Great suggestions sir. can i add a number 9? Make sure you know exactly why you're getting on the trainer and what you're trying to achieve that day. Don't get on for the sake of it. Have a specific purpose and only get off once you've ticked that box!
Great tips. Would add: make sure you front wheel is level with your rear (whether on a direct drive trainer or wheel-on), have a mat under your bike for the sweat (i.e. outdoor carpet, yoga mat), get a drying solution for your shoes because they'll get super sweaty, and logon to virtual events in zwift earlier than their start time because sometimes the tech has a mind of its own
As someone who is going into their 4th season with an indoor trainer I would say the keys to success are staying outdoors for as long as possible and taking a solid off season. Nothing like getting onto the trainer without the hunger to get after bike training. In Washington we haven’t had much snow yet so getting out on the mtb or doing some running will improve your motivation come trainer time.
I‘d add some music on sweat proof earphones, especially for hard structured workouts. At least for me it helps staying motivated and the right song at the end gives at least 50 watts extra.
A proper Mat under your training space (sweat can ruin wood floors ...), and those supplied by the trainer manufacturers are overpriced and definitely not sturdy enough. To solve this problem, go to your local car/truck parts store, and buy yourself a pickup truck bed rubber liner (usually around 4 feet x 6 feet), they are wider, thicker, much stronger and cheaper too. They are also heavy enough that they don't move at all. Other advantage, when getting on or off the bike, you are always putting your feet on it, no slipping on wood ... Mine is from Technoflex, bought at Canadian Tire (fall of 2020) for 49,99 $CDN, while the flimsy Wahoo Mat was 119,99 $CDN. It's made from recycled tires, hasn't moved a bit, no sign of wear at all. 1000% recommended.
Perfect timing Francis. I've been bloody lazy so far this winter, just looking at the indoor training set up. I needed some motivation and this video is it. Right off for a session. Cheers👍
Good list (even if I've still to upgrade to a smart trainer myself) and it is incredible how good indoor training is now largely because of how interactive Zwift etc makes it. The only thing I'd add to the list is: Screen. You can run Zwift just on your phone but it better to screen your online simulation with the highest quality possible so as to make the experience as immersive as possible. I run Zwift on my laptop connected via a 3m HDMI cable to my main living room widescreen 4K TV. Makes for a really engaging experience.
Need a Turbo trainer trained rider Vs Real world trained rider for a real world race. I am currently only using my RGT Setup as a warm up only for my road rides the few days before venturing outside. I am a little on the it's rubbish side as turbo trainer Zwift/RGT times are soo much faster and higher watts versus real life.But hey any riding is better than no riding especially if the weather has taken a turn for the worse. Thanks for the vid Mr Cade! I love these style of vids from time to time, also time for you to get back down south as I am sure the channel needs to meet Baby Bike Fit James.
Agree that the rollers are still valid so good point. Also, turn the heat down before jumping on the turbo to keep the inevitable cardiac drift to a minimum. Cheers Francis.
I was using a set of old too-large bibs on the trainer and suddenly realized that was dumb. Got a good set of light summer-weight bibs on 30%-off sale in November, glad I did.
Remote controlled fans are definitely great. But you can also start with long sleeve shirt and take it off after warm up. The big advantage of indoor cycling is that you can't crash and don't go far away of your belongings.
Put a mirror in front of you. It’s a great help in getting your position dialed in. It will also show you if you’re getting too much upper body movements
Although I’ve been on the indoor trainer for some years now, it’s still handy to watch a video such as this, just to remind yourself to do the important things like getting out of the saddle etc, so thanks
Nicely done Francis, good & concise advice. Recently got some 2nd hand Tacx Galaxia rollers… brilliant fun!! Whilst forcing you to concentrate and engage your core…. (time just flies). Highly recommended 😃
The remote control socket is a great idea, I'm forever jumping off after 20 mins to turn my fan on! Also I've found out hard way just how important location is, previously had my turbo set up in the garage which is fine until it reaches freezing cold winter temperatures, had to gear up like a full on out door ride at times! :D
An alternative to the fan remote or getting off to turn them on or off is a smart plug. I use a cheap one off amazon that my fan plugs into so I can tell Google to turn it on or off and best of all, it's obviously hands free.
