Popular with recreational and competitive cyclists, indoor bike trainers consist of bike stand attached to a roller driven by the rear wheel of your bike. Your front wheel is either clamped in place or removed altogether and the frame of the bike is secured to the trainer to keep your bike stable. You can use a bike trainer for a variety of indoor cycling workouts. Most bike trainer workouts require the use of a cycle computer with the sensor set up on your rear wheel.
Time Trials
Time trials are a competitive cycling event as well as an effective way to assess your fitness and involve covering a set distance or riding for a predetermined time as fast as possible. Often, when riding outside, your progress may be interrupted by traffic, pedestrians or other obstacles that will slow you down and break the continuity of your workout. These problems are eliminated if you perform your time trials using a bike trainer. Common time trial distances include 10 and 25 miles as well as 30 and 60 minutes.
Interval Training
Interval training involves alternating periods of high intensity work with periods of low intensity recovery and is a training method designed to improve your aerobic or anaerobic fitness, depending on the intensity and duration of your work periods. Interval training on the road is impractical as you may encounter obstructions that require you to slow down or even stop just as you are getting into a particularly fast sprint . There are no such concerns if you perform your interval training on a bike trainer.
Long intervals of five to 10 minutes alternated with two- to three-minute recoveries will develop your aerobic fitness, whereas shorter, faster intervals of 90 to 180 seconds alternated with rests of 60 to 90 seconds will develop your anaerobic fitness. After you have warmed up thoroughly with some easy paced cycling, perform as many intervals as are appropriate for your fitness level.
Pedaling Technique Workouts
Correct pedaling technique is important in cycling. Inefficient use of the pedals can rob you of energy and make you a slower cyclist. On your trainer is the safest time to practice your pedaling technique because you don't have to concentrate on traffic.
Imagine you are pedaling in a square. Spend a few moments focusing on pushing straight down, then a few moments on pulling your foot back by leading with your heel, a few moments focusing on pulling up and then finally a few moments on pushing your foot forward by leading with your toes. Perform these drills one leg at a time allowing while allowing your other leg to relax. Once you have repeated the drills on each leg, perform them using both legs simultaneously.
Leg Speed
Leg speed, called cadence in cycling terms, contributes a great deal to your road speed. Cyclists usually maintain a cadence of between 80 to 100 revolutions per minute---or RPMs--and often use single fixed gear bikes to help them develop a high cadence, but you can use a bike trainer to achieve the same result.
Keep your bike in a very easy gear setting and focus on keeping your upper body relaxed. Use good pedaling technique and try to gradually increase your cadence. If you begin to bounce on the saddle--a sign that you are going slightly too fast--ease off and try to maintain your maximum speed. Perform leg speed training as intervals by alternating periods of high RPMs with periods of low speed recovery.
References
- "The Cyclist's Training Bible"; Joe Friel; 2009
- "The Complete Book of Road Cycling & Racing"; Will Peveler; 2008
- "The Time-Crunched Cyclist: Fit, Fast, and Powerful in 6 Hours a Week"; Chris Carmichael and Jim Rutberg; 2009
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