Turbo Training Tips
As the colder and more unsettled weather of winter closes in for many, then turbo trainers can become the go-to training equipment for keeping up some fitness.
I often hear many cyclists express their complete hate for the turbo. The predominant reason is usually due to boredom. So here are a few quickfire tips on helping with boredom, comfort, and keeping your equipment in good condition during turbo training.
1. PLAN: Never get on the turbo without an objective and structure for the session. Even if you just want to do a 40-minute recovery spin, then make a plan to vary cadence throughout the 40 mins. Variety throughout a session regardless of length allows you to set target interval times and remain engaged as well as decreasing potential boredom.
2. VENTILATION: Ensure to have your setup close to open windows and ideally a fan or even two fans circulating air around your body to dissipate heat. Use a towel to wipe excess sweat from the body during recovery intervals to allow the skin to ‘breathe’.
3. COMFORT: Saddle discomfort and shoulder fatigue can be synonymous with turbo training, but placing a block under the front wheel (even if there is a wheel support)to make it 10-15mm higher than the rear wheel can help greatly in a more kindly balance over the bike for saddle area, neck, and shoulders. The block could be a book wrapped in a plastic bag for example. The point to measure is from the floor to the center of each quick release, as seen in the photo. Compare the height of the front wheel from the rear from those points and raise by 10 -15mm as per the upper line of the photo. There are front-wheel blocks available that allow for different stack heights which means adding an extra improvised block is not required.
4. HYDRATION: Heat production from the body can be up to 15 times greater during an indoor session than when at rest, therefore hydration is super important and if doing a longer or very intense session it is also a good idea to incorporate an electrolyte mix. Nutrition is also an important consideration for longer sessions.
6. VISUAL STIMULATION: Having a visual distraction is a great way to take your mind off the passing minutes and seconds of a session – especially if you are doing hard intervals. There is lots of virtual software out there at the moment or failing that, simply use Youtube to find some repeats of your favorite races or search for cycling motivation videos which are often set to music too.
Overall, a turbo trainer can be an excellent training tool, and it can actually be very enjoyable. But it is important to always have a plan or a basic structure for any session otherwise it can feel very boring and laborious.
Hopefully, the other brief tips prove useful, especially when taking care of your equipment.
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