a 225mm/9" Box Fan will replace 2 300mm/12" Fans. I use a 9" Box fan at a slight angle across my front and a normal 12" fan almost side on, this 2nd fan aids sweat evaperation from the side & back. Think I got this tip from GPLama. Make sure everything is within reach, when I rode Rollers, I could stretch too far sometimes with hilarious consequences, also use Gatorskins to get reasonable resistance, GP4000s offer no resistance, as you'd hope! (roughly 10w/mph vs 5w/mph on 80mm alu rollers, no air drag so almost linear, smart trainer convert these days with a kickr core)
I always use a head sweatband, it stops the sweat from dripping all over the bike and I always wear a pair of fingerless track mits this stops the sweat rotting the bartape and corroding the bars.
Something to consider if you are riding long hills is to elevate your front wheel maybe 7% or so to work more specific climbing muscles and make the climb feel more realistic
I ride in my garage. This time of year I don't need any fans. Also, I recommend Zwift races (or RGT) for people who don't like structured training(plans). It's really rewarding finishing a bit higher up the ladder each time or even advancing a class :-)
A thorough, informative guide Francis 👌 just add "sweat capture devices!" for the perfect indoor pedal. Good tip on the homemade carb drink......you save yourself a small fortune 👍
Upgraded to a TacX Neo 2T a few months ago and like everything about it except RRF (Real Road Feel). Problems: (1) RRF gives you bumps via the pedals only, whereas on the road bumps are transmitted through bars and saddle too, with slight differences in timing, and (2) it doesn't seem to replicate easily visible single bumps on normal paved roads. I don't do many virtual rides on gravel or cobblestones, so I simply shut it off.
If you want to go cheap with carbs, go with orange (or basically any) juice or chocolate milk (rather skimmed in this case), for indoor amateur it is more than fine and, they give you carbs and good amount of hydration.
A floor mat, towel and sweat protection for the bike frame are all useful. I just use a basic fan, do you really need 6 different fans? I also ride topless but then I'm inside the apartment. Why bother wearing a jersey? Some podcasts to listen to are a big help. And of course a training plan. Summer for pleasure, winter for graft.
Francis, depending on your size and weight the body will absorb anything between 600 ml to 900 ml of liquid per hour, that is why under desert conditions in the army the recommendation is to drink max 1 liter per hour, more than that is a waste, You will need to evacuate the excess urinating. Even under training stress and sweating profusely the body will not absorb more than 1 liter.
You can buy pedestal fans very cheap if the budget is tight. I saw my local hardware has black one for $25. I only run one floor mounted fan in winter and in summer I put the air conditioning on. Its a.perrsonal thing as some like lots of cooling and others less so.
Other benefits of using no fans indoor is that you actually heat acclimatise if you do consecutive, difficult sessions indoor with no fans (at ambient temperatures above 18-20 ℃). Con of that, it sucks and your bike gets real sweaty!
Direct drive turbo goes a long way to solve the noise problem, but you still hear the drivetrain. A thick mat on the floor will help. The ultimate solution though would be a dedicated bike like the Tacx bike which is really quiet. Big bigger than a turbo though if it's being kept in a flat!
Hi Francis, I thought you'd be mentioning the rocker plates. Believe that you had one yourself to try out. Was that any good? Did you notice any difference in your sprints max power while using it? How many watts would you say differ between a max power sprint indoors vs outdoors where you're able to rock the bike?
I never did a max sprint on the rocker, but might be interesting to test. I can only just hit 1000W indoors, on a good day - whereas outdoors closer to 1300W
Though I might chip in here, hope that's ok. I really like mine. Once you get used to having it, you don't really notice it's there, but I find it helps alleviates some of the discomfort of a long session. If you're not uncomfortable, then you probably won't get much benefit IMO. In either case, we're definitely in the territory of diminishing returns. However, I got mine for a good price on eBay.
