How many here training exclusively on your race bike. Trainer/ Road.???
also interested in what theories there are…
i have my tri bike setup on the indoor trainer and do all my structured sessions on it. however, i do use the road bike for outdoor long rides to mix it up and i can feel slight differences in the muscles used. i was always under the impression that training on what you plan to race seems logical. i think it’s a bit more “tough” on the body especially if training in the aero position on the tri bike…but come raceday, it will feel normal.
I have 5 bikes. I use my crit bike on the trainer. I spend about 90 minutes a week on the TT bike. The other 3 bikes are roadies and I rotate among them for outdoor training/group rides. They’re too nice to risk in a race.
All my winter trainer rides are on the tri bike and I’ll stay in aero during all the intervals
For years all my outdoor rides were on my tri bike since I didn’t have another road bike. I do know and it’s probably somewhere between 50:50 and 75:25 (tri:road). I find the road bike more enjoyable to ride due to its better handling, more relaxed position, and that I can enjoy the scenery on it vs the tri bike (it also climbs/decends better do I use it when the ride has lots of long steep grades). But I think there is importance in being able to comfortably hold power in the aerobars and to do that you takes practice. Hence why I try to spend over half my time on it. After the season is over, I’ll spend the all of the fall until the snow hits on my road bike and the tri bike goes unused.
I have 2 bikes, 1 tri bike and 1 road bike. The roadie stays in the rafters for all but maybe 4 total rides throughout the year. Pretty much all of my riding, indoors or outdoors, is done on my tri bike. I just like it better.
Winter :
mostly MTB and road bike, plus 1 or 2 session per month with track bike, same position as TT/Tri bike (so globally 10 or 20% of time in aero position)
3 month from races :
add some TT/Tri bike sessions (30 to 50% of time in aero position)
2 month from races :
70% of mileage on the TT/Tri bike (mostly with old alu wheels)
(globally only road an track, only few short sessions on roller)
.
1 bike, 3 sets of wheels. 4 sets of gears.
I do almost all training on my race (TT) bike. I have 2 bikes, TT and road. My TT is on the trainer and I ride it outside leading up to a race. I ride my road bike outside whena race is not soon and for fun rides.
Tri bike is currently on trainer as road bike groupset is being upgraded. Closer to races I’ll make sure to get a little more time in aero on tri bike. Beyond that I just ride whatever I feel like that day
I do all my riding on my cervelo P2. Trainer and road. No issues so far.
Just started riding a tri bike this past season. Once it was all set up and running I did probably 95% of my rides on it. Mainly so I got used to the position (because of IM Maryland) and handling of the tri bike. Right now I have my roadie on my trainer so that if I want to head out of the roads I can easily take my tri bike without hassle. If I plan only triathlons this upcoming season then I’ll continue using the tri bike for all my rides. If I decide to do some fondos then I’ll mix it up a bit.
I do all my riding on my cervelo P2. Trainer and road. No issues so far.
Same here
I have an S2 but rarely ride it. P3 on trainer and outside.
100% of my bike training is on my tactical on the trainer. I alternate sitting up and aero depending on the workout.
I was wondering the same, but mainly because I vastly prefer my road bike. I have had 3 or 4 tt bikes over the years (4 IM and countless tris), been fitted on them, and spent most of my time on them because it was what I thought I should do. In the end, I am far more comfortable on my road bike and it is better for group rides and mostly ride it. Now that I am getting back into doing tris, I asking myself which I should use for racing. I am also wondering to what extent I can get away with mostly training on my road bike and then racing with my tt bike? Does it make that big of a difference? I am generally MOP, so, I am not really concerned with losing 4-5 minutes in regards to placing, but I would rather not lose 15-20 over the course of IM WI. Also, does it really make that much of a difference on the muscles you use on the run?
Guess I’m the minority here. My road bike is set up on my trainer and I do 90% of my riding on it. Will ride my TT bike outside and pretty much just ride outside leading up to races
When I had a road bike, I rode it significantly more than the tri bike until races got close. Then a few months out, I switched to the tri bike. This was for indoor and outdoor riding. Then about a year ago I decided to do 95% of my training indoors. Was stupid to have 2 bikes for indoor riding, so I sold the roadie and the race bike is now on the trainer. Now have a MTB for any outdoor fun.
lucky me I have an outdoor cycling track very close to my place where I can ride on aerobar with out to worry about traffic
So yep 100% of my training is on my race bike. (but on training airless tires)
This brings back memories. I bought my first TT bike (Cannondale IM 2000) in 2004. It was so comfortable that I stopped riding my road bike. 30,000 miles later, I replaced it with a Cannondale Slice, and that was all I rode for the next 20,000 miles. Training, racing, bike commuting, you name it.
Eighteen months ago I bought a Cannondale Synapse. Partly because I wanted to save some wear and tear on the Slice, and partly because I figured it looked sort of dorky to bike commute on the Slice. (Probably the least dorky aspect of me.). Now I ride about 80-90% of my miles on the Synapse. I’ve put in enough miles on my TT bikes that I don’t need to ride the Slice very often any more. (I never ride on a trainer. Weather and roads in Eastern NM are good enough that I can ride on the roads most of the time.).
I have a pair bombproof wheels/tires that I use for most of my rides on the Slice and a similar pair that I use in the winter on the Synapse. I save the race wheels for the Slice for racing, and I have a pair of Ksyriums that I ride in the summer for the Synapse. Good times all around.
Depends on what the roads are like where you live, and what kind of trainer you have. When I lived in an area with a lot of rough roads and bad weather, I did most of my outdoor riding on my old road bike fitted with training wheels and Gatorskins. Only took the tri bike and nice road bike out in better weather and usually with training wheels, only really used the race wheels and tires maybe once or twice in the week before a big race to make sure everything was running smoothly.
Now I’m living in a place with nice smooth roads and mostly good weather, the wear and tear on bikes and particularly wheels/tires is much less so I’m using the race equipment outside a lot more. And my old road bike is a pretty much permanent fixture on the trainer (though that’s mostly laziness, not having to put the bike on the trainer is one less barrier to starting a trainer session).