MTB Training at home

ok folks,
for the second year running I'm entering Bristol bikefest as part of a 4-man team.
Don't want to be the slowest of the four, but simply can't get out and ride that much due to family commitments, however I regularly have time when I can't leave the house, but could be doing some form of exercise.
Wondering if there's much I can do at home to improve my fitness and speed (especially for climbing).
I know a lot of cyclists use rollers or turbo trainers. Is there any reason these are much better than traditional exercise bikes (I may be able to borrow one of the latter for a few weeks) or it is simply a case of taking up less storage room?
Are there any other (non-cycling) exercises I can easily do at home, with no additional equipment, to get faster?
for the second year running I'm entering Bristol bikefest as part of a 4-man team.
Don't want to be the slowest of the four, but simply can't get out and ride that much due to family commitments, however I regularly have time when I can't leave the house, but could be doing some form of exercise.
Wondering if there's much I can do at home to improve my fitness and speed (especially for climbing).
I know a lot of cyclists use rollers or turbo trainers. Is there any reason these are much better than traditional exercise bikes (I may be able to borrow one of the latter for a few weeks) or it is simply a case of taking up less storage room?
Are there any other (non-cycling) exercises I can easily do at home, with no additional equipment, to get faster?
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Turbos/rollers use your own bike (obviously), so the position exactly replicates the 'real world', and thus utilises all the same muscles.
No real substitute for riding your bike, plenty of programmes online for decent interval sessions you can cram into an hour or so, don't just sit and pedal. Bristol Bike Fest isn't hugely hilly, I'd be looking at 5 minute intervals at most.
Yeah, I appreciate this, but what I'm thinking is that there are often times in the evening when I'm sat at home with my little girl in bed. I can either sit and watch telly or I can try to do something positive.
But given that I can't borrow and won't buy a trainer, do you think that borrowing an exercise bike would actually be detrimental, or is it still better than anything else I can realistically be doing at home?
Just don't underestimate just how mind-numbingly boring it is
Duster
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Schwinn Fastback Comp
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