Could be a question for bike fit James… I can never get totally comfortable when on the turbo trainer, aching hand etc etc. Same road bike I ride outside so not sure what’s going on. Have even raised the front wheel up. Maybe it’s psychological or I’m just a freak?!
The remote control sockets work great for fans, I’m just trying out the same approach with Wi-Fi controlled sockets that are controlled by phone or Alexa, Google Assistant etc. Over engineered but my remote control sockets at this time of year are attached to Christmas lights so I needed a solution!
Tire pressure looks a little low during the B roll when you were riding the rollers. I find higher pressure like 100ish make rollers a lot more enjoyable. I wouldn't run that pressure in many other circumstances but rollers is one place where i still like high pressure.
Great video and top tips Francis. I'm looking to upgrade to a smart turbo trainer, and as much as I'd love to go direct drive, I simply don't have the budget. How do wheel on smart trainers compare? Will I still see a noticeable improvement on my current 'dumb' trainer?
In terms of the apps & workouts you have access to, yes. In terms of how the turbo feels, maybe not that much difference - depends what you are using at the moment!
I reckon your neighbours think you are cultivating cannabis, bright lights, fans & your blinds are always closed plus you have a variety of different people visiting 😆😆😆
I really like mine. Once you get used to having it, you don't really notice it's there, but I find it helps alleviates some of the discomfort of a long session. If you're not uncomfortable, then you probably won't get much benefit IMO. In either case, we're definitely in the territory of diminishing returns. I got mine for a good price on eBay.
The convenience and price of rollers can't be beat. Although they offer a limited type of work out I find after a winter of using them my bike peddling and handling is very smooth. Couldn't be bothered with all that virtual BS, it's a $$$ drain.
I would be careful using electrolytes and/or snacking when training. Many of commercial electrolytes have sugar in them which ruins the teeth if you keep drinking. While racing or traveling sure, but not whilst training indoors daily. Just have a meal instead.
![[Watch Party] RoV Pro League 2024 Winter | ( Bacon Time Vs PSG )](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zM25REvnJW4/mqdefault.jpg)
Great suggestions sir. can i add a number 9? Make sure you know exactly why you're getting on the trainer and what you're trying to achieve that day. Don't get on for the sake of it. Have a specific purpose and only get off once you've ticked that box!
Always keep bog roll close to hand for the inevitable runny nose during hard efforts. Can't be doing snot rockets indoors 🤣
Make this top comment 😅😅😅😅
Always have a box of tissues to hand as nose starts running 10 seconds into a session
Great tips. Would add: make sure you front wheel is level with your rear (whether on a direct drive trainer or wheel-on), have a mat under your bike for the sweat (i.e. outdoor carpet, yoga mat), get a drying solution for your shoes because they'll get super sweaty, and logon to virtual events in zwift earlier than their start time because sometimes the tech has a mind of its own
I use an ironing board to put all my stuff on...tablet, towel, sweets etc!
That's a good idea as my ironing board is hardly used.
As someone who is going into their 4th season with an indoor trainer I would say the keys to success are staying outdoors for as long as possible and taking a solid off season. Nothing like getting onto the trainer without the hunger to get after bike training. In Washington we haven’t had much snow yet so getting out on the mtb or doing some running will improve your motivation come trainer time.
Wheel on trainer; consider fitting a dedicated training tyre. They are a hard compound. Helps if you have a spare/old wheel and cassette.
I‘d add some music on sweat proof earphones, especially for hard structured workouts. At least for me it helps staying motivated and the right song at the end gives at least 50 watts extra.
A proper Mat under your training space (sweat can ruin wood floors ...), and those supplied by the trainer manufacturers are overpriced and definitely not sturdy enough.
To solve this problem, go to your local car/truck parts store, and buy yourself a pickup truck bed rubber liner (usually around 4 feet x 6 feet), they are wider, thicker, much stronger and cheaper too. They are also heavy enough that they don't move at all. Other advantage, when getting on or off the bike, you are always putting your feet on it, no slipping on wood ...
