This last off-season I rode on a CompuTrainer extensively. It was the first time I had done so and was really my only off-season fitness activity since I decided not to join a gym and didn't go Nordic skiing. I wanted to write a comprehensive review of my experiences so others who are curious about the CompuTrainer have another opinion to evaluate.
The CompuTrainer I was riding on was at the Recyclist bike shop here in Appleton. So 2-3 times a week, I would head down to the shop and ride. During the week, I would try to get 2 one hour sessions in, and then try to get a two hour session in on Saturday. Because of the overhead of life, sometimes I wouldn't get all the sessions in I wanted to. But that was the plan and I was pretty successful staying with it. All told, I ended up with a little over 600 "CompuTrainer" miles for the three months of winter.
As I have described in other posts, the setup at Recyclist is very good. They have their computer plugged into a projector, so the image projects onto a wall and is probably 8-10 feet in size. So this gives you more of a feel that you are riding on a course rather than looking at a computer monitor.
Positives
Ability to Maintain Fitness - I've been riding outdoors for about 3 1/2 weeks now. I've already done rides of 60, 65 and 90 miles. As I said, the only activity I was doing this off-season was the CompuTrainer, so clearly, this helped me maintain some on-bike fitness. I have some early season goals (a brevet on April 25th), so its important that I'm not "starting from zero". But the fact that I've already been able to do some long rides I think has to be attributed to the CompuTrainer.
You Are Riding Your Own Bike - It seems the rest of the world is finally figuring out what Ben Serotta had figured out a couple decades ago. Fit matters. Now you have all kinds of fit systems out there. So if you set up your bike, why do you want to go ride a stationary bike that is "one size fits none". Yes, you will get a workout. but you will not be using muscles at the same angle or the same plane as you would on your road bike. This is a tremendous advantage of the CompuTrainer over stationary bikes at the gym or spinning classes. You are riding your bike. So the fitness you are developing is directly applicable to when you take your bike out on the road come spring. If you are a tall or short rider, have custom cranks, have custom anything, this is even more applicable. There is no need for the muscles to re-learn a different position come spring, because you have been training in the position you are going to use them.
The CompuTrainer Makes You Work - If you go to the RacerMate website, they say every 1 CompuTrainer is equivalent to 2 road miles. I do not fully buy that. But, I will say that for a given distance or time interval, you do seem to work harder on the CompuTrainer than on an outside ride (unless that outside ride is a fast, aggressive group ride, then its about the same). And this is good in the winter that the CompuTrainer makes you work, so you can get as much out of your workout in as short of time as possible. I attribute this to two factors. One, you can't really coast on the CompuTrainer, so you have to keep pedaling. Two, you have your power number right in front of you, so you tend to keep pushing so your power numbers stay up. So maybe the ration is 1.5 to 1 in terms of difficulty or even 1.3 to 1, but you are working hard, and that is a positive.
Analysis Tools in the Software - I had never ridden with a power meter before. But you have one on the CompuTrainer. And this is great to get an idea of where you are at and to measure improvement. It can also tell you where you need to improve. If your power drops significantly over a period of an hour, you probably need to improve your endurance. If your power is low overall, maybe you want to improve your strength.
The other analysis tool that is included is the Spin Scan software to analyze your pedal stroke. Joe Friel, who knows way more about these things than I do, says that fastest ways riders can improve is by making their pedal stroke more efficient. But how does one analyze their pedals stroke? The SpinScan software will do just that, so then you can do drills to improve your pedal stroke efficiency and measure that improvement over time.
Courses and Course Selection - One of the problems with normal trainers or stationary bikes is how resistance adjusts (or doesn't adjust). You are either riding at the same resistance level for a very long time or the resistance adjusts very abruptly. Neither is like a real road ride, where there are subtle changes throughout. Simply put, you should have to shift during a ride, up and down, to account for the little ups and downs you face. Since the courses in the CompuTrainer are real courses, you feel these little ups and downs and have to adjust and shift, just like on the road.
Course selection is also very good. There are literally hundreds of courses on RacerMate's website, so you never have to ride the same course twice. And there are all varieties, from flat time trial courses, mountain courses, rollers, intervals and everything in between. So once again, a big advantage over the stationary bike with its 8 preset courses.
Real Course Videos - We only had one real course video in the show, the UK Ironman. But it was great. The video quality is very good and it really gives you the impression of riding through the English countryside. The computer generated graphics get a little boring after a while, but as time goes on and there are more and more real course videos, I think these will become the primary option. Its not as good as being outside, but its a huge step up from just riding on a trainer.
