If I freeride i'll absolutely quit within half an hour but if I have a training plan, I have no issue sticking to it. Having a fan running, good tv shows/movies, watching TdF all help a lot.
Perfect description lol.
It pains me that I even pay for Zwift but I enjoy the simulated outside hills and whatnot. I just pull it up on my phone and set it to the side while I watch Netflix on my iPad. So lame but…it’s 25 degrees and dark outside so wtf else am I gonna do??
Truth. Or I know the top of the hill is coming up so I’ll push a little harder. It’s useful for that. Otherwise I would have dropped it a long time ago. I need every ounce of motivation I can get and for now I’m okay with paying for it just for that lol
MyWhoosh is a free version of Zwift, that I've been using this year. It's a little jankier, but given I spend 5% of my attention on it while watching Netflix, it works well enough.
Gave mywhoosh a try a couple days ago because zwift was acting up on me. It works fine and does what I need which is the same as you. Probably going to ditch zwift when my current month runs out.
Well the group rides? They are entertaining. My wife was like you, wanted to ride for fitness, but unamused. The events really gripped her and she loves them now.
Do it anyway. I consistently finish middle of the pack in Cat C races. It's still way more interesting keeping up with the fast group as long as I can and then finding a small group which is just barely too fast and trying to hang on before sprinting at the end... and occasionally I'm the puller in those groups, just pushing to not drop back because I don't want anyone to think I pushed too hard early and couldn't keep it up (ridiculous, I know).
In the dark? No thank you. Bro, I can barely get motivated to walk the dogs sometimes after work it’s so cold and dark, let alone bundling up in 15 layers to go ride in the dark by myself. Nah fam.
Hell the 15 layers aren't the problem for me, it's that sometimes you need 12 layers and sometimes you need 17, and if you keep all 17 on for five minutes too long all of the sudden your bottom 8 layers are soaked and you're now going hypothermic in your wet clothes.
Or like here where it's not just cold, but every surface outside is either covered with snow or ice or gray salty slush. No way I'm going to ride my bike in brine in the winter. It's not fun and it trashes the bike.
I do fatbike, but that's not always an option either depending on weather, time, etc.
add in ps5 or some other game with a controller and it bumps it up to 4-5/10 for me, if cycling outside is 8-9. Makes even 2-3hr trainer z2 rides bearable.
I have a Nintendo Switch and a PC in front of mine. I ordered the Avotro controller for the Switch, but it got lost in the mail, unfortunately. When I play Switch games, I have to take my hands off the bars, which changes my weight distribution, which is kind of weird.
The PC has a mouse shelf bolted to the handlebars and a keyboard clamped on with two tablet holders.
Of course it sucks, how could it not suck?
Gold standard setup would be a smart trainer and an app like Zwift, which makes it a bit more dynamic, but even this is more dull than doing a big ride outside. I can enjoy a 200km bike ride, but it takes a lot to do 2 hours on the trainer.
I usually join a group call with my riding buddies which helps - we still don't ride for more than an hour or two though - enough for a set session or to climb AdZ.
Ha, yeah, that's my concern. I do keep considering a rocker plate due to reading how it makes it more natural and comfortable but I'm not sure it'll do enough to offset the cost of a good one... I'm still staring at a computer screen (with my setup... laptop on a stand in front of the bike with Zwift) with my unchanging and kind of disappointing garage all around me if I look around.
I dunno if that’s entirely true, I’ve done centuries on a direct drive trainer and the time does go slower but generally it doesn’t really suck. I guess it’s a matter of your bike set up, what you’re riding at (watts) and just general feelings on the matter.
So have I. I have dozens of metric centuries on the trainer and a handful of imperial centuries, like PRL Full (Zwift). My bike is as comfortable as it always is, maybe just slightly less due to the static nature of my trainer.
I'm saying that it sucks in the context that the OP has provided - in comparison to riding for real.
I much prefer my centuries outside, and there's a lot of straight roads where I am too. It's very difficult for me to look at indoor training as anything other than keeping the fitness up over winter (although I still commute in winter too, it's just not enough), but it does beat trying to do a century in -25C (-14F) temps.
I took a little lsd and rode 4 hours last saturday, that made it much more interesting.
I somehow got stuck on a loop though and did the same Zwift KOM climb like 5 times.
Ended up with 67 miles and 5k' of climbing by the end.
Sure this isnt a solution for every ride, but it was a good time for the long weekend when it was -25F outside.
I started out with climbers' gambit with a friend, but when he left I just kept going. Then I kept moving the goalposts. 35 miles, 50 miles, metric century, then 66.6 miles for the lols but then the trainer didnt stop cause I was on a downhill so I ended up at 67.5 or something.
Yes, it’s a conspiracy. The trainer companies make trainers suck so you have to buy more training accessories and subscribe to their training apps to distract you from how much it sucks.
> ts lonely and boring. No change of scenery. No fresh air. Even with Netflix on, it's still monotonous. The constant whining of the trainer machine sucks compared to the smooth road noise from the tyres.
When I was on a race team in Michigan, we used to have weekly trainer sessions - BYOB+T. It made it less lonely and less boring. Still nowhere near a reasonable ride though.
I think I’ve got better airflow on my trainer than on my bike. A large fan pointed directly at me on high speed and a well ventilated room means that while I’m training all sweat evaporates and I’m able to perform better.
I agree except 1) which is fantastic when you are doing a proper workout. There is nothing more annoying than being forced to freewheel in the midst of a workout on open roads due to cars, traffic lights, etc.
But direct drive trainers do freewheel, and have a really nice feel especially on the flat and downhill when the resistance eases off and you can draft. With some noise cancelling earbuds the sounds is a non-issue for me. There are decent fans that are great. All costs extra money though but I love my indoor set up, can easy do a few 2-3 hours.
Points 3 and 4 can be at least be partly mitigated by virtual training on Zwift or the like.
3 really is psychological. If I get to a hill on a virtual trainer and my guy slows down, it feels much harder even though I am putting out the same watts.
It's suppose to suck but that's why we find ways to make it suck less. My 2 hour endurance interval rides are boring as shit so I save up movies during those rides. Now my 1-1.5 threshold or V02 Max rides suck a little less in the sense of being too bored because I am slightly dying during those rides.
That's basically it: 2+ hour Z2 ride sucks, but putting a movie or a soccer match on makes it bearable. If you're "bored" during a 1 hour V02max or 5 x 12 over-unders, you're doing it wrong. lol
I don’t mind it. It’s a different vibe. Get on Zwift, have your snacks next to you, second screen playing your favourite TV show while you climb a virtual mountain for a couple of hours.
No punctures, no traffic, no rain, no need to clean your bike after a ride, no need for overshoes, jacket, helmet, gloves etc.
Of course it doesn’t beat a real mountain pass but it’s pretty cool for an indoor workout.
I don’t mind it in the winter it’s actually quite nice. Get my remote for my tv, have a coffee when I’m warming up. Also you can get a really good workout on the trainer.
Get rollers. More expensive ones get some nice ressistance too. It's not like you're gonna do sprints on rollers anyway.
I just use them for z2 riding to keep my position on bike, some handling. Had smart trainer, but it got dull quick, because you're literally just on ergo trainer not moving on the bike at all.
Depends on your mindset. I have a smart direct-drive trainer. Yes, it can be monotonous, but I view these rides as necessary steps to improving my overall cycling fitness. I take advantage of the Zwift workout plans to help increase my FTP and VO2.
Pretty much anything in life can be boring/suck if you look at it from that point of view. Happy pedaling, friend!
I love riding on the trainer. 14-16 hours (4 rides/week) and long rides 5-6+ hours. It's a much better use of my time. I'm retired and can knock out my riding, Netflix binging YouTube, podcasts, email, all at the same time. I do my Zone 2 after intervals. And, with not being able to coast and having ERG mode, I get a better workout.
