Undertraining indoors?

[mcneese.chad]

@HMG

While this makes sense to let the bike move underneath you while stationary (so to speak), it doesn’t mimic the power contributions of outdoor upper body. When outdoors, the tire contact patch moves laterally relative to a rider’s center of gravity, allowing a very small amount of “pivot” that can be a point of power transfer. I think of it as similar to sprinters moving the bike laterally to gain torque but on a smaller scale. Indoors with the methods you mentioned, the movement at the contact patch relative to the rider serves to just absorb the motion, leading to instability

• Well, I have spent nearly 6 years testing motion of all sorts, and have a different opinion about the need to exactly replicate the motion we get outside, in order to get useful gains inside.

• I’d rather not push this topic that far off the path, so if you want to talk more about the specifics of trainer motion in light of outside motion, my main rocker plate thread is more appropriate.

@HMG

I’m sure there are some contraptions out there that more closely mimic the dynamics than others, but the vast majority of users are on “regular” indoor trainers

• Indeed, most are on fixed trainers, and I think that aspect is a HUGE difference when compared to the freedom we have outside… and is the reason I mention it as something to consider when trying to account for differences in output between riding inside and outside.