What's the secret to riding a tri bike on the trainer?
I love my Kickr, but I find riding my tri bike on it unbearable. I usually ride my road bike on it instead. In fact, my road bike hasn't left the trainer in a year. In the past this wasn't a big deal. I'd do my weekday rides on my road bike on the trainer, and then take my tri bike outside on the weekend for my long rides. However, I'd like to bring the time efficiency of the trainer to my long rides. I usually have to ride across the valley or load my bike up and drive to find flatish locations for riding in aero bars. Additionally, the long rides cost me major SAUs. My wife's memory of Ironman training is that I was gone for months (actually weeks) riding all day Saturday (actually half the day). I'd like to do around 4-5 long rides outside for IMSR and the rest on the trainer.
I had my tri bike fit by Jim Manton at Ero and can ride in aero all day outside. After a couple minutes in aero on the trainer, I have to sit up. What's the secret to making a tri bike comfortable, or at least bearable, on the trainer?
I had my tri bike fit by Jim Manton at Ero and can ride in aero all day outside. After a couple minutes in aero on the trainer, I have to sit up. What's the secret to making a tri bike comfortable, or at least bearable, on the trainer?
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I do use lots of towels; two on the bulls and two for the aero pads. For long rides, I will swap in fresh towels as needed. This doesn't help with positioning, but it really saves my arms from soaking in sweat, which results in a nasty rash. Apparently, I'm a big sweater, even in winter.
On long rides I break time in the aero bars into 20' blocks. I'll sit up for a minute or two and then get back to it. I do this to to stretch out my back as well as to break up the monotony of long training rides.
Every year I say that this is the year I will get a road bike. I just started looking again last week. I'm concerned that if/when I get a road bike, I won't want to ride my tri bike again.
I've seen some videos for rocker plates such as the Zwift Rocket Launcher. My thought is that some side to side motion would make aero on the trainer more bearable. Anyone experimented with a rocker plate?
I lost a lot of SAU last year because my favorite "safe" riding area was 45 min on the other side of town. So when you add up a 4hr ride, plus 1.5 hr travel, plus lunch with your buds, I was losing big time. This year I will be doing around 90% of all rides on the trainer. Most of the ride can be done before the family wakes up. I figure it will help with mental toughness training as well. I don't think that I've ever had my road bike on trainer, and now that tri bike is 11 speed and road bike is 10 spd, probably be too much effort to do all the switch a roney to get setup.
One other thought was instead of a platform just put a springy material under the two outbound legs of the Kickr. It has adjustable feet to allow you to level it. When retracted all the way, they're about 1cm above the floor. I was thinking that jamming something springy under there would give it a side-to-side rocking motion. I just haven't found the right material yet.
Use something distracting, like Zwift.
Give yourself small goals and work up. 5X5 min aero, then 7X5 min, the 7 X 6, then 2 X 10, 2 X 15 etc.....
Takes time and practice to teach your muscles to perform at that position and will feel uncomfortable during the switch over period for sure, but it will get better with consistency over time.
Be sure to stretch in between, stand up on the pedals, incorporate seated climbs (IMSR has over 3,000K of climbing).....
My tri bike goes into the trainer about 10 weeks out from the May 12th date.....that gives me 8 weeks of IM specific positioning and training using the fitness vehicle created over the winter/spring months.
SS
Also, I find it difficult to be on a trainer and in aero if the front end of the bike is lower than the back end. Makes me feel like I'm sliding off the front a bit. So make sure to elevate the front end a bit, to be at least neutral/level.
@Scott Alexander I was thinking raising the front end would help. I'll have to dig out my old climbing block, at least until the Wahoo Climb comes out.
I get a bike fit every 2 years or so (because we all change, like it or not), nothing fancy ($$$) ..just a very knowledgable local guy with some string & a plumb line, my tri bike is permanently in my trainer for the winter, & as soon as the roads dry out, I use it for every ride, its my most comfortable bike & I'm more comfortable in areo than on the bulls, I'm maybe not as "tucked" as some, but I'm comfortable & that means I stay there.
Looking at your set up you can raise your stem &/or even flip it, spend more time in aero then start to slowly drop it down if feel you want to, or, just stay there, you will always be more aero on the bars than on the bulls & lets face it, a certain Jesse Thomas is pretty upright & he's not to shabby
I did my first ride on my tri bike on the trainer this morning. I made one small change that seemed to make a big difference. I tried dialing the stabilizer feet on my Kickr all the way up, which left about a 1cm gap. Then I cut part of an old plyometric mat, which is really springy, and stuffed it under the feet. This allowed the trainer to rock under hard pedaling without feeling unstable. My road bike is aluminum and not as stiff as my Cervelo. I think the road bike has enough flex to allow some side to side movement on the trainer, but I didn't get that from the Cervelo. I'm definitely going to look into a rocker plate. The Zwift podcast said that big companies like CycleOps will be releasing rocker plate products this year.