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2011-04-22 9:37 AM

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Subject: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike

I have been training pretty hard at the gym for my upcoming triathlon June 5. I ride 12 miles on the stationary bike, then immediately get off and go over to the treadmill to start running. Right now I am up to a mile and a half running after my 12 mile bike before running out of gas, so I am halfway there in terms of the run.

Some have told me that 12 miles on the stationary is more difficult then 12 miles of road. Is that true? If so I want to start cutting down on my stationary time before getting on the treadmill so I can get my stamina built up to the 3.1 miles faster.



2011-04-22 9:41 AM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike

Are you doing any running alone or all following the bike? 

2011-04-22 9:45 AM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike

I can run a 5K just fine on its own.

But I have been focused on running immediately following a 12 mile bike since that is what I will need to do at the triathlon. Bad idea?

2011-04-22 9:54 AM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike
Not a bad idea necessarily, but not needed every time. You might be better served riding outdoors, or at least on a trainer, with the actual bike you'll be racing on and then try a run. Plus, just ride the bike more. If you can do a stand alone 5k, but can't get more than 1.5 miles running after biking then you may be going too hard on the bike, too hard on the run, or just don't have adequate bike fitness.
2011-04-22 10:25 AM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike

You need to get outside and ride. Depending on how you have the spin bike set up, you may use slightly different muscles on your bike. Also, when you ride outside, you will need balance, shifiting, and awareness of your surroundings.

Besides, riding outside is much more enjoyable!

 

2011-04-22 10:26 AM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike

I know some will disagree with me but I don't think a stationary bike and road bike riding are at all similiar for training purposes. I mean it is better than nothing but if you have a road bike you need to be riding it instead. There is handling skills, riding up hills, going down hills, many others. Fitness wise, it might be ok but unless you are an experienced cyclist, I say hit the roads.

oh and welcome to BT!

 



Edited by iruptacopula 2011-04-22 10:32 AM


2011-04-22 10:29 AM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike

iruptacopula - 2011-04-22 10:26 AM I know some will disagree with me but I don't think a stationary bike and road bike riding are at all similiar for training purposes. I mean it is better than nothing but if you have a road bike you need to be riding it instead. There is handling skills, riding up hills, going down hills, many others. Fitness wise, it might be ok but unless you are an experienced cyclist, I say hit the roads.

Yep

2011-04-22 11:27 AM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike
To be clear I do not intend on not biking outside at all...the weather just hasn't cooperated yet here in Michigan. Looks like the weather should break sometime next week.
2011-04-22 11:51 AM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike
I've had to do this, and while it is no substitute for getting out there on the bike, it is better than nothing. I would say the same thing with a bike trainer, even though I know some would disagree with me. There's lots of things that help with actual saddle time, not just physically. For one thing, you will better understand the nuances of the bike and handling under different conditions. 
2011-04-22 11:59 AM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike
Actually heading out in a few minutes to head to the gym and on the way stopping off at the bike shop to take my Trek (Mt. Trek XC 850) in to have them convert it over for street riding for the triathlon. The weather is supposed to break next week so it will be easier to get out and ride outside.
2011-04-22 12:49 PM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike

The way you are setup on the stationary bike may be very different from how you are setup on your road bike. As such, there's a big difference in the training because of the underlying principle of training: Specificity. As Dr. Skiba points out in Scientific Training for Triathletes, "Your body will adapt precisely to the stress you put on it." Stationary bike and road bike might not be apples to oranges, but its at least one flavor of apple to a different flavor of apple. If you can, put in more time on your actual bike.



2011-04-23 2:52 AM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike

Obviously getting more time on your real bike would be helpful, but I'm wondering if some of your trouble running off the stationary bike might have to do with setting the resistance too high. I have a less-than-ideal training setup in Vietnam that involves one day a week when I can bike on the road and a stationary for other workouts. (I haven't been able to find a good deal on a trainer locally or haul one over from the US yet.  And my stationary has a watt meter, which I couldn't otherwise afford, that is useful for structuring workouts.) It's easy to crank the resistance pretty high on a spin bike without realizing it, thus frying your legs for running. Check your cadence (revolutions per minute) and make sure it is similar to what you are doing on a brisk ride outside. (80-90 RPM for most people) Don't set the resistance any higher than a level at which you can maintain that cadence and still be able to handle the run.

2011-04-23 8:58 AM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike
What kind of stationary bike are you riding at the gym, and how long does it take you to cover that "12 miles"? For the most part, gym stationary bikes give you your distance based solely on the RPMs of the bike, and that won't necessarily translate to an equivalent distance on the road. For example, you can spin the pedals really fast at very light resistance and get to 12 miles pretty quickly. That's not likely to match you would ride outdoors. While it might be true that equivalent distance on an indoor TRAINER (your bike set up on a bike trainer) can be a harder workout (if you make it so) than riding outdoors because there's no coasting, etc., that doesn't necessarily hold true for a gym stationary bike. You might be better off training for TIME and INTENSITY on the gym bike, and ignore what it tells you for distance. So, get on the bike, set it for a moderately hard resistance, and ride for a set amount of time (half hour, 45 minutes, an hour, whatever seems appropriate for where you are in you're training), or do some interval training where you crank up the resistance and/or cadence for 5 or 10 minutes at a shot with a few minutes of easy recovery between each interval.

