I am at here at my desk, it is 25th October. The rain is falling, my bike has just had a service and is shiny clean and the clocks change this weekend. That is why the turbo trainer was invented.
A turbo trainer is a piece of equipment that you mount your bicycle onto and it allows you to cycle without actually going anywhere. Turbo training is like spinning but you are riding your own bike so your riding position is standard, and you get the comfort of your own saddle.
There are many advantages to turbo training:
- You can train at any time of the day or night, regardless of visibility, weather or temperature
- It removes any risks associated with riding out on the road
- It protects your bike from wet, salty and dirty roads and eliminates punctures
- You don’t have to worry about stopping for traffic etc. so can give a more effective training session
- You have greater control of your effort and can vary the resistance to vary the training session
- Easily control the environment and training intensity.
- There are no drivers about to give you abuse!
There are many different styles of turbo trainers but many have a spring-loaded flywheel mechanism that you can adjust for any size wheel, enabling both road bikes and mountain bikes to be used. You should think about what you want to use it for and check each model fits your requirements.
As well as the turbo itself, the following bits of kit will help you to get the best out of your sessions:
- Heart rate monitor
- Cycle computer with cadence monitor that runs off the back wheel
- Fan for cooling you down
- Plenty of water/sports drink
Hydration is exceptionally important. You will need to drink throughout these sessions. Electrolyte replacement drinks rather than sports performance drinks that are laden with carbs would be preferable. Allow for 750-800ml per hour and this is best taken in frequently. Make it a habit that every time you change a music track you have some fluid. Much more than this amount of fluid will just be flushed through straight to your bladder.
A fan is really useful to cool you down or you may see your heart rate rising as the body tries to dump heat. The fan with the sweating will help to keep your core temperature down.
So now you’re all set up and ready to go – the question is what to do? So people do manage to cycle on a turbo trainer for hours on end, just pounding out the miles, but it does take a certain discipline to do this as, without the passing countryside it can be particularly tedious. Here are a few suggestions of how to stay motivated.
- Choose a bike turbo that hooks up to a computer (such as Compu-trainer) and pit your wits against the computer
- Rig your trainer up in front of the TV and play something to motivate yourself, or a specific training DVD
- Choose your favorite music and get pumped up for training
- Join a class or group
- Plan your rides and plan the sessions. You are more likely to train if it is scheduled into your week, rather than leaving it to chance
- Mix up the sessions. Always start with a warm up and finish with a cool down, but do sessions that allow you to focus separately on technique, endurance, high cadence and strength/power
- Plot and celebrate your progress and keep a positive metal attitude.
In the clinic we use Compu-trainer hooked up to a computer with some Spinscan software. You can hire this out for £10 hour, and maybe pick up a few tips from the clinic team while you are here. (Road bikes only).
Also don’t forget the value of peer pressure. Bring your turbo and bike along to the Drummond Clinic for our Thursday evening turbo classes – set up from 7pm, cost £7.50.