I bought (2) Computrainer’s about 3 months ago and have been using them a lot. I use ERGvideo’s the most, which I enjoy a lot. I usually do 45-60 minutes of pretty intense rides on there while blasting music. They do make things less boring to have the video ( have 5 of them), but I can’t help but think I could be getting more effective training if I do something like TrainerRoad.
Specifically I want to train for 40km TT’s this coming summer, and I read that TrainerRoad has a good plan for that.
Would this be a good idea for me? Would this be better training than doing these ERGvid’s?
I have a friend come by once per week with his bike to hop on the second computrainer and run through an ERGvid with me. Does TrainerRoad require him to get a membership too?
We run 6 CompuTrainers 4 times a week, so keeping it fresh and everyone engaged is a constant concern. Here’s a few thoughts:
Sufferfest Videos - great bang for the buck in terms of video, music and intensity. We use all 13ErgVideo - one aspect of Paul’s videos that some folks overlook is the different rides contained therein; that is, there are :30 minute rides, 1:00 rides, and (typically) a drop-down box where you can select “all hills” “mostly hills”, etc. And you can adjust the intensity on the fly, which is somewhat unique for erg-based videoClassic Multi-Rider - the old standy CompuTrainer software for multiple trainers (free). Load a course, race your buddy, and play a video using a separate video player (the CT software can use a lot of resources, so a newer computer is better)Classic 3D - the basic CompuTrainer software (free). You can ride two trainers and race against each other. Not the best GUI, but fun in retro sort of way.Tour de Giro - a fun and intense game where you can race almost any course against human and AI cyclists, even across the globe. There are scheduled rides or you can call one of your own, or just join in on the server. Quite intense.PerfPRO Studio - an alternative to TrainerRoad, has some unique features and capabilities. You own this software and updates are free. Depending on license, you can have 3, 8, or unlimited riders.TrainerRoad - subscription-based alternative to PerfPRO Studio. Almost idiot-proof in terms of connecting and getting riding quickly. TrainerRoad is geared for one rider, but they have a 2-rider option that doesn’t require a separate subscription.
There are others and I’m sure others will add their favorite, but it’s a start…
Take any course you’ve done (or others courses) and turn them into 3D courses. The most recent RM1 is very good at importing .gpx files and letting you save the as a course that you can then ride. Not the best graphics with 3D but you’ll get the feel for the course.