When you live on the tropical Caribbean island of Grenada, why would you ever want to ride inside on a trainer?  Well, if you’re me….you don’t.

I’ve written many times before how I just can’t get into riding my bike indoors on a trainer.  I guess that’s a major reason why I’ve done what I can to put myself in situations where it’s not necessary.  Don’t get me wrong…..they are a great training tool and without a trainer or rollers, many people around the world would never be able to ride a bike during certain months of the year.

When we lived in Austin, I had a Kurt Kinetic Road Machine and over the couple years we were there I think I used it about 10 times.  If it wasn’t icicle cold or dumping with rain, then I was outside.  It had to be pretty extreme before I would bite the bullet and jump on the trainer.

Before we moved to Grenada, I sold the trainer along with most of the things we owned.  It definitely wasn’t something I wanted to use over here.  But a few weeks ago, I was contacted by the guys at CycleTEK to see if I’d be cool with them sending me their newly released Momentum Indoor Cycling Trainer.  Even with what I just said about my thoughts on trainers, I agreed to their offer….and I’ll explain why.

There’s actually a couple reasons.  First of all, there might be a few days where I’m not able to get out riding in the daylight.  I don’t expect this to happen too often, but if it does…I’ll have a backup plan.  The other big reason is so that we can use the trainer for spinning classes over at Mocha Spoke.  There are plenty of people here in Grenada who want to ride a bike for exercise, but just aren’t ready to tackle the conditions found on our roads.  This is going to be so perfect for that.

Okay, so the idea of riding the CycleTEK (or any trainer) on a regular basis is not for me….but let me tell you what I think about the Momentum Indoor Trainer in case you’re in the market for one.  I only really have the Road Machine to compare it to, so here’s my thoughts.

I imagine most good quality trainers to be easy to set up, and the CycleTEK was about the same as what it was like to set up the Road Machine.  I didn’t see anything major that stood out to make the Momentum unique, but they tell me they have the largest and heaviest flywheel on the market with it weighing in at 7 pounds and measuring 60mm.

The first thing I noticed when jumping on for a spin was how quiet it was.  When I bought the Road Machine I was expecting it to be super quiet, but it turned out to be a lot louder than I imagined.  The CycleTEK is very quiet….and smooth.  Okay, so I’m sitting here thinking about what else I can say….and not coming up with anything.  Like I said, I’m not at all passionate about riding a trainer so all I can really say is that this one from CycleTEK seems to be a good choice.

The Momentum Trainer from CycleTEK retails for around US$379.00 (although I did find it available on sale at Amazon for $246.99) and you can find out more about it on their product page.  If the price fits your budget, and you can find a good deal….I say go for it.  The CycleTEK looks to be a quality product for anyone looking to do some indoor training in the pain cave.

You may remember that I posted a review on the ‘new kids on the training block’ back in January. In the cold of a winter where I was trying to pile on the miles to make me as fresh as a daisy in the Spring, 3LC was the answer! As 2012 has rumbled on I’ve found myself fitter and stronger, some of which I can definitely attributed to 3LC. Now the wonderful guys from the Isle of Man have realised I not only need to up my overall power using their ‘Time Trial’ workout but also stop being such a wimp going up hill and tackle their ‘Climbing’ workout. With #30daysofbiking now underway I thought it would be a great time to remind Team #LovingTheBike that you can still rack up your miles for the month on a turbo or the rollers.

Cadence, cadence, cadence

I was a bit sceptical at first as to how much I would get out of a session designed to improve my climbing when I was actually on rollers, in a bedroom, on a flat floor. Needless to say, the help that the 3LC DVD’s have given me over the winter and early spring has improved my riding and in particular my climbing. With the Road Race DVD session there is quite a bit of gear change as you go through different parts of the race from the Grand Départ to the climbs and then finally onto the building a sprint train. In the Climbing session you focus on cadence and staying in the saddle to get the most efficient power output your tiny legs can achieve. You may know that staying in the saddle when you climb is the most effective way of climbing in terms of power but have also experienced that feeling of slight relief when you stand up, partly rest those muscles and stamp on the pedals like a crazy person. Once you have the overall fitness, which this DVD can help you achieve, it feels so much more enjoyable to climb in the saddle whilst being able to regulate your cadence. It’s difficult to put into words (not because it’s emotional… I’m just not a very skillful writer!) how much these 3LC sessions have helped me but I do find myself thinking about my pedal stroke more when climbing and imagine being on the rollers with Peter Kennaugh Snr gently asking me to adjust my cadence in a way that you know he will mentally break you if you do not comply!

