indoor trainer

adedownunder
adedownunder Posts: 30
edited May 2009 in Training, fitness and health
Hi Guy's
Im really interested in buying a trainer for the winter month's to keep my fitness level's up during the dark night's. I dont know much about them or the diffrent types you can buy do any of you use them? if so what brand or type would you recomend and how effective can they be.
Cheers

Ade

Comments

  • rjh299
    rjh299 Posts: 721
    I've had the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine for about a year now and had no problems with it. Easy to setup and use, and provides a stable riding base. Did some research before i bought it and didn't hear one negative comment about it. Definitely worth a look.
    Trainers are good for a quick intense session when your short on time or when the weathers bad and will help keep you training all year round. Tainers are also ideal if you want to do specific interval training without having to worry about what is happening around you like on the road.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    Ask again in about 6 months!

    I think a lot of people use them and they are a worthy investment - especially if you don't want to go out in the cold but want to keep training.

    Personally I use a Tacx one. Doesn't have to be expensive to do the trick. More expensive ones will run quieter and give you more options to adjust resistance as you ride them.
  • nmcgann
    nmcgann Posts: 1,780
    I use a turbo all year round. In the autumn/winter to supplement longer road rides that are only possible at the weekend and in the spring/summer for a variety of interval sessions.

    I use a Tacx Sirius (a simple & cheap turbo) and a Tacx Imagic (a complicated & expensive computerised turbo). The Imagic is great for programming interval sessions, but the winter conditioning work could be done easily on the Sirius.

    They are as effective as the amount of time you want to spend. Lots of hours at a good intensity will get you very fit.

    Neil
    --
    "Because the cycling is pain. The cycling is soul crushing pain."
  • adedownunder
    adedownunder Posts: 30
    nmcgann wrote:
    I use a turbo all year round. In the autumn/winter to supplement longer road rides that are only possible at the weekend and in the spring/summer for a variety of interval sessions.

    I use a Tacx Sirius (a simple & cheap turbo) and a Tacx Imagic (a complicated & expensive computerised turbo). The Imagic is great for programming interval sessions, but the winter conditioning work could be done easily on the Sirius.

    They are as effective as the amount of time you want to spend. Lots of hours at a good intensity will get you very fit.

    Neil

    Thanks for that Neil
    When you say lots of hours is the best method to do a good sesion one evening then have a recovery day or to cram as many hours in as possible and just build up your fitness as you go along. I normally cycle every other day but would like this chance to build my fitness level up even higher over the winter months.

    Thanks

    Ade
  • nmcgann
    nmcgann Posts: 1,780
    adedownunder wrote:

    Thanks for that Neil
    When you say lots of hours is the best method to do a good sesion one evening then have a recovery day or to cram as many hours in as possible and just build up your fitness as you go along. I normally cycle every other day but would like this chance to build my fitness level up even higher over the winter months.

    Thanks

    Ade

    How much you do is pretty individual - it depends on how much time you have to train and how hard you can work and still recover.

    My own winter pattern this year was 1h turbo sessions tues, weds and thurs evenings, mon and fri off and 2h road on Sat and 4h+ road on Sun. That stepped up to add 2 extra 40min turbo sessions on Tues and Thurs mornings when I was really piling it on on Jan/Feb/Mar.

    The two rest days were important - I was whacked on Mondays from the weekend's riding and by Friday I'd had about as much turbo as I could bear.

    I wouldn't necessarily recommend you jump in and try and do that much to start with, but if you can manage 8h+ per week of quality training it will get you fit for sure.

    Neil
    --
    "Because the cycling is pain. The cycling is soul crushing pain."
  • adedownunder
    adedownunder Posts: 30
    nmcgann wrote:
    adedownunder wrote:

    Thanks for that Neil
    When you say lots of hours is the best method to do a good sesion one evening then have a recovery day or to cram as many hours in as possible and just build up your fitness as you go along. I normally cycle every other day but would like this chance to build my fitness level up even higher over the winter months.

    Thanks

    Ade

    How much you do is pretty individual - it depends on how much time you have to train and how hard you can work and still recover.

    My own winter pattern this year was 1h turbo sessions tues, weds and thurs evenings, mon and fri off and 2h road on Sat and 4h+ road on Sun. That stepped up to add 2 extra 40min turbo sessions on Tues and Thurs mornings when I was really piling it on on Jan/Feb/Mar.

    The two rest days were important - I was whacked on Mondays from the weekend's riding and by Friday I'd had about as much turbo as I could bear.

    I wouldn't necessarily recommend you jump in and try and do that much to start with, but if you can manage 8h+ per week of quality training it will get you fit for sure.

    Neil

    Thanks Again Neil thats great

    I've orderd the trainer, i will get some good rides in at the weekend and the work starts Monday!!
    I'll try and work out a good eating program while im on this traning method, maybe some snacks before i leave work, train then have my mail meal with a shake after.
    Thanks for your advice

    Ade
  • Frank the tank
    Frank the tank Posts: 6,553
    Glad to hear you've took the plunge Ade. I puchased a turbo, October last year and I wouldn't be without one now. Used in conjunction with a HRM they're a great training tool.
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • adedownunder
    adedownunder Posts: 30
    Frank the tank wrote:
    Glad to hear you've took the plunge Ade. I puchased a turbo, October last year and I wouldn't be without one now. Used in conjunction with a HRM they're a great training tool.

    Cheers Tank

    Iv'e got some movies to keep the boredom at bay!!! I've downloaded a Chris Carmichael training dvd aswell which is an hour long and full on so here we go!!!

    Ade

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