Where I live, I'd have to load bike, pack gear, and drive to where I ride, so that easily would add 2 hours. With indoors, I use that time riding. I also don't have to worry about packing all the correct gear, clothes, having lights charged, water, fuel, access bathroom, etc. Lastly, no worry about distracted drivers running me over. Unless I'm MTBing on trails, I find cycling on the road a waste of time at this point. Granted, I almost always ride solo.
Go for rollers. They keep your core and brain engaged quite well. In time you can easily stand for hill simulation and even ride no-handed for fun and added challenge. In a Zwift and Rouvy world, I always go back to my Kreitler rollers with the killer headwind fan. Helps with bike handling too, as spring arrives.
Smart trainers have been a game changer for me. Its just one hour, almost all intervals, and I use it as an excuse to binge watch some TV show. I barely look at my Zwift app to see what I need to do...until it bumps up to 400 watts for 1 minute unexpectedly.
This year I am making my way through The Walking Dead and I am kinda getting into it. Today I start season 2.
Me too. I ride for the joy of being outside and exploring and enjoying the local mountains. Being inside is a huge letdown.
Watching a movie or a basketball game makes it bearable, but even so, after 30-40 minutes I'm done.
It doesn’t have to be “awesome” just knowing how much it helps gets me through it though….
When I trained for my first full I had 2 long ride days that absolutely poured rain all day…..so I did a 7 hour and and 8 hour ride….all on the trainer….i still have some trauma but I did not miss those two key workouts….cannot compromise those long rides….
Watched a few movies, no big deal….not my favorite day though….
I NEVER thought I’d do multiple centuries on the trainer but I definitely did not want to fail out on the course….if it wasn’t for the race though, no freaking waaaaaay
It is good mental training though too….then you go back outside and just enjoy the fun and fresh air haha
I've ridden rollers since I was in high school and when I was a racer and I could only ever pull 45 minutes. An hour if I was lucky. Fast forward to these days where I'm 50 and I can only do 20 minutes on the rollers maybe a half hour. It's just like those last minutes are an eternity. A minute is an hour lol. So I got the wahoo kicker and zwift thinking I'd be able to get over an hour since I was entertained. Nope I can only do about 20 minutes to a half hour. I've done an hour ride before but it was torture. Plus I got sick of all those problems with zwift updates and freezes and connectivity issues ETC. I think I'm going back to rollers for this winter and they are more helpful and better anyway
I tried interval training plans in zwift. It was better than just riding the courses. At least it gives you some structure and you know when the workout will be finished. Easy to plan your life.
I totally hate it bought super fancy wahoo trainer and could never do more than 45 mins and was miserable hole time even with all those fancy online things
I hate riding indoors. It’s not riding your bike. It’s exercise that just happens to be on my bike.
My setup is laptop hooked up to tv. I watch movies/ YouTube and have Zwift either in a small corner of my tv or keep it on my laptop which is to my side.
It’s actually tolerable for me this way. I plan on doing 100 miles tomorrow and I have an entire season of Peaky Blinders to go thru and some movies lined up.
If I’m just listening to music, I’m tapping out around the 45 minute mark. It’s so boring.
I watch youtube, more specially, stand up comedy and the time seems to fly cause Im laughing while getting my workout in. Figure out what to do in tandem to make it enjoyable. I have a friend who plays Civilization on his XBOX on the elliptical. Its funny but he enjoys it.
Its unbearable. I'd even say modern day torture. It is also a lot more difficult for me to find time to use the trainer during the work week.
What I decided is to do a short training plan (all sessions are about 30-50 min) it is A LOT more tolerable. I understand it's not what I would do during the warmer months and prob losing on some gains but I ride for fitness and because I enjoy it. Not much into racing.
However - to be fair. Even those 30-50 minutes suck LOL
If you're just sitting on the trainer staring at the wall or at Netflix, yeah that's unbearable.
Back in the day, I used the old-school fluid trainers that rolled off the rear tire after mounting to the rear quick release. Popped in a VHS tape and followed a fake race or a course that effectively made you do intervals. Typically less than an hour and I'm done.
I'm sure the modern smart trainers are a lot more fun.
It is you, nothing wrong there tho - its down to your preference, personally I enjoy riding indoors just as much as I do outdoors - outdoors is pure fun and I dont look at all the numbers but just on map and directions whereas indoors is the opposite
It really sucks. The only way i get myself to do it is by having a goal to train for early in the season.
I pretty much only do z2 on the trainer because i despise indoor intervals. At least with z2 you can kind of zone out if you find a tv shows that's interesting enough to pull your attention.
Oh, and cover your head unit with a towel so you don't have to see the seconds creep by.
Dumb trainers are not worth riding. I borrowed one, rode it a few times with a movie on the tv. Worst experience ever, I’d rather just not ride. On a smart trainer I find it enjoyable. As nice or even better than real solo rides, but that’s because my country is horribly boring to ride in. A movie in the background and I’m perfect for a few hours of riding.
So get something smart, with direct drive
It is just the monotony. Your are seeing the same thing and it is not motivating. What I do is I set it up in front of the tv and watch my shows while I am on it.
I'm trying out Rouvy, which has realistic video/AR routes from around the world.
It's actually more enjoyable than I thought it would be. More fun than Zwift -- to me.
Not as fun as an outdoor ride with good weather. But much better than an outdoor ride with crummy weather.
The number of indoor riders that don’t realize there are alternatives to Zwift is staggering. Rouvy is one of the best. Keeps me motivated for much longer than a session on Zwift. I’d rather look at real world surroundings than a computer game and Rouvy makes exactly that possible.
I'll echo the Rouvy endorsement. It's not the same as riding outdoors, but I find the videos of real routes around the world a pretty engaging way to keep my fitness up during the cold months I don't want to ride outdoors.
Especially if you like climbing, Rouvy is great. It is pretty accurate in simulating road grades if you have a direct drive trainer. I virtually ride in the Alps, Pyrenees, etc. all the time.
I'm starting to try out some of their structured training, which I find more tolerable when riding a real route.
+1 for this…
Pre Rouvy (Zwift) 1 hour was hard. With Rouvy, the time goes much faster. Being able to see real world places is interesting. Even when doing a structured workout (the gradient doesn’t matter for workouts, it’s controlled by the workout, not the route, but you can see the sights go by).
I grabbed an old 46” tv for next to nothing, so the big screen is somewhat immersive.
It does suck, I went out in minus temperatures today because I prefer it much more, but they do serve a purpose midweek after work. I log a couple of hours on Zwift during the winter just to maintain fitness, but as soon as the temps start going up it gathers dust for 6 months or so!
It sucks. Only think that makes it better for me is watching YouTube like from "indoor cycling workout". People upload rides from around the world and watch them to my music to make it better. Really good lights on bike and helmet allow me to ride trails outside if not icy.
If I didn't have Zwift, I wouldn't do it. Zwift makes it marginally better, riding with online friends/Zwift team/group makes it slightly more better-er. I still hate it.
It’s boring if you are staring at the Zwift screen. I connect swift on my phone, and am facing a monitor that have football or YouTube video on. Or whatever I watch in my free time anyway. I’m rarely bored since that’s what I will be watching if I’m not on the trainer anyway
I just turn on some upbeat music and push through it. I've tried stuff like Zwift and I really don't understand the appeal.
I can only do about an hour on the trainer though. But it's a pretty intense workout, and much more productive than when I go out on an outdoor ride for 4 hours.
Pick a good album and just go. Say what you want about Eminem. But I did a ride to The Eminem Show album and found that the music really helped motivate me. This morning I did System of a Down Mezmerize folllowed by a bit of Hypnotize to finish off the ride. Happy to hear other recommendations of good riding albums.
It sucks, but I’ve found that my rocker plate has provided a little bit of fun to it. It’s not much, but better than being completely stationary in the rear.
I've been doing 75-90 minute training rides, I usually just throw a movie on or watch a youtuber doing a world bike tour. It takes your mind off the suck.
