Turbo advice

helene

I'm about to start trialling for the Oxford University Women's Boat Club, and some of our training schedule involves cross-training. I've seen quite a few bikes and turbos in our gym, and figured this'd be the way to go for some of the sessions.

Trouble is, I've never used a turbo before, so I was wondering first of all what a good entry-level turbo would be (I might be able to borrow one of the ones in the gym, but it'd be useful to get one in the longer term)? What are the notable differences between the main types - I'm totally lost as to what each of them does? And where would I be able to find some guidance on what to aim for - constant speed, rpm, etc? I've got an hour, which is just over my current commuting time.

Cheers!

aracer

Do you have a bike already? In which case, what's wrong with going out riding that on the road rather than sitting inside getting bored on a turbo?

What do you mean when you say you have an hour? Is that how long your session is supposed to be? Personally I could never manage that long on a normal turbo (as opposed to the computer interactive one I have now - but they're rather pricey).

Regarding what to aim for - you are presumably told that by your training schedule aren't you? If you're supposed to be doing steady aerobic stuff then do steady aerobic stuff, if you're supposed to be doing intervals then do intervals - a heart rate monitor is almost essential here as your perceived exertion levels will probably be all wrong. There's not really a lot different between different sports in how you train - though I'd imagine that cross training would generally be just steady aerobic development, as speed work usually needs to be specific to get the most benefit. RIding a bike should be pretty good training though - I've managed decent ergo times in the past based just upon bike and kayaking fitness with pretty much no rowing training at all.

helene

Yup, I've got a road bike, and already average about 30 miles/day commuting to work and training. The problem with just taking it out is that we're all expected to stay at the sports centre for the cross training (swimming being another alternative I'm intending to try). It would be so much more fun just taking it out (or using the time to get into work taking a more scenic route), but I guess it's a way of making sure everyone's pulling their weight...

The session is meant to be an hour. Would you be able to tell me more about the difference between being on the turbo as opposed to out on the road in terms of effort? My commute to work takes between 50-55 mins at the moment, so was wondering what you meant about not being able to spend that long on the turbo?

I think, though will check this as it's not mentioned on the training schedule, that it's UT2 stuff for the cross training. Which I'd personally equate with my commute, a nice, steady 16-17mph cycle, except I'm unsure how much the speed/rpm would be changed by being on the turbo as opposed to on my usual (pot-holey, uneven, sometimes hilly) route?

Thanks for the advice!

gkerr4

wow - this doesn't help you - but if I was already doing 30miles a day in I'd be looking to do something else - swimming or regular strength training ( do you do this separately as a different activity (you should!) or can it be classed as cross-training?)

helene

We've already got weight training scheduled at least 3 times a week, so as far as I can tell cross-training would be running, swimming or cycling. I think the main reason I'd cycle is because it doesn't cause me knee and back pain like running. At least that's the case on-road, no idea what it'd feel like on a turbo?

waytogoyet

out of curiosity helene - can you post what your typical exercise week is?
(i bet you sleep well!)

gkerr4

it just feels the same on a turbo - only hotter and boring!!

I agree about avoiding knee pain in running - you don't need the impact - looks like you are going to be splitting your time with turbo and swimming then!

richa

2x 20mins seems to be a very popular (?) session.

Ian Sims

As far as a turbo goes, without wanting fancy power outputs, then go for a fluid one - they tend to be quieter and give a more "natural" feel. I have a CycleOps fluid 2.

As long as you keep the set up consistent, then speed can be just as useful as power measurement. Try to maintain a highish cadence - 90 - 100 rpm. What you do depends on what you're aiming for.

I would recommend looking at doing some intervals, or ramps in speed/cadence, simply because it will relieve the boredom of being on the turbo. I can ride for 3+ hours on the road without looking at the time, but on the turbo I have one eye on the clock all the time. It's like the world has slowed down and I'm caught in a time warp.

pneumatic

The main difference with the turbo is that you don't get to freewheel so you are always encountering resistance (now you're going to tell me that you commute on a fixie!).

