Do you dislike getting out of bed in the cold of winter, or the smeltering heat of the GC Summer to ride your bike?
How about dealing with peak traffic times, & some of the inconsiderate & impatient drivers now on our roads?
Are you trying to keep your child safe on a bike while still developing their cycling fitness?
Are you time-poor?
Cycle training has come a long way since the early days. There have been a number of advancements in indoor cycling trainers that are providing an effective addition to weekly training programs for everyone from endurance cyclists and triathletes to complete novices. 
All the above factors influence the use of indoor cycle trainers, but there are also a number of physiological advantages to using indoor cycle training. For these reasons, many professional athletes across both cycling and triathlon have made the switch to incorporating indoor trainers as an integral part of their training regime. Canadian Triathlete Lionel Sanders was hit by a car on the road 4 times and now does almost all his bike training on an indoor trainer, & is regarded as one of the strongest bikers within Iron and Half Ironman distance Triathlon.
Professional cyclists also use indoor trainers, not only to recover from injury but to also prepare themselves for some of the hardest events on the professional calendar. Australian Mat Hayman won the 2016 Paris Roubaix by doing just that. What made his victory in the 257km event so remarkable was that he trained on an indoor trainer, sometimes up to 20 hours a week leading into the race while recovering from a broken arm sustained 6 weeks earlier. Utilising his indoor trainer daily and performing double ride sessions (morning and afternoon), his coach devised a program incorporating interval training sessions multiple blocks of 4 or 5 minute efforts with some longer, more sustained efforts built in across the other sessions.
Whilst these may be extreme examples, for us mere mortals there are many benefits to turbo trainer sessions and it is an incredibly powerful tool for the development of strength, speed, and mental toughness on the bike. By utilising specific, goal orientated and individualised structured sessions, you can quickly develop these physiological variables & improve your performance.
Turbo trainers provide constant resistance and unlike road riding, momentum doesn’t carry you on the trainer. Cycling uphill is the most comparable parallel on the road. Trainer sessions eliminate many external interference’s from road cycling as there is no stopping at intersections or traffic lights on a trainer!
Turbo sessions come down to you and your effort.
Where your mind and body go, the quality and determination of your focus, self-talk, and attention to your effort are up to you.
Trainer sessions are time efficient, enabling you to complete very high-quality sessions in one to two hours. Sessions can be tailored and designed with your specific goals in mind and can closely mimic what you would experience in a given race scenario.
Turbo sessions are hugely beneficial for triathlon, road and time trial cycling specific training, and mountain biking.
Unlike spin classes at your local gym, structured turbo sessions provide progression through training blocks allowing them to compliment your on-road training program. Variability across sessions allows your body to continually adapt to differing stimuli’s which forces your body to adapt and improve. These adaptations allow your body to be better prepared for your desired goal.
Physiological Benefits
Regularly completing multiple bursts of high-intensity riding can increase VO2 max and stroke volume (the amount of blood ejected by each heart beat), reduce blood lactate levels, enhance fatigue-resistance, improve neuromuscular efficiency, and increase peak power. Some research has indicated that these increases could be up to six per cent in as little as four weeks. It’s a powerful package of physiological improvements.
Measurable Sessions
One of the hardest things to do is continually measure your efforts when you are out on the road or carving through your favourite single track on the mountain bike. One of the best features of turbo trainers is their ability to provide real and immediate power and heart rate numbers. Power is the gold standard in bike training and the best way to get the most out of your training time. Monitoring your power gives you real-time information to measure your effort and see progress week to week.
Improve Technique
One major benefit is that riding on a stationary indoor trainer, especially rollers, can be an excellent way to smooth out your pedal stroke and to help find any “dead spots” in the stroke.
Mental Toughness
Trainer sessions tap into the development of not only your physical but also your mental strength. The constant and consistent nature supplies a constant stimulus to keep you pushing through to that next set. On the trainer you have a unique opportunity to work on mental focus and self-regulation without the typical distractions encountered on the road.
Group Environment
THINK YOU ARE NOT THAT COMPETITIVE?? Indoor Cycle Training can still be for you! It is also about the Group, the Coach and the Environment!
Trainer sessions can be tough. By taking them on with friends who have a similar passion, you surround yourself with that extra support and motivation to continue to strive toward your personal goals no matter how tough it may get.
BUT, the sessions don’t always have to be tough and can sometimes be about mixing with your friends in a safe and temperature controlled environment!
Turbo sessions aren’t a one size fits all.
If you think it’s time to change up your training routine and you would like to try a quality Indoor Cycle Session, visit us at the Gold Coast Cycle Studio, located at our Runaway Bay/Labrador Clinic. Phone 07 5500 647 to book in for a session. You won’t be disappointed.