Turbo training

[Blue]

Found my old wired cadence sencer / computer fitted it and gave it a go. Did 10 minute warm up 1 minute cadence 120 then rest 1 minute did it 10 times all it the same gear. WOW that was hard work. After 3 sets I was finished. Did have to man up for the last 7. That felt good after I finish all 10 sets

The thing is to find a number that you can maintain for the interval/set. That gives you something to build on as you get stronger as you can increase the number after every few sessions and see your improvement. Was 120 too high a number to start? Are 1min efforts what you need anyway? All of this is why I enjoy turbo training, the numbers, the numbers

 

[Blue]

Progressive resistance turbos don't work like that.

I'll give you that one. I didn't notice the OP saying what type of turbo he was using.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

This will be good. I didn't get the memo that The Obree Way was a training manual.

 

[Blue]

This will be good. I didn't get the memo that The Obree Way was a training manual.

 

[Blue]

Progressive resistance turbos don't work like that.

Is that what the OP is using? I glanced back through the thread and don't see any reference to such.

 

[Brad123]

Flat out 1 minute intervals are of little value unless you are doing then for a very specific reason. Why are you doing them? Longer, less intense intervals will provide better all round training effects.

Why are you doing intervals at all? That's the first question to ask before designing your sessions.

If I just claimed on the turbo and did not have a plan what I was going to do I would get board and stop. Why 1 minute don't know just saw it some were and thought it sounded like a good work out. Did not find 120 cadence to high for the first 5 sets. But did straggle on the last 5 avg 115 to 120

I'll give you that one. I didn't notice the OP saying what type of turbo he was using.

I got a CycleOps Fluid turbo trainer.

Why and I doing all this. Hopefully next year spring time I will me a much stronger rider. Going to join a club next year and start doing some TT. Might even have a go at racing. If my lovely wife will let me get a nice bike for it don't think my Triban will fit in. Also I am 40 so not that young .

 

[Blue]

If I just claimed on the turbo and did not have a plan what I was going to do I would get board and stop. Why 1 minute don't know just saw it some were and thought it sounded like a good work out. Did not find 120 cadence to high for the first 5 sets. But did straggle on the last 5 avg 115 to 120

I got a CycleOps Fluid turbo trainer.

Why and I doing all this. Hopefully next year spring time I will me a much stronger rider. Going to join a club next year and start doing some TT. Might even have a go at racing. If my lovely wife will let me get a nice bike for it don't think my Triban will fit in. Also I am 40 so not that young .

40 is fine for doing TT. My PB's are 57:08 for 25miles and 22:41 for 10miles - one set at age 58 and the other age 59. My goal is to beat both next season, age 60.

I have never used that type of trainer so my prevoius comments may be too personal to my own equipment to be of much use to you. However, one thing is for sure, you need to heed the previously given advice to do longer intervals.

 

[Dusty Bin]

That is exactly why it is useful.
If you keep all other metrics the same (tyre pressure, gears, resistance etc) you will get a hard workout by maintaining that same pedal speed rather than slowing down as fatigue sets in - which is the natural thing to do as your HR drifts(which it will).

Sorry, I don't agree. You are training effort, not leg speed. HR is pretty much useless for a 1min interval anyway, but cadence is no better. Unless you have a PM, then the next best proxy would be wheel speed, assuming you have a computer which works off the rear. Accepting that speed is the best proxy for power implies no reliance on cadence and allows you to adjust your gearing/cadence in order to maintain that speed (ie power) - just like you would do in real life.

 

[Dusty Bin]

To quote Graeme Obree from 'The Turbo Session' chapter of his book 'the Obree way', "...ultimately the only information that actually matters is average speed." If you can turn the pedals at a set average you are maintaining a set average speed.

That's true if you are on a fixed wheel. Road bikes have many gears though, so it is possible to maintain an average (or an effort level) by varying both your cadence and gearing.

 

[VamP]

If I just claimed on the turbo and did not have a plan what I was going to do I would get board and stop. Why 1 minute don't know just saw it some were and thought it sounded like a good work out. Did not find 120 cadence to high for the first 5 sets. But did straggle on the last 5 avg 115 to 120

I got a CycleOps Fluid turbo trainer.

Why and I doing all this. Hopefully next year spring time I will me a much stronger rider. Going to join a club next year and start doing some TT. Might even have a go at racing. If my lovely wife will let me get a nice bike for it don't think my Triban will fit in. Also I am 40 so not that young .

One minute intervals are not going to help with the time trialling, although they are a useful building block (combined with other interval durations) for road racing. The most useful (and also suitable to a beginner) intervals are 2x 20 or 3 x10. These will help improve your threshold power, and as such will be beneficial to all types of riding, as well as being particularly beneficial for TTs.

 

[Blue]

Sorry, I don't agree. You are training effort, not leg speed. HR is pretty much useless for a 1min interval anyway, but cadence is no better. Unless you have a PM, then the next best proxy would be wheel speed, assuming you have a computer which works off the rear. Accepting that speed is the best proxy for power implies no reliance on cadence and allows you to adjust your gearing/cadence in order to maintain that speed (ie power) - just like you would do in real life.

No need to apologise.

 

[Blue]

That's true if you are on a fixed wheel. Road bikes have many gears though, so it is possible to maintain an average (or an effort level) by varying both your cadence and gearing.

I don't use my gears on the turbo, maybe that's why my sessions produced good returns for me.

 

[Dusty Bin]

I don't use my gears on the turbo, maybe that's why my sessions produced good returns for me.

Just think how much more benefit you could have had if you'd used it properly..

 

[Blue]

Just think how much more benefit you could have had if you'd used it properly..

Oh, that's something that will never be know - there isn't any such thing as the 'proper' way to train. As you will know, different things work for different people.
Given my age my results have been excellent and continue to improve year on year so I'm happy that I'm doing something right.

Keep 'em spinning my fellow forumite

 

[Peter Armstrong]

Thats what the resistance settings on the turbo are for.

Yeah the resistance is turned up, but you cannot replicate a hill unless your at an angle, you use different muscles.

Unless you are joking then, Ha Ha.