Also, I tend to set the turbo so that it has more resistance than I would usually encounter on a road ride. Consequently, it is like riding uphill for 40 minutes without a break.

Actually, in the Summer, I rode up a continuous hill in France that was 40km long. Strangely, even a couple of hours going uphill seemed easier than 40 minutes on the turbo and it was a lot more fun.

aracer

helene wrote:

The session is meant to be an hour. Would you be able to tell me more about the difference between being on the turbo as opposed to out on the road in terms of effort? My commute to work takes between 50-55 mins at the moment, so was wondering what you meant about not being able to spend that long on the turbo?

Main reason I'd struggle to do an hour on the turbo is boredom. Recommended to have a TV you can watch or take a book and something to stand it on (I used to use a music stand) - particularly if doing only UT2, which roughly equates to level 1 in bicycle training terminology, so very easy and plenty of time to do other things!

As others have said the main difference is you can't freewheel, though personally I don't do much of that on the road anyway on a normal flattish ride.

Does your coach know about the road riding you do already? I presume it won't get you out of this session, but should at least be factored in to your programme. As I mentioned before you should really use a heart rate monitor for doing this to get the intensity right (if aiming for the Blue boat then you do presumably have one or access to one - if not they're very cheap and well worth it).

helene

@ waytogoyet - My other (better?) half complains I sleep too much! This week ('soft start week') is made up of: 2 circuit sessions (preceded by 20mins run/cycle/ergo), 2 weights sessions (as above for warm-up), 60 mins cross-training, 3 outings (1 hour-long one, 1 normal length ~ 1 1/2 -2 hours, and 1 double ~ 3-4 hours). The schedule apparently builds up to 4 outings (2 normal, 2 doubles), and 8 gym sessions. Factor in the fact that Radley (where we have the outings) is about 10k out of Oxford, so the cycle ride there and back is 'free training'.

@gkerr4 - Definitely cycling and swimming - I chose to run last night for my warm-up (after 15 miles of commute) and it wasn't a pretty sight...

@richa - Yup, I can see that - 3x20' is a very popular ergo session, so there's got to be something about 20 min bursts...

@ian sims - Thanks for all the advice! I think I'll try the turbos they've currently got in the gym, and then decide but I'd quite like one I can use at home without annoying my flatmates so a fluid one sounds like the way to go. Although the boredom factor everyone is mentioning does make me wonder whether I actually want to buy one...

@pneumatic - Nope, not hardcore enough for a fixie . Putting the resistance up sounds like a good idea, I have issues with hills anyway so could do with the practice! Out of curiosity, have you noticed a marked improvement in your cycling through using the turbo? By which I mean benefits you wouldn't have got cycling the same distance on the road?

@aracer - Cunning. I could work towards my degree while training! The coach doesn't know - I wasn't sure whether I should mention it, given that I've only got about 3 weeks until my contract finishes. I also have this intense sense of satisfaction as by the time I get to our training sessions I've done more road miles than the average Oxford student does in a week.

HRM - check. I've used them before, but had slightly odd results - even at my fittest, I have quite a high resting heart rate (no heart problems, healthy as anything otherwise), and doing UT2 stuff it goes up to a rate that most people would have trouble talking at, while I can quite happily chat away. Maybe I just have a tiny heart?

pneumatic

helene wrote:

@pneumatic - Nope, not hardcore enough for a fixie . Putting the resistance up sounds like a good idea, I have issues with hills anyway so could do with the practice! Out of curiosity, have you noticed a marked improvement in your cycling through using the turbo? By which I mean benefits you wouldn't have got cycling the same distance on the road?

First thing to note is that I am very much a recreational rider, not an athlete. However, the answer is "yes".

