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Post by namegoeshere on Feb 3, 2015 13:06:20 GMT
I've had a look around for a similar topic but can't find one, so apologies if I'm doubling up a previously existing thread here!
Basically, I've got myself a Minoura B-60R trainer, because it seemed to be one of the best reviewed ones I could afford. I'm happy with it so far. I have a cheap cycling computer which gives me time and speed if I fix it to the rear wheel (or front when I ride outdoors), but my problem is this - on the trainer, any speed indications from my computer obviously aren't going to be accurate anymore.
I could spend money on more expensive eqiupment...but I don't have that money to spare. So I wondered if there's any clever tricks I can use to somehow calibrate the resistance on the trainer to mimic the road as closely as possible. Aside from the magnetic resistance adjustment, the resistance of the turbo unit is also affected by how hard I screw it against the wheel, which seems to me to be the point at which I can make most difference.
I know I can't recreate all the other aspects of an outdoor ride like hills and wind resistance and so on, but I'd like to get it as similar as I can.
Thanks!
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Post by Rocket on Feb 3, 2015 13:26:39 GMT
Might I suggest you invest in heart rate monitoring equipment. When you know how hard you push on the road you then have something to aim for indoors. Needn't be expensive and if you have a modern phone supporting Bluetooth 4 low energy then less than Β£30 will see you right. You could also get cadence measurement but this is not as necessary since you can count it or remember what speeds you do in which gears out on the road.
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Post by Radchenister on Feb 3, 2015 13:38:15 GMT
IMO, a basic resistance trainer will never replicate the variations of road work sufficiently to warrant worrying about it too much. ... but they can be good in their own right for certain types of training; combining the pluses of turbo with riding actual roads, when the weather permits, is a good off season combination that need not be overly complex in my view. Short 45 - 60 minute sessions of HIIT, with simulated sprint / hill intervals, both seated and standing, can be a real leg tester; other times, just spinning a cadence up for a long duration to keep the legs spinning / metabolism purring is also a good thing when done in-between more punishing sessions. In other words, it's an opportunity to make the most of the lack of variations, to either punish or freshen your legs - I wouldn't worry about adding rear wheel resistance too much via pressure on the wheel, too much pressure will wear the tyre more so best avoided. I have a very basic trainer and although I did wonder about buying another one with variable resistance, I've found I can get along fine by either spinning easier rear cassette gears or powering the smaller ones at the back and doing a routine on YouTube. I've had more trouble walking after hard standing turbo work, than I ever achieved on the road or track. A few of us have set up virtual power, cadence and speed - after a couple of months of experimenting, I find holding a cadence in certain gears and following GCN workouts is great exercise and works best; turbo work is never going to be the most pleasant sort of bike riding but it's kind of fun to cook yourself a bit and it does the job for fitness - it can improve your actual road riding, as it toughens up the legs (particularly with out the saddle work) or just allows you to maintain some activity when the weather says no. Not the answer you were after perhaps but it's my take on it.
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Post by Radchenister on Feb 3, 2015 13:42:40 GMT
Parallel post to Rocket 's, I don't use HRM but do use cadence and follow drills - the way I do it, it's more like circuit training than HR zone training. Although if I did get that HRM that Santa forgot to deliver, I'd likely use both approaches. There is also perceived effort to consider, people are usually quite good at predicting what effort level they're using, although my buddy Frank tells me that I'm bad at judging what's termed 'easy' lol !