I also suggest that you do some stand-alone run training (running on days that you're not on the bike), and get some outdoor riding in before your race. For most of us, running takes a larger toll than cycling. Build your run up slowly to avoid injury. If you can increase your running frequency to 4-5 times per week, even if some of those are very short and very easy effort, you'll build your run faster. Keep your running easy for now....

Keep up the good work!
2011-04-23 9:32 AM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike
I find my old Reebok recumbent stationary bike is great for interval training.  I added on an old pair of leather-strap toe clips.  I get more from this than I do putting my tri bike on a fluid trainer, but I don't have a power meter on the tri bike which makes a big difference -- RPE just doesn't cut it for me.

That's really the only thing I use the stationary for.  Otherwise I'm on the road.  But it can be a really effective training tool.
2011-07-04 3:17 PM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike
This was very helpful. Do you have any idea what resistance setting on an exercise bike is closest to riding outdoors? Thank you.
2011-07-04 3:23 PM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike

shelleynagrani - 2011-07-05 5:17 AM This was very helpful. Do you have any idea what resistance setting on an exercise bike is closest to riding outdoors? Thank you.

Depends entirely on the make of exercise bike and what kind of resistance system and settings it has (even then the individual bikes will not all be calibrated the same). Have you ridden much or at all outdoors? It's actually best to simulate "road-feel" resistance on an indoor bike.

I will say that most new riders put far too LITTLE resistance on indoor bikes.



2011-07-04 4:31 PM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike
BP(MI) - 2011-04-22 12:27 PM

To be clear I do not intend on not biking outside at all...the weather just hasn't cooperated yet here in Michigan. Looks like the weather should break sometime next week.


For the most part, triathlon is an outdoor sport. If you don't intend to ride outside at all, perhaps it isn't the sport for you? I was inclined to be more supportive and sympathetic to a newbie based on your original post but the remark about weather in Michigan changed that. Which Michigan do you live in? In the one with the two peninsulas, the weather has been great for cycling for going on three months. What weather are you waiting for? What are the weather possiblilities on race day? In the Michigan where I live, it could be sweltering, chilly, gusty, pouring buckets of rain, foggy, or some mixture of the above. Unless your race is indoors, it would be wise to get out there and start getting used to it.
2011-07-04 4:48 PM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike
Any reason you're running to exhaustion as well?
2011-07-04 5:02 PM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike
BP(MI) - 2011-04-22 9:37 AM

I have been training pretty hard at the gym for my upcoming triathlon June 5. I ride 12 miles on the stationary bike, then immediately get off and go over to the treadmill to start running. Right now I am up to a mile and a half running after my 12 mile bike before running out of gas, so I am halfway there in terms of the run.

Some have told me that 12 miles on the stationary is more difficult then 12 miles of road. Is that true? If so I want to start cutting down on my stationary time before getting on the treadmill so I can get my stamina built up to the 3.1 miles faster.

 

Your approach to training is too oversimplified. I'd recommend you check out some of the BeginnerTriathlete beginner or intermediate plans for an idea of how to approach training for a triathlon - it's definitely not as simple as duplicating the bike/run distance repeatedly until you can do them. For example, you would be far better served by doing some long bikes on some days and long runs on other days than by repeating a race brick workout repeatedly.

 

It will be impossible for you to compare your gym bike to real world bike speed & distance, as they're not calibrated. However in general, because you can't coast on a stationary bike, it tends to be slightly harder for most folks than doing equal time training outdoors. 

 

As a runner but relatively new cyclist, it's normal for your legs to feel 'toasted' after cycling, even short distances. The problem isn't your run, but your bike legs. It will improve with training, but you should bike a good deal longer than 12 miles at a time. 

 

Bike training for handling skills outdoors is also essential for beginners. Although once you get those skills down, the indoor bike is a perfectly good substitute for the workout/power aspects of training. I did most of my winter bike training indoors, with good results, and some pro triathletes (Andy Potts) have done nearly exclusively all-indoor bike training on a Computrainer.

2011-07-04 5:26 PM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike
monkeyboy64 - 2011-07-04 2:31 PM
BP(MI) - 2011-04-22 12:27 PM To be clear I do not intend on not biking outside at all...the weather just hasn't cooperated yet here in Michigan. Looks like the weather should break sometime next week.
For the most part, triathlon is an outdoor sport. If you don't intend to ride outside at all, perhaps it isn't the sport for you? I was inclined to be more supportive and sympathetic to a newbie based on your original post but the remark about weather in Michigan changed that. Which Michigan do you live in? In the one with the two peninsulas, the weather has been great for cycling for going on three months. What weather are you waiting for? What are the weather possiblilities on race day? In the Michigan where I live, it could be sweltering, chilly, gusty, pouring buckets of rain, foggy, or some mixture of the above. Unless your race is indoors, it would be wise to get out there and start getting used to it.


The original post was in April. 
2011-07-04 5:40 PM
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Subject: RE: Difference between STationary Bike at Gym and Road Bike
I can tell you right now that a brick outside is more challenging than one in a gym; that's how I started out and I've moved most of my brickwork out doors. Inside the gym I am a member of it's air conditioned, shady, with a level track to run on. Outside is heat, humidity, and Mr. Sunshine! Not to mention inclines and declines. I would also like to add that if you are not a biker, you need the experience of riding your bike; the gear shifting, the turning, the drinking from a bottle. Learning how to change a flat. Keeping your head on a swivel because your life is in constant danger, lol. At the very least, I would interject some outside bricks with your inside ones.

Edited by Phaethon 2011-07-04 5:44 PM


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