Slate: Indoor Cycling Is No Longer Excruciatingly Boring

[fiamme red]

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2018/01/how_to_have_fun_riding_a_stationary_bike_for_your_ new_year_s_resolution.html

[spoonrobot]

Her Strava checks out, shame she's reduced to writing advertorials for peloton and zwift.

[soulspinner]

Ya its still boring..............

[FastforaSlowGuy]

Huh. I was on my Peloton last night. Still seemed pretty boring.


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[happycampyer]

Huh. I was on my Peloton last night. Still seemed pretty boring.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkYes, but... "pretty boring" is way better than "excruciatingly boring."

[C40_guy]

Never boring. Terrifying sometimes. But never boring!

PSA: Do not watch motorcycle racing on television while you are riding rollers. You will unconsciously lean into a turn with a rider onscreen, with predictable results.

Don't ask me how I know this. :)

[makoti]

Never boring. Terrifying sometimes. But never boring!

PSA: Do not watch motorcycle racing on television while you are riding rollers.
Don't ask me how I know this. :)

Or Miss America pageants. I'm guessing you know how I know.

[torquer]

Making the rounds of holiday parties recently, I got to talk with neighbors who know about my riding, especially during our current deep freeze, and a surprising number brought up the Peleton. (I guess they saw the ads on TV.) When I told them about my Wahoo Kickr, at least one neighbor said he'd check it out at the LBS. No reason for him not to use a flat-bar hybrid on Zwift, right?
On second thought, does the Kickr work with 135mm/disc rear ends?

[Idris Icabod]

On second thought, does the Kickr work with 135mm/disc rear ends?

The latest generation has increased clearance for discs, at least that is what it said on the box when mine arrived.

I had the same experience at the Christmas party rounds this year, a neighbor even got one for Christmas from his wife but then returned it without opening the box when the the reality of riding a trainer finally hit him. I was blamed for over selling the experience!

I did discover though that a garage acts as a huge speaker box. I usually listen to Pandora whilst riding Zwift and the sound really travels out of my garage (I usually have the door cracked about 1/3 way up), it's way louder outside than in. I listen to way too much inappropriate comedy (Jimmy Carr, Frankie Boyle etc.) to broadcast to the neighborhood.

[berserk87]

What happens if your virtual self on Zwift gets a flat?

[jruhlen1980]

No reason for him not to use a flat-bar hybrid on Zwift, right?
On second thought, does the Kickr work with 135mm/disc rear ends?

In order: No, and yes.

[bigbill]

I've got a standard Cycleops spin bike in my man cave on a sheet of 3/4" plywood with a rubber mat. I watch the UCI channel on my laptop with a HDMI cable to my big screen. It's ok, but fortunately it's very infrequent. Most of the time I can ride outside with a headlight during the winter. I'm better about intervals and standing climbing on the spin bike. My outside rides are very flat.

[cash05458]

I don't know via swift as never used it. But my feeling via my standard indoor training session on the kinetic is that is is supposed to suck...gets you back outside as soon as humanly possible. Turning it into a video game just sounds wrong to me.:no:

[makoti]

I don't know via swift as never used it. But my feeling via my standard indoor training session on the kinetic is that is is supposed to suck...gets you back outside as soon as humanly possible. Turning it into a video game just sounds wrong to me.:no:

You've never tried it, but it's wrong. Fine.
I have tried it, it does cut through the boredom. I was able to do almost 3 hrs on Sunday inside where before Zwift 45min was pushing it.
You don't want to train inside? Don't. I prefer to get an actual workout in rather than waste the time worrying about ice in the shadows, numbness in my toes & fingers, and generally being unhappy on the bike. But that's just me.

[Lewis Moon]

Yay Arizona!

[berserk87]

I don't know via swift as never used it. But my feeling via my standard indoor training session on the kinetic is that is is supposed to suck...gets you back outside as soon as humanly possible. Turning it into a video game just sounds wrong to me.:no:

I hate riding the trainer. I'd sooner have the mumps than ride indoors. But I have to do it sometimes.

For those that prefer Zwift or whatever to riding outdoors, I'm all for things that keep folks moving and trying to stay fit.

[Wayne77]

This isn't directed to any particular post in this thread...but I've never read in a forum or heard anyone say they prefer virtual training like Zwift to riding outdoors. These discussions always seem to turn into some weird dichotomy that pits the "riding outdoors purists" vs the "nerdy anti-social cyclists that heaven forbid, would even consider door riding indoors, and even more tragically, would actually do it with crazy virtual software that signals the end of the world and cycling as we know it". Obviously I'm waaay exaggerating the stances taken, but just making a point.

I think 99% of cyclists out there would prefer riding outdoors. But that's not always possible. Programs like Zwift, BKOOL, Trainerroad, Rouvi, etc make riding indoors actually a somewhat engaging experience, or at worst a much less miserable experience when indoor training miles is the only option.

Also, it seems that most people that take the "ewwww, how on earth could you consider Zwift" position haven't even tried it.

Indoor training with a Smart Trainer controlled by my app of choice has been a game changer for off-season training. I can actually follow a very structured training plan that would not be possible outside. Even during the race season, it is very challenging to do a prescribed interval session outside. With a smart trainer controlled by an uploaded interval file...you either complete the session or you stop pedaling, there is no going easy.

[onekgguy]

Count me as a believer in Zwift. I actually look forward to my indoor workouts! I tend to push myself harder and get a better workout indoors than I do outside especially this time of year.

I've noticed a huge spike in people using the program. This time last year there were typically around 1000 people on the course when I'd ride; now there are often times more than 4000. It got a little crowded on the Richmond course two days ago.

Kevin g