Indoor bike training is a necessary tool in your training arsenal when you live in a winter climate like we do here in Alberta.   If you want to be able to take full advantage of the warm spring weather when if finally arrives, it sure helps to have spent some time training indoors over the winter in order to build up or maintain your ride fitness.  A few quality sessions per week over the winter can get you ready to hit the road when spring finally rolls around.  

 

How to make indoor winter training fun or, at the very least, bearable:

1. Find someone to train with.  

Drop in on a training group like one of the bike workouts here in the store.  Or invite some friends over to your house or garage to do a workout once a week.  If you are dropping in at one of the Element bike workouts, we'll have a workout planned out for you so all you have to do is get the work done.  If you are training with a group of friends, try taking turns planning a workout.  Or, have different members of the group plan different sections of the workout and then put them all together when you gather for your ride.

2. Try a Training DVD

Spinervals has nearly 40 training DVD's available to you and there are a variety of types of workouts you can try.  There are some hill training workouts, some High Intensity sessions and some aerobic base building sets.  Try a few different styles of workouts and cycle through them throughout the winter.

3. Sign up for an early season race.

There's nothing like an early season Ironman or half ironman to scare you into putting the training time in.  

4. Get a fan and set it up at your training spot.

A fan will help keep you cool during your stationery workout. When you ride outdoors, you're scarcely aware that you are sweating since air is moving past you constantly and quickly to keep you dry. Indoors, you'll probably need a towel, a floor mat and a headband.  On longer rides, it sometimes makes sense to change into a second set of dry clothes.  Set everything up and have it ready to go at anytime so all you need to do when you get home is hop on and start your ride.

 

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