TRrainer Road Instructions for Jan OS Peeps
I thought with the impending introsuction of EN-specific workouts from TR, that some Jan OS folks might appreciate a heads-up about TR and how to use it. I started to write a wiki entry, but don't want to post it without gettng a braod range of insight into what's important to know for the TR newbie.
Here's what I've got so far; it is not nearly ready for prime time, just some initial notes I jotted down bewfore I go to this morning's swim session. Please, post in this thread any and all suggestions for what to include. Remember, this is meant for some one who knows nothing about TR, and has not used it before. This is not the place to include all sorts of power user tidbits.
TrainerRoad.com is an adjunct to using a trainer for cycling workouts. TR is an independent web-based service, using a subscription payment model (currently $10/month). It is designed to be simple to use on a wide variety of trainers, and the web site has an excellent suite of instructions and videos for initial set-up. Here are the essential things you need to know and do to get started using TR with the EN OutSeason and other workouts on your trainer.
First, read through the web-site to get a good background on the concepts and function. TR has a lot of flexibility, and no matter what your set-up is, TR can probably make your workout regimen both simpler and more fun.
- TR works whether you have a standalone power meter (like a PowerTap or Quarg), or use Heart Rate to monitor your workout intervals.
- TR supports most standard trainers, and can use them plus your HR data to generate a "virtual power" reading
- If you have a CompuTrainer, TR will act in place of your CT software to set the resistence on the CT, adjusting as needed during the course of the workout.
- TR's on-screen graphics are simple to read even when one's vision is clouded with sweat and heavy breathing.
Second, determine what, if any, additonal equipment you might need to make TR work
- You need a computer (PC or Mac) and a trainer.
- You do NOT need to buy a power meter to have TR work for you, but in that case, you WILL need an ANT+ compatible HR chest strap, and an ANT+ USB stick to plug into your computer. (Search Amazon for USB ANT+ stick; currently $29.95)
- If you have a power meter which is ANT+ compatible, you will also need one of those ANT+ USB sticks to get the information from the power meter to the web-based TR program.
- If you have a CompuTrainer, the connection with the computer will be via the CompuTrainer USB connection. If you want to add HR (not required), again, you need the set-up described above.
Third, get your computer ready to use TR during your workouts.
- Sign-up on the TR web site for the service
- Download the TR program onto your computer
- Add the USB ANT+ driver, if needed, and plug in the stick
- Once again, read through the web site's instructions and watch the videos about how to use TR
Comments
Good work, Al! Thanks.
Hi guys, do any of you know how the TR compares to the enride, put out by Kinetic?
Thanks,
Sheri
Inride, by Kinetic, is an add-on power meter which can attach to any Kinetic trainer. It uses the Bluetooth Smart protocol to communicate its data to iOS devices such as iPhone, iPad, iTouch. I don't think it is ANT+ compatible.
That said, one can still use a Kinetic trainer with Trainer Road, but the power readings would be via TR's "Virtual Power" algorithm, not directly from the Inride meter.
All good suggestions so far; I will expand and complete this wiki entry over the weekend, again, focusing on the newbie TR user.
Hey thanks, Al. And thanks for correcting me on the proper spelling of the "inRide. I have a Kinetic so I thought that may be the way to go, but again, I am a newbie. I look forward to reading more of your post.
Oh and, haven't you written a wiki on Masters racing? I am in the "over 55" group, and would like to read more about training and racing as a master. I know one thing for sure, I can't train like I use to
Sheri
browse this forumI may be the Stephan King of this group, but I don't think I've done that... You might want to
(http://members.endurancenation.us/Training/TrainingForums/tabid/101/aff/60/Default.aspx), where OFs sometimes share their insight on training and racing.
I've added the TR intro info to the wiki under the title: "Trainer Raod: Getting Started"
When the TR/EN workouts are ready for prime time, I will modify the entry to include info on how to use them, assuming (a) I can figure out the process myself and (b) I remember to do it.