Mine is from Technoflex, bought at Canadian Tire (fall of 2020) for 49,99 $CDN, while the flimsy Wahoo Mat was 119,99 $CDN. It's made from recycled tires, hasn't moved a bit, no sign of wear at all. 1000% recommended.
Perfect timing Francis. I've been bloody lazy so far this winter, just looking at the indoor training set up. I needed some motivation and this video is it. Right off for a session. Cheers👍
Good list (even if I've still to upgrade to a smart trainer myself) and it is incredible how good indoor training is now largely because of how interactive Zwift etc makes it.
The only thing I'd add to the list is: Screen.
You can run Zwift just on your phone but it better to screen your online simulation with the highest quality possible so as to make the experience as immersive as possible. I run Zwift on my laptop connected via a 3m HDMI cable to my main living room widescreen 4K TV. Makes for a really engaging experience.
Been using rollers for the last 2 years, this year I have got myself a proper direct drive trainer. Great tips, ty
Need a Turbo trainer trained rider Vs Real world trained rider for a real world race. I am currently only using my RGT Setup as a warm up only for my road rides the few days before venturing outside. I am a little on the it's rubbish side as turbo trainer Zwift/RGT times are soo much faster and higher watts versus real life.But hey any riding is better than no riding especially if the weather has taken a turn for the worse. Thanks for the vid Mr Cade! I love these style of vids from time to time, also time for you to get back down south as I am sure the channel needs to meet Baby Bike Fit James.
0:43 I see what you did there: fans are fan-tastic 😂
Agree that the rollers are still valid so good point. Also, turn the heat down before jumping on the turbo to keep the inevitable cardiac drift to a minimum. Cheers Francis.
Another one, always wear a good pair of Bib Shorts, I particularly like ones with gel chamois for indoor sessions.
I was using a set of old too-large bibs on the trainer and suddenly realized that was dumb. Got a good set of light summer-weight bibs on 30%-off sale in November, glad I did.
Make the room yours. Motivations, decorations, anything to make it a little more inspiring.
Remote controlled fans are definitely great. But you can also start with long sleeve shirt and take it off after warm up. The big advantage of indoor cycling is that you can't crash and don't go far away of your belongings.
I can definitely crash on rollers, hold my beer
Put a mirror in front of you. It’s a great help in getting your position dialed in. It will also show you if you’re getting too much upper body movements
Although I’ve been on the indoor trainer for some years now, it’s still handy to watch a video such as this, just to remind yourself to do the important things like getting out of the saddle etc, so thanks
👍👍👍
Thanks for calling us fantastic :)
Nicely done Francis, good & concise advice. Recently got some 2nd hand Tacx Galaxia rollers… brilliant fun!! Whilst forcing you to concentrate and engage your core…. (time just flies). Highly recommended 😃
The remote control socket is a great idea, I'm forever jumping off after 20 mins to turn my fan on!
Also I've found out hard way just how important location is, previously had my turbo set up in the garage which is fine until it reaches freezing cold winter temperatures, had to gear up like a full on out door ride at times! :D
An alternative to the fan remote or getting off to turn them on or off is a smart plug. I use a cheap one off amazon that my fan plugs into so I can tell Google to turn it on or off and best of all, it's obviously hands free.
a 225mm/9" Box Fan will replace 2 300mm/12" Fans.
I use a 9" Box fan at a slight angle across my front and a normal 12" fan almost side on, this 2nd fan aids sweat evaperation from the side & back. Think I got this tip from GPLama.
Make sure everything is within reach, when I rode Rollers, I could stretch too far sometimes with hilarious consequences, also use Gatorskins to get reasonable resistance, GP4000s offer no resistance, as you'd hope! (roughly 10w/mph vs 5w/mph on 80mm alu rollers, no air drag so almost linear, smart trainer convert these days with a kickr core)
I always use a head sweatband, it stops the sweat from dripping all over the bike and I always wear a pair of fingerless track mits this stops the sweat rotting the bartape and corroding the bars.
Good tip. I guess a cycling cap will help a bit too!
I live in Chicago and it’s just beautiful to ride outside, but I’m switching to only indoor training even during summer.