Last year, my preparation for an excursion up the Mont Ventoux and other adjacent delights was interrupted by the "need" to accompany my mother on a birthday cruise (well, someone had to do it!). That meant 10 days off the bike and a catastrophic amount of free food and parent-subsidised alcohol. In the face of these hardships, I spent 45 mins to an hour a day on deck 10 in the gym on an exercise bike. I tried all the pre-programmed routines and settled for an evil hill-climbing one. The computer worked out how many virtual miles I was doing and it was never more than about 20 per session.

It was supposed to be a defensive gesture against the damage I was otherwise doing to myself in the restaurant and bar. However, when I got back on the bike, I felt definitively stronger, especially in the cardiovascular department.

gkerr4

pneumatic wrote:

helene wrote:

@pneumatic - Nope, not hardcore enough for a fixie . Putting the resistance up sounds like a good idea, I have issues with hills anyway so could do with the practice! Out of curiosity, have you noticed a marked improvement in your cycling through using the turbo? By which I mean benefits you wouldn't have got cycling the same distance on the road?

First thing to note is that I am very much a recreational rider, not an athlete. However, the answer is "yes".

Last year, my preparation for an excursion up the Mont Ventoux and other adjacent delights was interrupted by the "need" to accompany my mother on a birthday cruise (well, someone had to do it!). That meant 10 days off the bike and a catastrophic amount of free food and parent-subsidised alcohol. In the face of these hardships, I spent 45 mins to an hour a day on deck 10 in the gym on an exercise bike. I tried all the pre-programmed routines and settled for an evil hill-climbing one. The computer worked out how many virtual miles I was doing and it was never more than about 20 per session.

It was supposed to be a defensive gesture against the damage I was otherwise doing to myself in the restaurant and bar. However, when I got back on the bike, I felt definitively stronger, especially in the cardiovascular department.

i'd like to add my 2p to this too (albeit a slightly different topic)- I think that fixed gear, town-based riding is the closest thing to 'natural' interval training. So if you think that HIIT is right for your sport then you could do a lot worse than introduce fixed gear riding into your commute. It forces you worke harder in places - and the natural stop-start or town-riding along with the usual mixing it with traffic etc provide a great workout. I really think I made some significant gains through using fixed gear riding - using short (20-40 minute) urban-centered riding training blasts

waytogoyet

helene
Thats a fair amount of training i can sometimes push it for 2-3 hours a day split across running / cycling / swim but I'm no good to man nor beast after a few days of that!

For what its worth, I think you should run, it'll make you more all round. But then I'm a runner more than a cyclist.
For info 2 years ago I couldn't go on a treadmill for more than 5 mins without everything hurting, a lot of sticking with it and it comes easy now

aracer

waytogoyet wrote:

For what its worth, I think you should run, it'll make you more all round.

But she doesn't want to be better all round - she wants to be a better rower. A point those suggesting doing some sort of interval training on the bike are also missing. The point of the bike sessions is to get base fitness (UT2 is very low level base training - the sort a lot of cyclists never really do). Given the specifity of these things, there's no point in her tiring herself out doing hard sessions on the bike when she'd be much better doing these in a boat or on the ergo.

helene

Yup, it's mainly my base fitness I'm looking to improve. On the general topic of training, I do agree that running does make you a better all-round sportsman, and also uses some muscles that are not involved in cycling/rowing, thus preventing issues in those areas. I've done some fairly decent longer distance stuff (10k, etc), but I am a bit stuck in a vicious circle. I know I need to run to get the use in muscles around my knees, but running for much longer than 20 mins gives me hip and knee pain. Cycling, interestingly enough, has never given me knee trouble, though I know a lot of people complain about that. Perhaps it's because I've been cycling for comparatively less time than I've been running/rowing.

As regards getting a fixie, I can definitely see the benefits... except I'm somewhat scared of them (my first bike when I was young was a fixie and that put me off cycling for a good 10 years!).