I’m riding indoors only when outside is either dark or raining. Roughly 270 riding hours/year total, of which 25-30% on the trainer and 70-75% outside
I do almost all of my riding indoors. I have an outdoor loop that can be ~10k or stretched to 20 miles, all with (minimal) right turns on quiet roads. I do some workouts/long rides there but it’s a bit of a drive from where I live. I had a blood clot & am on blood thinners so, while I would love to ride outdoors for every ride, I have to be smart & prioritize my health. Feel like every time I come on here there’s a new article about a cyclist getting hit. I was just in Finland for 70.3 Worlds & it was completely different over there. Feel like the race course was on super quiet highways/roads that you would never have a problem riding on. Feel like the cities/towns were designed with cyclists in mind. It’s flat-out dangerous where I live. Nobody stops at stop signs, even in the neighborhood. Everyone speeds. Everyone is on their phones. Not worth the risk for me & I’ve been riding great in races this season. The indoor riding is definitely leading to big improvements. Feel like you can really dial into exact effort on the trainer & knock out big workouts. Don’t mind it with all of the available distractions (Zwift/YouTube/podcasts/music/tv/etc).
I live in an area where farm dogs and bad road surfaces are a bigger problem then cars. I ride exclusively outside May thru Oct (5 x week) avoiding the dogs and bad roads. I ride with a blinking front light and rear radar to be visible. I use TrainerRoad Nov thru Apr when the winter sets in.
I live a stones throw from the Provincial parliament (and occasionally am tempted to see if that’s true). It’s an 1 hour ride to get out of town or a 1/2 drive to get to a parking lot that cyclists use, then bike from there. It’s half a day whatever I do. Country riding is pretty safe here but town riding is a nightmare on a twitchy Tri bike.
Covid stopped the group and club rides (my choice to some degree) and not racing removed the actual need. So I rode indoors for most of two years with some outside riding when Toronto shut down a few highways to accommodate riding. Then the City stopped doing the closures and went one step further by closing interconnecting trails because of a huge roadworks program. So I have all but given up riding outdoors. Ride in the gym or on a home setup. Might finally set up online riding this winter because riding and watching the tele is boring.
One thing that I think is worth mentioning about indoor training is that I believe it more closely reflects race conditions, which is no stopping, no coasting and no socializing. My race speed hasn’t suffered much and most of that is age related.
By design I live in a spot that I can ride out the front door. I have a 6 ft bike shoulder on my street, and in 2km I hit my 10km loop that is all right turns with a single traffic light with only 1.5 km that does not have a shoulder (the loop has 110m climbing too, so 9 loops gets me 1000m). Having said that, I generally have better bike splits in races in May (relative to the field) than in August and I think part of this is the quality of indoor riding which is, effort wise, more like tri racing as you pointed out. The other part is coming off XC ski and swim racing season, where my cardio load may be higher than puttering along on my “hard outdoor rides”.
** Outdoor ride has too much coasting however you cut it. **
***By design I live in a spot that I can ride out the front door. ***I have a 6 ft bike shoulder on my street, and in 2km I hit my 10km loop that is all right turns with a single traffic light with only 1.5 km that does not have a shoulder (the loop has 110m climbing too, so 9 loops gets me 1000m). Having said that, I generally have better bike splits in races in May (relative to the field) than in August and I think part of this is the quality of indoor riding which is, effort wise, more like tri racing as you pointed out. The other part is coming off XC ski and swim racing season, where my cardio load may be higher than puttering along on my “hard outdoor rides”.
You are significantly overlooking just how many people have true agency over where they live, and thus the consequences that follows.
After having lived in eight different places since I took up road cycling, it has become quite clear that I’ve gotten quite lucky in a few of the locales. Many people don’t get a say re: where they live, due to job and/or familial concerns. Though where I currently reside is great for running, it is subpar for cycling; nor is this a place I would choose to live in on my own volition (b/c of the dearth of good outdoor riding options that doesn’t require 1-hr of roundtrip driving). I’ve seriously thought of it as an exile at times. But it is a necessary step for my wife’s career, and the exile does have an end date, so I just roll with it, trying to get some outdoor riding (however short) when I can.
