Turbo Training for Beginners - a NapD guide

Anonymous
Anonymous Posts: 79,667
edited December 2012 in Road beginners
Wasn't sure where to post this, thought 'Training' at first but thought it probably best for 'Road Beginners'.

Thought I'd start a thread where people could put tips, ideas videos / audio links etc to what they use for passing the time on the turbo.

Essentials -

Turbo trainer or rollers (Duh!)
(See guide here - Bikeradar Turbo trainer guide)
My recommendation is the Cycleops Jet Fluid Pro. Very road like feel, consistent, lifetime guarantee, easy to set up, good price...

Fan. A big, dobbing great huge one preferably. I managed a couple of winters without one then succumbed when I was trying to get riding again after the breakage of my leg. It is defo an essential! Mine was 14 quid from Tesco...
Water (lots of it!) and / or sports drink
Towel

Non-Essentials -
HR Monitor
Bike Computer (if magnet can go on rear wheel for turbo users!)
Something to watch vids on / listen to music on

Nice to have -
Power meter
Masseuse
Good weather so you don't have to do it!

I always put a towel over the headset so sweat doesn't get into it and I can wipe my face too.
I personally just keep my normal tyre on a I use a hub based power meter and swapping a tyre over between turbo / outside sessions is too much of a chore, however I am informed that dedicated trainer tyres are smoother and quieter.


A few links to resources -

Sufferfest (there's a new vid coming out at the weekend...)

Carmichael training vids

Spinervals

Realrides

Tacx real video

There's more I'm sure but my faves are the sufferfest vids (will let you know what the new one is like) and the CTS ones are pretty good, the climbing one is an excellent threshold workout. I find Spinervals somewhat cringeworthy but still good because they break the monotony.
The sufferfest has some great links too.

There is the option of watching films (last year I watched all the James Bond films over the winter) or making a 'mix tape'.

There are loads of workouts to do to keep it varied, such as the Hour of Power. Hopefully people will chip in with some good workout suggestions as well as hints and tips...
It sounds daft/obvious but one way of replicating climbing is to place a block under the front wheel. You can feel it working slightly different muscles.

Answers to some questions that get raised (courtesy of andyrr)

Q1 How easy is it to take the bike off the Turbo for weekend road rides?
Should take less than 60 seconds, on mine it's a case of clamp to the rear wheel qr, tighten, then tighten the roller to the wheel.
When I'm finished Ioosen the roller against the tyre to make removal easier, I loosen by exactly the same amount each time.

Q2 Do you need to have special tyres?
No but some tyres can wearn relatively quickly on the turbo due to the small contact patch running against the metal roller which heats up so ideally have a spare wheel and tyre (s/h wheel maybe £30, tyre £25) the tyres last for ages, non-turbo tyres will square off in time.

Q3 Does it ruin your bike?
No, try to protect the bike from drips of sweat tho'.
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Comments

  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    I use a Bike Thong to stop dripping all over my headset/frame, etc. It also has pockets, really handy for the DVD/TV remotes, etc...
    Just ordered a chuffin' great Fan, too. :wink:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • timb64
    timb64 Posts: 248
    Or you could man up and go for a real ride in the great outdoors :wink:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    timb64 wrote:
    Or you could man up and go for a real ride in the great outdoors :wink:

    What about us that only get to train at home when the kids are in bed?
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    timb64 wrote:
    Or you could man up and go for a real ride in the great outdoors :wink:

    Flippant remarks are not exactly what the OP is intended for... :roll:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • pickled
    pickled Posts: 439
    Great guide. Thanks.
    The wife has asked me if we can get one. :shock:
    It would be rude not to I reckon.

    Shame I'm injured and can't do anything until after Christmas...
    Good tip about the fan though. I hadn't thought of that.
  • timb64
    timb64 Posts: 248
    What about us that only get to train at home when the kids are in bed?

    "Flippant remarks are not exactly what the OP is intended for... "

    The :wink: 's a hint -I was only pulling your leg.