Something to consider if you are riding long hills is to elevate your front wheel maybe 7% or so to work more specific climbing muscles and make the climb feel more realistic
rollers are great for teaching you to ride more smoothly and in a straight line
LOAD MUSIC!!!!
I ride in my garage. This time of year I don't need any fans. Also, I recommend Zwift races (or RGT) for people who don't like structured training(plans). It's really rewarding finishing a bit higher up the ladder each time or even advancing a class :-)
Tip : move somewhere warm and sunny
The VacMaster is awesome for Zwifting. Just one fan on the lowest setting is all you need. They blow hard.
Oh! Remote plug is genius! Happy Christmas mate!
Happy Christmas Dave!!
A thorough, informative guide Francis 👌 just add "sweat capture devices!" for the perfect indoor pedal. Good tip on the homemade carb drink......you save yourself a small fortune 👍
Towel✔water✔jellybabes ✔airpods ✔ and I'm ready.
Upgraded to a TacX Neo 2T a few months ago and like everything about it except RRF (Real Road Feel). Problems: (1) RRF gives you bumps via the pedals only, whereas on the road bumps are transmitted through bars and saddle too, with slight differences in timing, and (2) it doesn't seem to replicate easily visible single bumps on normal paved roads. I don't do many virtual rides on gravel or cobblestones, so I simply shut it off.
It about drive it’s about power we stay hungry we devour put in the work put in hours
If you want to go cheap with carbs, go with orange (or basically any) juice or chocolate milk (rather skimmed in this case), for indoor amateur it is more than fine and, they give you carbs and good amount of hydration.
Another underrated benefit to rollers is a smoother pedal stroke. #souplesse
A floor mat, towel and sweat protection for the bike frame are all useful. I just use a basic fan, do you really need 6 different fans? I also ride topless but then I'm inside the apartment. Why bother wearing a jersey? Some podcasts to listen to are a big help. And of course a training plan. Summer for pleasure, winter for graft.
I get too hot even with 6 fans & never wear a jersey - unless I'm taking a photo for a TH-cam thumbnail
Francis, depending on your size and weight the body will absorb anything between 600 ml to 900 ml of liquid per hour, that is why under desert conditions in the army the recommendation is to drink max 1 liter per hour, more than that is a waste, You will need to evacuate the excess urinating. Even under training stress and sweating profusely the body will not absorb more than 1 liter.
Interesting. I definitely drink more than that on the turbo - will do some reading up
I have 9 fans for my sessions, my mum ,gran, son, postman, old grumpy neighbor, dog, wife and mistress. They all blow cool air on me when on Zwift 😐
hahahahahaahaha
You can buy pedestal fans very cheap if the budget is tight. I saw my local hardware has black one for $25. I only run one floor mounted fan in winter and in summer I put the air conditioning on. Its a.perrsonal thing as some like lots of cooling and others less so.
Other benefits of using no fans indoor is that you actually heat acclimatise if you do consecutive, difficult sessions indoor with no fans (at ambient temperatures above 18-20 ℃). Con of that, it sucks and your bike gets real sweaty!
Done a turbo session last night no fan and heating was on lol I was drenched after 🤣🤣🤣
Ha haaaa... not here... summer downunder! Good summary of riding tips for indoors... but I'll leave them till next year... :)
Great video 👍
Any tips for use of smart trainer in a flat? Don’t want to annoy my downstairs neighbours with the vibrations.
Direct drive turbo goes a long way to solve the noise problem, but you still hear the drivetrain.
A thick mat on the floor will help.
The ultimate solution though would be a dedicated bike like the Tacx bike which is really quiet. Big bigger than a turbo though if it's being kept in a flat!
Hi Francis,
I thought you'd be mentioning the rocker plates. Believe that you had one yourself to try out. Was that any good? Did you notice any difference in your sprints max power while using it?
How many watts would you say differ between a max power sprint indoors vs outdoors where you're able to rock the bike?
I never did a max sprint on the rocker, but might be interesting to test.
