Little Darwin

In short, is there a video I can watch while riding my trainer that isn't an in your face "ride hard or die trying" approach to trainer riding?

There are some of us that have no desire to race, or even ride hard, we just want to stay relatively fit over the winter and enjoy the scenery when the weather warms.

It would be nice to know which videos (if any) would be good at helping me to vary my pace at times, and add some challenge to my trainer time... with an objective of being in shape for a long slow ride through a scenic area in the spring.

I think some of the videos that I have seen descriptions of sound interesting, but based on their names or descriptions I fear they are filled with the shouted rantings of an endorphine junkie (that many people find motivating) who obviously thinks everyone should aspire to being the fastest rider in the pack... I am simply a person who wants to be in reasonable shape when the spring rolls around so I can enjoy the rail trails in the areas where I like to ride.

I would probably buy one of the DVDs and give it a try, but if I play one, and feel like the person in the video is calling me a wimp, it would instantly turn into an expensive low performance frisbee.

Any ideas on videos to consider? Are there any motivational videos for the rest of us?

PS - I wouldn't mind a performance related video as long as the "tone" was right (if that makes sense).

Fat Boy

Breaking Bad season 1? If you're just casually pedaling and not doing some sort of dedicated workout, watch anything you want.

Gramercy

I just starting watching crits while on the trainer as I get bored after 20 minutes or so. You can watch tour de france videos from previous years, but I prefer to watch crits from texfilms or carpediemracing. If you search their names you will get a bunch of riding videos to watch.

Little Darwin

I think that would be helpful... I could spin at high cadence during flat sections and go into my highest gear and grind for the up hill sections.

As to the previous suggestion by Fat Boy... I tried that in past years, and discovered that I needed something more than entertainment to keep me pedaling, but that is my fall back plan. Anything to fight the boredom is good.

The real issue for me is that for other forms of exercise, there are options... Having nothing but the videos I have seen is ok for the high end, but where is the cycling equivalent of "Sweating to the Oldies" or others... Not everyone who exercises wants to do P90-X... But in most niches, the money is most likely available from those who take it the most seriously.

Fat Boy

Usually I just put on some sort of podcast or music and zone out. For some reason, that kind of works for me. One night I watched Red Dawn (the original) and Starship Troopers back-to-back. Good ride...mind blown.

DataJunkie

I have a playlist on youtube for boring base rides. That or something random on netflix.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osiNhSwpEh0

antimonysarah

There's always commercials intervals -- pick a program you like that's on normal broadcast TV, ride normally during the show, sprint the commercial breaks.

Machka 

+1

That's what I do.

Dudelsack 

This is an interesting video. It tries to recreate a casual spin through rural Germany. No soundtrack even.

Little Darwin

I like that idea. I am definitely seeking something where I can vary my pace, and this just might be the right option for me.

ldarlee

Both my husband and I like the videos from the Sufferfest website. He's a casual rider and I'm more serious, but they work for both of us because they use a scale of "perceived effort". The music is upbeat, scenery varies, and there's no one yelling at you. Instead, they add captions that are somewhat motivational but mostly humorous (intentionally).

bigfred 

Seconding the Sufferfest recommendation. Even for recreational cyclists. Heck, even Mrs. Fred likes them.