July and august I ride long outside every Sunday when the sun is up at 5:30am
Else, all indoor
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Since the roads have become so dangerous with distracted drivers everywhere, people intentionally targeting cyclists, etc. does anyone do the majority of their training indoors now? or have some ideas for avoiding dangerous roads (ie. trails, gravel, etc.). I don’t have a problem with the radar, cameras, etc. however, I just don’t see that necessarily stopping motorists from hitting cyclists (it might document the car, etc.). Plus, in some places, there are few if any consequences for motorists (or so it seems) who hit cyclists. I don’t see the roads becoming any safer with more people, more traffic, etc.
Funny that you posted this now. I have been back outside riding on paved roads for my long bike recently. I had stopped riding outdoors after 2019 when I just got tired of the dangerous and distracted drivers. I didn’t feel safe anymore. Everyone is different but I think for me the best way to be in good bike shape is to do a bit of both indoor and outdoor riding. I understand those who ride mostly outside and those who ride inside primarily due to safety. I get it.
I did almost all my bike training indoors for IMLP this past July. I only rode my tri bike outside to do a 70.3 in June and then rode the IMLP course for 56 miles a couple weeks before the Ironman. I thought I was in OK bike shape, but I wasn’t!! My body just wasn’t ready for all that climbing and elevation. I ended up with terrible back spasms and pain on the run in my lower back. I had the slowest and most miserable bike split ever and just felt terrible on the second lap. I had to walk most of the marathon due to back pain (I’ve done sub 3:38 IM marathons in the past). Even the last few miles of walking were pretty bleak. I had to walk bending over to finish the race. Worse race ever. 6 years ago when I did IMLP my bike split was around 45 mins faster and that wasn’t my best day. Ironically, I got a deep rolldown to Kona (I didn’t want to go to the awards but my husband and friends insisted I go). Very Ironic because when I did very well in past Ironmans (biking outside mostly on long rides) I ended up on the podium but no slots or rolldowns for me.
So I’m doing some bike rides outside for Kona. Did 110 miles this past Sunday. I was on the road at around 6am and chose a route with less traffic. People were pretty good and haven’t had any issues so far. It was still nerve wracking at times when it did get busier as the morning got later.
I think for 70.3s I can get away with just indoor training but not the full IM. But that’s me. Everyone is different. I have a good friend who does well in the IM doing almost all training indoors. Their swim and run are better than their bike, but they end up on the podium.
80% indoors unless I’m getting close to a race. But seeing this may push me to 100% https://www.tmz.com/2023/09/18/las-vegas-police-plead-info-cyclist-fatal-hit-and-run-murder-video/
I think you’re hitting the nail on the head.
Indoor training is awesome for race day - until it’s not!
I still believe you can absolutely do the large bulk of your riding indoors, but doing ALL of it, or doing all your long race-day sim rides indoors is a real risk of missing something that will cause you to greatly underperform on race day.
Just a few things I’m sure can cause havoc on race day for the 100% indoor folks:
- Hills. Not the power involved, but the position changes and slightly different muscle recruitment. The more hills, the more positional differences.
- Changes weather/temp conditions. It’s fine and dandy to have optimized nutrition in the controlled indoor climate, but can you adjust pace and nutrition and mindset if it’s hotter or colder than expected, or wet?
- Aero helmet weight on the neck. Sounds trivial, but it’s not, esp for IM. If you’re like most, and don’t wear any helmet while on an indoor trainer, you’ll get neck/back fatigue on those long outdoor rides that will quickly become more of a problem than your legs. This literally happened to me on my 4hr long ride 2 weeks ago - legs were golden, but my neck/shoulders were killing me after 2 hrs despite doing all my indoor training in aero.
- Equipment issues that you see outdoors and will run into outdoor riding but which you won’t see before race day on your indoor trainer.