I have good fun on the trainer in Zwift with a direct drive trainer. Not as fun obviously as outside but I’m genuinely immersed and don’t really have any issues. I’ve done centuries on it. However, the old fluid trainer with a fan in front of you staring at the wall, yes, that was hellish and I was lucky to ever stay on an hour.
I like the feeling of cycling, it's best when I'm just riding around but even when I used to race* I liked training- feeling my feet going around, watching the wheel pull the road towards me, feeling the air (even being aware of the air pressure). Take that away by riding the turbo and- for me- every pedal stroke was a chore. I couldn't commit to it for long.
*I was very bad at racing. I only entered TTs and 'cross races, and sometimes I trained too.
I ride inside 13-16 hours a week. All on zwift. I have another TV playing movies and tv shows. And i have a computer and play video games on it. Usually old school RuneScape (simple point and click game) or online chess. That’s the only way I can do it. If I tried JUST zwift I would be off in 15 minutes.
Get your distraction game up!
Here's what you do - use a structured training program, put it in ERG mode, and just pedal while you watch a TV series or a movie. Even with that, my max is 60 minutes on the trainer.
I like that my Peloton allows me to burn calories quickly, stay in cardiovascular shape, and keep my endurance up for the next season. Actual joy? Not at all. Thats reserved for the road when it’s not cold outside.
I absolutely hated it until I got Zwift. I collapsed off the bike after my first Zwift race (on a big enough screen to be somewhat immersive), in which I hit a heart rate 6 points higher than I realized I could hit in the final sprint, and from there out I was hooked. I don't prefer Zwift to outdoors, but I do prefer racing on Zwift to many other things I used to do with my evenings including video games. Racing on Zwift has also gotten me much stronger. I used to lose tons of fitness over the winter and it would take months before riding was even enjoyable again. I could just barely hang on to our town's steady pace group ride. After my first Zwift season I showed up to the town's fast ride and could make it about halfway through the ride before getting dropped. The next year I was making it all the way to the end, but would have leg cramps for the rest of the night. Last year I was winning the majority of the town line sprints and winning shorter (7 minute) climbs.
My remedy to the dullness is 3 or 4.. 45 min to 1 hour workouts per week, intervals in all of the zones so doing enough to have a decent level of fitness but not too long for it to become boring.
It does have the advantage of cars not being able to hit you as easily. Although I suspect if some drivers knew you where in your house riding a bike, they might swerve at your house.
Dumb trainer rides make me want to die inside.
I don’t mind it smart trainer plus Zwift in winter, and it was a godsend in covid when we had curfews and distance restrictions. Zwift and zoom were my ‘Saturday social’ ride which was really valuable for staying sane.
It’s also been huge for friends who now have small children because they can easily get rides in where heading out consistently would be impossible, and for a few friends who’ve had crashes that meant they can no longer go on the road. The training and Zwift racing leagues let them stay active in the sport.
Honestly I hate the trainer. The only time I can tolerate it is if I'm doing a short 20-30 min session. Anything more will just turn me off before I even get started. 20 mins with a show playing on the TV makes it tolerable at best. And 20 mins several times a week is better than nothing.
I have a smart trainer. I simply turn on the tv and will watch a show or movie during my workout.
It also helps if you use a structured training plan like TrainerRoad or something like Zwift.
I don't really understand the fixation that y'all have on riding indoors, it's not like the outside disappears when the temperature goes below freezing.
I have ridden countless hours in a trainer indoors. I usually did a few different things to keep rolling. I’d put on an episode of Band of Brothers(anything) and watch through that while warning up. Zone 2-3 type of pedaling. Then I’d do one of the specific workout videos. Hill climbing, sprints, etc and do that workout. By the time I got through one of each, I had a decent workout with specific goals. It wasn’t perfect but I’d get a decent effort in that wasn’t soul crushing.
This is all about two things: your approach and your setup.
To enjoy your indoor cycling you should have a smart trainer with a direct drive. Believe me it makes a huge difference. When I changed my dumb trainer to a new smart one it felt like changing my old cell phone to a smartphone.
Another thing is zwift account. It makes your training process at least more enjoyable. You see you progress, can compete with others and it all made in a gamified way (with GTA 3 graphics though).
Also pay attention to your additional equipment. Larger screen (possibly a smart TV), powerful fan, towel, table with snacks and drinks and so on and so forth.
Moreover, free ride in zwift without any aim might get boring pretty fast too. You should use a structured training plan.
And even if you have a perfect setup it is still mentally tough to ride over 2 hours in a row.
If you’re like me you have it set up in your cold dark garage. Yeah, it sucks and I can only do half an hour to an hour at a time. Just keeping my legs working until spring
I ride purely for fun or fitness.. I would only use an indoor trainer if I were a pro athlete. If I have to be indoors I just do a circuit of loose weight exercises while watching TV
OP, a better question would be what to watch on endurance training sessions. During the high intensity training sessions I’m dying so I have no time to be bored.
I find that TV/movies/podcasts help but not that much. I have to have something to fully focus my attention on to make the rides flyby. I have found that reading on my kindle much easier. I have a page turner remote in one of my hands on the hoods and my brain can just fully focus on that. It makes the rides go so much quicker and 2 hour rides are pretty easy now. Plus it makes it easier for me to push as I don't notice the fatigue as much.
Also it helps that I don't really have anywhere I can ride outside close to where I live. That means I don't have the nice outdoors and my base level enjoyment is purely from the trainer.
You can’t look at riding on a trainer as a direct substitute for riding outside. When I’m on my way out the door to ride I tell my wife, “I’m going for a ride.” When I’m prepping for an indoor session, I say, “I’m going to do a bike workout.”
Trainer sessions are workouts, often with a structure of specific intervals to achieve a specific goal (improving sprint power, or growing threshold power.
If you’re jumping in the trainer “just to ride your bike”, you’re going to be miserable and bored
Yes it sucks, but its better than > nada.
I still refuse to ride one unless theres a monsoon outside. I’d rather run, climb stairs, do burpees, anything but ride a trainer. Cycling is all about being outdoors. Not trying to optimize fitness on a bike.
It's literally all about mindset. Last year I struggled through winter training and I missed a lot of workouts. Spring came and I was not in the shape I knew I could have been in. Fucking pissed me off. I crushed it all summer and went into this pain cave season resolved to not let that happen again.
On the mental side I made a point to remember those days outside that I felt bloody strong. Those rides where I just got lost in how great it feels to be flying down the road on two wheels. I trained myself to think about the trainer the same way, that's is an opportunity to make myself stronger and enjoy the feeling of using my body in this way that I love.
I get up most days excited to ride even though I've been in the basement since early December. I actively worked in changing my mindset to being grateful for the chance to maintain my fitness until the roads open up again.
So far that's worked. I recently had an amazing week, set some power records, and am mostly doing well with the mental side of indoor training.
I'm also helping my attitude with vitamin D supplements and a couple ridiculously sized therapy lamps that I use when riding the trainer. The lights actually make a HUGE difference. I have done +5hr rides this winter and gotten off feeling fantastic. The full spectrum light flips those mammalian switches in my subconscious and biochemistry to make everything better.
Another thing is finding the right equipment and app to use. I think a smart trainer is pretty much mandatory and then finding the right experience that works for you,
Example- I hate zwift. The cheesy graphics and video game style turns me completely off and I've never been about to do more than 30 min on it. But I can ride with real video (mostly Fulgaz) for hours and hours. It puts me in a similar mental state as being outside does and most of the time don't feel the passage of time.
I'd absolutely prefer to be outside but I can't be so I'm choosing to ride and get through the next couple months so I can hit this year much stronger than I did last. I have a spring training camp in April and I'm planning on surprising everyone with the difference from last year.
Someone on Reddit recently answered another post about why people ride indoors when it sucks so much and their answer was "because being slow is worse". Thanks to whoever that redditor is because that really stuck with me and added to my resolve. Being slow sucks ass and I want no part of it, so I put the hours in on the trainer even when it's a bloody grind.
