Prefered Indoor trainer set up for power trainng?

I want to begin training through winters for the first time this year. Is a computrainer ridden with a power meter to record data still "the gold standard" for this? I like the idea of letting the trainer automatically implement a power workout. Also a major concern for me is alleviating the boredom of indoor training.

It depends on what your budget is. The CT has enough issues that it wouldn't be considered the "gold standard," especially when Racermate itself makes a better product.

Then there are various ergometers and even the treadmill that cost as much as new cars.

One way to alieviate boredom is to go harder. All those wonderful "pain signals" stop the brain from thinking of drivel.

Owning my own indoor cycling, pilates and yoga studio has given me a unique perspective. If we don't keep it interesting, we lose members and money, so it has to be both good for performance and entertaining. All of our instructors are cyclists, most racing as well.

I would highly recommend the Keiser M3 - it is the smoothest and most "bike like" indoor trainer you can use in my opinion, and our results on it have been nothing short of phenominal. We don't work for them or resell their bikes, but we do believe in tooting the horns of those who have "come through" for us.

The best way we avoid the winter blahs is with videos - virtual cycling has become huge in the last 3 years, with over 15 titles now on the market. You can find some of them here: Global Ride

__________________
Gene Nacey, MHA
Certified USA Cycling Coach
Master Instructor; Heart Zones Cycling & Power Training
http://www.cyclingfusion.com
Owner of Global Ride Training Center
http://www.globalride.org


Always finish strong!

Interesting. Do you know how it calculates & displays power? Is it downloadable into WKO+?

Dave

This is the only complaint I have about the Keiser - their data is not downloadable yet. For now, my students just write down their average HR, Watts and Cadence after we complete specific types of workouts. Keiser assured me that they are working on a 2nd generation that will indeed provide output data.

__________________
Gene Nacey, MHA
Certified USA Cycling Coach
Master Instructor; Heart Zones Cycling & Power Training
http://www.cyclingfusion.com
Owner of Global Ride Training Center
http://www.globalride.org


Always finish strong!

i prefer to use rollers (Kreitler with killer headwind fan.. good for ~1200-1500 Watts) and a powerTap and an iPod or iTunes on computer with a good playlist. i have wireless bluetooth stereo headphones so i can skip songs by tapping a button on the headphones.

i find rollers not as boring as a stationary trainer since you have to concentrate to say one and more natural too. plus i use my actual bike i use on the road so no difference in setup and if it's a good day outside i just roll the bike outside.. no removing from trainer and re-setup after, no wheels to put on, tires to change etc.

i've tried videos and movies but i found the just make you not concentrate enough and for me make the ride seem to take longer.. i kinda agree with swampy1970.. get on, concentrate, hurt, do your workout and get off.. the whole movie stuff just didn't do it for me at all.

the most important component for inside training that most people forget about is a big ass, honk'n fan as you can find... the better the cooling during your ride the better and longer workouts you can do inside... i'd say the fan is just as important if not more important than the trainer itself because without proper cooling the trainer is going to be pretty much a waste since your not going to be able to stay on long enough or produce enough power to make proper and effective use of it.

I agree... movies that distract you from your training, not good... virtual cycling that push you harder than you'd push yourself... now that's another story all together. That is what I was referring to - they do not represent the old cycling DVDs of a bunch of guys in a room on trainers, they represent you being outside where you'd prefer to be - here are some cycling bloggers perspectives on it: Virtual Cycling reviews.

__________________
Gene Nacey, MHA
Certified USA Cycling Coach
Master Instructor; Heart Zones Cycling & Power Training
http://www.cyclingfusion.com
Owner of Global Ride Training Center
http://www.globalride.org


Always finish strong!

never tried these virtual cycling videos myself so really can't comment 1st hand... i know one very good rider that swears by it though...

I noticed after one fateful training session where the mp3 players batteries died, that I go better without the music.

The big fan cannot be underestimated. I'm still looking for one that's about as wide as the props on a B-25 but has a remote control, so I don't have to deal with hurricane katrina like winds during rests...

Ditto! I rarely listen to music while training indoors and when I do, it's only something generic like Techno/Trance. Listening to favorite songs can be very distracting. My mind has to think of racing, not being on stage or reminiscing of some girl. I think people who are looking for distractions while riding (yes, even indoors) are not true cyclists at heart.

__________________

Curious...which Racemate product are you referring to (ie a "better product")?

A Computrainer does not require a power meter. If your computrainer is connected to a computer it will record all the data (power, cadence, speed, HR) for post-analysis. And yes the CT will allow you let it impose/control the power output, this is my favorite feature (it`s called ergo mode). You can swap pre-configured trainning session files (ERG files) with a coach or friend with CT. You can also send you result files to your coach or import them in WKO+

You can use the computrainer without a computer but that creates a very expensive trainer with very little bells and whistles. But in standalone mode the CT can still work in ergo mode and force you to create say 300 watts for 20 minutes. You just don`t get any result files in standalone mode.

Alternatively you can use a power meter on rollers or non-computerized trainer but you will have to control the power output yourself. Once again your result files from the power meter can be imported to WKO+ or sent to a coach.

As for the comment on "issues" and Racermate making a better product I too would like more details. My CT has no issues... it does what it is suppose to do. Racermate sells two Computrainer models (the PRO and LAB) which are basically the same but one is more precise than the other ( Pro is tested for 2% accuracy ... not sure about the LAB model accuracy but it is more precise and costs 100$ more). They also make a device called Velotron but it is a full ergometer bike (not some trainer you hook up your bike to) so I don`t think it compares. Velotron is more precise and much more expensive.

You will get same level of precision with a Computrainer, Powertap or SRM...
You will not bring your CT outside ... you will be able to use a power meter both inside and outside.
You will not get ergo mode with a power meter.

You can find something similar to this at your local hardware store:

3-Pin Grounded X10 Appliance Module AM466 or PAM02 - Smarthome

It probably wouldn't handle the B-25 fan though, might have to wire in a remote switch for that one. I wired in a longer cord with a switch into mine (multispeed), works great for intervals.