oh yeah that is a good point - one thing I really do like about ERG, I don’t have to pay attention to the power requirement per interval (just need to keep an eye out for big changes) but makes watching video/music/audible much easier
I have fallen off the rollers at least once because I was so engrossed in watching some race on the screen…
3 Likes
I have had similar experiences on treadmills!
1 Like
The place where time really does stop! 3 miles on a dreadmill feels like a marathon! Give me a road/trail in any weather.
2 Likes
Check the first reply (mine). The trainer can be mind numbingly boring, I put the trainer away in February and only taken it out once since then. And I was serious on that reply, larger gear range can help tame rolling/hilly areas.
100% agree!
Now day i use it only if i have a hard wo like mile repeats and there is too much wind.
Fortunately, I have only used it 2x in the last 4 years for this.
But i have to say, the treadmill for speed wo, i think is very effective.
Hi, thanks for the reply. I saw it and responded with this -
Riding outside all the time isn’t an option as stated above, I have to ride for 20 minutes through 10+ sets of traffic lights to get to open roads and have kids to work around so don’t have the time.
I can only really do my long weekend ride outside or sometimes an evening ride but the evening one is almost impossible to follow structure
1 Like
what makes you say you need flat roads? It’s not possible to do intervals on big downhills obviously, but rolling terrain is great practice for all types of intervals; learning to use the bike and gears is massively important.
if stuck inside for other reasons, work on cadence changes and things like that to pass z2 time.
This sounds highly personal. No one will have an answer for you. The more you spend on an indoor trainer doing long intervals the “easier” they become mentally.
Not sure what you’re looking for with this thread.
2 Likes
Sure it takes me 17-20 minutes to leave town (south), and 20-30 minutes to return via the west. For that reason my mid-week training rides take ~2 hours. However I may have more flexibility than you - my kids are in early 20s and they make dinner on evenings I’m training (e.g. this week I made dinner on Sunday and Monday nights).
2 Likes
That is not TR + Netflix material. Even if I went with the English soundtrack, it would still require 100% of my attention; on top I listen to it in German with English subtitles, there’s no way I can be spinning on the bike at the same time.
ERG. Bit of a game changer, just pedal and focus on other things but see you don’t have this.
Beyond that, I personally split rides up by rotating entertainment.
The warm up and first interval are often done without any entertainment. This is 20+ minutes nailed.
I’ll then weave in music, youtube, netflix or the TR podcast.
I tend to pause entertainment during recovery sections, this avoids burning through episodes and also spaces the ride out even more and will often start the next interval doing something else.
Personally, watching the same TV show or listening to the same podcast for the entire duration makes it drag, splitting up a ride really helps me.
Fair feedback - I was thinking from PCP’s pic that he was doing approx. 50% of his FTP that it would be a good recommendation. I can watch just about anything at 50%, closer to FTP then it is either brainless (IE 6 underground) or music. Also initially I was think while in ERG, way different if you are not using ERG.
Still a great show - watch it while recovering! 
1 Like
Oh I sure did watch it (and love it!). I’m keeping Season 3 for later… my daughter already watched it.
I wouldn’t say you’re the only one. But it’s just like when I first started riding the trainer an hour workout was just pure boredom. But now with the right show or race video I can crank out 2 hour workouts regularly and even 3+ hours on occasion. It just takes building up to it and finding the thing to take your mind off the constant pedaling. Whether that is audible, a movie, tv show, YouTube videos, etc. it’ll just take practice and finding what works for you.
Redbull.tv has a ton of UCI XCO races available to stream, I’ve been slowing making my way through those when I can’t find something to watch on Netflix or Hulu.
Learn to enjoy watching soccer.
2 Likes
Not something I need to learn, I’m English. And it is football 
Lucky enough to live near Old Trafford and be a massive match-going (pre-covid-19) Manchester United fan.
2 Likes
The easiest solution is don’t do any long intervals.
2 Likes
It really is the perfect sport for indoor trainer rides: Two 45+ minute blocks, no commercial interruptions, and with a lot of the streaming services these days, you can digitally record league games from around the world. Occasionally, some amazing sequence of play will happen, and I’ll find myself forgetting I’m at the end of some brutal threshold interval.
(I’m an LFC fan due to family obligations. 
)
2 Likes