The Triathlon Rx

No, it’s definitely not cold enough to hang up the wheels for the season just yet. I’ve gotta get to 32° and/or snow before making that call, and I’m hoping in Minnesota we’ll have at least another month until that point. But I will admit that I’ve had my trainer out several times within the last month, and truthfully, don’t hate it! If I had it my way, it would be a permanent fixture in the living room – if the bike isn’t being ridden out on the road, it’s waiting to be ridden inside. Unfortunately <<siiigh>> not everyone appreciates their living room being turned into a cycling studio. But I do what I can.

[Busted!! Absolutely nothing wrong with a little nip/tuck at 5am.]

Using an indoor trainer has many benefits, but there are disadvantages as well. Maybe you already use one, and use it religiously. Maybe you’re thinking about buying one this year. Or maybe you take winter as an opportunity to strengthen your other sports. No matter the case, let’s look at some of the pro’s and con’s:

ADVANTAGES OF USING AN INDOOR BIKE TRAINER

• Maintaining your cycling fitness throughout the winter, and getting to skip that “base 1″ or “build” phase come March.
• Ability to focus on drills (single leg, high cadence spinning, focus boxes, etc.) Improve your efficiency and economy.
• Avoid road hazards: traffic, pot holes, wet paint lines. (#FML. Dear Road Paint Manufacturer, Have you ever ridden a bike??)
• Winter cross training for those who are “strictly” runners. No pulled hammies from slipping on the ice!
• Immediate workout. No drive to the gym. (No risking your life to get a seat in EJ’s spin class… ya hear me SLP?!)
• In comparison to a spin bike, using your own bike on a trainer allows you to maintain your own bike fit and geometry.
• “An hour on the trainer is worth two hours on the road.” While I’m not sure I 100% agree with that statement, you take less breaks on a trainer than you would get outside (no coasting, downhills, stoplights, etc.).
• As noted by the above photo… you can catch up on House MD. Or Modern Family. Or Mystery Diagnosis. Or I guess you could watch CNN or something…

DISADVANTAGES OF USING AN INDOOR BIKE TRAINER

• On race day, you’re not going to go set up your CycleOps on the starting line. Using a trainer eliminates some of the adversity you may have to face in the “real world”: wind, hills, rain, corners, etc. Solution: I can’t give you anything for technical/handling skills, but you can certainly include resistance and “hill” intervals by playing with your gears.
• The trainer can wear down your rear tire. Solution: pop on a trainer tire during the winter. Especially if it’s going to get heavy use.
• “Boring.” So they say… Solution: see last point of “advantages”. Set up trainer party in the living room. Check out The Sufferfest.

Clearly, you can tell by my “solutions” that I am slightly pro-trainer. As a matter of fact, more and more pro-triathletes are reporting that they do the majority of their training indoors. Andy Potts, Chris McCormack, Nicole DeBoom, Tyler Stewart, and more. It’s clearly working for them. The Sufferfest is something I’ve found just recently, and I only have two words on that: @$$. Kicking.

Reader Qs:

Do you ride a trainer in the winter, or do you pick a different activity? OR do you bust out the studded tires and ride all year round? If you do have/use a trainer, what brand and model do you have? I’m currently using* a Cyclops fluid. The Kurt Kinetic Rock & Roll trainer looks pretty cool, but I don’t know anyone who has one to let me try it. Do you have a “trainer season” or do you use it year-round?

-Erika

*Using ≠ “mine”. Time to give the baby back.

p.s. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve done a Train on Top post!! This will be linked with all of the rest of the Train On Top editions, which you can find by clicking on the Train On Top tab (or right HERE) at the top of the page.