First time in a bike trainer

I hear you on the bike trainer. I usually find myself "sleeping" through the ride. Unless of course, I am doing Spinervals. Those masochists usually keep me awake up until the point where I pass out. Seriously, indoor training is miserable.

I am going to cut out of the office early today because the weather is so nice. Spring time in Texas is very unpredictable so I have to take advantage whenever I can. One day sunshine, the next tornados, the next snow. :-O If you don't like the weather here, just wait 15 minutes...it'll change.

poopers- i was seriously considering buying a bike trainer... but they don't sound like fun. Living in Illinois, i guess it's either that or training indoors at the club [i don't like stationary bikes]. IT'S SPRING AND SNOWING AND FREEZING OUT.... maybe i should move to Texas.

I have a trainer and I am really ready to get outside, but if you want to train they are great. I read somewhere that an hour on the trainer is like 1 1/2 on the road so that is a plus. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. Can't ride in the snow!!!

One thing that I like about my trainer is that there's no "coasting" (which to me leads credibility to the idea that 1 = 1.5). Another is that I can ride and listen to music (which I won't do on the road because I'm afraid I won't hear the truck that's about to run me over) or read or watch t.v. They're not ideal, but they serve a purpose.

Indoor riding has never been all that, but when I started training in January, I set the windtrainer up in front of the TV and started on the second season of X-Files DVDs. 18 episodes down, 7 to go (13.5 hrs out of 18.75 hrs.)

The weather has been decent for outdoor riding, but I've only had time to get out about once a week.

Wow!
I can't believe you haven't been on one before! That is a foreign concept to me, and I am happy that you usually don't have to endure it from November to April. I guess I am used to it now, and it makes riding outdoors really really exciting when spring arrives.
Jen

LOL Sharon, you really made me chuckle with this post! I don't know how we do it either...maybe we're just so open-minded that all of our brains have fallen out. I pass the time by watching Tour de France racing videos, turning up the trainer resistance and getting out of the saddle when the racers on TV are climbing mountains. It helps (barely), but sure is no substitute for the road.

And now we are getting belted with a snow storm, so there goes my chance to take the brand new bike out for it's maiden voyage. At least it's getting plenty of trainer miles, though the front wheel remains motionless.

Max

I also ride on a trainer and so far my longest ride has been an hour and 45 mins.
I also watch TV and listen to my MP3's. It does force you to work on your mental toughness by not going nuts.
I agree it's boring, but I prefer it to riding on a Cybex bike at the gym as I was told by a tri coach that Cybex and Spin classes work different muscles than riding on your own bike. So I look at it as the best I can do for now.
It is also snowing -again- this morning here in Chicago. Uggghhh......

i must say i cant wait to get outside...im really getting sick of stopping half way through my ride to change the movie.
does anyone else have any problems with there rear wheel slipping either my brother is playing some kind of sick joke on me or something is wrong

Can I ask what everyone is using for a bike trainer and how they like it? I don't even have one.

.. and yes it's still snowing in Chicago and yes the indoor gym bikes aren't cutting it for me anymore. Next week is spring break for me- hopefully the weather gets better.

While at the health club each day, I use the bike they have there, brand is Precor, same as a lot of popular treadmills. The seatpost angle is a bit too laid back for my liking, but I can sit on the nose of the saddle and lean my forearms on the armrests, sort of in an aerodynamic position. I guess I've adapted to it a bit, as it's not as uncomfortable as when I first started using it. At home I have a set of rollers, which you can ride with both wheels attached to the bike. It takes some practice and coordination, but it's remarkably similar to riding on the road itself. Hard to watch TV though since a lot of concentration goes into maintaining balance and side to side position. Usually I remove the front wheel and attach the fork holder so that I don't have to actually balance any more. I have a TV/VCR in front of me to watch Tour de France and Giro d'Italia racing videos.

Max

I use a CYCLEOPS FLUID 2 trainer that I bought off of e-bay. It was brand new and cost $210. If I hadn't bought it I'm not sure I'd have been able to stick with it as I have.

I've got a secret--

There's a part of me that really loves my bike trainer. First of all, it is totally helping my training, because I don't really have a lot of daylight hours to train, so I can go up to my attic and put in a (sorta) quick hour or two on the trainer at 9pm. But here's the shameful secret, I have a sick love of bad TV. I'm horrified by it, but still compelled to watch it. Now I live with 3 other women and wouldn't dream of curling up on the couch downstairs and watching an hour or so of bad tv, but up in the attic, I am free!!! Up until my I got my trainer, I never watched bad TV, but I go up to the attic with glee to find out the next installment of... whatever.

Your right, though, it is kinda mindless and boring--but it's the perfect fit for my bad tv habit!!

BTW, I use a Nashbar--which is not a stellar trainer, but I got it for really cheap brand new. Only about 80 dollars. Bonus!!

Dana

Here's to bad tv, Dana! I have to make sure I am paying attention to my riding when the tv is on.
I have a Tacx Cycle Force One and love it. I can spin really well on it, and it offers a wide variety of resistances.
Jen

My trainer is a low-end cycleops wind trainer, with my wife's old mongoose mountain bike. Not fancy, but functional.

Sharon,

Now you know why I finally invested in a light and do some riding at night. I have acutally found it to be quite peaceful. Where I live, it's also pretty safe. The trainer just cannot be used for more than an hour by me.

I'm using the Cyclops rollers. You really must pay attention or you wipe out! I find it a great workout and helps build those stabilizer muscles.

Geoff