General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Offseason bike focus? Rss Feed  
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2018-10-10 9:21 AM

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Subject: Offseason bike focus?
Completed my first season of triathlon consisting of a local sprint followed by Augusta 70.3. I enjoy riding more than I thought I would and have even grown to tolerate trainer rides.

I upgraded my trainer to a KK rock and roll smart trainer so I have access to power via their app. I also have a wahoo speed and cadence sensor.

I’m debating zwift vs sufferfest and wondering what plans I should focus on for my offseason training. I also have access to the Kurt kinetic plans via their app.

Any suggestions welcome. Getting confused by all the plans and terminology.


2018-10-10 10:16 AM
in reply to: Parkland

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Subject: RE: Offseason bike focus?
If you don't have a coach I would actually suggest looking at something like trainer road vs the others. I enjoy zwift but think that the overall structure of a trainer road plan is so much better for building. If you have a coach that utilizes Training Peaks like mine then you can upload the structured plans into zwift and get the best of both worlds. It helps in the winter to get a little more excitement by substituting a zwift race for a VO2 max session. It just adds a little extra motivation.
2018-10-10 12:01 PM
in reply to: Parkland

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Subject: RE: Offseason bike focus?
Jordan is right - a coach could create a custom training plan for you(one that evolve as the season goes) and you could upload the bike workouts into the training software of your choice direct from Training Peaks.

Many of the pre-made plans are not going to adjust per your work/family/etc schedule, will not be geared to your season/long term goals, and in general are not made for triathletes doing 3 sports versus just cycling.

I'd also suggest selling the KK and going with a Kickr Snap or direct drive Kickr. I'm not a fan of the way the RockNRoll feels, so if you are going to stay fluid I'd go with the Road Machine over the RandR. In future seasons when budget allows add an on-bike powermeter.
2018-10-10 2:22 PM
in reply to: Parkland

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Subject: RE: Offseason bike focus?

I've used Zwift and TrainerRoad.  TrainerRoad has a more robust library of workouts and training plans but there's (visually) not much to look at other than the power targets for each segment within a workout.  Zwift has a decent library of training plans and workouts but not nearly as extensive as TrainerRoad.  I like the visual aspect of Zwift (riding different terrain and riding or racing with others) so I've gravitated over to Zwift exclusively.

2018-10-10 3:16 PM
in reply to: rubletriathlon

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Subject: RE: Offseason bike focus?
I can't really justify getting a coach at this point. Most coaching rates I've seen have been higher than I would feel comfortable paying. Maybe if I get towards the pointy end of my age group, I may reconsider. At this time this is just a hobby that I've enjoyed doing the past year.

As far as the KK Rock n Roll, I'm enjoying it. I like the feeling when I get out of the saddle and actually feel the bike rock side to side. It was hard to pass up for $130 bucks as well.

Joel, have you tried uploading custom workouts into Zwift? I've also heard that Zwift has updated their training database recently. I'm thinking I will probably try out the 7 day trial and go from there.

What type of workouts are best at this point? My next race isn't until May 4th...29 weeks away. That gives me 13 weeks prior to starting another 16 week HIM cycle. I'm planning to follow Matt Dixon's Fast Track Triathlete again.

Thanks again!
2018-10-10 4:13 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Offseason bike focus?

Importing custom workouts...no, I haven't tried that.  There is a workout builder that looks pretty easy to use but I just use one of the canned workouts when I get on the trainer.

Day in and day out, it's hard to beat the SST (sweet spot workouts)...they will keep you sharp in season and out of season.  They have short (about an hour), medium (1.5 hours) and long (2 hours?) versions of those workouts.  The 2x15 and 2x20 min FTP workouts are good if you want a bit more of a challenge.

You could also go through the 12 week (I think) FTP builder plan since you have time before you start your HIM training plan.

 



Edited by JoelO 2018-10-10 4:16 PM


2018-10-10 9:49 PM
in reply to: Parkland


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Subject: RE: Offseason bike focus?
If I just had to choose one, I would actually go with Trainerroad. The structured plans take all the guesswork out of it and you just need to follow the plan. Zwift is fantastic for a change of pace and Zwift racing. But I speak from personal experience, if you ride without structure in Zwift you'll end up not making as good of gains as you otherwise could.



2018-10-11 1:48 AM
in reply to: Parkland

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Subject: RE: Offseason bike focus?

I had zwift but dumped it i favor of Trainer Road.

IMO. Zwift is a game with too many distractions, and temptations to go off plan. TR provides much more focus and i noticed a greater improvement with TR

2018-10-15 4:17 PM
in reply to: Parkland

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Subject: RE: Offseason bike focus?
Been using Zwift for 1.5 years.
You can either use their plan, or I build mine in Training Peaks and export it to Zwift and it works great.
2018-10-16 12:25 PM
in reply to: Parkland

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Subject: RE: Offseason bike focus?
If you're going it alone Trainer Road is a great place to start. Zwift has made some progress with their plans, but they still aren't as good as what Trainer Road offers. I would recommend starting with Sweet Spot Base, then just pick the plan that corresponds with how many times you want to ride per week. I believe the low volume plan is 3 rides per week, high volume is 6. We use both Zwift and Trainer Road in our coaching and it really comes down to what the athlete prefers and what will get them on the bike all winter. Some people do best with following a graph like TR with few distractions, others prefer the social aspect of Zwift. One potential problem with Zwift is getting carried away with chasing people and not following the prescribed workout, which is why I say TR has fewer distractions. I used Zwift years ago and didn't really get it. Last year I was burned out on the trainer and a buddy suggested I give it another shot and I credit Zwift with getting me through the winter. I don't know why, but it's just more enjoyable for me to ride around Watopia and the racing is a blast, as long as you don't take it too seriously (it's way too easy for people to cheat).

One other note... depending on your goals you might want to reach out to a few coaches. You might be pleasantly surprised at some of their rates. I do some coaching myself yet I pay a coach for cycling. It can be difficult to be objective when planing for yourself, and the accountability that comes from a coach can help to make sure you get the workouts done... at least it does for me.

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General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Offseason bike focus? Rss Feed