Indoor cycling. It’s got to be up there alongside instant coffee and daytime TV on the list of ‘things that suck’, right? Wrong. Because sure, in years gone by riding on the turbo trainer meant voluntarily setting yourself up for mind-numbingly dull hours in a land where time stood still and the fitness gains didn’t outweigh the potential loss of sanity. But these days, the technology is firmly in place to make indoor cycling not only perfectly bearable – but genuinely fun. From smart trainers that give a dynamic and engaging ride. To virtual training apps like ROUVY that use immersive graphics and an interactive experience to make the hours fly by like minutes. Indoor cycling has seriously upped its game. And embracing the turbo trainer life can help you to up your cycling game, too.
If you think you hate indoor cycling, this one’s for you. We’re going to talk you through how riding indoors can help to make you a stronger rider. And how to make indoor training NOT suck.
Why cycle indoors?
So, why should you consider indoor cycling in the first place? After all, you’re not made of sugar and there’s no such thing as bad weather – just bad kit. And while that might be true, there are actually a number of benefits to indoor cycling that go far beyond just hiding from a bit of rain.
Get specific with your training
One of the best things about indoor cycling is you can really dial in your training, target specific energy zones and work on your individual weaknesses distraction-free. It can be difficult to find a suitable route where you can properly execute an FTP test or tick off VO2 max intervals. On the turbo, you haven’t got to worry about traffic or whether the next junction is going to hit right in the middle of a max effort. So you can put all your energy and attention into the session in front of you. Platforms like ROUVY even have a full workout library and training plans to help you get the right training stimulus to achieve your goals.
Make every session count
Along with specificity, indoor riding can help you to maintain good session quality – particularly when conditions outdoors aren’t optimal. Sure you can ride in the rain. But can you honestly say you get the most quality out of a session when you’re dodging puddles and trying to keep your back wheel in check around every slippery corner? Using indoor cycling for your key sessions means you can hit precise targets and work the correct energy zones to get the optimal training effect.
Get the job done
Indoor cycling can often be the most convenient way to get a session done when you’re pressed on time. There’s no need to spend 15 minutes wriggling your way into layers of waterproofs. No chance of a puncture making you late for your after-lunch meetings. And no need to worry about rush hour traffic or getting back before sunset. Switch on, clip in and get the ride ticked off.
Stay consistent
Depending on where you live, there will almost certainly be times when winter weather means it’s just simply not safe to ride outdoors – regardless of how hardy a soul you are when it comes to the cold and wet. When you embrace indoor cycling as part of your training routine, you’ve got a sure fire way to keep riding all year round. So a period of bad weather won’t leave you playing catch up on your bike fitness.
How to make indoor cycling fun – and productive
So that’s why you should consider doing some of your riding indoors. But if you’re someone who’s tried indoor cycling in the past and struggled to enjoy it – how can you make it fun? The good news is that the latest tech makes it easy to embrace the turbo trainer miles.
Use an indoor training app
First things first, if you’re still planning to sit on the turbo staring at the wall… don’t. Platforms like ROUVY are here to spirit you away and provide a bit of escapism while you ride. Using an indoor cycling app gives you immersive visuals, an interactive experience and you can use it to complete specific workouts, challenges and even ride with people on the other side of the world. That ‘time stands still’ feeling on the turbo trainer will be a thing of the past.
Optimise your set up
With the above in mind, it’s also worth investing in your indoor training set up. You don’t need an all-singing, all-dancing ‘pain cave’ complete with mood lighting to enjoy training indoors. But a good smart turbo trainer (or smart bike) that can automatically adjust the resistance depending on the gradient/workout intensity set by your indoor training app will make the experience that much more engaging.
It’s also important to think about some of the other details, like making sure you’ve got a good fan so you’re not overheating – a sure fire way to make any ride feel terrible. And having a screen on the wall or a laptop stand so you can get a good view of the visuals on your indoor training app.
Add structure to your training and set goals
Having a sense of purpose and progress will help you to stay consistent, and get far more enjoyment out of indoor cycling compared to just hopping on the turbo and pedalling aimlessly.
Take some time to think about which areas of your cycling you might like to improve on. For example, are you pretty strong on the flats but struggle on the hills? Are you looking to improve your ability to sit at threshold to improve your 25 mile TT time? Set yourself some specific goals, and use those to shape your bike training over the winter.
Using a platform like ROUVY makes this easy, because there’s a huge workout library and a wide range of dedicated training plans you can follow which will do all the planning for you. Choose a plan that will help you work towards your goal, and then focus on ticking off each session and enjoying the gains as they come!
Kit check
It can be tempting to reserve your ‘good’ kit for outdoor rides, where fellow cyclists and innocent bystanders will have the opportunity to admire it. But riding in your old worn out cycling shorts is a sure-fire way to make indoor training feel a touch miserable. Bear in mind that because most turbo trainers don’t offer the dynamic movement you get while riding on the road, any pressure points on the saddle are that much more noticeable. So you really want to make sure the cycling shorts you choose to wear on the turbo has a comfortable chamois pad.
Remember to hydrate
Hydration is important for any bike session – indoor or outdoor. But when you’re riding on the turbo trainer, it’s vital to make sure you’re taking on electrolytes as part of your hydration strategy. Even with a powerful fan blowing, you’re still likely to sweat significantly more indoors than you will do outdoors because of the higher ambient temperature and the lack of wind chill.
Therefore it’s important to hydrate throughout your indoor training sessions, and consider using electrolyte tablets or an energy drink with sodium to avoid suffering from dehydration, muscle cramps and the associated drop in performance. There’s nothing like a quad or a calf leaping into cramp mid-way through a sprint to ruin a training session!
Make indoor training social
One of the main gripes people tend to have with indoor training is that it’s too solitary compared to rolling out on the Sunday club ride. The good news is, training at home doesn’t have to mean training alone. Platforms such as ROUVY offer group rides and challenges that you can get involved with. You can even organise your own group rides so you can meet up with your real life riding buddies in the virtual world instead. This has two main benefits. Number 1 is the accountability of having people to ‘meet’ at a set day and time – you’re less likely to skip a session if you’ve got someone waiting for you. And the second benefit is that when you’re ticking off the tough indoor miles, you’ll have the added motivation of knowing everyone else is ‘suffering’ too.
Making indoor training social is a sure fire way to keep the motivation and enjoyment levels high.