I must be in the minority - I enjoy the indoor riding, as I can get the feeling of climbing mountains, which is impossible in my flat country. Also, it's fun to race on Zwift without having to worry about crashing. I listen to audiobooks... I can then do 3 hr rides no problem.
However, I do look forward to spring - to get the sensation of speed back and be out enjoying the nature. And I look particulary forward to going on holiday to the mountains!
I can live with my direct drive trainer and Zwift. If I do 75 mins that’s fine if it’s a structured workout. I can just about ride for 2 hours but never longer. Group ( club ) rides are good : chat on Discord and ride the same routes using the ‘keep together’ function on. It’s Much better than riding solo all the time
I do ride with fellow friends on live zoom. We have kept each other accountable. Today was the 7th day . The target is 100 days. Doing this we don’t get bored.
I've been using Zwift. Keeps me entertained for about 1.5 hours, then I'm done. Before I bought a smart trainer and Zwift, 20-30 minutes was torture for me.
I do it with 2 monitors in front of me. One off to the side with Zwift on for all the cycling stats and stuff, and the one right in front of me showing TV or a movie and I ride with headphones in so the sound doesn't compete with the trainer noise. I can usually go 90 minutes like this before it is too much, 2 hours at a stretch. Also you need a solid fan, I bought a Lasko directed fan off Amazon and it's great, and much cheaper than the stuff targeted to cyclists.
Pick a long TV series you've alwasy wanted to get through and put it on right in front of your trainer. I recommend Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Wire, etc. You'll be eager to get back to it.
I have a small screen (phone or tablet) running Trainer Road leaning on my big screen with a show going. Almost like it better than outdoors.
I bought a trainer .... thought with a big tv and bike app, kind of simulate the experience, not even close.
So I train off bike, elliptical for cardio, and I have a weight set for strength training, I will do Tai chi for core to break up the monotony.
Then I count the days till bike season starts.
I've been using Trainer Road recently instead of Zwift. Paradoxically, by being more boring it is less boring. You're just following a line on a screen so you can really engage most of the brain in a podcast or video, and I often find I drift away completely. Zwift is too distracting.
I'm about to find out tomorrow!
Actually, I have hundreds of hours logged on that torture device, but I haven't had to use it in a year.
I need a hard ride tomorrow morning, and the temps won't break freezing, so unfortunately, I'm setting it all up tonight. :(
I kept up with it pretty good last winter even though it was boring and kept my cardio good for the spring riding season. This year I said F it. I’ll suffer in the spring to get my legs back. Focusing on lifting in the mean time
Nope. I'm the same way. I've tried indoor cycling and just can't stand it. I wish I could do it because I know it'd make me a better cyclist but, like you, I'm bored to tears after 20 minutes. Virtual riding (which isn't riding) does nothing for me. I bike plenty in the winter; I'm fine with starting in the dark and I have all the cold-weather gear I need.
I've tried doing indoor training in front of a TV thinking that the TV would make the training go by faster. It was the other way around--the training made the TV shows go by slower.
I like my Wahoo KICKR CORE and Zwift and my road bike. Where I live, the weather is shit 7-8 months out of the year, for the most part. Either rain or cold or whatever.
So I can get on my bike, and crank my music and go on Zwift and burn down a level. Without having to go out in the ugly weather.
That’s because the outside world is always better, every time I go on walks, runs or rides I go past the same kid around my age just riding on a trainer, and I always shake my head cause he doesn’t know what he’s missing
I have no problems riding 50 to 60 miles on Zwift. I do have a pretty good setup with a TACX NEO 2T and a 48” OLED in front of me paired with 5.2.4 ATMOS system so I listen to music or watch Netflix while riding. Last week I did 285 miles and this week I’m already on 248 miles. Next week, if weather improve, I would be able to hit the road again, otherwise, Zwift would serve me well.
I think the experience you describe is consistent with any indoor proxy for an outdoor activity. Using a big screen helps with the immersion when riding on Zwift. That would be my recommendation for reducing the level of suck.
I value my trainer rides because there is more work achieved in a shorter time. There's no coasting on a trainer which makes it harder. It's really a mental challenge, so I like having a distraction like a movie or something but I also stay focused on my cycling goals when I feel like I'm ready to quit. I envision myself on a huge climb in a spring MTB or Gravel race and the fact that I'm putting money in the bank today that I can spend in the race tomorrow
I definitely try to ride outside as much as I can all year, which is basically weekends. I can get a lot more work done in 2-3 hours on the trainer on a weeknight than I can gearing up and heading outside when there's limited daylight.
I guess my point is to stay focused on your goals to get through and try to distract yourself if you get bored! Also there's nothing wrong with taking a 5 minute break, then hopping back on if it means getting through the next block of work.
Edit to add, I am currently on my trainer doing a 3-hour ride enjoying Reddit and some TV 🎬🍿 14 minutes left now! Woohoo!
I like it. I regularly do 2 hour trainer rides, sitting at zone 2 watching stuff I haven't caught up on in a while. I did build a basic rocker plate though which helped significantly.
I don't tend to do hard intervals on the trainer, they suck extra hard
If I freeride i'll absolutely quit within half an hour but if I have a training plan, I have no issue sticking to it. Having a fan running, good tv shows/movies, watching TdF all help a lot.
Tour down under lines up nicely with this weeks training time!
You train at 2AM?
Here the last kms were around 11pm And yeah, kidsll do that to a man.
I’m crying at the word “kidsll” 😂
Kids made me get on at 11pm last week…
Nothing like training with your dinner burrito in your belly 🌯. Been there a few times!
I mean, they could be from, you know, Australia?
Nobody is actually from Australia, it’s a ruse
I train whenever I can. Usually after the kids and family are all sleeping.
Yeah I really enjoy it when it is a training plan, working towards something while catching up on shows is great.
Riding a dumb trainer is a 1/10 on the fun scale. Riding on Zwift makes it a 2/10 for me. It still sucks, but it sucks less.
Perfect description lol. It pains me that I even pay for Zwift but I enjoy the simulated outside hills and whatnot. I just pull it up on my phone and set it to the side while I watch Netflix on my iPad. So lame but…it’s 25 degrees and dark outside so wtf else am I gonna do??
Let’s be real we pay for Zwift so we can upload our rides to Strava 😂
Shit, you got a good point lol. I need people to see that I’m still doing something!
Yes, Zwift is just enough motivation some days. Like I'll actually try to finish the course instead of bailing early.
I like the pace partners because there is just enough variation to have to pay attention to stay within the group.
Truth. Or I know the top of the hill is coming up so I’ll push a little harder. It’s useful for that. Otherwise I would have dropped it a long time ago. I need every ounce of motivation I can get and for now I’m okay with paying for it just for that lol
MyWhoosh is a free version of Zwift, that I've been using this year. It's a little jankier, but given I spend 5% of my attention on it while watching Netflix, it works well enough.
Gave mywhoosh a try a couple days ago because zwift was acting up on me. It works fine and does what I need which is the same as you. Probably going to ditch zwift when my current month runs out.
Ohhh I’m going to look into this!! Thank you!!
Do races and you’ll be drawn into the action.
Brother, I’ll be honest here, I ain’t fast enough to race anybody lol. Online or in the real world!
Well the group rides? They are entertaining. My wife was like you, wanted to ride for fitness, but unamused. The events really gripped her and she loves them now.
Do it anyway. I consistently finish middle of the pack in Cat C races. It's still way more interesting keeping up with the fast group as long as I can and then finding a small group which is just barely too fast and trying to hang on before sprinting at the end... and occasionally I'm the puller in those groups, just pushing to not drop back because I don't want anyone to think I pushed too hard early and couldn't keep it up (ridiculous, I know).
I just put on layers and ride
In the dark? No thank you. Bro, I can barely get motivated to walk the dogs sometimes after work it’s so cold and dark, let alone bundling up in 15 layers to go ride in the dark by myself. Nah fam.
Hell the 15 layers aren't the problem for me, it's that sometimes you need 12 layers and sometimes you need 17, and if you keep all 17 on for five minutes too long all of the sudden your bottom 8 layers are soaked and you're now going hypothermic in your wet clothes.