- Obviously, handling and the mental energy required for that. Doesn’t take much if you’re used to riding on roads in a variety of conditions, but you’ll mentally fatigue if the course is requiring you to focus harder than you’d like to stay upright on the dicey areas.
These are just a few, and of course, it also differs by course. If you’re riding a course that actually is super flat, cool, and basically simulates your indoor flat Tempus Fugit training, you’re probably going to be fine for the most part just going right off the trainer, although there’s always the chance of something you should have anticipated going wrong on the road.
I do think a mix of both is the ideal method to train, and again, it varies on your situation. The indoor is awesome for true non-stop racelike riding, and hard intervals, as well as mental monotony training, but outdoors is really the only way to truly anticipate and simulate most of the (unexpected) issues you will run into on race day. And the longer the race, the more issues crop up.
I think you’re hitting the nail on the head.
Indoor training is awesome for race day - until it’s not!
I still believe you can absolutely do the large bulk of your riding indoors, but doing ALL of it, or doing all your long race-day sim rides indoors is a real risk of missing something that will cause you to greatly underperform on race day.
Just a few things I’m sure can cause havoc on race day for the 100% indoor folks:
- **Hills. Not the power involved, but the position changes and slightly different muscle recruitment. The more hills, the more positional differences. **
- Changes weather/temp conditions. It’s fine and dandy to have optimized nutrition in the controlled indoor climate, but can you adjust pace and nutrition and mindset if it’s hotter or colder than expected, or wet?
- Aero helmet weight on the neck. Sounds trivial, but it’s not, esp for IM. If you’re like most, and don’t wear any helmet while on an indoor trainer, you’ll get neck/back fatigue on those long outdoor rides that will quickly become more of a problem than your legs. This literally happened to me on my 4hr long ride 2 weeks ago - legs were golden, but my neck/shoulders were killing me after 2 hrs despite doing all my indoor training in aero.
- Equipment issues that you see outdoors and will run into outdoor riding but which you won’t see before race day on your indoor trainer.
- Obviously, handling and the mental energy required for that. Doesn’t take much if you’re used to riding on roads in a variety of conditions, but you’ll mentally fatigue if the course is requiring you to focus harder than you’d like to stay upright on the dicey areas.
These are just a few, and of course, it also differs by course. If you’re riding a course that actually is super flat, cool, and basically simulates your indoor flat Tempus Fugit training, you’re probably going to be fine for the most part just going right off the trainer, although there’s always the chance of something you should have anticipated going wrong on the road.
I do think a mix of both is the ideal method to train, and again, it varies on your situation. The indoor is awesome for true non-stop racelike riding, and hard intervals, as well as mental monotony training, but outdoors is really the only way to truly anticipate and simulate most of the (unexpected) issues you will run into on race day. And the longer the race, the more issues crop up.
Agree with your post. The highlighted is the most important that pertains to me. I learned the hard way. In the past I was always doing super long and very hilly bike rides outside every Saturday for an Ironman. Not doing that for IMLP was a disaster. It was my first IM with mostly all indoor training. I really should have known better. But I was very concerned with some of the drivers out here on the paved roads. I was supposed to supplement the indoor training with hilly gravel bike rides from my house but didn’t really do enough of that and it’s a totally different bike.
Turns out that the drivers in this county in my new home are pretty good. No one bothers me. In my old home (more densely populated) I had too many bad experiences with cars/trucks. 4 big rides outside so far and not one problem out here in my rural corner of the world. I am also riding alone w/o my husband (who now sags/leap frogs me). Whatever the reasons, I’m glad people have been nice to me out here. There is also a cop who drives the main route I ride. I see him and wave.
Agreed to some degree. Many people can’t decide where they live, however, we have chosen to live in a place where my income potential was substantially lower than offers I had (in primarily US cities with not great sport facilities out my front door vs where I live in Canada). Life is full of choices. We don’t NEED to have higher incomes, bigger houses, fancier toys and vacations, higher professional status etc etc etc. But most of us willingly trade off health and recreation and other quality of life elements for higher level of all of the aforementioned. Most of us WANT the higher status stuff, and then we get to the other side of our careers with bad health look back at the last 35 years and realize it was an endless game of keeping up with the Jones.
