropriate gender.

Outdoors: Translate what I've been doing to the real world. Get used to the variation real terrain, traffic provides. Get used to the relentlessness of a long hill, headwinds, or both (like when you're at the far end of a long ride and there's no way home but up the hill / into the wind). See how I compare to personal bests on the local big hill or unofficial TT route. See how I compare to random other riders and the usual gang on group rides. Overall, I prefer outdoors.

Re: power numbers - may mean nothing. Your outdoor rides were working on something other than developing or maintaining (threshold?) power - you improved in some other fashion but FTP decreased a little. Or you had an off day. Or the power calibration for whatever system you are using was off.

lprice1023

Thank you for your information. I am just about eight months into training after years of inactivity and am trying to understand how it works. I plan to get a coach as soon as I get a new bike with a down-loadable computer. I am now using the Kurt Kinetic, and the power only works properly on the trainer. I do prefer riding outside but I want to grow my FTP.

late

Both.

Most days ride, but once a week hit the trainer.
Rainy days...

If that's what you want. It will let you hammer your
weak areas.

I have written down a couple dozen rides in my area, categorised by distance.
After I do a couple easy 20 milers, I'll do a hard one, and then go to 25 miles.
Then 30,etc.

Pat

Depends. Any training you do is better than training that you don't do. Well is that opaque enough? I believe that outside is better. But if because of rain, wind, weather or schedule, it is train indoors or nothing. Train indoors.

Also, another point is that indoors is a more controlled environment. You can train under standard conditions. Outside, you have to deal with what you get. Indoors you might be able to work on the fine points of training. Outdoors, surviving the ride might be the first order of the day.

rmr1923

when all the oak trees are dropping tons of pollen along the trails i normally ride, i have no choice but to train indoors. i once decided to brave the allergies and runny nose and ended up having a very severe allergic reaction to sucking that pollen straight into my lungs. if i hadn't gotten to the ER when i did i would have lost consciousness and probably wouldn't be alive today (according to the docs), i had a very severe asthma-like reaction and it was maybe 2 or 3 days before i felt like i could breathe normal again.

it sounds like your outdoor route is similar to mine, i live in a flat part of the country (Texas gulf coast) but the trail i ride has some reasonable (albeit short) climbs, which i find to be good for interval training. once i learned the trail, i've been able to pick out sections where i'll pedal hard for about a minute and then have a short steep climb at the end that'll nearly kick my a$$. i'll then hold a pace of about 15 mph for a couple minutes until the next similar section of the trail. and the wind is normally 5-10 mph with gusts up to 15 (some days higher). one day i had a tail wind so strong, i was holding a pace of about 24-25 mph and could feel just a light breeze on my face... i felt like Lance Armstrong until i had to turn around and ride back into that wind.