Trainer vs. Road
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Member ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I've read a rule of thumb that says an hour on the trainer is worth 1.5 on the road. Anybody ever hear this or have any opinions on it? |
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![]() | ![]() SAquavia - 2009-08-12 4:48 PM I've read a rule of thumb that says an hour on the trainer is worth 1.5 on the road. Anybody ever hear this or have any opinions on it? Heard it on spinervals, I don't buy it! I get bored on the trainer, I can't simulate hills as good or sharpen my handling skills. I will take the road in the rain,heat, wind any day! |
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Pro ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I have heard that but I don't think that its accurate. I spent hours over the winter on my trainer and going to a high intensity spin class once a week and was a little disappointed when I hit the road in the early spring. While I was better off for using the trainer. I did not progress as much as if I had put in the same amount of time on the road. |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I'm the opposite of most posts so far. I spent hours of the winter on my trainer and when I hit the open rode I was a much stronger cyclist. The biggest difference is I used a CompuTrainer and could do some very targeted and specific workouts (i.e. LT Intervals, etc..). I felt like a new cyclist out there. For the long stuff I would still rather be out on the open rode, but for short target specific workouts the CompuTrainer is a great tool. |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() mattb1 - 2009-08-12 10:31 PM I'm the opposite of most posts so far. I spent hours of the winter on my trainer and when I hit the open rode I was a much stronger cyclist. The biggest difference is I used a CompuTrainer and could do some very targeted and specific workouts (i.e. LT Intervals, etc..). I felt like a new cyclist out there. For the long stuff I would still rather be out on the open rode, but for short target specific workouts the CompuTrainer is a great tool. I agree that a targeted hour on a trainer - especially a CompuTrainer - is a great workout, but can't help handling skills. I have been doing 1-2 workouts a week on a basic trainer and a friend's computrainer and have definitely seen strength and efficiency gains. |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I did Jorge's training plan to gain power on the trainer last winter and was faster on the road this year. 1.5:1 isn't right, but with the same HR, I'm a bit faster on the road. I'll take the road any day, though. |
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Not a Coach ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() It's all about the work you do. If you hop on your trainer and just spin easy, then it's unlikely to be any more beneficial than riding on the road (and perhaps less so). But if you ride the trainer by focusing on hard intervals that can often be more challenging to do on the open road (where you have to worry about traffic, stop signs, turns, etc.) than you may very well be able to achieve the 'equivalent' to an 1.5 road hours in 1 hour. But this has nothing to do with your "speed" on the trainer, which is entirely irrelevant in comparing to outdoors. |
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Member![]() ![]() | ![]() Maybe if you spend a half an hour coasting in an hour and a half ride outside. ![]() Its just harder for me because since I'm not moving pedaling is constant for an hour. If I'm out on the road I have downhills to coast, stand up some and take some breaks in flats. To me an hour on the trainer feels like 2 hours on the road. |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() SAquavia - 2009-08-12 6:48 PM
This is impossible. Same gear same cadence, your rear wheel will be turning the same exact speed wether road, trainer, rollers, or hanging in mid-air. Myt first thought would be that your using gps for speed or the speed sensor is on the front wheel, but I think if you were measuring zero speed you probably would have guessed the problem. On a separte note, the speed registered on a trainer can be significatly different that the speed on the road for a given effort/HR/power as a trainer may not be designed to mimic the orad. Some are, but you'd have to mach the manufacturers model (size, weight, grade, Cd, etc). Other trainers, like my Fluid 2, gets much harder as you get slightly faster. They design it that way so that you can not only cruise on it with near roadlike data, but also have the ability to absorb massive short term power intervals without a standard bike setup running out of high gears.
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I also feel a trainer is more "difficult" because the bike isn't allowed to move laterally with you as it does on the road so the seat tends to rub like it doesn't on the road, so after a shorter time on the trainer it will take more HTFU to stay on the trainer than to go longer on the road. |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() It's simple for me, an hour on a trainer is like and hour on a trainer. Same goes for road time. The two are so completely different I can't imagine a formula in which the two could be related with much accuracy. For me it comes down to time in the saddle and how hard that time in the saddle is. Edited by MKAH 2009-08-14 11:58 PM |
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New user![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() IMO yes and no. No because an hour is an hour, when it comes to endurance. Yes; for a couple reasons. 1. On the trainer I pedal the whole time. On the road I coast a bit. 1/3 of the time, I don't know. (maybe it will help with endurance a little) 2. When it comes to muscle building yes, I will typically keep it in a harder gear longer then I would on the road. |
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Member ![]() ![]() | ![]() I have found that time in the trainer is VERY valuable. BUT...it has to be with some purpose. For me it is using Spinervals. I can focus on getting very hard intervals in. Once in a while I will think that I can just turn on the TV and get a good workout in, but it doesn't work for me. I need Coach Troy yelling at me, and then fitness is definitely moving forward. I don't know if you can equate time on trainer with time on road in any ratio that makes sense. I never look at my distance or my speed while on the trainer. I train using my hr monitor. Sometimes on the road it is hard to keep your hr UP for a given amount of time. You come to a stop light or go down a hill. I think both are very important to get your biking to be the best it can be. Barb |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I spend the winter months indoors on the trainer using the spinnervals dvds. I felt I was much stronger when I finally got to the road than I was last year. I think it is all what you make of it and how much effort you put into it. If you follow the gearing and rpm recommendations by spinnervals you will get an awesome workout. |