Literally everything we do is by design in a free market economy. Access to better health and fitness amenities, or access to higher paying/status professions. We can have it all, but typically we can’t have it all at the same moment.
Stress: When I ride indoors, I don’t have to deal with: cars, potholes, weather, flats, pedestrians, other cyclists, dogs, or dumb-ass squirrels that can’t make up their mind when crossing the road.
Efficiency: A one-hour ride indoors requires all of about 62 minutes. Change clothes, fill a bottle, walk to the basement, select music, ride.
Workout quality: I’m sure it is possible to do intervals outdoors in the Chicago metro area, but I’m not sure how unless I get in a car first or ride way too fast on the Lakeshore path early in the morning.
For these gains, I give up the stimulation that comes with outdoor riding and the companionship of riding with others. I gain the latter back a bit by running with friends and I’m willing to sacrifice the former.
speeding in excess of 20+ mph over the limit, the increase in the no. of high-profile vehicles and a very noticeable decrease in traffic enforcement in Ohio, I’ve been hesitant to resume riding regularly on the roads which I had done for decades.
Yes… it’s the same in Denver… way more people speeding, no traffic enforcement at all since 2020.
mostly ride the mtb on trails/dirt roads these days. I think this is not optimal for tri racing though, really need to do more trainer sessions but they are so very boring…
all road riding these days has to happen before 8am on a weekend morning, or requires driving a couple of hours to find gravel/roads that don’t terrify me.
There are good bike path options, but you can’t ride fast on a bike path. So road riding is pretty much gone for me, sadly.
Yes I agree with you about zero enforcement. I see people multi-tasking while driving. The other day I saw a guy drinking beer (I recognized the can), vaping and talking on his phone. He was driving a massive pickup and weaving in and out of traffic and tailgating.
I am pretty much sold on spending 99% of my time indoors now. I will try to get out on trails or near deserted paths once in awhile. The risk is too great to be on roads now (even on the shoulder).
KK
Throughout the past few years, nearly half of my riding has been indoors. For the most part, I ride outside for fun (or the occasional race), ride inside for training.
Weekday bike sessions are all indoors (2 or 3 per week), long Saturday rides go outdoors when A) it’s nice outside and B) the session is >2h, i.e. getting closer to a race. Occasionally if it’s taper or recovery week I will ride my commuter bike for short outdoor coffee rides. So over the course of a year, something like 85% of sessions are indoors. FWIW I’m in Washington state USA, small-ish town without tons of traffic and decent access to ~safe country roads.
Danger from motorists is certainly in the back of my mind, but it’s not the primary reason I choose indoor vs outdoor. I don’t really want to ride outdoors much more than I already do. I am actually pretty happy with my current indoor/outdoor balance, and derive a lot of unique benefit from each.
Outdoor riding benefits
Bike handling practiceGear testing in real conditionsBike fit/position testing in real conditionsNutrition rehearsal in real conditionsThe riding itself is more interestingRiding is more comfortable (position variability, better airflow, coasting), caveat being bad pavementOutdoor riding drawbacks
MASSIVELY less convenient
Need to spend time planning a route that’s interesting/safe/target distanceMore clothing to deal with and launder (jacket, jersey, different weights/styles based on weather)SunblockDealing with nutrition is a painMore gear to prep (pump tires, charge Di2, charge power pedals, charge head unit)Obligated to “single-task” – indoors I can take care of some work/personal tasks on my phone/laptopRestricted to daylight hoursRestricted to reasonable weatherDealing with traffic, stoplights, construction, bugsLess efficient/precise for building fitnessDangerous to some extent (motorists, potholes, etc)Can’t share it with my wife, who doesn’t ride
Indoors, she will do a treadmill session next to the turbo, and we can have a mini “date” watching TV or a movieCompletely detached from home life, which costs me more goodwill points with the wife than riding indoors where she can come chat with me if needed, or I can take a break to deal with stuff