Bubs showing his race face

The Climbing session begins with a warm up and then on to a series of 3 climbs, starting with something gentle and long, then a little shorter, and finally on to a long steep climb with generous recovery periods in the between. This is essentially interval training without giving it that name, which is good as I think terms like that put people off sometime. One thing I’ve found using the whole range of 3LC DVD’s is that having the coach there on screen and the other riders, who end up feeling like your team mates who you don’t want to let down, makes you work a little harder than I do on other, more Suffering orientated training sessions. Because these sessions come from a racing background, even on the ‘recovery’ sections you are preparing for what is ahead. I’ve found this particularly beneficial when on the road now as recovery segments are about panning rather than reflecting on what has just happened. The recovery almost takes care of itself. There’s no point dwelling on what just happened and how much it hurt… look ahead, plan and think how you are going to achieve the next goal. Just having that little bit of race orientation from the coaches and pro’s on the 3LC DVD’s has made me a cleverer more intelligent rider

Stretching

The stretching sessions that come as part of the 3LC DVD’s are an excellent way to finish a session and I urge you to put aside that extra 10-15 minutes for after your training session. I’ve found myself bent double with muscle tightness in the past after not stretching properly after a spinning session. The stretching sessions are short enough to be done straight after without losing your focus but long enough to be beneficial and not just a DVD extra’s gimmick. I’ve even been known to do a few of the stretching sessions back to back on a rest day. Some of the riders that are in the training session will be doing the stretching session too and this adds to the feeling that you are watching pro’s in action in their daily routines and makes you feel like you can be part of that too. When using the 3LC DVD’s I’m constantly thinking ‘PRO’… this is how you improve, be professional in your approach to training and you are heading in the right direction.

3 Little Cons

The conversations betweent he riders and the coaches can get a little monotonous after watching the DVD’s a few times. This is a victim of its own success really as it’s this personal interaction which sets the sessions from others on the market. I’ve got to a point now that I can reenact parts of their conversations, but to me that’s like tan lines, it shows how hard I’ve been training. If it’s something that you think might be a problem, there is nothing wrong with turning down the sound and putting on some music. I’ve done it before and all of the instructions are on screen so you can still do a full session.

At the moment the 3LC sessions are only available on DVD which puts the cost of the product and shipping up compared to similar training products. This not only impacts on price but also useability as I’ve had to use software to rip it get it onto my Android phone for use in the gym. That being said… I have heard from a little Manx birdy that 3LC may be going digital in the near future which should improve the useability across different media platforms, so watch this space.

Er… I wrote that banteriffic section headline without thinking ahead and don’t have any more cons… which is a pro… I think!

Verdict

Overall I think I have used this Climbing DVD the most out of all of the titles so far and I can really see the difference. The format is the same as the other titles but the focus is different. Indoor training is hard for some to stomach for various reasons but this session makes you stronger and is enjoyable(?) at the same time. Even if you only like indoor training a tiny, weeny bit, surely those are two reasons good enough to give it a go!?

Chapeau 3LC

Stevie

I’ve had a lot of people ask me about training over the winter, so today’s post comes right out of the old mailbag.

It’s that time of year where many cyclists are forced off the road and driven to their basements to put in time on the trainer.  Have you seen some of the trainer sanctuaries out there?  You can tell in these photos that indoor riding becomes something like a Zen state of mind inside of these temples of solitude.

c/o Erin&Justin Flickr

c/o Billhd Flickr

I’m sure you’re like me (and most cyclists), in that you’d much rather be out on the road.  Heck, being out there is one of the things that makes cycling so awesome.  But, if you’re going to have to spend months indoors riding on a trainer and wishing you were out on the road, you might as well do it in style.

The Trainer

There are several models and varieties out there, but from the comments and reviews that I’ve seen I would recommend one of two trainers made by Kurt Kinetic.  A more reasonably priced option is the Road Machine, and if you really want something that resembles outdoor riding then go with the pricier Rock and Roll model.  There is also a new type of trainer that just came out this year…..It’s made by LeMond and it’s called the Revolution.  I haven’t checked this one out too closely, but I’m thinking that it might be a superior design to the original roller type trainers.  If you’ve tried it out, let us know what you think.

The Sufferfest

If you’re lucky enough to have a TV mounted in front of your trainer (actually, I highly recommend having one in front of you), then you’re able to help ease the boredom that can come from indoor cycling.  A lot of cyclists will watch old footage of the Giro, Tour de France, or any other cycling race to help motivate them through their spin.  Others will catch up on their favorite TV shows to help pass the time.  Both are great options.

If you’re looking for something to really set you on fire and use that indoor training time to your advantage for the upcoming season….then what you need is The Sufferfest: Downloadable Cycling Workout Videos.  I reviewed their products before, so I won’t say too much about them this time around.  If you’d like our review of The Sufferfest, then check out this post.  What I can tell you is that their videos will totally kick your butt (in a good way).  They are also very entertaining, and you don’t have to wait for them to arrive in the mail because they are downloadable right to your own computer.

The Sufferfest is also unleashing it’s latest training video today….The Hunted.  I won’t lie, this blog post was put out today in honor of the new video download.  David from The Sufferfest is a great guy, doing great things and I’m happy to promote him and his products.  They really are worth a try…at $10.99 each you can’t lose.  If you’re interested, you can download the videos here.

Okay, your turn.  Let’s hear about your indoor cycling sanctuary or recommendations on how to make the most out of your indoor training time.  Please help out your fellow cyclists with your comments.