In my book, indoors are not rides. They are training sessions. If I could only choose one, it would be outdoors, hands down.
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Yes ,very much feel the same. I also drive to different locations to ride, /walk/run. Even tho@ the countryside is great where i live, and I do not live in a town, thank goodness!
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Training for those does not have to exclusively be done inside, the film TR made about Justin Rossi who competes in TT shows him training indoors and outdoors, even with real humans on group rides. Some of the attitudes here regarding getting outside being such a chore or displeasure, like itās something people dread, makes me feel like maybe cycling is the wrong hobby for them 
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Hmm, I actually dont see so much whining about outside riding. For me at this stage of life with small children and a demanding job the indoor training is just the best imaginable right now.
Yes, if I would have more time and could really relax going for a long ride outdoorsā¦ I would probably very much prefer itā¦ so I dont see outside riding a displeasure at all.
But for now it is not so easy to fit into my daily schedule of obligationsā¦ which btw are not only unpleasent and terrible thingsā¦ I love to be with my kids and wife, I like to deal with my jobā¦ so combining this with focused indoor workouts on the TR platform (and wasting loads of time here on the boards 
) is best of both worlds. No judgement at all.
(and since indoor workout does not seem to be considered cyclingā¦ cycling seems not even to be my hobby 
)
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Your reasoning for being indoors is not the same as the argument that outdoor riding is simply dangerous and riding with people is stupid and it just makes you slow. Youāre simply making the most of the time you have available
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Thatās a little bit judgemental. Sometimes you do what youāve got to do. It really depends on personal circumstances (family situation) and local terrain and conditions.
I used to live in NM. I had country roads and gravel trails 1 minute outside of my door. I also had lots of long straight quiet roads that were great for intervals, FTP tests, and general steady state riding. I rode outside 360 days per year and only used the trainer for an occasional test or on a rare rainy day.
We moved this summer and now Iām in lockdown with my kid in virtual school. I canāt leave the house a lot of the time. Iām also in a true 4 season location with lots of rain, some snow and ice. Iād rather ride the trainer than get rained on or freeze my butt off. I also live in town now and it takes 30 minutes of riding to get to the best roads out of town. Unless itās going to be a 2+ hour ride, itās questionable whether itās worth it to suit up and ride outside. If Iāve only got 45 minutes to an hour, I can do a 20 minute loop by my house but itās all up and then down and not a great route for a structured workout. Still, I do it a lot.
But, Iām also riding inside a lot more than I ever have done. Itās better than nothing and Iām maintaining my fitness in the event that group rides and events happen next year.
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Sounds familiar. Still, youāre making the most of the time you have with life in the mix, not choosing to stay inside every day year round because you donāt like social riding or āgetting slowā outside.
Training exclusively to do more training just isnāt my cup of tea. Ok they will hit their goal, then what? Itās like going to school and then never getting a job but jumping into another degree.
I would not say that I prefer training indoors. However, I recognize it is more efficient and effective for certain types of workouts, and certain instances where I am time-crunched, or where road/weather/daylight conditions are not conducive to certain workouts.
For example, I do not have many suitable roads around me for 20+ minute threshold/sweetspot intervals. Too many junctions/turns. Therefore, I almost always do threshold rides on the trainer.
Additionally, given present daylight conditions, I am less likely to kit up to go outside to do any structured workout if I arrive home near or after dark, as the traffic and road conditions in my area make panting, exhausting V02 efforts or other similar workouts a bit risky without good visibility. However, for any sort of endurance riding, unstructured rides, or obviously any group rides, I certainly prefer to ride outdoors, weather and time permitting.
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Assuming there is good weather, some good friends on the ride and maybe some good coffee or food at the end of the ride:
Outdoors > Indoors.
In general, I prefer outdoor rides.
Assuming freezing rain, snow, high winds, high humidity and temps over 90 degrees, or darkness:
Indoors > Outdoors.
But indoor workouts seem to give you the best bang for buck. I sort of miss my pre-covid indoor classes. Gave you the social, group ride feel + Scoreboard on speed/distance/watts per Kg added a little competitive spiciness, but the massive indoor fans / temp controls made it super comfortable.
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Suffering indoors to enjoy (even more) outdoorsā¦ So while I prefer outdoors, I see indoors as a necessary evil.