    The guide's great for those who can bother with all the faff that goes with hauling out and setting up a turbo(if you don't have the space or a tolerant enough partner to have one set up permanently)

    Personally I find the alternative of lights and all weather gear is an easier option at this time of year(probably cheaper too!)
  • SBezza
    SBezza Posts: 2,173
    +1 to all of what Alex has said.

    Fan is a must if you do your training via HR, as although you can get by without one, your HR does go up as you get hotter, and this does hinder the training IME.

    I don't have a TV in my garage, so just listen to music, but even if I did have a TV, unless I was doing lower level stuff, I wouldn't be able to concentrate on it anyhow.

    I use the turbo for mainly interval sessions

    2 x 10min at 85% MHR
    5min @80% MHR and then straight into 5min @ 85% MHR and repeat 2 or 3 times
    20 mins @ 80% MHR followed by 10 mins at 85% MHR, followed by 5 mins @ 90% MHR

    These are a few of the sessions I do, but different sessions are done at different times of the racing season.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    edited August 2010
    timb64 wrote:
    Personally I find the alternative of lights and all weather gear is an easier option at this time of year(probably cheaper too!)

    I'm sure everyone on here would rather be out riding than on the turbo...
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    SBezza wrote:
    +1 to all of what Alex has said.

    Fan is a must if you do your training via HR, as although you can get by without one, your HR does go up as you get hotter, and this does hinder the training IME.

    I don't have a TV in my garage, so just listen to music, but even if I did have a TV, unless I was doing lower level stuff, I wouldn't be able to concentrate on it anyhow.

    I use the turbo for mainly interval sessions

    2 x 10min at 85% MHR
    5min @80% MHR and then straight into 5min @ 85% MHR and repeat 2 or 3 times
    20 mins @ 80% MHR followed by 10 mins at 85% MHR, followed by 5 mins @ 90% MHR

    These are a few of the sessions I do, but different sessions are done at different times of the racing season.

    Agree about not being able to concentrate on the telly when doing intervals...

    Keep the workouts coming!
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    I've recently discovered the UCI World cup cyclocross races on cycling.tv. They're just over an hour, so perfect for a turbo session and just when you think you're really suffering, looking at those guys makes you realise what suffering is. I've tried Tour de France reruns, films, etc, etc, but this is best so far as it's non-stop action from the gun.
  • timb64
    timb64 Posts: 248
    NapoleonD wrote:
    timb64 wrote:
    [quote=What about us that only get to train at home when the kids are in bed?


    "Flippant remarks are not exactly what the OP is intended for... "

    The :wink: 's a hint I was only pulling your leg.

    The guide's great for those who can bother with all the faff that goes with hauling out and setting up a turbo(if you don't have the space or a tolerant enough partner to have one set up permanently)

    Personally I find the alternative of lights and all weather gear is an easier option at this time of year(probably cheaper too!)
    So no useful suggestions then?

    I'm sure everyone on here would rather be out riding than on the turbo...
    In the brief time I owned a turbo I sometimes used a PSP to relieve the boredom- so that or an XBox etc.Not sure it would work with games requiring a lot of movement!
    Hence my original flippant remark(must take life more seriously in future)
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    Here's the start for me
    Power Test.

    Week 1
    Phase Build 1
    Monday REST
    Tuesday 2x20 mins @86-89% peak 20 power.
    Wednesday REST
    Thursday Tempo – 80 mins @ 75-85% peak 20 power.
    Friday REST
    Saturday 4x10 mins @89-92% of peak 20 power.
    Sunday Tempo – 80 mins @ 75-85% peak 20 power

    Gradual increase in percentages during an eight week plan. Power Test. Then revert back to original percentages, with (hopefully) an increase in Peak 20 Power... :wink:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    edited November 2009
    timb64 wrote:
    Hence my original flippant remark(must take life more seriously in future)

    nothing wrong with a bit of flippancy on a thread about turbos. Personally, I think turbo training is the most miserable cycling-related activity ever invented - it's enough to put you off riding a bike.

