trainer rides due to weather?

richardhurt10

Would like to know opinions on trainer rides when the weather does not let you get outside for the long rides?  Is there a good answer.  Do you still do a 3.5 hour ride on the trainer or is there a better formula for the same time indoors equal to outdoors?

thanks

richard

Paul Hough

Trainer rides do not have stop signs, red lights, coasting, etc; and are worth more time minute for minute than outdoors. I will do them up to 3 hours without blinking an eye and consider that good for at least 3.5 to 4.0.

[Deleted User]

Agree with Paul.

robin sarner

yes but.    tss and normalized power are still tss and NP.    I do the vast majority of rides indoors.    Used to be Computrainer.    Now Kickr.  shorter rides I do the same time.    longer rides I may scale back a bit as below.    

Peter Greagg

I do all my FTP and VO2 max sessions indoors on my Computrainer (all year long).

Nate Parady

I do 2 out of 3 rides on the trainer. If Saturday's weather looks bad for the Long Ride I see if the Sunday looks better and simply switch the rides. I almost always ride shorter on the seond weekend ride and its done on the trainer. I will almost never opt to suck it up and do a long ride in the rain or other bad weather. To much of a mental cost, risk of accident, and its simply not fun so what's the point.

One of the other reasons why I use the trainer is I'm usually sick of my training area after riding around for 4 hours and can't stomach the thought of gonig back out there for another 2-3 hours, but I can get motivated to sit on the trainer and watch something on my IPAD...

my personal record on the trainer is 3 hours. Get a good fan, eat and drink like a champ on the trainer, I sweat like crazy...

Gordon Cherwoniak

Richard,

It depends what you call bad weather.  I like to get out for at least a couple rides in the rain to test myself in all conditions.  Having said that if it's torrential rains, hail, lightning then I'll do like Nate and switch the longer ride to Sunday and hit the trainer. 

For me I live in an area that after 10' I can ride for hours with no lights, stop signs etc.  Think miles and miles of grain fields.   So for me I don't get many stops outdoors unless I take them willingly.

For me I can get in a couple long trainer rides of 4 hours and still keep going but I would not want to be doing those back to back or even 1 ride consecutive weekends if possible.

Gordon

cgres123

Much safer for you than riding in the rain as drivers cannot see you because they are busy on the phone. As said above a TSS and NP are equal be smart be safe.