my limit is 39C, did an easy ride on Tuesday in those temps. If the choice is between doing intervals inside vs not doing intervals in 43C, then do them inside. My vote is to keep doing some work outside. Heat acclimatization is one of several benefits you gain from doing workouts outside.
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I have blocks (meso-cycle) Iāll do solely indoors because of time/ weather/ work/ life priorities. Itās good here and there for me, but I always try to do some type of easy ride outside every week or every other week. Whether itās going to the pump track or some flowy single track, even this local practice criterium area is fun. That helps me maintain my handling skills and breaks up the monotony of being stuck in the pain cave.
Itās definitely possible to ride indoors for many rides but sooner than later itās good to get outside.
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I donāt think number 4 is true for everyone at all. It would be much harder for me to do all of my training indoors. Iād say youād be more fit and mentally tougher riding only indoors. If you could stomach it, I donāt really see a disadvantage.
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my experience:
- riding 100% indoors will increase fitness, but greater increases from doing workouts both indoors and outdoors.
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With the indoor training you are in a more controlled environment, you should have a better chances to bump your fitness
ā¦ but donāt you ride your bike because itās fun? Performance is a multidisciplinary achievement.
Also, your indoor FTP Ć© most likely lower than the outside. For your race strategy the outdoor one is a key element I would say.
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I have no trouble riding indoors vs outdoors. Indoors just due to weather is from October to April. I do not like riding outside when the temp is below 10C. My face just cant handle the cold.
May to September I still do a couple of rides a week inside. Recovery rides are the easiest inside. When you have a great indoor setup I find it easier to accomplish the workouts indoors. For me outdoor rides are more about testing myself or doing a ride of a few hours.
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Iām with you on the ease of riding indoors. I can get my workout done during lunch because I do it indoors. If I did it outside, Iād have to add easily 30 minutes to every workout just to get to a place to do the outdoor workout. I stick indoors during the week unless I do an evening group ride or practice crit because it is time efficient and the barrier to getting the work done is low.
I actually think recovery rides are easier to do outdoors since I live in a flat area and I can just spin light and coast around the neighborhood for a while. Doing them indoors is a real test of my mental patience because I have nothing to focus on compared to interval days where Iām just in it.
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Iāve been doing mostly inside rides the last 9-10 months. Makes it alot easier for me to get in the consistency and follow the training plan. Do like going outside and hammering segments to get a mental break and check out the fitness gains every once in while though. You donāt forget how to ride outside, but might give a ride or two outside before a big race just to acclimate to the difference.
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Joining the ā100% Indoorā crowd (are there enough of us to make a crowd?). Drivers here have become unbearably dangerous; juice no longer worth the squeeze.
Any tips/tricks beyond whatās already been posted?
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100% Indoors from Nov 2, 2020 to March 22, 2021 doing High Volume plans. Never been fitter/faster in my life.
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Too close 
Which mean you didnāt get any improvements by the training 100% indoor ?!
The same here also, the traffic jam everywhere and a lot of cycling accidents !
Iāve calibrated the home trainer by the power meter to get the most accurate numbers during training plan.
But I totally agree the I should have one or two outdoor rides per week .