    Unfortunately, it is also pretty useful for building speed and threshold tolerance (ie suffering). However, unless you are actually racing - or planning on racing, I would seriously question the need for turbo sessions anyway...
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,695
    SBezza wrote:
    I don't have a TV in my garage, so just listen to music, but even if I did have a TV, unless I was doing lower level stuff, I wouldn't be able to concentrate on it anyhow.

    I use the turbo for mainly interval sessions
    That's what I like about the Sufferfest videos. There are bits of film on the screen, but you don't have to concentrate on them at all, other than to see when to push and when to recover, and this is generally shown pretty clearly at a glance.

    Having something to watch during the warm up/warm down and tempo sections is pretty good though.
  • http://www.turbotraining.co.uk/ Has some good plans if you have a latptop handy whilst training
  • petejuk
    petejuk Posts: 235
    Not exactly a training plan but single leg intervals are IMO excellent on the turbo and have really helped me with smoothness of pedalling and efficiency generally on the bike. They also help break up the monotany sometimes.
  • you can download alot of the dvds for turbo trainers on utorrent have 6 now and there good not tried serrfest yet but spinval is good clear instruction and guides on which gears and tension to be in very good and free
  • Cubic
    Cubic Posts: 594
    These Cervelo Test Team vids are a good distraction. Very good quality and 12mins each.

    http://www.bartape.net/
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    you can download alot of the dvds for turbo trainers on utorrent have 6 now and there good not tried serrfest yet but spinval is good clear instruction and guides on which gears and tension to be in very good and free

    Erm...

    And illegal?
  • Ollieda
    Ollieda Posts: 1,010
    nonameuser wrote:
    http://www.turbotraining.co.uk/ Has some good plans if you have a latptop handy whilst training

    I've found that if you can be bothered to write down the stages of the plan on a piece of paper and keep it with you then run one of their plans in the background and you can put a movie/Tv show on and watch that. At each change of pace/intensity there is a siren type noise but other than that it doesnt make any noise so you can carry on watching your movie/show without any cheesey music in that background. So if you've got the plan written down you can just look at your piece of paper to see what to do next everytime you hear the siren.

    I prefer watching your typical crime/murder mystery type shows i.e. CSI/NCIS/Jonathon Creek :P . If you're into that sort of thing then I find it just helps you take your mind off the bike a bit more as you try and work out "who dun it"
  • NapoleonD wrote:
    you can download alot of the dvds for turbo trainers on utorrent have 6 now and there good not tried serrfest yet but spinval is good clear instruction and guides on which gears and tension to be in very good and free

    Erm...

    And illegal?

    NapD - I'm surprised you don't know this, but copyright infringement isn't actually a criminal offense - it's a civil matter. The big record/movie companies would love the taxpayer to pick up the bill for enforcement though.

    I don't condone snaffling stuff over the internet though. Unless the producer deserves it due to already being rich. Or the PVR went t*ts-up trashing your recording. Or you lost the original disc.
  • senoj
    senoj Posts: 213
    softlad wrote:
    timb64 wrote:
    Hence my original flippant remark(must take life more seriously in future)

    nothing wrong with a bit of flippancy on a thread about turbos. Personally, I think turbo training is the most miserable cycling-related activity ever invented - it's enough to put you off riding a bike.

    Unfortunately, it is also pretty useful for building speed and threshold tolerance (ie suffering). However, unless you are actually racing - or planning on racing, I would seriously question the need for turbo sessions anyway...

