Indoors or out?

term1te
term1te Posts: 1,462
edited May 2015 in Training, fitness and health
I'm feeling frustrated by the incessant rain we have over here at the moment. I normally commute about 73km in a day, but with all the rain have been stuck on the turbo in the evenings with Sufferfest videos. With a Gran Fondo, two Cyclosportives and a hill climb time trial coming up in the next month, I was wondering whether I was better off indoors or not? Would one and a quarter hours, times two, fair to middling effort on my flattish commute be better or worse training than an hour in the pain cave? I've got a Turbo Muin with the Elite app estimating power from a Bluetooth sensor, which has upped the suffering compared with using only an HRM.
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Comments

  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    The thing I find I lose on a static, is all the flexibility and upper back strength that goes with cycling in position. For me I find my neck simply wont let me get as low, if I haven't been riding on the road enough.

    I try to compensate by placing the monitor in the eye line that I'd hold if on the road and I try to cycle in position on the static as much as I can , but it just isn't the same.

    The other thing is you forget just how much fun cycling is.
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  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    You have more than 1 bike... so, this time of year .. outdoors. Your stated aims means in the main high aerobic endurance... so Sufferfests apart from ISLIAGATT, not best use of your time... an hour on the turbo is not enough... well thats what I think anyway.
  • term1te
    term1te Posts: 1,462
    Thanks for the comments. I try to get a 100km ride in at the weekends, but I really know that I should man up put a waterproof jacket on and go a bit harder on the commute. I have decent showers at the other end so there's no real excuse. That said, just off the garage for some more turbo time.
    The Master
    The Moser
    The VN
  • BrandonA
    BrandonA Posts: 553
    Do whatever suits you best. There is no right or wrong answer.

    Personally, my body hates the cold weather. I would therefore rather perform a good structured indoor ride than go outside for the sake of it and ultimately not enjoy it and possibly not get as much benefit from it.
  • diamonddog
    diamonddog Posts: 3,426
    BrandonA wrote:
    Do whatever suits you best. There is no right or wrong answer.

    Personally, my body hates the cold weather. I would therefore rather perform a good structured indoor ride than go outside for the sake of it and ultimately not enjoy it and possibly not get as much benefit from it.
    ^^^ This
  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    Don't forget if you are doing a lot of work on the turbo, there may need to be some time for adaptation when cycling on the road.
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  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Having done a 50 mile with the last 30 in ppppppping wasnt a shower as promised by the BBC but a down and out drenching.. you have to regard these sort of rides as characterful... yes the training effect has to take a back seat.
    It also taken me 3 hours to strip and clean my only bike, so sometimes a clean turbo session is what you should be doing... you are thinking that when out there holding a line thru saturated road surfaces.... but then again your inner Flandrian would smack you in the face for thinking such thoughts.

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