I had heard horror stories of the turbo. You would ride for hours and only 90 seconds would pass, you got unbearably sweaty, and obnoxiously loud. It was a necessary evil of winter training, but was most certainly evil.

My first attempt confirmed this. I tried to combat the boredom with heavy metal, and the sweatiness by opening the windows at either end of the flat. I kept stripping layers off until I was just wearing my cycling shoes. I had made it through the first minute. I was most definitely losing the battle of boredom. I wished I was doing literally anything in the world. This was going to be a slog. As soon as I had an excuse to get a drink of water I was off the bike, and called it quits for the day.
Not one to give up, I decided a different tactic was in order. I knew that I enjoyed riding my bike, and often deskdreamed about it, so I would use all my imaginative powers to transform that turbo into a real bike in real places. Shouldn't be any harder than at work, I was pedalling after all. The first problem was that my eyes clearly told me I was in my kitchen, in my cycling shoes, so I turned the lights off. Now my view was exactly the same as it had been all the night riding I had ever done.

Before I knew it had teleported to that tunnel on the Adriatic Coast of Croatia. We were going to have cheese and tomato sandwiches at the summit. I was riding home from my successful job interview with a sudden purpose and vigour for life. I was wincing with pain and running on empty up the second big col in a week of big cols. I was wherever I wanted to be, wherever I had ever been. Good had triumphed over the evil turbo, I had completed my session, and actually enjoyed it.

A bit like trying to stay dry in the rain then being miserable when your jacket inevitably lets water in, I've found the way to be happy(er) on the turbo is not to expect it to be like an outdoor ride.

Or you could try the Peloton personal-trainer-shouting-at-you approach?

Just "riding" on the turbo is incredibly boring, even "zoning out" I can last about 20mins. Subscribe to one of the training setups like Sufferfest, Trainerroad, Zwift, etc. and it's much less mind numbing. Just find one that you get on with. Not ideal but then ...

I’ve been turbo training during the winter months for a few years now and found the following to work:

1. Cooling - get a big fan aimed at your face and chest. I sometimes add one to the side too if really hot.
2. Entertainment - watch something that you enjoy on TV or online. For example I watched several seasons of Breaking Bad a few winters ago. Each episode ~1hr long and loads of them.
3. Duration - 1hr is a suggested maximum
4. Structure/Target - I follow a structured programme on TrainerRoad. Can use dumb trainer or smart trainer.

You have to really hate yourself to enjoy the Turbo. I managed an hour today just spinning while watching 30 Rock, but it was still rubbish. Normally I only do interval sessions on the turbo. Between the blowing out your arse and the trying not to puke it's much harder to get bored.

composite wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 6:44 pm Between the blowing out your arse and the trying not to puke it's much harder to get bored.

I went for a local run today, around the sports field that's a couple of hundred yards down the road from my house. I ran round it (it's a 0.33 mile lap) at my usual pace for an hour, it's so boring. I decided to do my last lap at a much harder pace and suddenly it wasn't as boring as I was working too hard to notice. So maybe that's the secret with these things, up the intensity until all you can think about is how much it's hurting?

I've also discovered over the last 2 days (where I've done my first ride on a turbo and first run round a small circuit) that I don't actually like just the act of riding or running, I think I like the traveling through the landscape by bike and foot. The turbo and laps of the football pitch just don't cut it.

I've been doing turbo work out of necessity recently, I was hoping to be getting outside but then this car owner virus appeared.

Anyway ...

1. The bigger the fan the better. You have about 0.5 - 0.6m2 frontal area when riding a bike, ride at 5m/s (18km/h) that's around 2.5m3 of air per second passing over you cooling you down. I did use a pedestal fan which was OK then I got me one of these - https://www.cleva-uk.com/products/vacmaster-air-mover. I've gone from stripping off (the top half only - don't worry ) after 15mins to lasting an hour without undoing my top. Much more powerful and I'd be like one of those dogs leaning out of the car window



2. Entertainment - does depend on the intensity of the workout. No way can I watch anything during the harder intervals.

3. Duration - I'd say 60-90mins but depends on the session/workout. Just riding on a turbo without anything to follow then after twenty minutes I'm bored. Which leads to ...

4. Structure - sign up to one of the on-line turbo/trainer programmes - with all that's going on many of them have free trials. Some like Zwift but it does my head in so like garydavies44 I'm on TrainerRoad. An hour goes by quicker than the twenty minutes just spinning away in the days of yore .

I still like my close my eyes and think of Wales approach to it.

I’d recommend getting on the turbo at 1959 on a Thursday evening. If your in an urban setting you’ll get a round of applause just for getting on it!

Or in Cardiff last night neighbours banging saucepans and someone letting fireworks off....

whitestone wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 7:25 pm I've been doing turbo work out of necessity recently, I was hoping to be getting outside but then this car owner virus appeared.

Anyway ...

1. The bigger the fan the better. You have about 0.5 - 0.6m2 frontal area when riding a bike, ride at 5m/s (18km/h) that's around 2.5m3 of air per second passing over you cooling you down. I did use a pedestal fan which was OK then I got me one of these - https://www.cleva-uk.com/products/vacmaster-air-mover. I've gone from stripping off (the top half only - don't worry ) after 15mins to lasting an hour without undoing my top. Much more powerful and I'd be like one of those dogs leaning out of the car window



2. Entertainment - does depend on the intensity of the workout. No way can I watch anything during the harder intervals.

3. Duration - I'd say 60-90mins but depends on the session/workout. Just riding on a turbo without anything to follow then after twenty minutes I'm bored. Which leads to ...

4. Structure - sign up to one of the on-line turbo/trainer programmes - with all that's going on many of them have free trials. Some like Zwift but it does my head in so like garydavies44 I'm on TrainerRoad. An hour goes by quicker than the twenty minutes just spinning away in the days of yore .

Same here for all
1. I've got the same fan (after seeing a post on STW) and it's makes a huge difference to comfort... remote power switch for it off Amazon so I can turn it on after I've 'warmed' up as I'll get too cold if it's on from the start... a proper blast!
2. I can't watch anything other than focus on what I'm doing - intervals mainly
3. 45 minutes to 85 mins for me on the training programs I've been doing.
4. Zwift work out programs... actually looking forward to getting the heart rate up and I can focus on what I'm doing... haven't tried racing but might try some more group rides on there.

Keeping me sane and losing weight/getting fitter.

I’ve tried Zwift, RGT and Trainer Road. Trainer road works for me, run it on my phone whilst listening to podcasts and trying to watch stuff (intervals permitting) Originally used Zwift quite a bit, but the training programmes were not what I was looking for and you can’t shift them around like TR. Still use Zwift at present for a group ride with roadie mates on a Friday, that gives me an idea if my fitness is progressing. I feel Zwift is getting a bit golfy if you get my drift
RGT is interesting I like what it offers, did Mount Ventoux on it and a couple of the other roads it has. Quite a bit of potential and free at the moment.
Never as good as going out on the bike but serves a purpose at present.