Indoor Cycling Workouts to Maximize Your Winter Ride Time | Bicycling

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How to Ride Inside: Indoor Trainer Workouts for Cyclists

Chances are your typical indoor ride goes like this: Hop on trainer, pop in Season 4 of Mad Men, fight off trainer boredom long as you can stand it. But spending hours on the trainer can be overkill.

Indoor workouts "are harder than riding outside because you're fighting the resistance of the trainer," says coach Andy Applegate of Carmichael Training Systems. That's why he recommends short, hard efforts. "You'll build your aerobic energy system—in less time," he says.

Applegate suggests doing one of the workouts below twice a week; choose another for a third hard day. After three weeks, try one of the more challenging variations. Allow one day of rest, cross-training, or easy riding between sessions.

Spin easy for 10 to 15 minutes before each workout. Finish the session with a 10-minute cooldown.

Speed Intervals improve power and speed, and help you recover from repeated hard efforts:

—Do four one-minute fast-pedal intervals: Use an easy gear and as high a cadence as possible. Keep your rate of perceived exertion (RPE) low—5 out of 10. Recover for two minutes between efforts.
—Pedal five minutes easy.
—Do 10 to 12 intervals of 30 seconds on/30 seconds off. The "on" portions are 95 percent effort (RPE 9 to 9.5) at as high a cadence as possible. Stand or sit as needed. For the "off" parts, spin easy.
 

Make it harder Add one on/off interval, up to 20 total.

Climbing Bursts help you respond to attacks on hills:

—Simulate a hill by raising the bike's front wheel.
—Ride 10 minutes at a pace you can hold for an hour (90 to 100 percent of threshold power or heart rate; RPE 8). Once every two minutes, stand and attack for 12 to 15 pedal strokes—a near all-out effort.
—Spin easy for 10 minutes.
—Repeat (do three fast efforts total).

Make it harder Try 2x15 minutes (10 minutes recovery), then 3x12 (six minutes recovery), then 2x20 (10 minutes recovery).

Ladder Intervals simulate the demands of racing:

—Pedal for four minutes at RPE 8 (90 to 100 percent of threshold power), then three minutes at RPE 9 (100 to 110 percent of threshold), then one minute allout (115 percent of threshold).
—Spin easy for five minutes.
—Pedal one minute all-out, then three minutes at RPE 9, then four minutes at RPE 8.
—Spin easy for 10 minutes.
—Repeat the sequence.
 

Make it harder Add 30 seconds to each rung of the ladder, then a minute.

Choose Your Trainer

Know Your Budget
If money is no object, Applegate recommends E-Motion rollers ($850; insideride.com), which best simulate outdoor riding. They're mounted on a sliding sled and equipped with bumpers so you can stand up and hammer without sailing into the TV. Otherwise, go with a resistance trainer ($200 to $700, although PC-compatible models can run a grand or more). "Fluid trainers are the smoothest, but they're more expensive than magnetic," Applegate says.

Consider Size
How much space do you have? Certain models (such as the E-Motion) aren't easily tucked away in a closet. Others are more compact or fold for simple storage.

"What?!"
Some trainers (including wind trainers) are oppressively loud. Try before you buy.

 
Rec-Room Ride Essentials

1. Water Expect to drink more than you would outside.
2. Fans Keep your body (and your back tire) cool.
3. Rubber mat You'll drip sweat, and your trainer might skid as you hammer.
4. Towel Drape it over the frame to protect it from moisture.
5. Phone book You can buy bike-specific risers to level the wheels, but the white pages work just as well.
6. Entertainment TV, iPod, training buddy.