Turbo maiden voyage

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Me, Tibetan Techno, ZZ top , Apocalypse now and tracks from Last of the Mohican's.

The only reason I measure Time distance and calories burned - ( doesn't matter if they are accurate even , which they probably aren't ) - is they are a measure of performance. - If this week I do 40k in 1hr and burn 1000cals (I'm probably not doing any of these things in reality) - but when I cycle next week - thats my target, to attain,better or flunk completely.

How else do you measure your performance on a bike that goes nowhere?
40k 1hour is a constant 24mph - theres no way I can do that on a real bike on the road. - 17mph is my norm on the road.
I suppose I could do it on number of buckets of sweat I produce each time, must be 2 or 3 fair size buckets.

so how else do you measure your performance on the old turbo.

I simply measure it by who much of the film you see whilst on the turbo trainer and how I feel afterwards. Nothing scientific. If I feel like I had a good workout then great.
Congrats on Last of the Mohican's btw. Have you listened to the Mohican's Chapter 1 & Chapter 2? cheaper to buy the CD and rip it than the mp3, but the mp3 link allows you to sample to music...

 

[Licramite]

Thanks for the links I shall add them to my list.
I have tried that and found I underperform especialy near the end of the ride. - with a target to hit it pushes me to keep it up, 58mins gone and I'm 5k short - go for it. - die later.
I find I do better on a longer run as it takes about 5-10minutes to build up to speed, so I'm down on targets and have to stay above normal, to catch up. - so a 30minute run I rarely get 20k.
but no matter how hard I try I haven't beaten the 40k in an hour limit by more than 1-2k - yet.

 

[black'n'yellow]

so how else do you measure your performance on the old turbo.

You don't - you measure your improvements on the road.

 

[Licramite]

You don't - you measure your improvements on the road.

Ooh - hard core stuff -

you don't think the bike - you don't think the ride - you are the bike , you are the ride - theres only one percent - 100% -

 

[black'n'yellow]

Ooh - hard core stuff -

you don't think the bike - you don't think the ride - you are the bike , you are the ride - theres only one percent - 100% -

^^ random words..?? Improvement is best measured in the real world. Not sure what is so hard to understand about that.

 

[Rob3rt]

Thanks for the links I shall add them to my list.
I have tried that and found I underperform especialy near the end of the ride. - with a target to hit it pushes me to keep it up, 58mins gone and I'm 5k short - go for it. - die later.
I find I do better on a longer run as it takes about 5-10minutes to build up to speed, so I'm down on targets and have to stay above normal, to catch up. - so a 30minute run I rarely get 20k.
but no matter how hard I try I haven't beaten the 40k in an hour limit by more than 1-2k - yet.

The 1st 10-15 minutes should be your warm up and not counted as part of the actual session, therefore, your philosophy of making up for the 1st 10-15 mins in the concluding minutes is somewhat weird. If you warm up, 10-15 mins, then begin your training, i.e. 20 mins at threshold, 5-10 mins easy spinning and another 20 mins at threshold (or some other interval, tempo or other session), then 10-15 mins cool down. Your only aim should be a certain HR value or power output in those 20 mins.

 

[Licramite]

Rob3rt, - yea thats a good way of doing it. and Black&Yellow is also right in that your best judge of real improvement is what you do on the road.

My point is if you can measure what you do on the turbo it's worth doing as a way of setting targets for each season. It's like the polar heart monitor was good at telling you when you were over exercising.- it set your limit and warned you if you exceeded it.
When I go out on a ride I tend to set a route A-B and back in X amount of time. I don't ride round the block for 10 minutes warming up, I just go, the warm up time has to be built into the total ride time.
Xtime has so many variables , wind, traffic, weather ect, If I acheive or not the time it's pretty random , Xroughly - is my hope.
So the Turbo is a nice clean predictable measure of effort. If I did that today, I want to do that at least, tomorrow
but I don't try and relate it to what I acheive on the road at all.

 

[Rob3rt]

Rob3rt, - yea thats a good way of doing it. and Black&Yellow is also right in that your best judge of real improvement is what you do on the road.

