indoor bike training boredom?

Sufferfest for sure. Great value for money and challenging for anyone.

Can't you just spend the time fantasizing about your tight shirt and shorts that will match the color scheme of your bike.

Either that are trying to consider which unrelated to bicycling company logos you want to be plastered across your jersey - I prefer a brewery or some obscure technology company.

That's what I usually think about.

You do realize the statement "indoor bike training boredom" is triple redundant.

I do both rollers and a trainer, depends on workout. If I HAVE to ride inside the so be it. A few ideas as mentioned, get on a plan... That actually helps a lot. It gives you focus and goals. Netflix is your friend... And an ipad, plus some great speakers. I've done up to five hours when need be on, a trainer, guess I'm a robot too. Not my preference, but necessary sometimes when training.

+1 to greg. the most interesting thing about indoor bike training is thinking of ways to make it more engaging.

Ok, let's make sure that this thread is as dull and distant from the ethos of climbing as possible, by adding a discussion of computers to it!

When people mention the videos, is the setup most of you use to just use a normal dvd and monitor the workout using a speedometer (and "cadence-ometer") on your bike? Or do many of you use a setup that links to a computer to log and coach the workouts that way? If you do the latter, how do you do it? I'm fairly tech-aware, but this is totally unknown territory for me so I feel like I could spend a lot of money on something that was wrong or obsolete or whatever.

Optimistic wrote:Ok, let's make sure that this thread is as dull and distant from the ethos of climbing as possible, by adding a discussion of computers to it! When people mention the videos, is the setup most of you use to just use a normal dvd and monitor the workout using a speedometer (and "cadence-ometer") on your bike? Or do many of you use a setup that links to a computer to log and coach the workouts that way? If you do the latter, how do you do it? I'm fairly tech-aware, but this is totally unknown territory for me so I feel like I could spend a lot of money on something that was wrong or obsolete or whatever.

I do the latter.
Bluetooth speed and cadence sensor + bluetooth HR monitor (both from wahoo fitness)
Linked to trainer road app on my macbook pro.

drop in a sufferfest video

BAM!

Adam Leedy wrote: I do the latter. Bluetooth speed and cadence sensor + bluetooth HR monitor (both from wahoo fitness) Linked to trainer road app on my macbook pro. drop in a sufferfest video BAM!

What is your trainer? A Wahoo also?

I decided to take the plunge on a Bkool trainer...a good bit cheaper, hopefully I won't regret that! Still claims to have a lot of the video simulation features. Doesn't connect to trainerroad at this point, I guess they have their own version of that.

I've been hitting up a local (non-climbing) gym that has sweet stationary bikes with a video-game aspect...there's a screen in front where you see a 1st-person view with different tracks/backgrounds to ride, other cyclists around you. Kinda fun.

I've been having hip issues and the cycling helps for sure.

ipad + various tv series.

Dexter
Breaking Bad
Game of Thrones
Walking Dead
etc. etc. etc.

A life time of binge watching while spinning away.

Like mentioned above, Rollers and a movie... It takes a while to get used to them, so you'll be afraid for a bit to stop pedaling. If you want something more stable, a trainer works too.

Hmm, I watched Sons of Anarchy, Dexter, Homeland.

I had a power sensor from Polar on my bike when I rode. In the end game, it's all about sustainable power.

John...

The only time I ever rode and watched the tube was when I was single, and even then I never really rode for more than an hour. I've always preferred shorter harder sessions than long spins on the trainer. Just too boring, makes my ass hurt too much and not nearly effective as a solid 45-60 minute with max intervals laced throughout. Granted, I've always lived in So Cal, so weather has never been that much of an impediment. However, a wind trainer has always been just a way of maintaining fitness and pedaling technique, not a way to substitute the same amount of time I would otherwise spend on the bike if weather wasn't an issue.

^^^ Haha I've been tearing through Son's of Anarchy too! Ive only been allowing myself to watch the Olympics while on the bike, helps to motivate me. I don't train using speed, only cadence and heart rate. Speed means almost nothing on a trainer, you're either training mapping power or heart rate. If using heart rate remember that you will see "heart rate drift."

I like to use interval based workouts, seem to break up the monotony of spinning. If your trying to log miles a trainer is NOT the business, it's hard for me to log much more than an hour, so incredibly boring. I prefer to do my multi-hour rides outside.

My local bike shop does a trainer night once a week. BYOB, and they provide the trainers. They have a TV and show a different training video every week. Usually draws about a dozen folks. I find it much easier to suffer with company, and do longer, harder workouts there than if left to myself. For knee rehab, keep the gear low and the rpms up. Cycling is good for knees as long as you don't try to push too big a gear.

Shop Craigslist for a trainer. Lots of folks by one and never use it. Get a trainer that holds your bike by the rear axle if you just want a workout. Rollers have a learning curve, though they will teach you balance. They will also punish you for not paying attention.

Last tip: Get one, or better yet, two fans. Point one at your head, and one at your legs/torso. It's easy to overheat riding a trainer. Your heart rate will go up, but you won't be training effectively. That will just be your body trying desperately to dump body heat to keep you from burning up.

Over grown children need a sippy cup and constant distraction. Maybe a different type of training would be more valuable.

Optimistic wrote: What is your trainer? A Wahoo also? I decided to take the plunge on a Bkool trainer...a good bit cheaper, hopefully I won't regret that! Still claims to have a lot of the video simulation features. Doesn't connect to trainerroad at this point, I guess they have their own version of that.

I use a set of Tacx rollers

I use these:

sportcrafters.com/products/…

And a Kinetic trainer. The suggestion of a fan is a great one. A must for long sufferfests.

Adam Leedy wrote: I do the latter. Bluetooth speed and cadence sensor + bluetooth HR monitor (both from wahoo fitness) Linked to trainer road app on my macbook pro. drop in a sufferfest video BAM!

Any particular recommended Sufferfest? I see that there is one, ridiculously called Violator, which focuses on sprinting, which would seem to be the best fit for interval training, but I know nothing about all this. These vids are kind of the bicyclists version of crossfit, I take it? :)

Optimistic wrote: Any particular recommended Sufferfest? I see that there is one, ridiculously called Violator, which focuses on sprinting, which would seem to be the best fit for interval training, but I know nothing about all this. These vids are kind of the bicyclists version of crossfit, I take it? :)

Just a bump to see if anyone has a suggestion on a recommended "starter" title from the Sufferfests... Training goal is mainly weight loss.

Optimistic wrote: Just a bump to see if anyone has a suggestion on a recommended "starter" title from the Sufferfests... Training goal is mainly weight loss.

Hey I have all of the sufferfest videos and I do like the violator but to be honest my favorite is "there is no try". If you are only getting one of the videos that is the one I would recommend it has a good variety of short and long hard efforts and I just find I enjoy it more than the others.

The violator is really really short sprints and alot of them. Unless you are training to win the final sprint at a criterium and really want to pack muscle and power on the legs I like some of the others better.(Don't get me wrong I do like that one and I do want to win my local crit race so I do still ride violator often.)

that is my 2c