of course specificity matters, especially as you get to the pointier end, but generally i'm of the view that base is base. hell, go play soccer a few days a week if you like. to me, basebuilding is much more about cardiovascular plumbing than anything else, including recruiting specific muscles, so in my books it all counts.

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https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

I consider that to be the case.
I do all of my indoor training on the tri bike and the majority of my outdoor riding on the road bike. My races are mostly duathlon and triathlon which are all on the tri bike. But I also do some sportives. I did the Granfondo Marmotte des Alpes last year (on the road bike obviously). Most of my early season training was done on the tri bike on the trainer. As the weather improved I moved outdoors and did plenty distance on the road bike in the mountains. After the Marmotte, I moved a good proportion of my outdoor rides back to the tri bike for a few weeks ahead of an IM70.3 and that was plenty to have me ready for my best ever bike leg. The road bike training had built up the engine and the legs. I've never found the differences in position and muscle recruitment are a big issue PROVIDED I don't completely abandon either bike for a prolonged period.
I did put the road bike aside for several months in early 2016 while preparing for an IM. When I went back to it afterwards it felt horrible. I was getting back to normal after a handful of rides, but I wouldn't do that again. I prefer the mix anyway and I really don't believe the loss in performance, if any, is significant.

So to summarise. Do a bit of both and leading up to longer distance events, make sure to put in some long rides on the bike you'll be racing. Aside from that, I don't worry about it so long as I get a decent mount of time on both.

That is my experience also. Plus, it is much more fun to be able to mix things up by riding the road bike and even mountain bike in combination with the TT bike, than only riding the TT bike month after month.

Yes.

I got a new desk at work last October (standing desk) and soon realized i could fit a normal bike under it on a trainer

Fast forward 6 months and i ride at least 1-2 hours a day, at work, zone 1 (I don’t like sweating at my desk)

I also do 1 hard intensity session a week (ie: 6x3 mins vo2) then a long ride every Sunday in zone 2 (4-5 hours)

Now, immediate question is, is the zone 1 base stuff even worth my time?

The answer was clear the first time I got outdoors after the bad weather was gone and my power at 145bpm (ironman) for long rides climbed from 195 avg at ironman Texas last year to 235 now.

Nothing changed except my zone 1 work, all on a road bike at my desk, all sitting straight up while pedalling.

Hope that helps

This is super interesting to me right now as I'm studying for the bar. So even *super* easy stuff (50% FTP is?) builds you up? I assumed it was just "junk," but if i can do practice problems at that intensity... i'd be set!

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Go back and listen to interviews with the greats of the sport (Allen, Scott, Tinley, Molina). Seems like they are always talking about epic big days rides 6-8-10 hours at like 14-15 mph, i.e. super easy. It seemed to work out pretty well for them.

I remember doing 4 hours at 120-150 watts at my desk at the beginning. (FTP was 300 at the time). It was a bit overly ambitious time wise

I got home that night and i was exhausted and it wasnt a stressful work day - i realized it MUST be causing some adaptations if im feeling this way

I'd say yes and no.

Primarily yes for all of the reasons others have listed eloquently above me. No because of the obvious fit differences between a road bike and tri bike... but this won't be of huge consequence. In short, I think the best thing to do is what Rapp suggested a long time ago: have different length cranks on your tri bike and road bike so that you have the same hip angle with both fits. That will minimize the necessary adaptation when you ride your tri bike.

Yes!

I believe changing bikes, and riding terrain, is an important factor for improving. I used to always ride the tri bike, but once I mixed in road and mountain I saw noticeable improvements. Plus it breaks up the monotony.

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Member of the Litespeed Factory Team
www.litespeed.com

If you ride nearly the same effort on different bikes you're are going to get nearly the same training effect.

You can get better at riding a certain bikes but it appears you don't have the need of specificity for your tri bike.

[quote]So even *super* easy stuff (50% FTP is?) builds you up[/quote]

You're not going to get less fit doing it.
If you think about it like a bank account you're making a deposit. Last time I really bothered to think about it, I'd rather have $x + $.01 vs just $x.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
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