Negatives
Cost - A CompuTrainer goes for $1649 retail (on sale now for $1449). Then you need a computer (figure $400) and some sort of monitor. I guess if you have an LCD TV, you could hook the graphics up there, but if you want a setup like Recyclist, a projector will run you about another $700. So that is about $2700 to get in the game with a CompuTrainer at home. That is a lot of coin. Maybe if you have an older PC, you can just put in a good 3D graphics card and save some money there. Maybe you can use an existing LCD TV and save some dollars there (though if you don't want to dedicate a TV, you will be setting up and tearing down all the time). Still though, its a lot of money for most people.
The Computer Graphics Get Repetitive - Don't get me wrong, the computer generated graphics are a big step up from looking at nothing on a trainer. But if you ride enough, they do get repetitive. I think here is where the Real Course Videos really shine, because they are 'ever changing'. I think put another way, going on a 5 hour road ride, no problem. Riding for 5 hours on the CompuTrainer with 3D graphics, it going to be pretty boring those last 2-3 hours. Riding on a normal trainer for 5 hours, well. I'd be brain dead 20 minutes into it.
You Don't Have to Turn - There is no steering on the CompuTrainer. I'm not really sure how there would be. This isn't so much of a knock on the CompuTrainer, just realize that it is going to train your legs and your heart. Its not going to improve your bike handling. That is OK, just realize what the equipment can and can't do.
Overall Thoughts
I am pretty positive on the CompuTrainer overall. It is a good option to maintain and develop fitness over the winter months. It also gives you tools like power measurement and pedal stroke analysis to take a very analytical approach to your training. While nothing will ever compare to being out on the road, it is a big step up from things like trainers, stationary bikes and spin classes because it is continuously adjusting resistance based on a real course, and there is a far greater selection of courses available.
Would I buy one to have at home? If money was no object, yes. It would be nice to not be on someone else's schedule, and I would probably be able to get more training in during the winter. I would also be able to work on some specific drills to improve my pedal stroke. But money does matter, and there just isn't $2700 in my budget for a CompuTrainer. But there also doesn't need to be. I have access to a CompuTrainer at my bike shop. If I ride 3 times a week for 3 months, I've still spent less than $300.
Still, I think the CompuTrainer is a major step forward for training in the off-season. There is finally a good option to maintain cycling specific fitness when you can't cycle outside. Next winter, I do want to Nordic ski to better build my endurance. But I will plan on being on the CompuTrainer 2-3 times a week so I'm ready to go once the cycling season starts.
Showing posts with label CompuTrainer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CompuTrainer. Show all posts
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
CompuTrainer Competition Update
It has been a few weeks, but the winter competition for the most miles on the CompuTrainer at The Recyclist ended on March 7th. I finished with a little over 600 miles, which outdistanced everyone else in the field, so I'll be getting a Specialized Tarmac Elite road bike as the prize for winning. I haven't got a new bike in so long I almost don't know how it feels. But I'm excited to try out a full carbon road frame and compare that with my Titanium framed Serotta. I'm also excited tat I'll have two bikes, so I can keep working when one of them is getting worked on.
Thanks to Mike, Randy and Pat at The Recyclist for first of all putting on the competition and secondly, putting up with me all of those nights that I went in to ride. My hope is they will do it again next winter but also that more people come in and try out the CompuTrainer. I think once people try it, they will want to integrate using the CompuTrainer into their winter fitness program.
In the next few days, I'm going to post a full review of my thoughts on the CompuTrainer after riding it for 3 months.
Thanks to Mike, Randy and Pat at The Recyclist for first of all putting on the competition and secondly, putting up with me all of those nights that I went in to ride. My hope is they will do it again next winter but also that more people come in and try out the CompuTrainer. I think once people try it, they will want to integrate using the CompuTrainer into their winter fitness program.
In the next few days, I'm going to post a full review of my thoughts on the CompuTrainer after riding it for 3 months.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Adjusting the Fit
I've owned my Serotta Road bike for over 10 years now. Its been a fabulous bike. In large part, its been a great bike because it fits me so well. I'm 6'4" tall with log arms and a long inseam. So I need a big bike. My Serotta is a 62 cm frame and has fit wonderfully over the years.
For the last 3 years, I have had a problem though. I have hot foot in my right foot. Everythng I have tried has not helped. Different shoes, different insoles, different cleat positions, still no fix. Sometimes its better, sometimes its worse. But its hard to ride hard when you are in pain.
