£12 is nothing A couple cups of coffe/cake. No need for any winter clothing, increased drive train wear, tyres or innertubes. Safety too.
When you add all that up a nice direct drive turbo and Apple tv or tablet setup is cheap
Indoor trainers—love or hate?
- Thread starter mpemburn
- Start date
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When you add all that up a nice direct drive turbo and Apple tv or tablet setup is cheap
Just pay per month then cancel subscription.
JtB
Prepare a way for the Lord
- Location
- North Hampshire
Like most people here I need to remain physically active in order to maintain a level of wellbeing (both physical and mental), however ever since getting my first car (43 years ago) physical activity has not been an intrinsic part of my lifestyle which means I need to make time for “exercise”. Luckily I am able to exercise doing things I enjoy outdoors such as cycling and walking, but there are times (particularly during winter) when I don’t like exercising outdoors and since becoming sedentary is not an option then indoor exercise becomes my only option. Unfortunately indoor exercise is not intrinsically enjoyable but with a bit of planning a lot of the pain can be removed and it can seem at times almost enjoyable.
In my case the indoor exercise environment needs to be right. I couldn’t exercise for example in a dark corner of a garage. There needs to be plenty of light with windows and doors that can be opened along with space for exercising, a good TV screen and speakers placed around the room.
The choice of equipment also needs to be well thought out. I spent many years using a dumb fluid turbo trainer which for me worked well because I could use my Garmin sensors to keep track of my workouts. Of course the virtual miles could not be compared to the real “cycled” miles, however since the fluid trainer had a defined power curve then the virtual miles from one workout could be compared to the virtual miles from another workout. For this reason a dumb magnetic resistance turbo trainer would have been about as much use to me as a “glass hammer”.
Another thing that helps me with indoor exercise is being able to share the pain with someone else, along with having a variety of different exercises. So over the years I have added a cross trainer and treadmill before finally replacing the turbo trainer with a Wattbike Atom. Online programs like Zwift don’t really float my boat so I just have the Atom connected to the Wattbike Hub.
While working out there’s nothing more I enjoy than watching a nature documentary in (ultra) high definition with subtitles while listening to Latin Spanish Boleros which have a relaxing and constant rhythm that seems well suited to the rhythm of my workouts.
All of the exercise machines (especially the Atom) track my workouts, but due to the fact that I peaked years ago then using the metrics to push myself harder would just kill off any motivation to exercise indoors. Instead I simply use the metrics to ensure that I’m not slacking or deceiving myself with short cuts.
In my case the indoor exercise environment needs to be right. I couldn’t exercise for example in a dark corner of a garage. There needs to be plenty of light with windows and doors that can be opened along with space for exercising, a good TV screen and speakers placed around the room.
The choice of equipment also needs to be well thought out. I spent many years using a dumb fluid turbo trainer which for me worked well because I could use my Garmin sensors to keep track of my workouts. Of course the virtual miles could not be compared to the real “cycled” miles, however since the fluid trainer had a defined power curve then the virtual miles from one workout could be compared to the virtual miles from another workout. For this reason a dumb magnetic resistance turbo trainer would have been about as much use to me as a “glass hammer”.
Another thing that helps me with indoor exercise is being able to share the pain with someone else, along with having a variety of different exercises. So over the years I have added a cross trainer and treadmill before finally replacing the turbo trainer with a Wattbike Atom. Online programs like Zwift don’t really float my boat so I just have the Atom connected to the Wattbike Hub.
While working out there’s nothing more I enjoy than watching a nature documentary in (ultra) high definition with subtitles while listening to Latin Spanish Boleros which have a relaxing and constant rhythm that seems well suited to the rhythm of my workouts.
All of the exercise machines (especially the Atom) track my workouts, but due to the fact that I peaked years ago then using the metrics to push myself harder would just kill off any motivation to exercise indoors. Instead I simply use the metrics to ensure that I’m not slacking or deceiving myself with short cuts.
yes I agree, but other that that all is good
alex_cycles
Veteran
- Location
- Oxfordshire
Yes but what HAVE indoor trainers done for us?
Big T
Guru
- Location
- Nottingham
I’ve tried had several dumb turbo trainers in the past but never got on with them - extreme boredom soon taking over. I recently bought a Wahoo Kickr and I use it on Zwift. It’s made the whole indoor cycling thing at least bearable, even bordering on interesting. I do a regular group ride on a Monday night on Zwift and do a couple more solo rides through the week. My wife uses it too. The advantage is that we can each use our own bike, set up exactly as we want it. It only takes about 20 seconds to remove the back wheel and put the bike on the turbo, I run Zwift on my iPad and I’ve just bought an HDMI adapter so that I can run it on the TV in our spare room. I won’t use it in summer, but in sub zero temps and at night it’s much better than riding outside.
Sittingduck
Legendary Member
- Location
- Somewhere flat
Years ago I was always a hardcore all weathers outdoor only rider. Zwift was in its infancy and trainers were decidedly dumb. Hated turbo sessions and would simply go out in the freezing rain.
