Finally got the trainer. Hooked it up and calibrated it so that the speed and cadence are somewhat consistent with riding on the road. I’m just wondering how you measure your workout productivity without a meter. Do you go by time, distance, heart rate/time, etc.? I’m assuming a level of error for mileage. I’m assuming the it is harder training on a trainer since my HR is running faster then biking the same speed/cadence combination?
I don’t use the trainer much anymore.
When I did, I would go by heart rate and time.
I also corelated cadence and speed (bike computer must measure the back wheel for this).
No question my hour on my trainer is like 1.5 hours on the road. No rest, downhills, etc.
Even w/o power, with a trainer, no longer excuses for the weather, dark outside, etc. So, even if you just get on the darn thing each day, I assume you end up with more bike training
than if you could only ride outside. I know I have.
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“Hooked it up and calibrated it so that the speed and cadence are somewhat consistent with riding on the road.”
How did you do that? What brand trainer?
Id just suggest keep a decent 90ish cadence and go by heart rate. Distance/speed isn’t that relevant.
Not sure what you mean by the last sentence but it is common for running HR to be higher than cycling HR.
A cycleops wind trainer. I then put a garmin speed cadence sensor and finding the right gear. Basically by having the data from rides, I found that a certain cadence equals a certain speed for the gear I use during flat road riding. Not scientific by any sense of the word, but it gets you in the ball park. But again, the effort or work (power) is lacking to ensure it is correct. If I find the cadence is off, I can take a little pressure off the flywheel.
You could get a cheap wired, bike computer with a rear wheel sensor. Even better is one that mounts to your trainer. The speed and distance may not be the same as outside but you can compare your indoor rides.
What do you do for power on the road?