My point is if you can measure what you do on the turbo it's worth doing as a way of setting targets for each season. It's like the polar heart monitor was good at telling you when you were over exercising.- it set your limit and warned you if you exceeded it.
When I go out on a ride I tend to set a route A-B and back in X amount of time. I don't ride round the block for 10 minutes warming up, I just go, the warm up time has to be built into the total ride time.
Xtime has so many variables , wind, traffic, weather ect, If I acheive or not the time it's pretty random , Xroughly - is my hope.
So the Turbo is a nice clean predictable measure of effort. If I did that today, I want to do that at least, tomorrow
but I don't try and relate it to what I acheive on the road at all.

Not neccessarily the case, many do not have a repeatable power curve so your power output to achieve a certain speed varies, just like outside, then there are things such as the roller tension, this has a fairly noticeable effect, as does tyre pressure etc.

Also, you should not be achieving or expecting to achieve more with every session, I assume you are just giving an example, but saying it just in case. Fitness is not something that just increases session to session.

 

[paulw1969]

I use the Garmin with HR and cadence sensor....but i have them anyway.
1) Gearing
2) Resistance setting on turbo
3) HR
4) Cadence
5) Time spent at each interval.
6) Percieved effort.

The six variables above (not in any particular order) are plenty enough to keep me busy. I find it is diifficult to measure your cadence accurately ......it is surprisingly difficult to maintain a set cadence when doing intervals which push your effort levels..........the sensor helps me do this and insure i'm not "cheating"

 

[Licramite]

Had my second 'journey' last night. Tried the brick and it really stopped the front wheel 'twist' also managed to listened to a comedy podcast, but had to have it quite loud to hear it - think I prefer music, which is what I'll do again next time. Also sweated pig-like again, which makes me feel self righteous when I finished, although Map My Ride only works out calories at 176 for 32 minutes. Sure felt harder than that

Thanks guys for such an interesting thread.

- sweatband, stops the sweat into running into your eyes. - I certainly use one (I use one on the road to under my helmet) a fan helps but you still sweat like buggery
I don't know if you have had the numb bum yet, I don't normally wear padded pants but I've a rubbish seat on my turbo and on 1 hour seasons my bum hurts.
not a bad idea to chuck a towel over your neck to dry your hands and face on.

I find the mp3 player , with earphones, turned full volume , fits nicely into your sweatband to.

do an armstrong" dancing on the pedals" - admittedly what he was on I'm not surprised !

 

[Phoenix Lincs]

- sweatband, stops the sweat into running into your eyes. - I certainly use one (I use one on the road to under my helmet) a fan helps but you still sweat like buggery
I don't know if you have had the numb bum yet, I don't normally wear padded pants but I've a rubbish seat on my turbo and on 1 hour seasons my bum hurts.
not a bad idea to chuck a towel over your neck to dry your hands and face on.

I find the mp3 player , with earphones, turned full volume , fits nicely into your sweatband to.

do an armstrong" dancing on the pedals" - admittedly what he was on I'm not surprised !

Great ideas - I'll track down a headband. I've only done half an hour so far, but do wear padded shorts, as my 'lady places' might get a little bruised! Next time I'll take in a towel too, and I need to work on an upbeat playlist to listen to.

Such a supportive bunch you all are

 

[Phoenix Lincs]

That is awesome.

ps: sod off will ya

Downloaded the whole Ministry album tonight. Most tracks from which can be added to my Turbo playlist. Much of my current music is too 'middle of the road' to feature on it, so I'm having to get hold of something rather more loud and shouty.

 

[black'n'yellow]

Downloaded the whole Ministry album tonight. Most tracks from which can be added to my Turbo playlist. Much of my current music is too 'middle of the road' to feature on it, so I'm having to get hold of something rather more loud and shouty.

just to be clear - I posted the Ministry thing as a 'humorous riposte' to TMHNET - it wasn't intended as a prescription for fitness..

 

[Lee Murray]

Hi everyone, interesting thread! I was thinking of getting a turbo trainer and was looking at this http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_895535_langId_-1_categoryId_229901 What do you think? Any good? good price? (another £38 off at checkout), would you recommend a virtual reality dvd. I'm new to the 'turbo world' and any advice is appreciated.

 

[Phoenix Lincs]

I really like the track x