I hate spinning

KeSs

I am forced to reduce my training to indoor spinning due to lack of daylight hours and weather and it sucks! It is super boring and nothing ever happens! I feel as though i am going to get bored of cycling and not train during the winter if i have to keep this up! What should i do?

tanggoman

Make it more exciting by listening to your faavorite music, watcning your favorite movie. There's a video called Spinervals which might help you motivate on your training this winter. Just think about it - if you dont train, you'll lose what you've already gained. I think that's more than enought motivation to get you up and training again. Good luck!

whoawhoa

I definitely agree with the whole music thing. I listen to music, watch tv, movies, all sorts of random stuff. Remember also that if you do about 70 percent of your usual training, you won't lose your fitness, just not gain much. So if you can survive winter with that, you'll just be a little behind on base training.
Also: In my town, during the winter we find an empty parking lot that is lighted and get a pretty good group that goes and rides around for an hour and a half. That makes a big differennce, and if it's still not enough training, do like i do and ride the trainer a bit before hand

Virenque

Yes, I agree! Riding on the spot is very boring! I`m already planning to move one tv to garage that I`ll be able to watch grand tours records..

ghostpedal

O.K. I'm in the same spot. I have to second the opinion about Spinerval DVDs (other training DVDs are probably just as good, I just have experience with Spinervals). When I use a Spinerval DVD, the time goes by MUCH faster than if I don't. I just follow what is going on the screen, and it gets me by. I think a Computrainer or similar would be even better, but I cannot afford one. Good luck with whatever you choose, and keep riding.

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Help! Help! I'm being repressed!

ganderctr

Whenever you can, go out and ride in the real world. Mix it up a little bit. I don't quit riding outdoors until the temperature falls below freezing. Watch your intensity though, because the cold is very hard on the lungs.

Bluey_27

Yeh those computer trainers look pretty cool....and pretty expensive ($1000). I think you can even race other people over the net with the Tacx computertrainer.

dice2833

Complain as much as you want about Indoor Training, but I think that it is the best way to train! (Hear me out on this one)...

The outdoors are where the fun is at, but the elements can be brutal on your specific goal for the ride (tempo, muscle tension, hill repeats, sprints...etc.)

When you go out for a ride, you are battling the vehicular traffic for placement on the road (not the case while on the trainer).

(At least in my area) There are no "10-minute" hills to do hill repeats on (again, not the case while on the trainer).

I have been training religiously on the trainer these past three weeks, and that was the best training that I've ever had! Yesterday, I had a CX race, and I took 3rd place, and I had to get off the bike 2 times because my chain came off, and my knee got all cut up when my bike slammed into my leg while hopping a barrier!

I am going to ride on the trainer with a strict training schedual for this winter, and spring, and I know that it will be for the best!

whoawhoa

Dice-I agree completely! The trainer is a great tool for specialized intervals. Even during the middle of the summer I ride the trainer probably 5 hours a week. also, interval sessions make the time go much faster. of course, if you do a traditional "base" period, you have to ride easy all winter, which makes the trainer much more boring.

Cyclist14

I have a Cycleops Mag Trainer and it is a very good workout. During the winter I also ride MTB's. But where I live unless it snows or rains you can always ride.

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El Loto

How cool would it be to own a Tacx Fortius. I have started going to a gym and do find some of the programs on the bike machines quite boring but you just have to be patient. Listening to music is a great cure for boredom. I did 20 kilometres on the machine the other day and it took a lot to keep spinning. Just stick at it. Take a book to read even.

Wolfzazi

no matter what you get music, tv, movies; you will get bored of them eventually but yes they do help, but it all comes down to your mental threshold on being able to withstand it. I'm doing 20hrs a week of aerobic training on mine, and the best way i found is to play a movie and have music playing. With a movie that voice saying quit appears eventually, but it's harder to hear that voice if you have the music playing for if that voice does want to come in during your movie, it's going to have to face the music too.....hmm does that sound loco?
And i find this training more efficent as stated, but definetely not funner! What gets my disguested is seeing my autographed postcard of Sharron Donnelly riding a bike (olympic triathlete) saying always keep it fun. But her accomplishments are quite motivating.

I don't want to make anyone jealous here, but i'm at my brothers condo right now. go into a the gym room and jump on the excercise bike which has the full package: HR, Cadence, Watts. And the energy from the rest of the runners and bikers is motivating. Then i get a nice massage from the whirling jacuzzi, then a nice sauna in the end. So i suggest if you can find a good gym that has the jacuzzi and sauna, you will find your off-season to be paradise and much more easier to recover.