Also, riding the CompuTrainer, I've felt like I needed to move my saddle forward a bit. Not much, maybe half a centimeter or so. But I've noticed that when I am in the most comfortable position to sit on the saddle, I feel like my back is stretched a little more than I would like it to be on the hoods. Part of this is that in the 10 years I have owned the bike, I've probably lost a little bit of flexibility. That's one of the things age does. Its probably also true that in I'm not as flexible in January as I am during te riding months of summer.
So in any case, I decided to toy with the fit tonight. Not big changes, just adjustments. One reason is that in the off-season, my body can adapt to these changes. Also, if the changes don't work out, I can go back with a minimal loss of training. In the spring and summer when I hope to be riding 200-250 miles a week, this isn't such a good possibility. And the last reason is that riding on the CompuTrainer, I have a static platform to evaluate changes on. I can ride for an our and not worry if the way I felt was because of the wind or that last hill or look out for that truck. I can make an adjustment and ride the CompuTrainer and just evaluate that adjustment. That is hard to do on the road.
So Randy at the Recyclist and I set about to make a few changes tonight. The first change was soem new insoles. I've had e-Soles insoles for the last 2 1/2 years, and they have been OK, but they have never fully fixed my hot foot problem and at this point, I think they are just plain worn out. So we put in some Specialized Body Geometry Insoles. Then we brought the seat forward, probably about 1 cm.
I rode on the CompuTrainer for an hour after that. My first thought is a lot of new. I've always rode sitting way back, so coming forward a bit is just very new. There will be an adjustment period. I did feel at times though that my pedaling was more free and relaxed, so that is a positive. Tonight though, my right knee is a little sore. It does do that sometimes, so I'm not sure that is related to the position change. It was easier to stay on the hoods rather than on top of my bars with less strain on my back, so that is good. I am going to stick with the new saddle position for a few more rides and continue the evaluation.
More disappointing was the insoles. I still had some numbness in my right foot and when I finished, a pins and needs sensation. We were using the +++ insole tonight, which has the highest arch support and the largest metatarsal bump. That is good for me since I overpronate badly and I need to spread my toes out. But speaking with Randy afterwords, we are wondering if maybe its too much for me. Maybe that high arch and large metatarsal bump is putting pressure on another part of my foot causing numbness there. So next time, we are going to try the ++ model and see if that works better for me.
I don't want this blog to become an advertisement for a company or shop, but I do have to say, its really great to have a bike shop work with me the way the guys at Recyclist is. I don't mind spending the money to get the right set of insoles, but I really don't want to buy several different varieties to find the right one (hey, there is a recession going on after all). Its a tremendous advantage to be able to take a product like an insole or saddle or make a change and jump on the CompuTrainer there in the shop and test it out and see if it works for you. First of all, you aren't dirtying the product in any way so that if after 30 minutes you say it doesn't work for you, they can't put it back in the box and onto the shelf. Second, if you make a change and after 30 minutes you cramp up or something, no biggy. You are in the store. Its not like you have to limp home or call someone to come get you. And finally, you can make a change, ride for 15 minutes, get off and make another change all right there. That isn't easy to do when you are on the road. And they have all the measuring instruments there so you can record your settings and see if you within accepted norms. But the part that really makes the difference is they have people wiling to work with you.
So, I'm still pondering what to do about my right foot, but I'm happy I have an avenue to try to fix it.
For the last 3 years, I have had a problem though. I have hot foot in my right foot. Everythng I have tried has not helped. Different shoes, different insoles, different cleat positions, still no fix. Sometimes its better, sometimes its worse. But its hard to ride hard when you are in pain.
Also, riding the CompuTrainer, I've felt like I needed to move my saddle forward a bit. Not much, maybe half a centimeter or so. But I've noticed that when I am in the most comfortable position to sit on the saddle, I feel like my back is stretched a little more than I would like it to be on the hoods. Part of this is that in the 10 years I have owned the bike, I've probably lost a little bit of flexibility. That's one of the things age does. Its probably also true that in I'm not as flexible in January as I am during te riding months of summer.
So in any case, I decided to toy with the fit tonight. Not big changes, just adjustments. One reason is that in the off-season, my body can adapt to these changes. Also, if the changes don't work out, I can go back with a minimal loss of training. In the spring and summer when I hope to be riding 200-250 miles a week, this isn't such a good possibility. And the last reason is that riding on the CompuTrainer, I have a static platform to evaluate changes on. I can ride for an our and not worry if the way I felt was because of the wind or that last hill or look out for that truck. I can make an adjustment and ride the CompuTrainer and just evaluate that adjustment. That is hard to do on the road.
