I fully agree with you. Despite how effective TR has been when it comes to fitness on the bike, nothing can compare to being outdoors when it comes to bike handling, awareness in a group, and general feel of the terrain.
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Very good point and thank you for reminding me of this. My primary focus of cycling is to get faster and fitter, this is not the goal for many of the folks on the road. I generally donāt talk on group rides because Iām still new to cycling and my focus for a group ride is about awareness and bike handling. I guess I come off as a jerk if you were to just meet me on the group ride.
Haters gonna hate.
Iām sure people were pissed when cars started killing the horse and buggy market. Not too many horse and buggies out there these days regardless of the haters and hangers-on.
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I wouldnāt sweat it. Youāre embracing technology and methodology to kick their asses. More power to you!
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Good point, though I donāt think I am a hot shot cyclist by any stretch of the imagination. In any case, if youāre in a fast group ride shouldnāt the members of the group expect it to go fast? Iām not trying too be a snark, I didnāt join this group until recently because I got dropped the first time I tried to ride with them 10 months agoā¦within the firs 5 minutes of the ride actually. In this ride you have guys attacking up climbs and employing race tactics, despite it not being a race, so if theyāre going to do that then whatās with the attitude?
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nailing it! Good work! Enjoy the rides Benjamin
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Those I ride and/or race with/against understand how the 4:30 or 5;00 am ride w the requirement to be done NLT 6;30 kills many an outside option.
Haters gonna hate. Rip their legs off.
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I train inside SO I can ride outside.
I have a limited schedule and a 4 year old. VZ This means I have to prioritize just about everything. The trainer allows me to get fit so that when the time comes I am able to keep up and have a BETTER time riding outside than I would otherwise have. Plus itās help me drop 30lbs this year.
On a separate note I am a great big wuss when it comes to riding in the cold. My southern blood just will now allow it. The trainer keeps me toasty warm when the temp drops below 60.
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Itās a socialising trait - we want people to be like us and behave like us so that we can associate as part of a group. When a member of that group starts behaving in a manner other than that of the group, we chastise them, peer pressure them to become like us again.
Itās useful in some situations, not so much when it comes to indoor training cyclists, and even less so when it leads to prejudice and exclusion.
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I get a mixed bag of feedback. Most will comment about my training in a way that shows they are interested or assume itās really effective for me. Some that I am really close to and would leave a ālikeā on any outdoor ride I ride, wonāt even acknowledge the indoor rides. Most are supportive, but there are some that donāt see any value in it.
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I think if my friends that ride would start turning down our awesome exploration rides for indoor training, i would get quite disappointed. I understand that your situation is quite different though.
I like a good mix, i ride inside in winter and outside in summer, but iām sure to mix in some real interval work during the summer and not only z2 rides.
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Some that I am really close too and would leave a ālikeā on any outdoor ride I ride, wonāt even acknowledge the indoor rides.
Ha! Reminds me of the comment @Nate_Pearson made regarding the miles cycled on the trainer. Itās not about the miles, itās about the hours in the saddle!
There it is.
The trainer is just a means to an end for meā¦I have no interest in getting faster inside to just get faster inside.
And I think that is largely representative for many of us (but not all)ā¦we ride to get outside, enjoy being there and occasionally hammer the schitt out of our buddies 
.
Being in Chicago, I ride almost exclusively inside from November to March / Aprilā¦little options. But come the season, you will be hard pressed to find me on my trainer, even for focused sessions.
I will admit that I donāt understand those who chose to ride indoors when the weather is nice and they can get outsideā¦it simply baffles me. But I also donāt roll my eyes about it. To each their ownā¦I just donāt get it.
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The original poster was addressing the view from what he sees others do when he tells them how he has gotten to where he is.
āWhy do so many cyclists roll their eyes when I tell them I spend most of my time on the trainer?ā
Cant we just say thats great? Good for you. Glad you enjoy it, Do we need to make any other comment that is not productive?
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Agreed, while Iām sure there are many cyclists out there that enjoy riding virtually ala Zwift than riding outdoors; in fact I have one friend who does just that because he was hit by a car and no longer feels safe on the road. Ultimately I suffer on the trainer because I want to hopefully/eventually make 200 watts seem like a recovery ride for me 
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This! 100 times this!
Before I discovered the beautiful simplicity and effectiveness of the combination of (1) A Kickr, (2) ERG mode and (3) TrainerRoad, I used to train, here in Scotland, night after night, year after year, in the dark, through the winters, dodging nocturnal wildlife, freezing my tits off, getting my bikes and clothing filthy, spending hours cleaning and maintaining and wearing out my winter bikes.
I have so many happy memories of changing punctures in the pitch dark on a close-to-freezing muddy verge, battling with a filthy inner tube with my numb fingers and frayed temperā¦NOT!!
And, quite honestly, I was getting inferior quality training.
Since my epiphany Iām fitter and faster and have more time with my family. I also have more time training because I can do it even if my wife is at work and I have to stay in with the kids. I love riding my bike and Iād always rather be outside on it when I can. BUTā¦
For guys and girls like us who have full time jobs, kids and very busy lives, indoor training is a life saver, an absolute necessity. And it really works, so stuff the haters, I couldnāt care less what they think.
And Iām faster than them these days!
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Just re-read your post and I definitely dont spend 95% of my time on the trainer. I use it in the cold months exclusively to follow a program, and then in the warmer months when I canāt ride outside due to time or weather or whatever else, I will supplement with Zwift/TR. I could never spend 95% of my time inside because i get more joy from riding outside and going places. I get that some guys train for a few events a year and all they do outside of those events is done indoors but I canāt be one of those guys because IMO its no way to enjoy cycling, at least for me.
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Believe me, I constantly ask myself why Iām on the trainer when itās 70ĀŗF outside and sunny. The answer, for me, is that 200 watts still doesnāt feel like a recovery ride for me. That and the fact that I only have 1-2 hours to bike per dayā¦and that includes getting my kit and everything else on.
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I donāt get shit for training inside, but I do sometimes get FOMO when Iām on the trainer and itās 70F and sunny. But honestly, Iāve ridden enough around my neighborhood and within a 30 mile radius that I get route fatigue within 2 months of the outdoor season starting.
The best thing you can do is if someone gets going, shut it down and let your legs do the talking. Iād be willing to bet a lot of money come spring time youāre dancing up climbs and powering the flats while youāre āitās z2 not active recoveryā mates are sucking wind.
From reading a couple of these threads the experiences people have shared, it feels unlikely youāll ever change someoneās opinion by any form of talking, even a data driven reasonable debate. By all means rant away, the fact that youāre doing something you believe to be right and getting chastised because itās different sucks and is unacceptable. Bring it in for a big group hug, just donāt scratch my paint 
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Are they really hating or just ribbing?
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