Anyone else training indoors most of the time, even in summer? I did only 4 road rides this summer, and just sold that bike. No need for a nice road bike just to sit on the trainer. The quality of the workouts and the ease of fitting them into an evening made me reach for the trainer almost all the time. I do enjoy a good fast road ride, but I guess I really like training more. I wonder how long I can keep this up. I’m pretty motivated for the new 28 week cycle starting soon.
My goals are related to XC racing, and I could probably find ways to do structured workouts on the trail, but that’s even more bike prep and travel time than going out for a road ride. If I didn’t have years of trail riding under my belt, I would probably need to focus more on those skills. There’s always room for improvement, of course, but riding skills haven’t been a limiter yet.
I have a small child under one. The last time I rode outdoors was 4 months ago
You do what you can with the time you’ve got.
I get you on the selling of bikes, I’ve got a nice road bike and it sits unused for most of the time, tempted to sell it and upgrade my gravel bike and just use that as a road bike
I’ve turned mostly indoors after being 99.9% outdoors most of my life. We moved to a place that just doesn’t have great riding roads, and no shoulders. Lots of people ride the trail which I find boring. I’ve always been mostly a roadie. I’m going to have to get my mountain bike going again for next year. And we have no gravel roads that I know of.
There is some good riding if I was willing to drive 30 minutes but I’ve always been a ride from my house type.
I still love structured training but I’ve rediscovered golf again (after 20+ years). I had a shoulder issue that I got it fixed about a year ago. And I go to the gym, and have gotten more interested in strength and swimming.
As mentioned there’s a lot of positives about indoor training. That said, if your focus is on xc racing I’d try to get out at least once a week to work on your handling skills (or if nothing else smash a xc ride to feel of what its like to hit the trails at speed). Fitness will win you a race, but not having the skills will lose it.
I’m completely the opposite now. I’m finding good results and vastly more enjoyment from doing everything outdoors and am looking forward to battling through the winter weather. I did consider selling the trainer and the bike I have on it, but if it is dangerously icy or really strong winds, I will still resort to the trainer. Oh, and of course if I manage yet another upper limb injury. The trainer is great to keep legs going whilst injuries are healing
Since I started zwifting a few years back (and now TR) by outdoor rides are once or twice a year, and my indoor rides 5 times a week. I love being out in the fresh air/scenery, but indoors is so convenient.
Yes. Aside from MTB rides on weekends I am indoors 95% of the time. The roads around here aren’t great and there is too much traffic. If I have a long distance race I’ll get a few long rides outside but even then, I will try to do them on my MTB.
I agree with you, but, as it seems with most folks here, once a week would be a dream. Once a month is more realistic, even still a bit hopeful. Just some thought so no one feels bad about not riding once a week. We already feel sad enough about, don’t want to beat ourselves up even more!
I would guess we all have seasons in our life when the bike takes a backseat to other priorities. I’m in one of those seasons right now and haven’t ridden outside much at all this year. Most of my rides are one hour or less on the trainer.
Do what you can with wherever you are. Bikes aren’t going anywhere and will be there when and if you want to get back in the outdoor saddle.
I wonder if someone is not actually riding outside or training to ride, perhaps running, if no health issue precludes it, would be a better activity for health and time efficiency.
For getting outside if it is definitely a quicker activity if the goal is some fitness and outside time. I get plenty of outside time. Currently standing at my desk about 8ft from a 10x14ft door that is wide open and I have 3 more to open if I want as well. So I have the advantage of not being shut up inside all day.
I train almost exclusively indoors for a number of reasons, none of which are I don’t like riding outside. For training, I find it superior. For riding obviously not. We also have a 3 year old so my only me time (not in a car) is between 5 and 8am when I (try to) get up to work out before waking her up for school. Virtually nothing is going to motivate me to go run at 5am, swimming, lifting, or getting on the trainer sure no problem. The trainer and lifting also means I get to watch some TV. Weekends when all the group rides are going on is when we have swim lessons, or costco trip, working on the garden, all that house and family stuff. I do have permission to do them and my partner does far more outside the house things than I do. Since my commute is longer (she works at home) and I get home late I feel pretty guilty leaving on the weekends so I don’t.
Respect for those who like to brave the elements! I below 70F and I would have to put lots of thought into a road ride—is the sun shining? Is it windy? Do I need just warmers or a light layer? I need to do intervals so will I get hot?
I have ridden some down to about freezing, then I just don’t have the gear to keep comfy for long z2 rides.
At the other extreme, I’m not one to complain about the heat. I know it affects performance, but nothing about a hot day is demotivating to me the way a cold day is.
When I do run, well last year not this year, most of them were pushing the jogger. This year I have run 3 times. A 3 ish mile run because I said I should run if I am going to sign up for this 10k. A 2ish mile run pushing an empty baby jogger in street clothes after a few beers because they wanted to take the bus home and I had signed up for a 10k. And then 10k last weekend. I somehow ran my 8th fastest 10k (sorted garmin by 6-7 miles to allow for gps errors) on 5 miles of training. Bike fitness FTW!
I have a brutal school/work schedule for the foreseeable future, so between the workload and living in a hot, humid, car-centered city, I am committed to riding the trainer most of the time. It’s far more efficient and I can watch some of my favorites movies or sports for a mental boost.
I try to get out on a weekend once in a while to ride a local bike trail on my commuter bike and check out a good coffee shop. These espresso rides are usually just casual “t-shirt rides” and not moving the needle like a quality trainer workout, but are a nice way to get some fresh air and motivate me for the future when I can do some bikepacking or long distance rides again.
From Xmas till April I maybe rode outside maybe x4 times. Probably averaged 5/6 rides a week inside since than. Work schedule, weather, less laundry, bike cleaning, daylight, and just efficency make inside the better option. Definitely lose out on handling and the “feel”. I’m weird tho, 4-5 hours inside is a normal Saturday in the winter. Trainer time is my only TV time.
I got outside really early this year after a very productive winter indoor season; first outdoor ride was 80min in 3\degree C. Now it’s cold ish again, I’m almost exclusively on the trainer. Very different perspectives for me in March vs. October.