    I have to agree with the above,it does build your suffering up to a higher level.
    I have owned one for two weeks and have managed 6 hours on it mainly due to the children problem(or should that be problem children).
    It has already become a chore but once on, you get a great sweat and I can genuinely get my legs to ache the next day.Better than doing nothing
    not a patch on doing it for real though.
    My tip...try to do it in the shed.
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    Ollieda wrote:
    nonameuser wrote:
    http://www.turbotraining.co.uk/ Has some good plans if you have a latptop handy whilst training

    I've found that if you can be bothered to write down the stages of the plan on a piece of paper and keep it with you then run one of their plans in the background and you can put a movie/Tv show on and watch that. At each change of pace/intensity there is a siren type noise but other than that it doesnt make any noise so you can carry on watching your movie/show without any cheesey music in that background. So if you've got the plan written down you can just look at your piece of paper to see what to do next everytime you hear the siren.

    I prefer watching your typical crime/murder mystery type shows i.e. CSI/NCIS/Jonathon Creek :P . If you're into that sort of thing then I find it just helps you take your mind off the bike a bit more as you try and work out "who dun it"

    Ollieda, you can actually enter your own turbo session on the site, then you wouldn't need the scrap of paper and others may benefit form your workout. :wink:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    NapoleonD wrote:
    you can download alot of the dvds for turbo trainers on utorrent have 6 now and there good not tried serrfest yet but spinval is good clear instruction and guides on which gears and tension to be in very good and free

    Erm...

    And illegal?

    NapD - I'm surprised you don't know this, but copyright infringement isn't actually a criminal offense - it's a civil matter. The big record/movie companies would love the taxpayer to pick up the bill for enforcement though.

    I don't condone snaffling stuff over the internet though. Unless the producer deserves it due to already being rich. Or the PVR went t*ts-up trashing your recording. Or you lost the original disc.

    I didn't say it was a criminal offence...
  • Ollieda
    Ollieda Posts: 1,010
    hopper1 wrote:

    Ollieda, you can actually enter your own turbo session on the site, then you wouldn't need the scrap of paper and others may benefit form your workout. :wink:


    I think you missunderstood what I ment.....if your using your laptop to watch a DVD or something then you can have internet explorer open in the background running the turbo program. If you didn't write it down then you would either have to have it up on the screen (and then not be able to watch your dvd/show) or minimise you dvd/show each time just to check what you were doing next on the program, or you could always just memorise the program.
  • plus dude i dont burn them onto dvd the files are only on computer not copied and iam not being funny mate you never ever downloaded any thing from net that your not ment to lmao
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    IMO if you can actually follow a movie or TV programme then you're not making the most of your turbo time....
    More problems but still living....
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,207
    You're all making me feel guilty. My turbo programme involves riding steadily for about half an hour before confirming I hate it and chucking it back in the shed for x number of years until I forget how much I hate it. I'll try some of your programmes to see if having a routine helps me tolerate it more (I suspect no-one actually enjoys it do they?).
  • I'm not so sure I wouldn say turbo training is ever overly enjoyable, but when it's wet or dar or cold or wet, dark and cold, turbo training is better than doing nothing.

    I've found you need to vary the sessions as much as possible, particularly if you're not overly keen, but try and bear in mind that it's a means to an end. I'll do a spin for 30 minutes and try to get close to 10 miles, use the Rick Kiddle, Chris Carmichale, Tour de France DVDs or just watch a movie whilst I spin away.

    You'll get out what you put in and I've always found I've improved over the winter by using the turbo, but when the weather is good I'll go out and ride.

    Dunedin
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    Ollieda wrote:
    hopper1 wrote:

    Ollieda, you can actually enter your own turbo session on the site, then you wouldn't need the scrap of paper and others may benefit form your workout. :wink:


    I think you missunderstood what I ment.....if your using your laptop to watch a DVD or something then you can have internet explorer open in the background running the turbo program. If you didn't write it down then you would either have to have it up on the screen (and then not be able to watch your dvd/show) or minimise you dvd/show each time just to check what you were doing next on the program, or you could always just memorise the program.

    Well spotted, Ollieda... I did misunderstand your post :oops:
    I use my laptop, while watching the Telly! :wink:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!