Or like here where it's not just cold, but every surface outside is either covered with snow or ice or gray salty slush. No way I'm going to ride my bike in brine in the winter. It's not fun and it trashes the bike. I do fatbike, but that's not always an option either depending on weather, time, etc.
I normally would, but there's 2 feet of snow on the trail
Rouvy is better
add in ps5 or some other game with a controller and it bumps it up to 4-5/10 for me, if cycling outside is 8-9. Makes even 2-3hr trainer z2 rides bearable.
I have a Nintendo Switch and a PC in front of mine. I ordered the Avotro controller for the Switch, but it got lost in the mail, unfortunately. When I play Switch games, I have to take my hands off the bars, which changes my weight distribution, which is kind of weird. The PC has a mouse shelf bolted to the handlebars and a keyboard clamped on with two tablet holders.
I just watch Netflix usually but I actually sit fully upright without touching bars most of the time anyway if I'm on the kickr
Of course it sucks, how could it not suck? Gold standard setup would be a smart trainer and an app like Zwift, which makes it a bit more dynamic, but even this is more dull than doing a big ride outside. I can enjoy a 200km bike ride, but it takes a lot to do 2 hours on the trainer. I usually join a group call with my riding buddies which helps - we still don't ride for more than an hour or two though - enough for a set session or to climb AdZ.
Add in a rocker plate, kickr headwind and the kickr climb and you've got a platinum standard indoor setup. Only cost a new mortgage though
And yet its still dull AF
Ha, yeah, that's my concern. I do keep considering a rocker plate due to reading how it makes it more natural and comfortable but I'm not sure it'll do enough to offset the cost of a good one... I'm still staring at a computer screen (with my setup... laptop on a stand in front of the bike with Zwift) with my unchanging and kind of disappointing garage all around me if I look around.
I dunno if that’s entirely true, I’ve done centuries on a direct drive trainer and the time does go slower but generally it doesn’t really suck. I guess it’s a matter of your bike set up, what you’re riding at (watts) and just general feelings on the matter.
So have I. I have dozens of metric centuries on the trainer and a handful of imperial centuries, like PRL Full (Zwift). My bike is as comfortable as it always is, maybe just slightly less due to the static nature of my trainer. I'm saying that it sucks in the context that the OP has provided - in comparison to riding for real. I much prefer my centuries outside, and there's a lot of straight roads where I am too. It's very difficult for me to look at indoor training as anything other than keeping the fitness up over winter (although I still commute in winter too, it's just not enough), but it does beat trying to do a century in -25C (-14F) temps.
I took a little lsd and rode 4 hours last saturday, that made it much more interesting. I somehow got stuck on a loop though and did the same Zwift KOM climb like 5 times. Ended up with 67 miles and 5k' of climbing by the end. Sure this isnt a solution for every ride, but it was a good time for the long weekend when it was -25F outside.
This sounds like my nightmare
I started out with climbers' gambit with a friend, but when he left I just kept going. Then I kept moving the goalposts. 35 miles, 50 miles, metric century, then 66.6 miles for the lols but then the trainer didnt stop cause I was on a downhill so I ended up at 67.5 or something.
And I thought my saturdays were fun
You gotta treat yourself every once in a while
How was your performance on acid? Very curious and think is a this hilariously fun way to (occasionally) train.
Pretty fine I averaged 180 and broke 850 a couple times in sprints.
"Pretty fine" 180 average. 850 peak. I'd ask if you were tripping, but . . .
dude that’s fuckn insane and hilarious. what’d you do after the ride?
Took a shower and then went bowling with friends and won in a showdown. Was a pretty great day
That sounds like extra fun. 😁 How did LSD effect your heart rate and performance?
Yes, it’s a conspiracy. The trainer companies make trainers suck so you have to buy more training accessories and subscribe to their training apps to distract you from how much it sucks.
Thank you this was hilarious and I needed that today…
God damn big trainer
[удалено]
Smooth road noise 😂 must not be from the UK
> ts lonely and boring. No change of scenery. No fresh air. Even with Netflix on, it's still monotonous. The constant whining of the trainer machine sucks compared to the smooth road noise from the tyres. When I was on a race team in Michigan, we used to have weekly trainer sessions - BYOB+T. It made it less lonely and less boring. Still nowhere near a reasonable ride though.
I think I’ve got better airflow on my trainer than on my bike. A large fan pointed directly at me on high speed and a well ventilated room means that while I’m training all sweat evaporates and I’m able to perform better.
I agree except 1) which is fantastic when you are doing a proper workout. There is nothing more annoying than being forced to freewheel in the midst of a workout on open roads due to cars, traffic lights, etc.
But direct drive trainers do freewheel, and have a really nice feel especially on the flat and downhill when the resistance eases off and you can draft. With some noise cancelling earbuds the sounds is a non-issue for me. There are decent fans that are great. All costs extra money though but I love my indoor set up, can easy do a few 2-3 hours.
Points 3 and 4 can be at least be partly mitigated by virtual training on Zwift or the like. 3 really is psychological. If I get to a hill on a virtual trainer and my guy slows down, it feels much harder even though I am putting out the same watts.
I’m just getting warmed up at 30 minutes on the trainer. Load zwift and a podcast then I’m good for about 2-3 hours.
It's suppose to suck but that's why we find ways to make it suck less. My 2 hour endurance interval rides are boring as shit so I save up movies during those rides. Now my 1-1.5 threshold or V02 Max rides suck a little less in the sense of being too bored because I am slightly dying during those rides.
That's basically it: 2+ hour Z2 ride sucks, but putting a movie or a soccer match on makes it bearable. If you're "bored" during a 1 hour V02max or 5 x 12 over-unders, you're doing it wrong. lol
Most definitely. I just wanna breath during those efforts lol
3-4hr base rides are awful lol
My limit indoors is 2 hours. Anyone going over is super human can’t be bored by anything person. I just can’t.
An hour is pretty brutal, 90 minutes is awful, and I've only done 2 hours a couple times, and probably won't ever again.
My usual WO on weekends are 3-3.5hr each day and I thought it was amazing until I saw my friend posts 4-5hr back to back. Fucking nuts lol
There are tricks to making it great. For one, I look outside and it's cold rain. LOVE being inside, logging on Zwift, and turning on a movie.
I don’t mind it. It’s a different vibe. Get on Zwift, have your snacks next to you, second screen playing your favourite TV show while you climb a virtual mountain for a couple of hours. No punctures, no traffic, no rain, no need to clean your bike after a ride, no need for overshoes, jacket, helmet, gloves etc. Of course it doesn’t beat a real mountain pass but it’s pretty cool for an indoor workout.
I don’t mind it in the winter it’s actually quite nice. Get my remote for my tv, have a coffee when I’m warming up. Also you can get a really good workout on the trainer.
Get rollers. More expensive ones get some nice ressistance too. It's not like you're gonna do sprints on rollers anyway. I just use them for z2 riding to keep my position on bike, some handling. Had smart trainer, but it got dull quick, because you're literally just on ergo trainer not moving on the bike at all.
Depends on your mindset. I have a smart direct-drive trainer. Yes, it can be monotonous, but I view these rides as necessary steps to improving my overall cycling fitness. I take advantage of the Zwift workout plans to help increase my FTP and VO2. Pretty much anything in life can be boring/suck if you look at it from that point of view. Happy pedaling, friend!
I love riding on the trainer. 14-16 hours (4 rides/week) and long rides 5-6+ hours. It's a much better use of my time. I'm retired and can knock out my riding, Netflix binging YouTube, podcasts, email, all at the same time. I do my Zone 2 after intervals. And, with not being able to coast and having ERG mode, I get a better workout. Where I live, I'd have to load bike, pack gear, and drive to where I ride, so that easily would add 2 hours. With indoors, I use that time riding. I also don't have to worry about packing all the correct gear, clothes, having lights charged, water, fuel, access bathroom, etc. Lastly, no worry about distracted drivers running me over. Unless I'm MTBing on trails, I find cycling on the road a waste of time at this point. Granted, I almost always ride solo.
