As a cyclist, you can either hate the winter, or make the best of it. As temperatures plummet to record lows across the country, some bundle up and dress to embrace the winter chill while others opt for the dreaded trainer. Sure riding the trainer can be a necessary compromise, but it doesn’t have to be all bad. Indoor training is a lot more convenient, and potentially more effective, than riding outdoors. It’s also an optimum means to saying lean and fit to ensure you can have more fun on outdoor rides when the weather improves. The trick is knowing how to master indoor training.
Learn to love the trainer. The post, Don’t Be a Hater! Overcoming Trainer Woes, offers key suggestions to improving your trainer experience with equipment being a key factor. Having the right equipment can make your indoor workouts less boring and more effective. When we’re talking about equipment, sure, we mean having the right bike parts and having your road bike on the trainer, but we’re also talking about having a fan, a trainer tire, a riser block, a sweat towel, a trainer mat, indoor riding clothes, a cadence sensor, a power meter, and a heart rate monitor. You might not think all of these cycling accessories add up to a great trainer workout, but according to the post, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Trainer, it can make all the difference in the world.
You might be wondering how so? Shared in the post, 3 Indoor Cycling Workouts Under 1 Hour, are effective workouts to pair technology with your over/ under intervals, power intervals, and speed intervals. Without the distractions of outdoor scenery, using these tools aids in motivation by setting time goals or power goals to engage your brain. Another motivation technique includes using the technology tools as valuable feedback for precise and strategic cycling in specific zones which adds to up to greater gains later in your cycling season.
If all else fails, forego inside riding all together and get a fat bike! Fat bikes were originally invented for winter trail riding and racing in sub-arctic Alaska and simultaneously, for touring the deserts of New Mexico. But they have gained severe popularity! Their utility has expanded to include all forms of cycling; they thrive in snow, sand, desert, and mud, as well as, riding what is considered normal mountain biking. In fact, fat bikes are the fastest growing segment in the bike industry. Fat Bikes Are Big in Colorado – Check here to find out why!
Sure enough, Winter riding is not without hardship. Evenings comes early, forcing riders to pedal home in the dark. Snowdrifts squeeze streets, eliminating a comfortable side lane for bikes. Frozen fingers and feet are common issues for the unprepared. With that in mind, maybe indoor training isn’t so bad after all?
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