There are many good reasons to ride the trainer in summer. You can get in a quick, targeted workout indoors, you can avoid traffic, weather, dogs, and the dark. The trainer is especially useful for testing, it is a controlled environment which allows for repeatable testing under the same conditions.
Here’s another reason. Rehab. If you’re recovering from an injury, the trainer is a great way to either continue light riding or to ease back in to riding. The road is just too varied and unpredictable to guarantee a gentle transition back in to riding. At least a couple of RTR members have been on the trainer this summer recovering from injuries. It’s a great way to retain some of your cycling fitness and gradually ramp the body back up to full strength as the injuries heal. At the same to you avoid the hazards and unpredictability of the road, where you could re-injure yourself.
And here’s a final reason, and the reason for this post. Riding indoors is a great way to squeeze in more riding time. If you have a dedicated trainer bike, leave it on the trainer ready to go; fill your water bottles and leave them in the fridge. Then it’s easy to wake up an hour earlier than normal and get in a good 45 min – 1 hour workout before the day starts. It’s very rewarding to start the day and have already completed a workout or have done your ride for the day. Or you can use it as an additional workout, doubling up on your rides for that day, pushing your body that bit further, or just burning some extra fat or getting in some extra miles to help build endurance.
So anyone interested in doing some morning rides? We could start off endurance pace and build up to tempo over time. How does 6AM – 8AM Eastern starting on Monday 8/15 work?