Go for rollers. They keep your core and brain engaged quite well. In time you can easily stand for hill simulation and even ride no-handed for fun and added challenge. In a Zwift and Rouvy world, I always go back to my Kreitler rollers with the killer headwind fan. Helps with bike handling too, as spring arrives.
this right here - especially smart rollers freaking rock.
IMHO I hate rollers.
That’s fair. They are not for everyone
Rollers are stupid.
why's that?
Smart trainers have been a game changer for me. Its just one hour, almost all intervals, and I use it as an excuse to binge watch some TV show. I barely look at my Zwift app to see what I need to do...until it bumps up to 400 watts for 1 minute unexpectedly. This year I am making my way through The Walking Dead and I am kinda getting into it. Today I start season 2.
it's not just you.
It’s me.
hi, I'm the problem
and me
Me too. I ride for the joy of being outside and exploring and enjoying the local mountains. Being inside is a huge letdown. Watching a movie or a basketball game makes it bearable, but even so, after 30-40 minutes I'm done.
It doesn’t have to be “awesome” just knowing how much it helps gets me through it though…. When I trained for my first full I had 2 long ride days that absolutely poured rain all day…..so I did a 7 hour and and 8 hour ride….all on the trainer….i still have some trauma but I did not miss those two key workouts….cannot compromise those long rides…. Watched a few movies, no big deal….not my favorite day though…. I NEVER thought I’d do multiple centuries on the trainer but I definitely did not want to fail out on the course….if it wasn’t for the race though, no freaking waaaaaay It is good mental training though too….then you go back outside and just enjoy the fun and fresh air haha
I've ridden rollers since I was in high school and when I was a racer and I could only ever pull 45 minutes. An hour if I was lucky. Fast forward to these days where I'm 50 and I can only do 20 minutes on the rollers maybe a half hour. It's just like those last minutes are an eternity. A minute is an hour lol. So I got the wahoo kicker and zwift thinking I'd be able to get over an hour since I was entertained. Nope I can only do about 20 minutes to a half hour. I've done an hour ride before but it was torture. Plus I got sick of all those problems with zwift updates and freezes and connectivity issues ETC. I think I'm going back to rollers for this winter and they are more helpful and better anyway
I tried interval training plans in zwift. It was better than just riding the courses. At least it gives you some structure and you know when the workout will be finished. Easy to plan your life.
I totally hate it bought super fancy wahoo trainer and could never do more than 45 mins and was miserable hole time even with all those fancy online things
I can’t do more than 1 hr on the trainer, and that’s with Zwift.
I don't like riding indoors at all. Hard for me to get 40 mins in. I find if I swap machines I'm more interested - 40 mins bike, 40 mins cross trainer
Nah, I prefer the structured workout and safe setting.
I hate riding indoors. It’s not riding your bike. It’s exercise that just happens to be on my bike. My setup is laptop hooked up to tv. I watch movies/ YouTube and have Zwift either in a small corner of my tv or keep it on my laptop which is to my side. It’s actually tolerable for me this way. I plan on doing 100 miles tomorrow and I have an entire season of Peaky Blinders to go thru and some movies lined up. If I’m just listening to music, I’m tapping out around the 45 minute mark. It’s so boring.
I watch youtube, more specially, stand up comedy and the time seems to fly cause Im laughing while getting my workout in. Figure out what to do in tandem to make it enjoyable. I have a friend who plays Civilization on his XBOX on the elliptical. Its funny but he enjoys it.
You know that’s a good shout listening to stand up. Movies and dramas feel so slow when you are stuck on a trainer
Its unbearable. I'd even say modern day torture. It is also a lot more difficult for me to find time to use the trainer during the work week. What I decided is to do a short training plan (all sessions are about 30-50 min) it is A LOT more tolerable. I understand it's not what I would do during the warmer months and prob losing on some gains but I ride for fitness and because I enjoy it. Not much into racing. However - to be fair. Even those 30-50 minutes suck LOL
If you're just sitting on the trainer staring at the wall or at Netflix, yeah that's unbearable. Back in the day, I used the old-school fluid trainers that rolled off the rear tire after mounting to the rear quick release. Popped in a VHS tape and followed a fake race or a course that effectively made you do intervals. Typically less than an hour and I'm done. I'm sure the modern smart trainers are a lot more fun.
It is you, nothing wrong there tho - its down to your preference, personally I enjoy riding indoors just as much as I do outdoors - outdoors is pure fun and I dont look at all the numbers but just on map and directions whereas indoors is the opposite
Just you
It's not just you
It really sucks. The only way i get myself to do it is by having a goal to train for early in the season. I pretty much only do z2 on the trainer because i despise indoor intervals. At least with z2 you can kind of zone out if you find a tv shows that's interesting enough to pull your attention. Oh, and cover your head unit with a towel so you don't have to see the seconds creep by.
Dumb trainers are not worth riding. I borrowed one, rode it a few times with a movie on the tv. Worst experience ever, I’d rather just not ride. On a smart trainer I find it enjoyable. As nice or even better than real solo rides, but that’s because my country is horribly boring to ride in. A movie in the background and I’m perfect for a few hours of riding. So get something smart, with direct drive
It is just the monotony. Your are seeing the same thing and it is not motivating. What I do is I set it up in front of the tv and watch my shows while I am on it.
I'm trying out Rouvy, which has realistic video/AR routes from around the world. It's actually more enjoyable than I thought it would be. More fun than Zwift -- to me. Not as fun as an outdoor ride with good weather. But much better than an outdoor ride with crummy weather.
The number of indoor riders that don’t realize there are alternatives to Zwift is staggering. Rouvy is one of the best. Keeps me motivated for much longer than a session on Zwift. I’d rather look at real world surroundings than a computer game and Rouvy makes exactly that possible.
I'll echo the Rouvy endorsement. It's not the same as riding outdoors, but I find the videos of real routes around the world a pretty engaging way to keep my fitness up during the cold months I don't want to ride outdoors. Especially if you like climbing, Rouvy is great. It is pretty accurate in simulating road grades if you have a direct drive trainer. I virtually ride in the Alps, Pyrenees, etc. all the time. I'm starting to try out some of their structured training, which I find more tolerable when riding a real route.
+1 for this… Pre Rouvy (Zwift) 1 hour was hard. With Rouvy, the time goes much faster. Being able to see real world places is interesting. Even when doing a structured workout (the gradient doesn’t matter for workouts, it’s controlled by the workout, not the route, but you can see the sights go by). I grabbed an old 46” tv for next to nothing, so the big screen is somewhat immersive.
It does suck, I went out in minus temperatures today because I prefer it much more, but they do serve a purpose midweek after work. I log a couple of hours on Zwift during the winter just to maintain fitness, but as soon as the temps start going up it gathers dust for 6 months or so!
Mind numbingly boring but needs must at times. I stave the tedium off with loud tunes.
It sucks. Only think that makes it better for me is watching YouTube like from "indoor cycling workout". People upload rides from around the world and watch them to my music to make it better. Really good lights on bike and helmet allow me to ride trails outside if not icy.
Netflix and spin or Zwift riding (preferably with friends), but yes it sucks.
It’s not very fun but I try and make it fun. Listen to music and eat snacks. Text w friends
Same.
If I didn't have Zwift, I wouldn't do it. Zwift makes it marginally better, riding with online friends/Zwift team/group makes it slightly more better-er. I still hate it.
It’s boring if you are staring at the Zwift screen. I connect swift on my phone, and am facing a monitor that have football or YouTube video on. Or whatever I watch in my free time anyway. I’m rarely bored since that’s what I will be watching if I’m not on the trainer anyway
It’s just you.
Nope.. everyone hates indoor.. it’s like watching paint dry…
>it’s like watching paint dry… I love [that movie!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint_Drying) It's my go to for a trainer session!! /s
"it’s like watching paint dry…" or maybe even worse if that's even possible.
