Since I live in the Great White North, I do zero riding outside during the late fall through early spring. I've been using various trainers and rollers for a few winters now and mainly have just been riding for saddle time.
About a year ago I discovered a guy that was developing a cycling trainer software program (Peripedal) that would calculate virtual power from an Ant+ speed/cadence sensor and publish power curves from various trainers. The program had some structured workouts that are based off of your cycling Functional Threshold Power and has you ride intervals at a certain percentage of that FTP. I got in as a beta tester for him and after the program was up and running without bugs, I was able to purchase the program at a reduced rate.
I've been using that program along with a CycleOps Fluid 2 trainer I picked up around that same time and really like using both. The program loads up on my laptop and and has a graph that displays HR, cadence, and power as well as the target power levels of the workout. The program also allows the user to watch a movie or Netflix in the programs window as your cycling. Its made a huge difference in my cycling fitness this year and am looking forward to seeing how I improve for next summers racing.
Yesteday I bought myself a new toy. I get a CycleOps PowerBeam Pro trainer with the Virtual Training software. The VT software will basically control the power level (resistance) of the trainer to simulate grade changes while you ride a course. You have the ability to upload a Garmin file and ride any route you have. Its being shipped today so I can't say for sure how well the VT software will work but I can hardly wait to try it out. I asked the developer of the Peripedal program if he had plans to add the PowerBeam Pro to his list of support trainers and if he was considering plans to add the ability of his program to control the PowerBeam. He said he bought himself one last week and will be adding this trainer in the near future. The program supports and controls the Wahoo Kickr already. It can also read the power data from any power meter that broadcasts an Ant+ signal.
Anyone else using Virtual power, or actual power for their indoor training?
If so, what are you using?
The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff
2014 Goals:
Stay healthy
Enjoy life
rectumdamnnearkilledem
That sounds really intriguing. Looking forward to your review.
But have you ever considered a fat bike? This Winter my wrist is good to go and I have a Mukluk in the garage. I'm hoping I can avoid the nowhere bike as much as possible.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
I ride outdoors year around. (I have a fat bike but you don't need a fat bike to ride year around)
I'm not that much into training gadgets either.
I have an Schwinn spinner and I do use it in the winter more due to the short days. I put a cadence / heart rate monitor and speed on it but it really does not relate to the road.
My workouts are pretty simple...
Fat Burn steady rate for 1 to 2 hours.
One that I call 15/15/15...15 mins sets where I go 3 sets of 5 mins with 3 - 5 minute easy spins in between the 15 min sets. Something like set one would be hills. 3 mins hard standing hill followed by 2 min recovery 3x...the next 15 would be 3 min of simulated big gear pedal mashing for speed with 2 min recovery followed by the last 15 mins of 3 min seated climb. With warm up and cool down this can be a 1.5 hr work out. It helps break up the monotony.
With warm up and cool down this can be a 1.5 hr work out. It helps break up the monotony.
When we don't do Sufferfest videos we will sometimes pedal to an action movie. Any time there's a chase or zombies closing-in we pedal hard.
As far as riding in the Winter, I have studded tires for my CX bike and did one ride that way...it was awesome, until I had to stop. It has REALLY poor cantis that don't really stop the bike when the rims are dry. Add wet or icy rims and forget about it. I could barely slow, much less stop. My fat bike has discs and even if we get 6"+ fresh powder I can bomb through anything. Eventually all of my bikes will have disc brakes, though. I'm totally sold on that predictable stopping ability under any conditions.
Here is an example of a power based workout using the Peripedal program and a Cycleops Fluid 2 trainer.
The green area is the intervals setup using a certain percentage of FTP for a certain duration. The yellow line is the power that Peripedal is calculating based on the trainers power curve and wheel speed. The two twelve minute intervals are at 85% of my FTP. I'm watching The Walking Dead on Netflix as I'm cycling and trying to stay on target.
137 miles on the trainer this week while watching the Walking Dead and a not so good movie. I just started season three of TWD and am going to need a few more shows to watch this winter. I've got a little of Breaking Bad to watch, about a weeks worth. I haven't watched the last two seasons of Weeds because it was getting boring. Watched the first season of Hell on Wheels.
Any recommendations?