Nowadays with the modern improvements in the platform and smart trainers it’s a game changer for me and has helped me back into something resembling a base of cycling familiarity (I would hesitate to call it fitness). I have lost some weight and gained enough confidence to get out on the road again but definitely weather permitting. Rather spend time turning legs in the dry than cleaning filthy bikes and fixing punctures in the pisswater rain. Both have equally valuable and unique place in a cyclist schedule, imho.
As for those (Zwift users) who hate more than 30 mins or whatever, try group rides and if nothing is suitable, join a pace partner group or sweep in a D cat ride, far more entertaining than just pootling around aimlessly.
Nowadays with the modern improvements in the platform and smart trainers it’s a game changer for me and has helped me back into something resembling a base of cycling familiarity (I would hesitate to call it fitness). I have lost some weight and gained enough confidence to get out on the road again but definitely weather permitting. Rather spend time turning legs in the dry than cleaning filthy bikes and fixing punctures in the pisswater rain. Both have equally valuable and unique place in a cyclist schedule, imho.
As for those (Zwift users) who hate more than 30 mins or whatever, try group rides and if nothing is suitable, join a pace partner group or sweep in a D cat ride, far more entertaining than just pootling around aimlessly.
kayakerles
Have a nice ride.
- Location
- Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
I used to love to ski. Bought a NordicTrack to use out in the garage between ski trips for training and maintaining energy. Oh please… what an unfulfilling substitute! Or like believing a Kindle reader could take the place of a real book. Won't even pretend some kind of trainer could be for me what a bike ride outside is. Some things just have no substitute.
Colin Grigson
Bass guitarist - Bad News
- Location
- Slovakia
Please let us know your thoughts on the ‘Rizer’ … I assume it simulates uphill sections by raising the front of the bike. Agree with all you say about Zwift - lovin’ it …. ride on !
marzjennings
Guru
- Location
- Houston, Texas, USA
An indoor trainer was great when my daughter was a baby and I couldn't leave the house for any length of time. I could still get some exercise in while having the baby monitor next to me.
These days I have a bike set up on Zwift in the garage and it's great for days when the weather isn't being friendly, and days when I can't leave the house (deliveries, sick family members, on call for work). I've also found having a indoor has allowed for a more diversity in training, for example the nearest hills to me are at least 100miles away and so I ride a lot of hilly'er rides on Zwift. And FTP tests on Zwift allow for more consistent effort as I don't have to worry about traffic, junctions and pot holes.
These days I have a bike set up on Zwift in the garage and it's great for days when the weather isn't being friendly, and days when I can't leave the house (deliveries, sick family members, on call for work). I've also found having a indoor has allowed for a more diversity in training, for example the nearest hills to me are at least 100miles away and so I ride a lot of hilly'er rides on Zwift. And FTP tests on Zwift allow for more consistent effort as I don't have to worry about traffic, junctions and pot holes.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
You can buy a wifi booster for circa £20
alex_cycles
Veteran
- Location
- Oxfordshire
COVID booster is free and that gives you 5GYou can buy a wifi booster for circa £20
- Location
- Inside my skull
Outdoors my experience is mostly like this
- Location
- Inside my skull
I see the turbo as a backup where it’s too icy to be on the roads outside. Fortunately in the south of England that is pretty rare. I can only really tolerate the turbo for about an hour. I’ll save the turbo for those icy days or where I want a hard workout. Outdoors you can ride for hours, not notice them pass, and never get bored.
I haven't read the thread yet.
I've had goes on exercise bikes of the old "club catalogue" variety and of more modern electronic variants. At home I have some rollers which I bought when I first got back into cycling a few years back. I don't think I would ever get into the exercise bike (or turbo trainers type machines) other than once in a blue moon as a novelty. I bought the rollers when spare time was short and the weather was bad, the idea being that I could hop on the bike for 10 minutes or more when I had an opportunity, so that I could maintain a minimum fitness level for when I did have enough time to enjoy a proper bike ride (hopefully in good weather) but I never really got into them. I haven't used them for at least four years and I think the last time I did use them, it was to check the positioning of handlebars and brake hoods.
Although I see the exercise as an important and valuable aspect of my cycling, I don't ride for the sake of exercise but because I enjoy riding my bike out and about and I believe therein lies the reason that I have no enthusiasm for indoor trainers. Being aware of not getting enough exercise does help motivate me to get out on the bike when I've got a lazy head on but that motivation would not stretch to getting me on an indoor trainer.
I've had goes on exercise bikes of the old "club catalogue" variety and of more modern electronic variants. At home I have some rollers which I bought when I first got back into cycling a few years back. I don't think I would ever get into the exercise bike (or turbo trainers type machines) other than once in a blue moon as a novelty. I bought the rollers when spare time was short and the weather was bad, the idea being that I could hop on the bike for 10 minutes or more when I had an opportunity, so that I could maintain a minimum fitness level for when I did have enough time to enjoy a proper bike ride (hopefully in good weather) but I never really got into them. I haven't used them for at least four years and I think the last time I did use them, it was to check the positioning of handlebars and brake hoods.
Although I see the exercise as an important and valuable aspect of my cycling, I don't ride for the sake of exercise but because I enjoy riding my bike out and about and I believe therein lies the reason that I have no enthusiasm for indoor trainers. Being aware of not getting enough exercise does help motivate me to get out on the bike when I've got a lazy head on but that motivation would not stretch to getting me on an indoor trainer.