Just joined Trainer Road, downloaded software, tested it out. Wow! So easy to set up. Works just as advertised. Thanks for sharing.
Now for the 20min TT. Not looking forward to it.
@Jeff... The workout creator is built into the Beta Version of TR... Download that. Then, you'll see a horizontal bar about 1/4th down, says Creat Custom Workout or something like that. Click on that, then either choose a workout to modify or drag interval from the bottom. NB: The numbers in the upper right that you modify for power levels refer to PERCENT of FTP, not absolute watts. So as your FTP changes, you can use the same workout ove time without having to modify it.
Yes. The screen displays all the power metrics, total and for each interval, at the end of the workout: TSS, IF, NP, AP, KJ, cadence, speed, HR, etc. This data is also saved on the TR cloud, and can be accessed by date @ any time. But do not asume that TR is adequate as a workout log. FOr one thing, there's no way to enter run data; and it's hard to review things as trends over time, or as totals over time.
Unfortunately, it's not. It runs on the low-power bluetooth, which means iphone 4S and up plus ipad 2 and up, or dongle on your PC that costs about $12 on amazon. (If this were an ANT+ device it would so be on my xmas list).
Al, this looks interesting, thanks for setting this up and adding to the Wiki. Do you know if anybody here has reached out to TR for a partnership/group discount?
Bart, John Stark has been working with them to have all the OS workouts set up in a special EN corral for our exclusive use via Trainer Road. Not quite ready for prime time. This has great added value, makes the $10/month worth more for us, IMO.
I am really interested in using this site since I have no power meter myself and only recently started training with power via the computrainers in our bike lab. I have seen HUGE improvements now that I have been training and not just putting in time, however now that I can no longer afford the bike lab time (husband out of work) $10 per month for something similar at home is exactly what I need to make sure that I stay on track!
I believe any ant+ speed/cadence or speed sensor will work as long as you have a usb ant+ receiver to plug into your laptop. You also have to go to the traineroad website to see if your bike trainer is one that is supported for the virtual power function.
Hey Al,
Great info here. I currently have a computrainer and am intrigued by the thought of creating my workouts via the beta on TR to do my OS workouts and be extremely precise. A lot better than continually monkeying with the headset on the computrainer to change loads for intervals. How easy is it to set up the workouts on TR for the computrainer? How time consuming is the process?
Thanks again,
J.
One thing I noticed last night, which I haven't noticed before is that that my speed for a given wattage is much different with TR than it is for the CT. I haven't been looking at the MPH, but I may have to go back and see if this is a consistent trend. So, for example, typical speed at FTP has been in the 22 MPH range with the CT, while the speed last PM was 18.6. Anyone else notice this, or this simply my set up? I'll have to see if the TR is reading off the CT and the CT settings changed or if the TR readings are independent of the CT, which I thought they were. It doesn't feel like I'm pedaling uphill... and it isn't the gearing because I'm currently in the 53 x 13 (figured that I don't use the 13 much, so I can wear it down a little!) which should be well over 18.6 MPH.
Completely agree Al! I had very little interest in Trainer Road until this link was made. Thank you for helping put together a tutorial for us noobes! I plan on checking it out.
@ Richard ... of course, once you've created one FTP or VO2 workout, its very easy to just modify that one for the next session.
Since I'm using a set up which includes CT/TR/and PowerTap, I thought I'd check my speed. On TR, it is the same (22.5, a totally arbitrary number which of course is dependent on my gearing) as what I get from my PT readout. I don't know what TR is reading for speed & cadence, although I do know it is reading CT, not PT, power, as that can be set separately. And I don't know what my CT speed is, I'm not saving the file...how would you do that anyway, without having the CT software open and over-riding TR?
And I agree. I just modify one workout for the next, once I have created the first one (easy to go from 2 x 12 to 2 x 15).