Traning programme

[Bill Gates]

Went out on a club run today and thought i'd say how it went. There was a few people who race out, one of them being an elite rider and the feedback I received was really promising. They said they think i'll manage no problem in cat 3/4 races and that I have good power in my legs. I have always been unsure on my fitness level as I haven't cycled long so it's a great boost for me and makes me want to race even more!

Just one thing i'm unsure of now...i've asked for rollers for xmas but was thinking maybe i'd be better off with a turbo so I can have more intense training sessions, any views?

Rollers or Turbo? There's enough material there for a whole new thread.

I was racing before a turbo was invented so rollers were the thing for indoor training. The advantages of rollers are: -

* They more closely mirror riding on the road re pedalling cause and effect.

* They help to develop bike handling skills, balance and smoothe riding.

* They don't need any setting up. Simply place them on the floor and put the bike on top.

* Once mastered excellent for a recovery ride or high quality interval training

Disadvantages: -

* Need perserverance initially to gain skill to balance with confidence.

* Constant concentration to keep going without falling off.

Turbo

Advantages :-

* Can fully concentrate on effort without worrying about falling off.

* Excellent for high quality interval training.

Disadvantages : -

* Not the same as pedalling on the road

* Need extra time to set the bike up on the machine.

If you are going to get a set of rollers then you need to invest in a set with drums that are quite large and heavy in order to maintain momentum. Small ones require extra effort and therefore harder to maintain sufficient speed to balance on recovery rides.

 

[aka0019]

Thanks Bill, some helpful info there

 

[Bill Gates]

Thanks Bill, some helpful info there

FWIW Out of choice I would go for the turbo. I rarely use the rollers now. It's either the turbo or the road.