Indoor Cycling

Chrisjonesdevil22
Chrisjonesdevil22 Posts: 11 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
With the recent storms, winds, floods and rains hitting or more like smashing the UK at the moment i really have not wanted to get back out on the bike so I invested in an indoor turbo trainer.

Its a metal frame that you lock you bike wheel in to and move the resistance block up to the wheel and off you go.

To get my self back in to it i have been doing 30 minutes a night of vigorous cycling meaning im burning just over 520 Calories and giving myself a bit of a work out.

This is going to help when i get back outside on the bike but wonder if anyone else does this and if you have any tips

Replies

  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,338 Member
    I have a mag trainer as well. I love it as it allowed me to get rid of the exercise bike. I also know that sitting on the actual saddle of my bike will make cycling come spring when the snow is gone and I hit the roads much more comfortable on my behind as I will still be used to it. It works well for me although it is only part of my exercise routine.
  • shazbox1
    shazbox1 Posts: 175 Member
    I got soooooooo bored so fast using mine. I want a fancy one that hooks up to the internet and lets you race other people, that would make it a bit more fun.

    The only time I have had any success is to put some TV or movie on while I do it to keep me entertained.
  • jjking54
    jjking54 Posts: 113 Member
    I have a mag trainer as well. I love it as it allowed me to get rid of the exercise bike. I also know that sitting on the actual saddle of my bike will make cycling come spring when the snow is gone and I hit the roads much more comfortable on my behind as I will still be used to it. It works well for me although it is only part of my exercise routine.

    Same here ... I've had an indoor trainer for years, really helps put in the base miles before the outdoor season starts.

    Music is a BIG help. Some people like watching TV shows or movies while they ride, but I'm pretty content to just lose myself in music while I ride.

    I also use interval programs to help vary things up a bit, and hopefully get faster on the bike when outdoor season starts.
  • Chrisjonesdevil22
    Chrisjonesdevil22 Posts: 11 Member
    I need to invest in a road tyre or practice wheel as at the moment i am currently using my mountain wheels and they make a real noise so cant hear the cycling videos.

    Time to get the iphone plugged in i think

    And just like cycling out doors my wrist ache so its almost the full experience for me but waiting for the weather to improve slightly
  • jjking54
    jjking54 Posts: 113 Member
    A good idea ... I have three bikes, so my roadie is typically the one on my trainer and I don't have to worry about tire/wheel swaps.

    Wrist pain? Check your fit on the bike?
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,338 Member
    I have my road bike on the trainer as well. I am still tempted to get a trainer tire since it does wear the road tire noticeably. I tend to watch netflix or other videos while doing it.
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
    I tried one of these, but I found my backside was in real pain because on an indoor cycle you never take your weight onto your pedals and ease off the saddle like you do when riding outside. Not for me, but was worth a try.
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    I do spin classes

    However they are not on spin bikes, they are on turbos. A lot of the people that do it with me are TRIATHLETES(the iron man type) so yeah I think it is probably good for cycling outside
  • AlwaysInMotion
    AlwaysInMotion Posts: 409 Member
    I have 2 trainers - a CycleOps Fluid 2 and a Kurt Kinetic.... and I will do anything and everything to AVOID using them, including biking in snow, rain, and sub-zero temps. It's brilliant - I feel so bad about spending the money that the only way I can justify NOT riding them is to go ride outside in cr@p weather instead. I'm not sure what a shrink would say about all that...

    Edited : I don't successfully ride on ice, it's mostly crashing & skidding.
  • jjking54
    jjking54 Posts: 113 Member
    I have my road bike on the trainer as well. I am still tempted to get a trainer tire since it does wear the road tire noticeably. I tend to watch netflix or other videos while doing it.

    I use last year's road tires as this year's trainer tires. This spring I'll get new tires for my roadie and save the old front from this year for next winter's trainer tire
  • AlwaysInMotion
    AlwaysInMotion Posts: 409 Member
    I use last year's road tires as this year's trainer tires. This spring I'll get new tires for my roadie and save the old front from this year for next winter's trainer tire

    ^^^ That's a smart idea.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    With the recent storms, winds, floods and rains hitting or more like smashing the UK at the moment i really have not wanted to get back out on the bike so I invested in an indoor turbo trainer.