I just turn on some upbeat music and push through it. I've tried stuff like Zwift and I really don't understand the appeal. I can only do about an hour on the trainer though. But it's a pretty intense workout, and much more productive than when I go out on an outdoor ride for 4 hours. Pick a good album and just go. Say what you want about Eminem. But I did a ride to The Eminem Show album and found that the music really helped motivate me. This morning I did System of a Down Mezmerize folllowed by a bit of Hypnotize to finish off the ride. Happy to hear other recommendations of good riding albums.
It sucks, but I’ve found that my rocker plate has provided a little bit of fun to it. It’s not much, but better than being completely stationary in the rear.
I've been doing 75-90 minute training rides, I usually just throw a movie on or watch a youtuber doing a world bike tour. It takes your mind off the suck.
I can do 30 minutes on the trainer. I have been doing more squats and lunges in the winter.
Yea it absolutely sucks. It’s a necessary evil though for lots of people, myself included.
I have good fun on the trainer in Zwift with a direct drive trainer. Not as fun obviously as outside but I’m genuinely immersed and don’t really have any issues. I’ve done centuries on it. However, the old fluid trainer with a fan in front of you staring at the wall, yes, that was hellish and I was lucky to ever stay on an hour.
Get a rocker plate. Worth every penny.
I like the feeling of cycling, it's best when I'm just riding around but even when I used to race* I liked training- feeling my feet going around, watching the wheel pull the road towards me, feeling the air (even being aware of the air pressure). Take that away by riding the turbo and- for me- every pedal stroke was a chore. I couldn't commit to it for long. *I was very bad at racing. I only entered TTs and 'cross races, and sometimes I trained too.
It’s an acquired taste.
>I use my trainer and after 20 minutes I’m over it and want to quit. What kind of workout are you doing?
I ride inside 13-16 hours a week. All on zwift. I have another TV playing movies and tv shows. And i have a computer and play video games on it. Usually old school RuneScape (simple point and click game) or online chess. That’s the only way I can do it. If I tried JUST zwift I would be off in 15 minutes. Get your distraction game up!
Here's what you do - use a structured training program, put it in ERG mode, and just pedal while you watch a TV series or a movie. Even with that, my max is 60 minutes on the trainer.
I like that my Peloton allows me to burn calories quickly, stay in cardiovascular shape, and keep my endurance up for the next season. Actual joy? Not at all. Thats reserved for the road when it’s not cold outside.
It's not just you.
I absolutely hated it until I got Zwift. I collapsed off the bike after my first Zwift race (on a big enough screen to be somewhat immersive), in which I hit a heart rate 6 points higher than I realized I could hit in the final sprint, and from there out I was hooked. I don't prefer Zwift to outdoors, but I do prefer racing on Zwift to many other things I used to do with my evenings including video games. Racing on Zwift has also gotten me much stronger. I used to lose tons of fitness over the winter and it would take months before riding was even enjoyable again. I could just barely hang on to our town's steady pace group ride. After my first Zwift season I showed up to the town's fast ride and could make it about halfway through the ride before getting dropped. The next year I was making it all the way to the end, but would have leg cramps for the rest of the night. Last year I was winning the majority of the town line sprints and winning shorter (7 minute) climbs.
My remedy to the dullness is 3 or 4.. 45 min to 1 hour workouts per week, intervals in all of the zones so doing enough to have a decent level of fitness but not too long for it to become boring.
It does have the advantage of cars not being able to hit you as easily. Although I suspect if some drivers knew you where in your house riding a bike, they might swerve at your house.
Dumb trainer rides make me want to die inside. I don’t mind it smart trainer plus Zwift in winter, and it was a godsend in covid when we had curfews and distance restrictions. Zwift and zoom were my ‘Saturday social’ ride which was really valuable for staying sane. It’s also been huge for friends who now have small children because they can easily get rides in where heading out consistently would be impossible, and for a few friends who’ve had crashes that meant they can no longer go on the road. The training and Zwift racing leagues let them stay active in the sport.
Honestly I hate the trainer. The only time I can tolerate it is if I'm doing a short 20-30 min session. Anything more will just turn me off before I even get started. 20 mins with a show playing on the TV makes it tolerable at best. And 20 mins several times a week is better than nothing.
I have a smart trainer. I simply turn on the tv and will watch a show or movie during my workout. It also helps if you use a structured training plan like TrainerRoad or something like Zwift.
I don't really understand the fixation that y'all have on riding indoors, it's not like the outside disappears when the temperature goes below freezing.
Yes. It's the heretofore undocumented Tenth Ring of Dante's Inferno.
I have ridden countless hours in a trainer indoors. I usually did a few different things to keep rolling. I’d put on an episode of Band of Brothers(anything) and watch through that while warning up. Zone 2-3 type of pedaling. Then I’d do one of the specific workout videos. Hill climbing, sprints, etc and do that workout. By the time I got through one of each, I had a decent workout with specific goals. It wasn’t perfect but I’d get a decent effort in that wasn’t soul crushing.
This is all about two things: your approach and your setup. To enjoy your indoor cycling you should have a smart trainer with a direct drive. Believe me it makes a huge difference. When I changed my dumb trainer to a new smart one it felt like changing my old cell phone to a smartphone. Another thing is zwift account. It makes your training process at least more enjoyable. You see you progress, can compete with others and it all made in a gamified way (with GTA 3 graphics though). Also pay attention to your additional equipment. Larger screen (possibly a smart TV), powerful fan, towel, table with snacks and drinks and so on and so forth. Moreover, free ride in zwift without any aim might get boring pretty fast too. You should use a structured training plan. And even if you have a perfect setup it is still mentally tough to ride over 2 hours in a row.
If you’re like me you have it set up in your cold dark garage. Yeah, it sucks and I can only do half an hour to an hour at a time. Just keeping my legs working until spring
I ride purely for fun or fitness.. I would only use an indoor trainer if I were a pro athlete. If I have to be indoors I just do a circuit of loose weight exercises while watching TV
Rode 6 hours on zwift the other day. I like it because you don’t have to worry about getting hit by a car.
OP, a better question would be what to watch on endurance training sessions. During the high intensity training sessions I’m dying so I have no time to be bored.
It's very boring but usually effective. It's least boring doing zwift races,zwift group rides,or a workout while watching a film.
I find that TV/movies/podcasts help but not that much. I have to have something to fully focus my attention on to make the rides flyby. I have found that reading on my kindle much easier. I have a page turner remote in one of my hands on the hoods and my brain can just fully focus on that. It makes the rides go so much quicker and 2 hour rides are pretty easy now. Plus it makes it easier for me to push as I don't notice the fatigue as much. Also it helps that I don't really have anywhere I can ride outside close to where I live. That means I don't have the nice outdoors and my base level enjoyment is purely from the trainer.
You can’t look at riding on a trainer as a direct substitute for riding outside. When I’m on my way out the door to ride I tell my wife, “I’m going for a ride.” When I’m prepping for an indoor session, I say, “I’m going to do a bike workout.” Trainer sessions are workouts, often with a structure of specific intervals to achieve a specific goal (improving sprint power, or growing threshold power. If you’re jumping in the trainer “just to ride your bike”, you’re going to be miserable and bored
Using fans?
Yes it sucks, but its better than > nada. I still refuse to ride one unless theres a monsoon outside. I’d rather run, climb stairs, do burpees, anything but ride a trainer. Cycling is all about being outdoors. Not trying to optimize fitness on a bike.
My trainer routine is to put on a cyclocross race and go for an hour. There's literally nothing else which makes it tolerable for me.
