Trainer or Frost Bite?

Some days it’s a toss up whether or not to ride outside, particularly in Colorado, where the sun can light up the sky in such a way that you might assume it’s 80° outside –not 10°.

Let’s face it, riding the trainer can be boring and soul-sucking. The power output isn’t the same when you’re inside unless you do the majority of your rides on the trainer, and when’re tired you can’t use a downhill as your excuse for coasting. Standing on the bike just doesn’t feel the same when it won’t rock back and forth like you’re used to on your favorite climb.

But riding outside may not be worth it when the temperature is in the single digits, even if you’re prepared to brave hands and feet that scream under the water of a hot shower. Some days it’s not even feasible to ride outside when the risks of getting sick or crashing are too great. Here are some of our favorite ways to ride the trainer, or the rollers, and beat the boredom.

Listen to a Podcast

Some of our favorites include:

The Moth – Every episode of The Moth features a few live story tellers who take the stage to share a piece of their life. It’s like swapping stories with a riding buddy, without having to respond when you’re out of breath.

Slacker and Steve – This is a Denver afternoon talk radio show that only discusses the most sophisticated topics. Slacker and Steve, along with listeners who call into the show, cover a variety of stories including the nastiest neighbors, people who are bad borrowers, and coworkers falling into coworker relations at Christmas parties. Yes, high class stuff. These podcasts tend to be about 20 minutes and will definitely make you laugh.

The Tim Ferriss Show – Tim Ferris is the author of The 4 Hour Work Week and his podcast is considered a business podcast, although we don’t agree. He often interviews other successful people, such as Malcolm Gladwell, to learn about how they live, work, and exercise. The questions Tim asks his guests are engaging and will pass the time for a longer, slower workout.

Radio Lab – Radio Lab explores many different topic that may peak people’s curiosity such as “Ever wonder where illegal wildlife products end up?” This is a great podcast if you enjoy science or history. Also check out Revisionist History, Up and Vanished, and Crime Town. Lastly, let us know your favorite podcast by responding in the comment section or leaving us a Facebook message.

Ride Side by Side with a Friend

Riding along with a friend indoors is just like riding two-abreast outside, but without drivers screaming at you to ride single file. Plus, there’s no wind in your ears to obscure your partner’s words mid-story. Invite someone to bring their bike and trainer over to your living room or garage. Or bedroom. Even watching a movie with a training buddy while on the trainer is better than doing so solo. But seriously though, set your trainers up single file you non-tax paying, road-hogging pieces of shit.

Make it Structured!

A lot of trainer sessions unfortunately feel like watching water boil. Giving your trainer session some structure not only helps the time pass by making it more interesting, but it creates a higher quality training session as well. Working through pedal stroke drills, practicing your cadence, and hitting lung-busting intervals will give you that extra boost next year. This is where having a coach comes in handy. A coach will create a specific plan for you and hold you accountable to getting the work done, not to mention providing vital feedback to help encourage you for the next workout. Don’t just get on the trainer because you’re trying to avoid the in-laws during the holidays; make the most of your limited time riding indoors by increasing the quality of your workouts. Contact us to learn more about preparing for your season during the long winter months ahead!

See, anyone can ride the trainer! (One week out of the hospital).