I have really loved having the option of outside work outs. However, as we all know, there are a lot of variables that impact your intervals. Many positive. For example, I really like changes in gradients, especially when you have to change gears and cadence to meet power targets. Fantastic…beats ERG any day.
However, it is very difficult to stay within a specific power target and it takes a lot longer to achieve the goals of the work out. I live in Sydney, there aren’t many long steady gradients or flat roads to hold consistent power.
Outside workouts are great. Totally rejuvenated my head. I now look forward to indoor training, especially for sweet spot and threshold intervals. Aerobic and VO2, I will do outside.
I had this same issue and solved it. I found a pain loop. It’s a short (4-5min) circuit through a neighborhood that I can go through at most any wattage short of a sprint without having to brake or stop pedaling. I go on my lunch breaks. Since it’s in a suburban neighborhood there’s little traffic to worry about, mostly it’s landscaping guys and walkers who are used to me now.
This is still more boring than zooming along a scenic route but I find it to be so much easier, mentally, to get through VO2 and threshold workouts outside. A high heart rate indoors feels awful, a high heart rate outdoors just feels like riding.
Yeah it’s rubbish for a lot of people, myself included. I think it’s will take a lot of revision and feedback and analysis to make a properly good outdoor plan with a high compliance rate.
The best idea I heard in relation to outdoor workouts was to be able to load your routes outdoors, then have the workout customise itself in relation to it.
That would be some truly next level stuff.
I love indoor workouts, just don’t have access to that right now so have been spending a bit of time trying to find a way to be productive. Even Xerts workouts seem to be more indoor focused with micro intervals and the like. Just not realistic on rolling roads.
Same here. There’s no good flat roads here so I find difficult to hold power target, specifically the recoveries. Impossible if its windy.
But if I do 2 outdoor rides per week, I try to do at least one outdoor workout. (SS).
The rest indoors. I prefer VO2max intervals and treshold work indoors, More precise, no power spikes, poor refrigeration (no fan), so when climbing at low speeds outside(10-15 kph) feels easier.
Group rides. Love a good group ride, whether it’s Wednesday night worlds, TTT, a day in the hills or best of all a big expedition off to some new place. If I could do a group ride every day with good company and nice roads I’d sell the trainer tomorrow (and I’d need the money since I would be fired as soon as my employer realised I was on my bike not working)
Solo ride on decent roads. Scenery, bends, hills, not too many cars.
Indoor ride. A bit of a necessary evil for those of us with jobs, young children and living in climates where it’s not always possible to cycle outside. On the plus side you get good training bang for your buck, and the folks at TR and Netflix have made it a much better experience than it was 20 years ago on a set of rollers and a tiny TV turned up to full volume because they hadn’t invented decent subtitles yet and the rollers sounded like a 747 getting ready for takeoff
Outdoor solo ride on crap roads. E.g. Repetitive loops in suburbia, possibly dodging traffic as well
Same! I love my indoor workouts! I love the targeted training, and the safety! That said, I’ve recently been introduced to mountain biking, and now that cars aren’t a factor, have discovered my love for the outdoors! Will be trying to keep my structures workouts inside, and my indoor fun on the trails.
I’m one of the weirdos who prefer training inside, only for the reason that it’s mentally easier (i.e. lazier) to not have to think about power with ERG mode and just the trainer handle it for me and keep me on task. I live in a Boston suburb, so while I’m really at the edge of some really nice riding roads, the town I’m in and surrounding towns (getting through Arlington and Lexington) requires interruptions for long steady efforts. We do have a nice hill loop in town that I’ll have to make an effort to do instead of the vo2 workouts this summer. The biggest thing is that I work from home, and it’s easier for me to just hop on the trainer and knock out a session and get back to work (or monitor email while riding) rather than disappearing for longer on an outdoor ride, as much as it does suck to be inside on some beautiful days.
I have some pretty good routes right out my door and have no problem during my TrainerRoad workouts outside. I don’t see any reason to modify them for outside either.
That being said, I have over 200 miles of gravel forest preserve trails accessible within a 2 minute ride from my front door. These trails are great because you don’t have to worry about traffic much, save the occasional road crossing. Really the only time I have to let off the pedals is if I’m coming into a corner with too much speed.
When I get towards the city though, I can definitely see how doing intervals outside would be a major chore. Too many people, cars, other riders, etc. I just wouldn’t be able to do it.