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Post by ChrisD on Feb 3, 2015 14:02:52 GMT
+1 to Rocket and Radchenister's comments here. In my limited experience, I find speed and cadence on a trainer have very little relationship to what happens on the road, due to all the other drains on your power that occur when riding outdoors. HR can really help give you a sense of how your work on a trainer corresponds to what you do outside on the road. That said, much will depend on the style of the outdoor ride which can be more variable than what you do training indoors. Recently I've found myself trying to replicate the kind of predictable interval or endurance workout I can do on a trainer when I'm out on the road. You have to pick your route mind, in order to be able to go for, say, short high intensity blasts or replicate longer sustained efforts on the flat, or on climbs. You'll find both Radchenister and especially Rocket ride the same local route(s) regularly to help judge progress, and HR can help make the link between the two very different conditions. When you know what effort (as indicated by HR) that you can sustain indoors over a set time period, or over multiple intervals of effort, you can encourage yourself when out on the road to try to replicate that on sections of your ride. Even if a headwind or gradient, or just the road surface is holding your speed down you are likely to be matching the effort, within the margin of error created by HRM measurement, how well you are feeling etc. etc. Just don't push yourself into the red on your commute when you're still miles from home work. Well, not too much anyway.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2015 14:46:12 GMT
Think of your turbo as a training machine and not a riding machine. It just can't be compared in my opinion. Just think of what areas of your riding you wish to improve and target them through GCN videos or interval training.
Nothing beats getting out on the road but it can't be replicated.
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Post by goffski on Feb 3, 2015 15:22:09 GMT
Get one of these and ride your Strava segments
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Post by Radchenister on Feb 3, 2015 15:34:13 GMT
No don't ... save your money on 'virtual' reality and ride them in 'real world' reality !
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2015 15:42:04 GMT
If you want to recreate road conditions, set your trainer up in a refrigeration plant, hire a great big massive fan, turn it up full blast and then get the misses to direct a garden hose towards you. Endure all this for about 3 hours and you'll be half way to creating something akin. Can't really help on the hills front, traffic or icy/bumpy roads etc.
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Post by ChrisD on Feb 3, 2015 15:45:17 GMT
Get one of these and ride your Strava segments I thought Strava knew the difference between what comes off the Kickr simulating the segment and when you're actually out there for real. But they suggest you can practise your favourite segments...
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Post by Radchenister on Feb 3, 2015 15:51:04 GMT
Here's an idea for circa Β£1K - take a few weeks off, fly to Tenerife and ride the real roads out there, bask in lovely balmy weather - it's 20 degrees there right now (one of my buddies is doing exactly that) !
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Post by goffski on Feb 3, 2015 16:03:45 GMT
Or just get out there and brave the weather, after all it's almost Spring
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duffer
Peloton Rider
Posts: 126
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Post by duffer on Feb 3, 2015 16:05:27 GMT
I'd kind of second most of the points here.
Fwiw I've got a BKOOL 'virtual reality' trainer (a cheap second-hand deal from a mate of mine), and although it's good fun even that really doesn't represent the true road experience.
For example on some routes the changes in gradient can come out of nowhere, and if you're not paying attention one second you're happily spinning along in top, and then suddenly you're grinding away like crazy flicking down through the cogs to try to find one you can breathe in. And for me standing up on the pedals doesn't feel as secure on the trainer as it does on the bike, plus the drop in weight on the back wheel can lead to slips and odd things. Most importantly you can't freewheel down the other side; on a trainer you're always pedalling (and if you're in the garage or conservatory, no one can hear you scream). None of those things happen to me on the road, except the screaming where no one listens.
Having said all that, the trainer is a remorseless workout (see again that freewheeling thing) and I really like testing myself on a flat course.
In terms of recreating road conditions I have got the kids to honk horns and shout things at me at random intervals, like "get out of the way, fatty", and also to shoot dead flies at my mouth with a catapult. The BKOOL doesn't have those facilities strangely enough - I'll write to them.
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Post by goffski on Feb 3, 2015 16:19:42 GMT
In terms of recreating road conditions I have got the kids to honk horns and shout things at me at random intervals, like "get out of the way, fatty", and also to shoot dead flies at my mouth with a catapult. The BKOOL doesn't have those facilities strangely enough - I'll write to them.
ha ha...very good!
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Post by ChrisD on Feb 3, 2015 16:36:19 GMT
...
Most importantly you can't freewheel down the other side; on a trainer you're always pedalling (and if you're in the garage or conservatory, no one can hear you scream). None of those things happen to me on the road, except the screaming where no one listens.
... I can hear Rocket saying "Freewheel? What the heck is that?"
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