Since The Iron Person, I’ve viewed my bike as a mode of transport. The long hours spent in the saddle training for triathlons took the fun out of it for me, so I haven’t done any long rides in the past couple of years.
I clock up 50 miles on the bike some weeks but this is cycling around town at a casual speed going to and from appointments. And though it’s nice to think I’m propelling myself a few miles instead of sitting on a train or bus, I don’t really think of it as training.
But then I got a bit injured and a new gym opened up near my flat. Pedaling was suddenly a more appealing way of working up a sweat. So, because we’re approaching winter when some of us are less excited about going out running or cycling, I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on indoor cycling.
Turbo trainers
The good thing about a turbo is that it attaches to your own bike – so provided your bike is already set up right, it’s going to be the right size for you. Downside is you’ll need a bike and not everyone has one.
I got a turbo trainer for Christmas the year I was training for an Ironman. It seemed a good way to get in some of my training rides, and it kind of was, but you’ve got to have a plan. Spinning away aimlessly is both boring and not an efficient use of your time.
I found Chrissie Wellington’s Audio Fuel Tri Harder tracks good to listen to – you just do what she says. I’ve also used Sufferfest videos which are less macho and annoying than the name suggests.
Watt bike thingies
This is what (no pun intended) I’ve been using at the gym recently. It’s a lot like a spin bike, you turn a knob to increase the resistance and it tells you your RPM, speed and WATTS. At my gym they’re hooked up to a screen and you can choose one of various interval workouts that are either ‘studio’ or road based.
I’ve always chosen the road option which involves a mountain or forest setting that you ride through hitting various RPM as the ‘coach’ tells you to, and getting out of the saddle on command to power up the hills.
I’ve really got into these over the past couple of months. I work up a good sweat and have pushed myself a little harder each time, something I never really do on the bike. And I might be imagining it but I do think it’s making me a bit faster on the real bike outside. Though I’m still really slow.
Spin classes
Ummmm, how do I say this? I don’t really like spin classes. I like that they exist, and it’s good that people that DO like them have a form of exercise that they enjoy. But they’re not for me.
I’ve been to four spin classes, so maybe I’ve just not found the one. But from those four that I’ve been to, I’ve noticed two types of class: those aimed at making you a better cyclist and those that are an exercise class that just happen to involve a bike. So if you’re looking to get stronger on the bike, you’ll need to find one that works for you.
For example, I went to a spin class where we were instructed to stand out of the saddle to pedal for one beat and then to sit back down for one beat, and repeat about 20 times. Nobody rides a bike like this and it’s difficult to see how it could help your cycling. But not everyone spins because they want to ride a real bike faster.
So there you go – not all indoor bikes are created equal. Choose the one that’s right for you.
