Free Cycle training video – downloadable

One of the Zappi’s regulars, Tim Jones, has created a fantastic Turbo or roller video from the local Tuesday night chain gang. You can download the Chain of Pain from here-

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzogLjvGWzDkMmtnZERYN0dOcDg/view?usp=sharing

• it’s pretty awesome for an hour’s hardcore spinning, and shows off the flatter eastern Oxfordshire lanes rather well! The evening sun on the way home is like your own little SAD therapy lamp too.

Works well with Ipads running something like AcePlayer.

Advertisement

#chain-of-pain, #cycle-training, #free-cycling-video, #free-download, #ipad, #turbo, #video, #winter-training

Trainer Road – training with VirtualPower – first impressions.

So here’s my new cycling toy.

Training with power is known to be the most accurate way of improving your cycling fitness. Unfortunately, power meters are very expensive so unless you are a serious athlete or have plenty of disposable income, they are out of reach.

However, Trainer Road have calibrated lots of Turbo Trainers for power output curve, so essentially you can, for £10 a month, train with power. Or at least VirtualPower.

Luckily my Trek comes with ANT+ standard wireless sensors so all I needed to buy was an ANT+ USB Stick, this one by Garmin.

I was going to go down the road of buying a Wahoo ANT+ dongle for my iPhone – initially for Cyclemeter, but TrainerRoad do not yet have an iPhone app. so Garmin it is.

Training kit:

• Bike.
• Tacx Sirius turbo trainer on setting 2.
• Bontrager ANT+ sensors for speed, cadence and heart rate.
• Garmin USB stick
• Trainer Road software
• Trainer Road subscription (£10 per month)
• Towel!

The recommended starting point is the ‘8 minute test’ – which takes an hour, but uses 2 x 8 minute intervals to find your potential maximum hourly output. You can just do the hour, but it’s really hard to judge (when you are new to this) how hard you can go ‘for one hour’ – 8 mins is more approachable!

So I set the app up, set my weight, wheel circumference, Turbo model and resistance step and then paired the sensors with the Garmin.

Next up – the actual test! While geeking out is fun, actually getting on the bike is now the issue!

Tonight I lasted 9 mins in my jeans – but you can see the results. I could get hooked!

#power, #trainerroad, #turbo

First Turbo of the Winter

I’ve not been on the turbo for a month, but here comes winter…

Really hard to motivate myself to do it, but since I’ve gained a lb a week for that month, its rather necessary. Totally knackered now but its a good knackered. Here’s my current regime:

• 12 mins warm up (to 70% HR)
• 6 all-out 45 second intervals, separated by 4 min spins.
• 10 mins medium page (72% HR)
• 6-8 min hill climb depending how I feel, to 94% HR.
• warm down to 60 mins, sometimes a bit over.

Its amazing how fast the hour flies by, not onerous at all – I have a favourite playlist filling the garage which helps.
Hope to do this twice a week all winter, with some peaks and troughs around some winter events. Famous last words! Currently wondering about Chieveley again, or the Harp Hilly. In the end I signed up for Chieveley.

#fitness, #hill-climb, #intervals, #turbo