Training

If I am honest then I have to say that going out riding in the rain in winter is not really my cup of tea.

I spend my winters training indoors (I also avoid all the road salt and grit which just chews up and rusts everything).

I think we could debate for hours the pros and cons of indoor vs outdoor riding and I think most opinions would be valid.

For me, it is about consistency, a structured plan, and the convenience to train when I want to.

That works for me, especially if you have a smart trainer and suitable apps.

I have a Tacx smart trainer which I think is a fantastic piece of kit.

Yes, a bit of price for sure, but prior to that, I was putting one of my 1980s race bikes on a trainer, which was a bit of a sacrilege.

I pair my trainer up with TrainerRoad, which is a very structured programme.

The on-screen entertainment perspective can be a bit mind numbing, with just bars and statistics to glare at.

I think that can also be a useful mental training conditioning if you have Alexa on Volume 11 ?

To compliment TrainerRoad, I use FulGaz, which is far more visual in its filmed climbs and vista landscapes.

(Although, to be honest, I barely take in the scenery while I am grunting and groaning.)

It provides a relatively realistic feel to the experience without the 35% + heat.

In Spring I return to the roads.

Most of my rides are solo.

I ride quite hard and not much more than 60miles at a time.

I find consistent regular riding better for me than one off longer rides per week.

However, I ride groups with my local club, Portsmouth CTC.

These are 80 – 100miles at a much slower pace but are extremely useful for endurance.

Unfortunately, there are no real big climbs in Hampshire, so I resort to FulGaz sessions to simulate them on occasions.

Frustrated by the closure of the local gym during Covid lockdowns, I, like many others, trained at home more.

This worked for me once I established a routine.

The off-bike training may not be for all, but I have found that I am more comfortable in the saddle and less injury prone.

I am an advocate of regular Yoga and the stretching app GOWOD to help correct office chair posture.

To supplement I also perform light dumbbell and kettlebell workouts.

A terrific FREE resource for these is Caroline Girvan and with over 2 million subscribers, she must do something right.

I just wish I could do the routines with the weights she uses ?.