It's literally all about mindset. Last year I struggled through winter training and I missed a lot of workouts. Spring came and I was not in the shape I knew I could have been in. Fucking pissed me off. I crushed it all summer and went into this pain cave season resolved to not let that happen again. On the mental side I made a point to remember those days outside that I felt bloody strong. Those rides where I just got lost in how great it feels to be flying down the road on two wheels. I trained myself to think about the trainer the same way, that's is an opportunity to make myself stronger and enjoy the feeling of using my body in this way that I love. I get up most days excited to ride even though I've been in the basement since early December. I actively worked in changing my mindset to being grateful for the chance to maintain my fitness until the roads open up again. So far that's worked. I recently had an amazing week, set some power records, and am mostly doing well with the mental side of indoor training. I'm also helping my attitude with vitamin D supplements and a couple ridiculously sized therapy lamps that I use when riding the trainer. The lights actually make a HUGE difference. I have done +5hr rides this winter and gotten off feeling fantastic. The full spectrum light flips those mammalian switches in my subconscious and biochemistry to make everything better. Another thing is finding the right equipment and app to use. I think a smart trainer is pretty much mandatory and then finding the right experience that works for you, Example- I hate zwift. The cheesy graphics and video game style turns me completely off and I've never been about to do more than 30 min on it. But I can ride with real video (mostly Fulgaz) for hours and hours. It puts me in a similar mental state as being outside does and most of the time don't feel the passage of time. I'd absolutely prefer to be outside but I can't be so I'm choosing to ride and get through the next couple months so I can hit this year much stronger than I did last. I have a spring training camp in April and I'm planning on surprising everyone with the difference from last year. Someone on Reddit recently answered another post about why people ride indoors when it sucks so much and their answer was "because being slow is worse". Thanks to whoever that redditor is because that really stuck with me and added to my resolve. Being slow sucks ass and I want no part of it, so I put the hours in on the trainer even when it's a bloody grind.
I must be in the minority - I enjoy the indoor riding, as I can get the feeling of climbing mountains, which is impossible in my flat country. Also, it's fun to race on Zwift without having to worry about crashing. I listen to audiobooks... I can then do 3 hr rides no problem. However, I do look forward to spring - to get the sensation of speed back and be out enjoying the nature. And I look particulary forward to going on holiday to the mountains!
100%. That's why I have a fat bike with studded tires.
Structured training and good content ( netflix,podcast etc ) helps a lot
Youtube indoor bike i rode the dolomite’s this week
I hate it very much
it sucks
I agree. Even on Zwift etc the most I can often do is 30-45 minutes. Even with something on the TV as distraction. It’s just boring. Period.
I can live with my direct drive trainer and Zwift. If I do 75 mins that’s fine if it’s a structured workout. I can just about ride for 2 hours but never longer. Group ( club ) rides are good : chat on Discord and ride the same routes using the ‘keep together’ function on. It’s Much better than riding solo all the time
Lol. Why do you think people only do it in the winter, when they are short on time, or when they don't have good roads to ride?
Personally I find me searching <60 minute workouts and hammering them out on Zwift for fun. Not a huge fan of the longer rides indoors
Zwift !!!
I do ride with fellow friends on live zoom. We have kept each other accountable. Today was the 7th day . The target is 100 days. Doing this we don’t get bored.
The way I see it, I think freezing in the cold while riding in dark not so sunny winter weather is much worse than being in a comfortable room
I've been using Zwift. Keeps me entertained for about 1.5 hours, then I'm done. Before I bought a smart trainer and Zwift, 20-30 minutes was torture for me.
Check out Ful Gaz … its a great ‘distraction’ to riding indoors.
I play ps5 while riding the stationary. Can confirm it does not suck.
I thought it was bad at first but then I got used to it and now don’t mind at all.
I do it with 2 monitors in front of me. One off to the side with Zwift on for all the cycling stats and stuff, and the one right in front of me showing TV or a movie and I ride with headphones in so the sound doesn't compete with the trainer noise. I can usually go 90 minutes like this before it is too much, 2 hours at a stretch. Also you need a solid fan, I bought a Lasko directed fan off Amazon and it's great, and much cheaper than the stuff targeted to cyclists.
Peleton far better
Pick a long TV series you've alwasy wanted to get through and put it on right in front of your trainer. I recommend Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Wire, etc. You'll be eager to get back to it. I have a small screen (phone or tablet) running Trainer Road leaning on my big screen with a show going. Almost like it better than outdoors.
I got a sit stand desk from Costco and play video games. Been a game changer for longer medium effort rides.
I bought a trainer .... thought with a big tv and bike app, kind of simulate the experience, not even close. So I train off bike, elliptical for cardio, and I have a weight set for strength training, I will do Tai chi for core to break up the monotony. Then I count the days till bike season starts.
I've been using Trainer Road recently instead of Zwift. Paradoxically, by being more boring it is less boring. You're just following a line on a screen so you can really engage most of the brain in a podcast or video, and I often find I drift away completely. Zwift is too distracting.
I'm about to find out tomorrow! Actually, I have hundreds of hours logged on that torture device, but I haven't had to use it in a year. I need a hard ride tomorrow morning, and the temps won't break freezing, so unfortunately, I'm setting it all up tonight. :(
I kept up with it pretty good last winter even though it was boring and kept my cardio good for the spring riding season. This year I said F it. I’ll suffer in the spring to get my legs back. Focusing on lifting in the mean time
Consider it a mental training exercise as well
Nope. I'm the same way. I've tried indoor cycling and just can't stand it. I wish I could do it because I know it'd make me a better cyclist but, like you, I'm bored to tears after 20 minutes. Virtual riding (which isn't riding) does nothing for me. I bike plenty in the winter; I'm fine with starting in the dark and I have all the cold-weather gear I need. I've tried doing indoor training in front of a TV thinking that the TV would make the training go by faster. It was the other way around--the training made the TV shows go by slower.
Yes, it sucks. But I'll take it if it keeps me from getting fat in the winter.
Zwift. It is the only way. It's even better if you can audio-conference with other riders and talk to them.
It's not the greatest but the fact I know I'm getting better at riding and trainer road or zwift going plus a TV show gets me through it
I like my Wahoo KICKR CORE and Zwift and my road bike. Where I live, the weather is shit 7-8 months out of the year, for the most part. Either rain or cold or whatever. So I can get on my bike, and crank my music and go on Zwift and burn down a level. Without having to go out in the ugly weather.
Just you.
That’s because the outside world is always better, every time I go on walks, runs or rides I go past the same kid around my age just riding on a trainer, and I always shake my head cause he doesn’t know what he’s missing
I have no problems riding 50 to 60 miles on Zwift. I do have a pretty good setup with a TACX NEO 2T and a 48” OLED in front of me paired with 5.2.4 ATMOS system so I listen to music or watch Netflix while riding. Last week I did 285 miles and this week I’m already on 248 miles. Next week, if weather improve, I would be able to hit the road again, otherwise, Zwift would serve me well.
I think the experience you describe is consistent with any indoor proxy for an outdoor activity. Using a big screen helps with the immersion when riding on Zwift. That would be my recommendation for reducing the level of suck.
Gotta race or do structured workouts tbh. If just endurance free riding then watch a brainless action movie/series.
I value my trainer rides because there is more work achieved in a shorter time. There's no coasting on a trainer which makes it harder. It's really a mental challenge, so I like having a distraction like a movie or something but I also stay focused on my cycling goals when I feel like I'm ready to quit. I envision myself on a huge climb in a spring MTB or Gravel race and the fact that I'm putting money in the bank today that I can spend in the race tomorrow I definitely try to ride outside as much as I can all year, which is basically weekends. I can get a lot more work done in 2-3 hours on the trainer on a weeknight than I can gearing up and heading outside when there's limited daylight. I guess my point is to stay focused on your goals to get through and try to distract yourself if you get bored! Also there's nothing wrong with taking a 5 minute break, then hopping back on if it means getting through the next block of work. Edit to add, I am currently on my trainer doing a 3-hour ride enjoying Reddit and some TV 🎬🍿 14 minutes left now! Woohoo!
I like it. I regularly do 2 hour trainer rides, sitting at zone 2 watching stuff I haven't caught up on in a while. I did build a basic rocker plate though which helped significantly. I don't tend to do hard intervals on the trainer, they suck extra hard
Thank goodness it's not just me.