Long Turbo Sessions

cougie

I've noticed that triathletes seem quite keen on long turbo sessions especially in the winter.
I've seen people talking of their sessions going up to 6 hours worth even - I guess thats the length of their Ironman bike ride.

I've not heard of any cycling pros doing that kind of time on a turbo - and all the stuff I've read seems to say that a shorter harder session is a better bet than pootling away for 6 hour sessions.

Has anyone heard of or done a mammoth turbo session - and what % HR would you be using for that ?

SBezza

Some of the Sky riders did some long turbo sessions last year when the snow hit and they were getting ready for the winter races.

I did 3 hour rides on my turbo last year, probably around high Z2 / low Z3. If the snow hits again I will probably end up doing longer sessions, they will be based on what I would normally do a similar duration on the road. The session make up should ideally depend on what you are training for. Harder sessions are all well and good, but they don't provide the endurance you need for an ironman bike leg, or longer, you still need the endurance work for this.

Now if you were only going on the turbo due to extreme weather, then yes doing shorter harder sessions will get you through these periods, but if you tended to spend the winter on the turbo rather than the road, then you need to still do endurance rides on the turbo.

%HR for a 6 hour turbo ride for me would be the same as a 6 hour ride on the road.

ut_och_cykla

I think its a bit of a myth pros ride regular mammoth sessions. Bettini said in teh year he one several classics? that he had never ridden more than 5 hours in training. Cavs recent reported mileage works out at 4 hours or so per day. My guess is that there is a scale of reducing returns after about 3-4 hours i.e. 50% more won't give you 50% adaptations. I did 2 hours on the turbo once. Never again.

vs

cougie wrote:

Has anyone heard of or done a mammoth turbo session - and what % HR would you be using for that ?

http://www.worldrecordsacademy.org/spor ... _80244.htm

178 hours.

He did have 12 minutes sleep here and there

cougie

What a pointless record that is ? His average 'speed' if you can get a speed on an indoor bike was only 12 mph - so he's pootling along. Which I suspect the people riding for 6 hours on a turbo must be doing. 6 hours of sitting there reading magazines isnt the same as 6 hours of training.

SBezza

cougie wrote:

6 hours of sitting there reading magazines isnt the same as 6 hours of training.

That depends, if you are doing 6 hours at similar power to what you would do outdoors, and can also read or watch TV at the same time, then it is training.

TBH no doubt those spending 6 hours on a turbo are probably doing better training than those that spend 6 hours going on a club run

vs

cougie wrote:

What a pointless record that is ?

I would say that a lot of the records in the Guinness book are pretty pointless unless you happen to hold it or want to.

cougie wrote:

so he's pootling along. Which I suspect the people riding for 6 hours on a turbo must be doing.

:?

WHY?

You could put in the same effort as you would on the road for 6 hours.

It's funny how some will think nothing of sitting on the couch for 3 hours watching TV but say that the idea of spending 3 hours on the turbo is 'boring' (even though you can still watch the TV)

cougie

Yes indeed a hell of a lot of the Guinness book of records is pointless.
Longest scarf knitted whilst on stilts in a marathon. Number of rubiks cubes solved whilst running a marathon. Doesnt interest me in the least.

And as to the effectiveness of the 6 hour turbo - I'd find it hard to replicate the outdoor exertion indoors for hour after hour. And if I'm reading a magazine, then I'm pretty sure my HR isnt at the level it should be at.

I've still not heard about pro cyclists doing more than a couple of hours on them ?

vs

cougie wrote:

I've still not heard about pro cyclists doing more than a couple of hours on them ?

They do, they just don't feel the need to talk about it on Bike Radar

- but a quick search brought up this -

http://www.bikeenvy.co.uk/article.php?id=310

Alex Dowsett - 5 hours
Emma Trott - 4 hours
Sarah Storey - 3.5 hours

jgsi

My pointless record is 4 hours non stop for a charity turbo ride in the summer... last 30 minutes felt like I had been slammed in face with wet haddocks, this is different to 4 hour road rides where it is usually cod..

Alex_Simmons/RST

cougie wrote:

I've still not heard about pro cyclists doing more than a couple of hours on them ?

Mainly because they head to better climates for training.

dan man

done 12 hrs tubro this week so far each 3 hrs a a time with one 10 min brack inbetween. find it grate for staying in a base zone compared to the road . good music is the key for me ,

mclarent

I don't enjoy long base sessions on the turbo, but I can do them. I actually think the training is better quality than a road ride would be (consistent, no freewheeling etc) but they are something to be tolerated rather than enjoyed. One guy in our club is an international level ironman triathlete, training for the worlds, he does 6 hour zone 2 sessions. Apparently he does them in tuck while watching tv. Personally I think he's insane, but there you go.

McBain_v1

I don't have a TV in my garage so about 1.5hours is as long as I can "entertain" myself whilst on the turbo. Usually too sweaty to read a book or owt like that.

napoleond

I have my PS3 and a telly on front of the turbo. If it's base/recovery I'll play a game, for intervals I'll watch a film or do a sufferfest or summert.

Tom Butcher

I don't think pros heading to warmer climates has got much to do with it - in the UK there aren't many days of the year you couldn't get out and do 4-5 hours safely enough and if you wrap up warm I think it's actually nicer to cycle in cool weather than hot.

It's just a psychological thing isn't it - I doubt many of us have the motivation to do 4-5 hours straight through on a turbo and even if we could we'd much rather do it on the road. I think Cougie has a point too - a certain effort on the turbo does feel harder (to me anyway) than in a group on the road. The longest rides I do where I press on fairly hard are about 3 hours - I don't think I could sustain that effort on the turbo - I certainly couldn't watch a show on TV while I'm doing it.

amaferanga

Tom Butcher wrote:

I don't think pros heading to warmer climates has got much to do with it - in the UK there aren't many days of the year you couldn't get out and do 4-5 hours safely enough and if you wrap up warm I think it's actually nicer to cycle in cool weather than hot.

That depends a lot on where in the UK you live. For me, icey roads mean all the nice quiet roads I'd normally ride are out so I'd have to spend 4 or 5 hours main road bashing, which is a pretty unpleasant experience around here especially at this time of year.

Mad Roadie

3-4 hours on a turbo - christ - I get seriously bored after 1.5 hours

andyrr

Re not having to submit to the turbo : at the moment the temps haven't gove much about zero for a few days so once off the main A roads there is a fair bit of frost/ice (we're about 200mtrs above sea-level) and my normal routes would certainly be dodgy. If I wanted to do 3, 4hrs then I'd either need to head down a main road to the coast or stay on main a-roads all the way for safety. Last 2 winters many guys I know were like me in that for quite a period of time for months the roads were just not safe for the normal club runs.

Tom Butcher

I know a load did 4 hours over the hills yesterday - did 55 miles myself today. I suppose it boils down to preference - would you rather stick it on an A road or the turbo. Maybe I'm just lucky round here but roads like the A6, Via Gellia, A515, A52 are clear on all but maybe 1-2 days a year and while they might not be first choice cycling roads they aren't that busy that you'd avoid them. I agree though there is no point in taking silly chances with black ice.

bigpikle

Managed 90 mins today and while it was a long session while I was getting through it, strangely at the end I was tempted to stay on a while longer....

Watched the recce of the Maratona DVD for motivation, as I'm doing it this summer, and did a simple 10 mins L2/10 mins L3/10 mins L2 alternated for the 90 mins to keep me a little focused during it.

Cant see me doing anything much longer than 90 mins though in future.

Pseudonym

...

golfergmc

Done 2 1/2 hours today in zone 3 while watching The Last Samurai, not too bad all said and done.