Winter Training

[K50]

I live in the ******* cold Canadian Winters. Exercise bikes are available to me, and I have been using them for my winter training, but it's SOOOO boring. I was hoping to get in 50-100 hours (100 being way over the top) of winter hours before April 1st, but so far I think I've managed 20-30hours. Is that going to make a huge difference down the line on July 1st when I should be at my peak for the season?

I want to put in more time, but I've been really busy with stuff, and getting to the gym is awkward sometimes. Any advice? I love biking but damn it's cold!

 

[frenchyge]

Are you wanting us to help motivate you to meet your training commitment, or tell you that it won't matter much if you don't?

Any advice?

Ride 10hr/wk for the next 3 weeks, and end up with 50-60 hours by April 1, feeling good about yourself, your training, and your upcoming season.

 

[AmpedCycle]

The solution is easy: get out of the ******* cold canadian winters!

 

[K50]

Are you wanting us to help motivate you to meet your training commitment, or tell you that it won't matter much if you don't?


Ride 10hr/wk for the next 3 weeks, and end up with 50-60 hours by April 1, feeling good about yourself, your training, and your upcoming season.

You make it sound so easy! But that's true. I should stop whining, bite the bullet and do indoor training.

A friend of mine gave me a few good tips today too...He has rollers that he uses at home and sits in front of the TV and watches bike videos...A great way to stay motivated. (I'm at college with no TV so I can't do that, but I thought it's worth mentioning)

The solution is easy: get out of the ******* cold canadian winters!

Haha! Yeah, great advice...but I don't have far to run. If only Canada and the USA were split vertically instead of horizontally, then I could move south and still be in Canada! Man, it was like 85 degrees in San Antonio on Christmas day... That is a cyclist's dream! Except for the average diet of a Texan...chicken fried steak, although tasty, doesn't do well for the physique.

 

[Bigbananabike]

You make it sound so easy! But that's true. I should stop whining, bite the bullet and do indoor training.

A friend of mine gave me a few good tips today too...He has rollers that he uses at home and sits in front of the TV and watches bike videos...A great way to stay motivated. (I'm at college with no TV so I can't do that, but I thought it's worth mentioning)


Haha! Yeah, great advice...but I don't have far to run. If only Canada and the USA were split vertically instead of horizontally, then I could move south and still be in Canada! Man, it was like 85 degrees in San Antonio on Christmas day... That is a cyclist's dream! Except for the average diet of a Texan...chicken fried steak, although tasty, doesn't do well for the physique.

Stay in Canada - who'd want to live in the US!!
I find rollers good - they're more 'live' than the trainer I have. We don't have a TV(by choice) so I just head out to the cold garage with CD and listen to that. Often I only ride untill that CD is done then call it a night.
There is a mount for book reading for handlebars(I've seen it for sale at Performance Bike) so you could use that for your trainer. They may not be the best training miles while reading but they would be some sort of base miles and that would be important. Hope my suggestions help, Paul

 

[Powerful Pete]

Don't know how much cash you have, but seriously consider one of the Virtual Reality trainers, a la Tacx Fortius or Elite Realaxiom. Though pricey, you are either in a video game, riding against someone else on another Fortius (via the web) or riding while watching another rider ride the last 80 or so km of the San Remo or RVV...

next best option is to buy some spinerals and set up your trainer in front of the PC...

 

[K50]

Stay in Canada - who'd want to live in the US!!
I find rollers good - they're more 'live' than the trainer I have. We don't have a TV(by choice) so I just head out to the cold garage with CD and listen to that. Often I only ride untill that CD is done then call it a night.
There is a mount for book reading for handlebars(I've seen it for sale at Performance Bike) so you could use that for your trainer. They may not be the best training miles while reading but they would be some sort of base miles and that would be important. Hope my suggestions help, Paul

Yeah, that's a great idea! I always thought it would be cool if there was something like that around. It's a little hard to balance a book or magazine on the exercise bike I use at the gym. Cool, I'll have to look in to that, thanks Paul

 

[K50]

Don't know how much cash you have, but seriously consider one of the Virtual Reality trainers, a la Tacx Fortius or Elite Realaxiom. Though pricey, you are either in a video game, riding against someone else on another Fortius (via the web) or riding while watching another rider ride the last 80 or so km of the San Remo or RVV...

next best option is to buy some spinerals and set up your trainer in front of the PC...

Wow, that's intense dude! I thought it would be wicked if there were a cycling video game out there like that where you actually pedal, but I never thought anyone actually did it! haha.. Yeah it sounds like that's way out of my league for money, but it's worth a look just for fun! Have you ever used one before? It sounds cool.

 

[Aussie Steve]

have a Mag Trainer that I bought years ago...hate using it because its so boring but I should use it when its raining rather than getting fat in front of the TV.
It's kind of like a marathon runner training by running laps of his small backyard...
Sometimes when I feel motivated enough I get it set up during a Football telecast and because I love watching footy so much...it takes my mind off the tedium and I can manage 30 minutes.
Any ideas about how I can get motivated to use the damn thing?

 

[K50]

It's kind of like a marathon runner training by running laps of his small backyard...
Sometimes when I feel motivated enough I get it set up during a Football telecast and because I love watching footy so much...it takes my mind off the tedium and I can manage 30 minutes.
Any ideas about how I can get motivated to use the damn thing?

Exactly man! I know how you feel, that's why I started this thread...just see the above posts for some ideas and advice, hopefully that helps.