    Its a metal frame that you lock you bike wheel in to and move the resistance block up to the wheel and off you go.

    To get my self back in to it i have been doing 30 minutes a night of vigorous cycling meaning im burning just over 520 Calories and giving myself a bit of a work out.

    This is going to help when i get back outside on the bike but wonder if anyone else does this and if you have any tips

    Tips?

    A floor fan blowing on you from the front side, and one from the backside helps keep you cool. You don't have to go "vigorous" every time you hop on. Some days you could keep it in Zone 2 and go for 60-90 minutes to build a good base fitness for the upcoming season. I would probably limit "vigorous" (Zone 3/Zone 4) stuff to no more than twice per week.

    Define "vigorous" for us in terms of a training zone (HR or Power in Watts).

    I've got one bike on a trainer (CycleOps Fluid), and an exercise bike with computer console on it. I also watch television while riding to keep things entertaining for the longer sessions (60 - 150 minutes). I've been riding in side since January 6th while waiting for the weather to turn from winter to spring.

    SST
  • rides4sanity
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
    I've found it helps you not lose as much during the off season, but your first few long rides outside will still be tough. I can ususually handle 1.5-2 hours MAX on a trainer, but typically ride < 1hr. When I go outdoors, my short rides are 2 hours and my endurance isn't quite there for the longer stuff. That being said I do find that it is much easier to get back to where I want to be if I've been using the trainer rather than just running...
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,338 Member
    I use last year's road tires as this year's trainer tires. This spring I'll get new tires for my roadie and save the old front from this year for next winter's trainer tire

    ^^^ That's a smart idea.

    I agree. I might go this route. The only reason I didn't get a trainer this year was my tires were quite worn already. I will likely move the front to the rear next winter and get a set of new ones this spring keeping the old front.
  • TAsunder
    TAsunder Posts: 423 Member
    Kudos if you can keep at it. I'm pretty good at maintaining exercise routines and dealing with boredom while exercising, but a bike trainer is the exception. When I'm out in the world on my bike, I'm giddy and having too much fun to bother caring about how uncomfortable it is to be on a bike. When I'm indoors on a trainer, not so much. I prefer spinning class where fear of looking pathetic drives me to obey the instructor.
  • jjking54
    jjking54 Posts: 113 Member
    Kudos if you can keep at it. I'm pretty good at maintaining exercise routines and dealing with boredom while exercising, but a bike trainer is the exception. When I'm out in the world on my bike, I'm giddy and having too much fun to bother caring about how uncomfortable it is to be on a bike. When I'm indoors on a trainer, not so much. I prefer spinning class where fear of looking pathetic drives me to obey the instructor.

    uncomfortable? Maybe you need a fit adjustment?

    btw, hello "neighbor", sort of ... I'm in Milwaukee :)
  • chelso0o
    chelso0o Posts: 366 Member
    http://www.thesufferfest.com has some great videos for trainer rides when you are stuck indoors!
  • jjking54
    jjking54 Posts: 113 Member
    http://www.thesufferfest.com has some great videos for trainer rides when you are stuck indoors!

    definitely :D
  • TAsunder
    TAsunder Posts: 423 Member
    Kudos if you can keep at it. I'm pretty good at maintaining exercise routines and dealing with boredom while exercising, but a bike trainer is the exception. When I'm out in the world on my bike, I'm giddy and having too much fun to bother caring about how uncomfortable it is to be on a bike. When I'm indoors on a trainer, not so much. I prefer spinning class where fear of looking pathetic drives me to obey the instructor.

    uncomfortable? Maybe you need a fit adjustment?

    btw, hello "neighbor", sort of ... I'm in Milwaukee :)

    Yes, I am certain you are right. Even if properly fitted, though, I think I would need a good cyclometer and an ipad mount.

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