(My shed – there’s a turbo trainer in there somewhere…)
Readers Question: I have to ride on a trainer in my shed in the winter because of my chest. any suggestions for style etc.
I’m not a great fan of training inside on a static turbo trainer. I rarely use it, even though it does have some advantages.
- dry
- warm
- safe from cars and other road users
- protects bike from winter salt
- More protected from bad weather colds e.t.c
I think if circumstances mean you have to train inside, the most useful things to know are:
- Try and enjoy it. We tend to look upon static cycling as boring. If you get bored after 15 mins, you are going to struggle to do any proper training. Try music, getting a TV / DVD to help pass the time. Try stick to a training programme, rather than just stopping when you’ve had enough.
- Be Comfortable. It is easy to overheat on a turbo trainer. A fan is essential, even if it is very cold. Make sure there is a good draft in your face to keep cool. There should be enough air to justify wearing one wicking layer. It is not good to be so hot you ride naked. The problem is you can catch cold, cooling down very quickly.
- Replicate Riding Position on Turbo. It is very important that your bike set up is the same on the turbo as it is on the road. The easiest thing is just to use your same road bike. However, you will want to make this modifications.
- If you do alot of training, choose a special tyre for a turbo. Like this Continental turbo training tyre. This special tyre will also help keep turbo quieter – good for your neighbours and good if your trying to listen to music
- Make sure bike frame is protected from corrosive sweat
- Put front wheel on a brick to lift up the bike
- Cadence. It is great if you have a speedometer fixed to back wheel. This will typically give you cadence as well. Again you want to be replicating the same kind of cadence you would be using on the road. The winter may be a good time to increase your cadence. If you are used to pedalling at 70rpm, try increasing this to 80 or 90rpm. It will be useful, especially for longer rides.
Related
- Tips for winter training
- Turbo Trainers at Evans Cycles
Also, keep it fun. Indoor training can get very boring very quickly. Buy yourself some training videos or programmes for your ipod to keep sessions fun.
Instead of training through the winter on a turbo-trainer come and experience the best cardio-vascular workout in a spinning class visit Revolution Fitness, beats sitting in the shed for hours on end!