I meant it more as light-hearted ribbing, not serious intolerance! Just proselytizing a little about my belief that the joys of cycling/triathlon are largely about getting outdoors and challenging yourself against people, not staring at a Trainerroad graph in the garage.....sometimes the trainer has benefits: testing, targeted workouts, crappy weather. I'm just trying to hold the line against its encroachment into everyday training. It must be stopped before it's too late.

Doesn't matter if it's 5 or 6 hours on the trainer or outside, that long on the bike sucks. Can't wait for this IM training to be done.

Agreed

Beating a rehash of a warmed-over, washed-up, well-trodden dead horse.

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What are you people, on dope?

—Mr. Hand

we're not all wired the same way. To each their own

I have to train twice the volume indoors to make up for the 10% I lose each time I transition from one to the other.

I suppose it's all relative. I don't typically label a circle with a radius of 17 cm as 'pretty big', but to each his own. The OP asked about IM, which limits the number of necessary 'successful bike racing' skills.

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

The other aspect of doing a ride on the trainer is that it is great from a time management standpoint. I just put my shoes on and hop on. No putting bike in the car and driving to a trail. Even if you ride out the door, you have to put the right clothes on, helmet, and deal with traffic and laws and cars. I can do it early before sunrise or late at night. It is just another tool like a treadmill.

Same. Cycling only here.. pretty much use trainer for all riding except group rides/races. Excellent bang for buck time wise and if you have the right mentality you get a better overall workout, especially if you're trying to accomplish a specific stimulus. Depends why you ride bikes though.. I ride to race, period. If I LOVED riding for the sake of riding, i suspect i'd have little tolerance for the trainer.

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http://cyclussports.com/ - #ZeroPositive #CyclusSports
http://app.strava.com/athletes/355549
https://twitter.com/ryanAjoyce

Absolutely- the trainer is all about efficiency and results. When I trained for IM I did a Saturday long ride and every other ride was indoors.

You pop a vid' in the ol' VCR, too?

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

LOL. To each his own. I like PerfPro because it has a one time upfront fee. Trainerroad is good, but I don't like the subscription format. I *might* subscribe to Zwift, but it's gotta be cheaper than trainerroad. I'd rather have an upfront fee for that one as well, but they [Zwift] prefer subscription.

You might want to take a look at http://www.peripedal.com/
One time fee (reasonably inexpensive) and virtual power. I am not connected with PeriPedal in any way, other than a happy (but sore after this morning's workout) user.

yes; i am proof of it, but you need a power meter and some dedication.

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2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz

In addition to the focus you get on the trainer, it is also a good time way to get in some training when you otherwise might not due to weather, darkness and such. When I had little kids I had much less resistance to a trainer workout where I was available to help with the kids if necessary.

I'm sort of the opposite.

I was HR-based and no trainer road, having a scrap of paper and a TV to distract me.

Once I went to TR, power and sufferfest, I've improved greatly and I really enjoy the challenge. It's hard work and I feel badass when I'm done. Plus all the graphs are fun to look at, neat to muck around with the data and reports.

I used to be a pack a day smoker, considering the cost of TR is about the price of a pack of smokes in my area, I consider it a good trade. :)

But of course it's whatever floats your boat.

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---Patrick

IMMT2014 IMFLA2015
IMMT703-2012/2014 IMFLA703-2013

For me, i turned to the trainer this early spring, primarily as a weight loss too and secondly as a training method for my couple sprints that I do over the course of the summer. In the past I've hated it and couldn't stand being on it more than 45 mins at a time, but something happened this time around, and whether it was just Netflix, re runs of hockey games on NBCsports live on my tablet or motivation, I've really begun to enjoy my time on the trainer. I have ridden 2+ hours 3-4 times, but mostly hover around 45-1.5hrs. My Sprint tri time/pace on June was a solid 2-2.5mph faster than I had ever raced and I don't use a power meter. I just knew that I could sustain xx mins on the bike, in xx gear @ xx cadence and the rest is in my head. I've found I've gotten significantly stronger on the bike this year & i can only think of two times I've ridden outside this summer. Once was a training ride & once was the race.

I had a close encounter with a car during a race about 2 years ago & i'm not going to lie, it's definitely scared me a bit for riding on roads. With two young kids, I figure you know, I could ride outside and run the risk of all the possibilities or I could hang out in the basement & maybe get a little annoyed when they fiddle with everything in the workout room, but I do get to spend time with them while I'm training and I enjoy that. Not to mention that my wife digs my legs now that I've been biking so much.

Trainers work. The biggest thing is your mindset.

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Nate

I also like PerfPro for the one-time fee. I spent over $100 on TrainerRoad subscription and then I found PerfPro which was a one-time fee. It took a while to get used to the UI but I vastly prefer PerfPro over TrainerRoad now because I find that PerfPro has much more functionality. I'm also on the fence about zwift. I'm more focused on functionality than entertainment, so I really don't feel the need to ride with Zwift. Also based on their recent survey they sent out they asked if I'd pay something like $18-24 a month....definitely not.

All that aside, I read a few other people discussing why some people choose to ride indoors instead of outside. For me it's because I live in the city and to get to any decent riding spot it takes 15-20 minutes at a minimum (regardless if I'm driving or riding my bike there fighting traffic). So immediately I lose 30-40 minutes. When I already work full-time, train 14-20 hours a week, am a part-time student, and am in a relationship, then yeah, riding indoors makes a bit more sense. Don't get me wrong, I love riding outdoors whenever possible, but it isn't always feasible.

"Can't wait for this IM training to be done."
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The why do it? It is voluntary and should be fun.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

How does it not?

It helps me improve because if I didn't have one I wouldn't be able to ride. My wife goes to the gym 3 days a week early and I jump on the trainer for an hour while she's out, turn on the baby monitor and ride. Young kids dictate my schedule more than what I want. If I had my way I'd ride outdoors as much as possible, however that's not to say I don't get a good benefit of trainer sessions that each have a specific purpose. The only time trainer sessions don't give me that much benefit is when they don't have a purpose and I just get on and ride. Still better than staying in bed, but I find due to the 45-90 min typical ride times I need each ride to be well structured.

Oh hey, did you ever BQ on that 20mpw in 10 weeks training plan?

I was probably closer to 10 miles a week. But did PR at 3:33 on my last marathon in Feb. But my bike time is crap.

All pluses for me: 1. Time efficiency 2. Instant accessibility 3. I own a couple dozen Spinervals dvd's 4. I never get bored doing what I love

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I'll see you in the run

consider the inverse: what can't you improve on a trainer? well, handling, road feel, race tactics, group dynamics, and maybe gear selection.

so, in my opinion, you'll still need to put in your hours on the road from time to time, especially your long rides, unless you've got lots of broad and deep base.

since the trainer can't offer you those things, it's wisest to use the for what it's best at: control and predictability. you always know what the weather and road conditions will be like on the trainer, so if there's construction or a storm, a trainer ride sure beats none at all.

the fact that you have no traffic, lights, or risk of crash means that you can focus purely on the pedals. that makes the trainer good for intervals. more specifically, it's good for prologue-style efforts that have you so cross-eyed they're borderline unsafe in traffic. the same goes for high-cadence drills, one-legged drills, and so on.

some people also like the trainer for bricks; i'm ambivalent about that.

-mike

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https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/