Sensible time on the trainer??

What is a sensible time one should spend riding on the trainer? I try to get 2 hours at 80% FT and another 20 minutes on warm up and cool down. Unfortunately, I can't score the desired TSS. With 2 hours at 80% FT and 20 minutes on warmup and cool down, I can only score 134TSS. For some reason, I can score a lot higher if riding outside for the same duration. Riding outside I can get a higher IF as well, something in the range of 83% FT.

 

I predict that if you do 2hr 20mins at IF=.83 on the trainer, your TSS score will match your outside rides.

Seriously though, 2hrs is about the limit of what I want to do on the trainer in one sitting. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to ride at .83FT+ during that period, however. A simple routine to generate IF=.83 would be to ride 1 minute at 90% FT, followed by 4 minutes at 80% FT. Just watch the clock and do your 1 minute higher-power everytime the minute hand shows a multiple of 5. Additional benefits are greater fast-twitch recruitment and more specific force/cadence distribution.

I know I've posted my workout TSS calculator spreadsheet before, but PM me if you want it.

 

Wow, 2 hours is a lot. How often do you ride the trainer?

 

Not a lot. Second session so far since the beginning of the off season. I generally ride outside. Is just hard. Overheating even with a fan blowing in the my face. Can't coast. Every pedal stroke counts.

 

2 hours is about my max on a trainer from a purely mental standpoint. With your 2 hour and 20 minute sessions including wu and cd I'd be worried about getting mentally stale long before winter lets up. I've done double workouts in the easier levels with one in the am and another later in the day to break up the monotony, I've gone up to 3.5 hours in a day with doubles, usually a 2 hour morning session and an hour and a half in the evening.

As far as TSS goes, you've really only got two parameters to play with, IF and time with the relationship:

TSS = IF^2*hours*100

IF stems from NP not AP and climbs with increasing VI. So it's not surprising that similar average power outdoor rides for the same time are more variable, give you higher NP, hence higher IF and higher TSS.

So if you want to get more TSS per hour on the trainer you've got to bump up the intensity either steady state or with some shorter hard efforts. An occasional 10% wattage bump during a L3 effort like you describe will simulate that section of headwind, short hill or other variations that are typical outdoors. It will also drive up your VI, NP, IF and TSS.

I do some L3 rides like you describe with steady state in L3 land and some one to five minute mini L4 intervals just to keep it interesting. Overall I think I get more bang for my trainer time buck by doing sweet spot sessions at closer to 90% of my FTP rather than longer L3 sessions. When the weather allows I much prefer doing L2/L3 work outdoors and saving the trainer for harder efforts.

Good luck,
Dave

 

I agree with Dave. If I rode any more than 8-10 hrs a week on the trainer I would go insane I reckon.

I can't do any more than 2 hours in one time, and to be honest I wouldn't recommend it. I did 90 min intensive workouts 5x a week last january / february - and I actually managed to come down with an excessive biribulin (liver hormone) count which may well have been caused by fluid / salt loss from the heat. (even with a big fan) or it might just have been 8 hrs per week in L4/5....foolish....

I'm happy if I can accomplish 3 or 4 x 1.5/2 hour L3/4 sessions in the evenings (mon - thurs) and then one 3.5 hr ride on the weekend.

2 hrs in L3/4 on the trainer seems to hit me as much as a 100km ride outdoors, and I don't do that every day even in mid season.

 

Wow, 2 hours you say? Hats off to you, that is quite the long stretch. It is quite draining and a real exercise in self-motivation as well as finding ways to avoid complete boredom.

I can only tolerate an hour at a time on the trainer, and find it subjectively equal, in terms of strain, to an outdoor ride that's twice as long!

 

I did some 4 hour rides on my recumbent trainer last year at endurance/tempo pace that was nuts somebody should have stopped me.

 

Been there. Done that.

 

I just did 3 hours at an average of 76% of FTP.....

quite impressed with myself.

 

Hour and a half-for sanity sake!! Though when I was in college I would ride in the basement of my apartment in the dark for an hour. Just me and my HR monitor. I figured I was building mental toughness for Time Trialing!!

 

I only ride outdoor.

Unless it is absolutely inhospitable outside, will I resort to the trainer.
And then 1 hour is the very limit of my attention threshold.

I prefer outdoor. Even if it's miserable, cold, freezing. Give me three hours+ out there, to a one hour indoor trainer session anytime.

 

<movie trailer voice> In the dark, no one can hear you beep.....

 

Damn, I hate the trainer. It makes me slow. After a week of rest and recovering from my slight cold, I actually commuted today. Man, my legs had this no-chain feeling. I was sweating like a pig because I overdressed. Funny thing was that I felt slow on the trainer two days ago.

 

Re: Sensible time on the trainer??

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I will choose suffering cold this year over suffering boredom. There will certainly be days where I regret this, but that's one of my winter goals. No more than 4 days per month on the trainer.

 

2+ hours on the trainer is HARD! i'm glad the climate is not too bad here compared to some of you guys who are forced on to the trainer all winter.

The longest i have done is 2.5hours when it was icy outside and i was very motivated to train for a season in France i wouldn't do more than 1-1.5 hours now and nothing if i can avoid it!

Frenchyge i would be interested in that TSS spreadsheet if you could point me in the right direction!

 

Tonight-10 minutes of tempo, 10 minutes of single leg pedal drills and 3 minutes of max efforts all with rest between and a good warm-up and cool down. 1:17. Why stay on any longer? I must say if you only ride the trainer once in awhile (I am likely to be on m mine 3-5x per week) a long ride wont be bad.


I feel great, had time to do crunches, back exercises and stretch-out of the basement in 1:30!!!

Ray