Yes.
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The plans and the TR product overall have undergone some really major changes in the last few years that I’ve been subscribing.
It’s gone from essentially an immovable checkbox to a fully customisable calendar, and on top of that they’ve added plan builder and outside alternative workouts.
Even the plans within that have changed (based on compliance and other internal data).
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I admit I liked the simplicity of Workout Bingo! But on balance the calendar is a solid improvement.
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To answer the OP question, I’d say listen to your gut and go with whatever decision ‘feels’ the right one for you at this point in time - if that means you bail out, so be it.
If you bail out, then the future cost differential to rejoin is $189 against $99 so at that point in the future you can assess whether the $90 extra is worth it or not depending on your needs and motivation at that point.
Mine is up in July, I haven’t done a plan in a long time, and I’m starting to get subscription overload. I too am grandfathered in at $99, it’s compelling marketing, if there would have been price rises over 5+ years I’ve been subscribing I’d just drop it. I really like the idea of the product, the podcast, and their vision, but the reality is I don’t actually use the product I’m paying for. I do the odd workout now and again, but I have a coach now so all my workouts come by way of TrainingPeaks to Zwift.
I’ve got a little over a month to decide…I’m torn between the marketing genius of grandfathered subscriptions and the reality of ever actually do a plan again. I should probably quit while I’m ahead.
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In my experience, TR offers the best app quality on the market for indoor training.
If you don’t need it and don’t use all the plans and workouts, why stay?
If you use it just during 3 winter months, why not the monthly plan?
But you won’t get anything even close on the market for only 8,25$/month. So why not stay?
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Like others…dont think we can answer the question for you.
I find enough value in the TR plan to keep subscribing. Been doing so since 2015.
Do I follow the plans to the letter…no…I tweak…aging athlete who finds some plans need adjusting.
Large base of workouts…with lots of plus/minus versions. Easy to adjust and work on my weaknesses or just to do a week or two of VO2. TR definitely suits me. Only next option would be a personal coach to tell me what I could do better.
I have tried the other services but kept with TR…I had high hopes with Xert but its logic never caught on with me.
Use what you like. It is all about consistency and working the right intensity to build you up.
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I just wonder if Xert is sending people here to ask questions like this?
Even with customization you don’t get a lot of difference in the base phase from a TR plan. The only way to really build the base is volume, be it SS or Z2 riding.
From what I can tell, Xert also is kind of selling people a fallacy in so far that they don’t need to do any testing to set their profile up. I have been using WKO5 in conjunction with TR and you still need to do robust unstructured testing to make sure your power profile is correct. I personally find that fairly tedious to do or find it tough to schedual those rides in.
As far as TR not being customizable enough that is a bunch of baloney. If you feel that you need more or less of something for a given day, there are so many workout varients. I like to customize my workouts, but I have yet to use the custom workout creator tool because I can usually find a premade workout which fits the bill.
XERT haven’t sent me here! Also Xert is"adaptive" not just customisable. Big difference.
Any decision made?
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I’m in the minority but I won’t be renewing in the fall. TR is simply no longer for me. I am not a competitive athlete, not training for any event and I have a love-hate relationship with the structure and stress immensely about the time I cannot follow it. I also only use it 5-6 months of the year so it sits idle even though I have paid up. I also don’t use many of the attributes people find useful. Don’t get me wrong, it does work, I do like it, but it is just not what I am looking for anymore and with multiple memberships all over the internet, bass playing apps included, it is time to take stock of what is going to get used and what isn’t.
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For me trainerroad is what you make of it. I was modifying my plans by the second time I started a BBS cycle. I pity those who just stick to the plans by rote because there are so many different and fun workouts in the the catalog. Even if you did every variation of every training plan you wouldn’t do them all. It’s that that keeps things fresh for me. Finding places for workouts like chamberlain, needham and dana, not to mention the occasional norman clyde is a blast and generally ends up with me getting stronger. As I learn about myself and what works and what doesn’t I adapt the BBS cycle to keep it entertaining then over the summer I keep things looser by going off plan and try to figure out my own training plans. Last year it was a VO2 max block. Right now, a sweet spot/endurance weight loss block.
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You’ve got a harder decision to make imho. I really like the analytics, calendar and ease of using TR but the real reason I joined and continue to subscribe are the plans (and now plan builder) as I don’t particularly want or need a coach to do the thinking for me.
If you’re on your own plan and get prescribed workouts and analysis from a coach anyway, there’s much less impetus to remain with TR I think.
Yes, I have decided to renew my membership. The $99 Grandfathered membership is a powerful marketing tool. But also it is a huge deterrent for resubscribing in the future. As I mentioned, I wouldn’t take a membership at $189 so if I cancelled my membership I’d never come back. Maybe TR should offer some kind of holiday period or a one time resubscribe offer or a half way $145 resubscribe offer for past members as I’m sure the return rate for previous subscribers just be low if they were grandfathered. I do think TR offer a lot for their members. I wasn’t knocking the product and was just wondering if other people had the same thoughts as me. I’ll see how much I use it over the next twelve months and importantly which way they take their developments as I do think they need to improve the app (skip/repeat intervals, erg on/off, better workout creator) these basics for me are more important than group workouts and have been called for by subscribers for years. If I’m still not using the subscription I’ll cancel in 12 months happy with all that it has provided me over the last number of years.
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Erg on/off exists. T on windows 
Not in the Android or IOS app
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Yikes. Ok, point taken.
I have abandonned using android. Too many issues for me.
Since I moved back to windows, it’s a lot smoother overall.
I’m 100% with you! I run 3x per week and it’s just doesn’t import. Sadly The only place it all goes for me is Strava and I really don’t want to pay for that.
So… I probably need to buy a garmin watch and switch to that.
All I want:
- TR to add run plans (it’s not any different to a cycling plan)
- Import all my workouts from and use HR for TSS. Directly import from Polar and Garmin so we can choose the best device of the day.
It’s starting to feel like I should just use Training Peaks I guess.
While I love TR, and the structure, It’s frustrating.
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Totally agree with this sentiment. I would love a centralized place to hold workouts and track everything. Strava was that for me but its spotty and its not well implemented. Strava suffers from trying to be a social media app + training + a bunch of other things
However, I’m a bit wary of TR becoming a big sink for all activities. Feature creep can really kill an app. TR is so focused, I think thats one of its greatest strengths. Its here to make you a fast cyclist, nothing more.
That said, I’d be down for @Nate_Pearson and the company to create a more centralized space to gather lots of activities under one roof. But I think that should be a separate app to TR.
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Agree. Android had a lot of issues. iOS works better… Laptop takes to long to fire up… Could have done my workout by the time my old laptop kicks into life!