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How about an actual definition? Based on Merriamās version youāre right, based on dictionary.com looks like Cleanneon has a point.
Without too much thought I default to Cleanneonās opinion. You aināt going anywhere, you aināt cycling, however if you go for the clinical definition I think an argument can be made for anyone turning the pedals is technically cycling, right? Dammit, that means we have to let eBikers in too!
Back on track, I think the original premise of the thread was that indoor cycling (tee hee) is actually more enjoyable than actually riding outdoors? Rather, the thread showcases the plusses and minuses of both. Itās interesting, that for some, the end goal of becoming a faster bike racer got lost somewhere and the process of training (specifically indoors) actually becomes the focus and even more enjoyable than riding/training/racing outdoors.
To be fair, this can sound sad to most riders as it obviously takes away the soul and simple joy of riding, however we all need to remember that weāre on an indoor focused training system forum, and that what someone else finds enjoyable doesnāt need to be what we/I find enjoyable.
Thatās all I got. Except that with my local weather taking a turn for wet and cold, yep, Iāll be enjoying that indoor cycling (tee hee) more than I normally would this week!
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I enjoy training indoors - the structured plans are very effective and I enjoy them.
Partially itās also due to the climate - I like riding outside, but I do it from March to October, as itās dark and fairly unpleasant outside from November to February
But I practice ultra-riding and audaxing, so when I do ride outside, I really do ride 
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That was at least not my intent. I just realised that because of the points I made for my situation I turn out to do more workouts inside than cycling outside. Neither inside nor outside have been judged better or worse, maybe just more suitable for my (very specific) situation.
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I didnāt mean to bring the definition into the discussion, but to my surprise, it actually explicitly mentions stationary exercise bikes (I didnāt know that tbh).
My whole point is just lobbying for a little bit more inclusiveness and less gatekeeping in the sport I love.
Due to my involvement in the Zwift community, I got to know many amazing people who donāt want to / canāt ride their bikes outside for various reasons (disabilities, injuries, or other physical or mental conditions). Yet I saw those people training harder than I ever did and being more passionate about cycling than I have ever been. So who am I to judge and tell them they are not cyclists because that doesnāt fit into my own definition? Personally, I find that whoever spins a pedal with their feet or a crankset with hands on their handbike and wants to call themself a cyclist is free to do so and Iām the first person to cheer them and happily welcome everyone into the cycling community. And if they donāt think of themselves as a cyclist but rather indoor riders, spin bikers etc. thatās also fine.
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New Oxford American Dictionary
ārideā as a verb:
ārideā as a noun:
The classical definition of a cyclist either explicitly or implicitly implies a journey. However Zwift and Peloton and indoor training are clearly pushing the boundaries to include indoor training going nowhere on a stationary bike. Its all good.
much ado about nothing 
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Try putting on a movie youāve watched before with the directorās commentary.
Or one you havenāt watched before with the subtitles on.
I do one ride a week outside on the MTB, otherwise its all indoors (6x / week). I love not having to worry about being killed by a car. I love being able to ram a 1hr session in between work / family obligations .
And Iāve gotten way faster for racing both online and outdoors, if that ever happens again.
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Iām getting to be about 50/50 on the in/out love.
I love riding outdoors, but a lot of the time itās like trying to make it through a round of MXC.
I love I riding indoors because of the precision and efficiency, plus all the creature comforts and luxuries you donāt get on the open road.
However, my frail body doesnāt really like being stuck on the torture trainer all that much. 
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I prefer riding indoors. I think Iām just kind of wired to enjoy the process of training more than I do getting outside to smell the roses, plus the relative control over my surroundings appeals to my incessant need to use myself as a lab rat 
Maybe thatās sad to some people, or Iām not technically a cyclist. End of the day itās just a hobby that I enjoy.
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Letās face it. The āsportā of cycling is changing. Things like TR, Zwift, and high end trainers have made indoor cycling a lot more fun. Thereās bound to be people that only want to train for Zwift races.
Indoor cycling used to be barely tolerable. Back in the day when I was racing, Iād put on a Famous Cycling Videos VHS tape and ride my Minoura Mag Trainer 30-45 minutes three times per week to get me through the winter. 45 minutes was the most I could stand. I would have been way fitter if I had a modern indoor trainer setup!
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