54 years old - too old for indoor turbo training

Machoman121

I've bought a wahoo Kickr. The plan was to improve my fitness for cycling. But i'm having doubts about it - do you think turbo training is too intense for older people?

dannbodge

Not at all.
It's only as intense as you make it.

singleton

No, it's not too intense for a 54 year old.
Whether it will be healthy for you to ride at full intensity on it is impossible to answer.

fenix

I have 80 year ladies in my spin class as well as a dude who has all the KOMs on strava in the area. Use it or lose it 'Machoman'

Matthewfalle

Utter tripe. Never too old.

Now, existing medical conditions that may cause your heart to explode into a billion pieces causing dead disease - that's a different story altogether.

keef66

Unless you have an underlying medical problem there's no reason not to use a turbo trainer. As above, it's only as intense as you choose to make it. If the alternative is no exercise at all, you're safer on the turbo.

But if you thought that buying stuff would magically make you fitter, it doesn't. But you knew that.

In my experience the best way of improving fitness for cycling is by cycling, because I enjoy it, so I'm more likely to actually do it. And to improve (what? speed? endurance? hill climbing?) really requires a lot of effort.

proto

Hahahahahahaha 54 years old?? A mere child.

I'm heading for 65 and my Wahoo Kickr hasn't killed me yet!

StillGoing

Lol, 56 here, had a stroke and have a completely blocked artery. My Vascular Consultant says cycle and cycle hard. Keep the blood pumping!

daniel_b

Trolltastic.

agentorange88

Daniel B wrote:

Trolltastic.

what could possibly give you that idea

SiFromBrewed

Read friel’s fit after 50. Definitely not too old. Am also interested in the Kickr.

MiddleRinger

I'd put that KICKR on eBay and shop around for a decent mobility scooter.

You're well past it, mate....

jgsi

Yup, you're well past it.. I mean just look a this 67 year old .. no wonder Austrians have RedBull , not IrnBru
https://www.strava.com/athletes/3474440

redjeepǃ

53 here and heart surgery last year (Ab Fib from too much endurance sport).

I do at least 3x Sufferfest videos a week and am contemplating my Knighthood next spring. My doctor and my two cardiac consultants are incredibly supportive of my cycling and turbo training.

Sorry mate, you'll need to find another excuse :-).

Lookyhere

This guy did the Ariegiose in the Pyrenees, 158km, just about 4000m of ascent

45 Julien GONZALEZ 266 5h48m59s 27,51 km/h M9 1

Category M9 is 70 and above!!!!

ben@31

To be honest you're still probably fitter than the average 24 year old.

Buy a good fan to place directly in front of your turbo trainer set up, it the lack of airflow and the noticeable heat that gets to me on a turbo trainer.

shipley

ben@31 wrote:

Buy a good fan to place directly in front of your turbo trainer set up, it the lack of airflow and the noticeable heat that gets to me on a turbo trainer.

That's an excellent piece of advice. I've found using the turbo far more rewarding and comfortable now that I'm using a fan.

daniel_b

Shipley wrote:

ben@31 wrote:

Buy a good fan to place directly in front of your turbo trainer set up, it the lack of airflow and the noticeable heat that gets to me on a turbo trainer.

That's an excellent piece of advice. I've found using the turbo far more rewarding and comfortable now that I'm using a fan.

Fans properly rock, although I have mine off to the side slightly, means it hits your body and moving legs at an angle, and seems to have more of a cooling effect that straight out in front of you.
Or have one in front and one to the side - if people are rising zwift\Trainerroad\watching telly, they will likely want those units directly out front anyhoo.

cougie

Definitely have it off to the side. It helps blow the sweat away from the frame.

Alex99

cougie wrote:

Definitely have it off to the side. It helps blow the sweat away from the frame.

+3 off to the side. Seems to get more air on 'ya and reduces the oft reported dry eye. Towel over the bike to stop drippage though, surely?

jgsi

If you dont have sufficient cooling... then the consequences for me of overheating are very marked.
I will dnf a Zwift race, as heart rate gets up to over 170 and stays there. power drops off .. I will climb off, go shower.. and then still sweat for another 45 minutes... thats when with no cooling, core temp has its revenge.

kingrollo

54 here....

Yes Im to old - or maybe Im not I just hate indoor training !

BorderCyclist

Don't be daft. I'm 52 and currently following Sweet Spot Mid Volume 2. Get that fan on your side and pointing towards your upper torso/neck area. I love turbo sessions and use TR and Zwift.

I also have a tacx sweat guard on my bike - Great bit of kit. I also keep a folded towel over the handlebars that also works as a phone rest

SiFromBrewed

45 and the heat is a killer for me too, looking to get new turbo (thinking of the wahoo kickr) and will invest in some serious air-con if I do! More money than I can really afford but roads round here are bad and money I spend on turbo is less than id loose if I had to take time off work for getting smashed up on roads, im self employed. Ive never heard of anyone falling off a turbo and smashing their collar bone.

lincolndave

Can you ever be to old? , I am 60 and have just spent one hour on the rollers, due to the bad weather , although I am ready to collapse I feel great, (does that make sense)

OnTheRopes

Machoman121 wrote:

I've bought a wahoo Kickr. The plan was to improve my fitness for cycling. But i'm having doubts about it - do you think turbo training is too intense for older people?

Your name is MachoMan and you need to ask a question like this?

Machoman121

yeah - I'm machoman. On the net I can be anything - even superman.

On the serious note - I'm really liking the Kickr now - I'm using it with veloreality and it had made indoor cycling very very do-able. In fact I find myself looking forward to the kickr sessions ride veloreality. Maybe it's a gadget thing - u cycle and the screen responds accordingly. I now know what 100watts or 300 watts feel like.

Having the kickr means i can cycle 24/7. I'm no longer anal about having to cycle on the weekend.....if i miss a ride i can just cycle at night and whenever. It's made me more relaxed around the family!

And when i do cycle outdoors i've lost none of the fitness. Which was the main reason i got onboard cycling indoors - to maintain or improve on my cycling fitness. I just enjoy cycling so much more when i'm fit.

I might also want to explore a structured coaching program like trainerroad to further improve my cycling abilities.

When i first got the kickr i had doubts about it thinking it's an all-out heart attack boy racer tool. It doesn't have to be like that.

imposter2.0

Machoman121 wrote:

When i first got the kickr i had doubts about it thinking it's an all-out heart attack boy racer tool. It doesn't have to be like that.

Well of course it doesn't. The thing about turbos is that the rider controls the effort - not the other way round. If you have a heart attack on a turbo (any turbo), it's not going to be the turbo's fault...