I can only just hit 1000W indoors, on a good day - whereas outdoors closer to 1300W
Though I might chip in here, hope that's ok. I really like mine. Once you get used to having it, you don't really notice it's there, but I find it helps alleviates some of the discomfort of a long session. If you're not uncomfortable, then you probably won't get much benefit IMO. In either case, we're definitely in the territory of diminishing returns. However, I got mine for a good price on eBay.
Netflix helps when doing the long zone 2 rides.
Can't believe you're not sponsored by M&S yet
Turbo trainings saire.
Could be a question for bike fit James… I can never get totally comfortable when on the turbo trainer, aching hand etc etc. Same road bike I ride outside so not sure what’s going on. Have even raised the front wheel up. Maybe it’s psychological or I’m just a freak?!
If you go back through Fran's playlists, they did a Bike Fit Tuesday video on Zwift setup - might help...
The remote control sockets work great for fans, I’m just trying out the same approach with Wi-Fi controlled sockets that are controlled by phone or Alexa, Google Assistant etc. Over engineered but my remote control sockets at this time of year are attached to Christmas lights so I needed a solution!
install a HAL 9000 👀
@@Cade_Media great idea.
Tire pressure looks a little low during the B roll when you were riding the rollers. I find higher pressure like 100ish make rollers a lot more enjoyable. I wouldn't run that pressure in many other circumstances but rollers is one place where i still like high pressure.
It is, shows how much I've been riding my road bike recently 😬
I have a vacmaster and I can confirm they are very powerful. with that turned up to max feels like riding in gale force winds.
they are outrageous!
(and quieter than a regular fan, should've mentioned that in the video!)
@@Cade_Media yes way quieter. I have the Bluetooth plug to control the fan but the new version with the remote is a great addition
@@Cade_Media I have the traditional wall-drying one and that nearly takes the retinas off my eyes when it's pointing in my face!
Great video and top tips Francis. I'm looking to upgrade to a smart turbo trainer, and as much as I'd love to go direct drive, I simply don't have the budget. How do wheel on smart trainers compare? Will I still see a noticeable improvement on my current 'dumb' trainer?
In terms of the apps & workouts you have access to, yes.
In terms of how the turbo feels, maybe not that much difference - depends what you are using at the moment!
I need more fans!!!
What is this "squash" you speak of in "'Merican?
What do you think about rocker plates?
I used one for a double Everest indoors and it was really good, definitely made things harder though
I reckon your neighbours think you are cultivating cannabis, bright lights, fans & your blinds are always closed plus you have a variety of different people visiting 😆😆😆
that's in the other room
Imagine yourself that you are Tadej Pogacar and you Just Can do much more and push harder.
How do you feel about rocker plates?
I really like mine. Once you get used to having it, you don't really notice it's there, but I find it helps alleviates some of the discomfort of a long session. If you're not uncomfortable, then you probably won't get much benefit IMO. In either case, we're definitely in the territory of diminishing returns. I got mine for a good price on eBay.
Which smart trainers come with a cassette? That seems to be a slightly hidden extra cost😞
wahoo kickr v5 does.
main reason why i didn’t get the tacx neo…
You can buy a lower end cassette for about $25
2:00 yes cos we all ride at 30mph
I didn't come up with the study.
Hey Google, Start my fan....
The convenience and price of rollers can't be beat. Although they offer a limited type of work out I find after a winter of using them my bike peddling and handling is very smooth.
Couldn't be bothered with all that virtual BS, it's a $$$ drain.
Oh cool indoor bicycling
oh cool
@@Cade_Mediaoooh indoor Friend!
I would be careful using electrolytes and/or snacking when training. Many of commercial electrolytes have sugar in them which ruins the teeth if you keep drinking. While racing or traveling sure, but not whilst training indoors daily. Just have a meal instead.
V tuneful fart sound @2:51
I thought that while editing
@@Cade_Media Glad you kept it in! Also, are you planning on doing the Dirty Reiver next year?
Hellooo
hello!
Hey Francis - what’s the floor in your turbo room?
They are squares from gymflooring.co.uk
@@Cade_Media thanks!
LLLLLAST
👋
@@Cade_Media 🤝