So Randy at the Recyclist and I set about to make a few changes tonight. The first change was soem new insoles. I've had e-Soles insoles for the last 2 1/2 years, and they have been OK, but they have never fully fixed my hot foot problem and at this point, I think they are just plain worn out. So we put in some Specialized Body Geometry Insoles. Then we brought the seat forward, probably about 1 cm.
I rode on the CompuTrainer for an hour after that. My first thought is a lot of new. I've always rode sitting way back, so coming forward a bit is just very new. There will be an adjustment period. I did feel at times though that my pedaling was more free and relaxed, so that is a positive. Tonight though, my right knee is a little sore. It does do that sometimes, so I'm not sure that is related to the position change. It was easier to stay on the hoods rather than on top of my bars with less strain on my back, so that is good. I am going to stick with the new saddle position for a few more rides and continue the evaluation.
More disappointing was the insoles. I still had some numbness in my right foot and when I finished, a pins and needs sensation. We were using the +++ insole tonight, which has the highest arch support and the largest metatarsal bump. That is good for me since I overpronate badly and I need to spread my toes out. But speaking with Randy afterwords, we are wondering if maybe its too much for me. Maybe that high arch and large metatarsal bump is putting pressure on another part of my foot causing numbness there. So next time, we are going to try the ++ model and see if that works better for me.
I don't want this blog to become an advertisement for a company or shop, but I do have to say, its really great to have a bike shop work with me the way the guys at Recyclist is. I don't mind spending the money to get the right set of insoles, but I really don't want to buy several different varieties to find the right one (hey, there is a recession going on after all). Its a tremendous advantage to be able to take a product like an insole or saddle or make a change and jump on the CompuTrainer there in the shop and test it out and see if it works for you. First of all, you aren't dirtying the product in any way so that if after 30 minutes you say it doesn't work for you, they can't put it back in the box and onto the shelf. Second, if you make a change and after 30 minutes you cramp up or something, no biggy. You are in the store. Its not like you have to limp home or call someone to come get you. And finally, you can make a change, ride for 15 minutes, get off and make another change all right there. That isn't easy to do when you are on the road. And they have all the measuring instruments there so you can record your settings and see if you within accepted norms. But the part that really makes the difference is they have people wiling to work with you.
So, I'm still pondering what to do about my right foot, but I'm happy I have an avenue to try to fix it.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
A Cold November
November has been a cold month, colder than normal even for Wisconsin. I've done a couple of rides outdoors, but both were frigid. Temps of around 30 degrees, but with a 15-20 mile wind. Not a lot of fun. While I don't have the coldest weather gear, I do have pretty good gear. But inevitably, some extremity gets cold and you are wondering what the fastest way home is.
So I've been spending a lot of time on the CompuTrainer at Recyclist. Well, not a lot of time, but I have been making it to ride a couple times a week. Generally I get an hour in on a course that is 16-20 miles. I've been pleased with the workout get on the CompuTrainer, and so far I haven't been bored riding it for an hour or so each time I go in.
What really excites me about the CompuTrainer though is all of the data that it collects and shows you. One feature is the built in power meter. On most of my rides, I've been averaging 200 watts. On a couple, I've averaged 211 watts. What I am interested in is how I can train over the winter and even into the spring to see that number improve. How much can I improve it? 10%? 25%? I rally have no feel for what I can do because I've never trained with power before. But having that instant feedback is useful.
One of the things that I have noticed about myself is that I fatigue about 40 minutes into the ride. I can see the power I'm generating drop off as teh ride goes along. For example, early in the ride tonight, I was averaging around 230 watts. By the end, my average was 211 watts. And in the late stages, I was a lot of times generating 195-205 watts. So this tells me something, that I need to work on my muscular endurance and being able to maintain a power output for a longer period of time. I'd like to improve that average power number by becoming more powerful overall, but I also ned to improve it by becoming more consistent through an hour long ride.
I used another feature for the first time tonight. We hooked up the cadence sensor to my bike and monitored my pedal stroke. The CompuTrainer will tell you a number of things. First, it will give you splits between your left and right legs, so you can see if one is dominant. For me, I know my right leg is a little stronger, and that showed sometimes, but for the most part, I was more even then I thought I would be. Secondly, the CompuTrainer will also analyze your stroke in terms of how even and smooth your power output is during the stroke. Clearly, everyone is going to be more powerful on their down stroke and I am no exception. But it also gives you a measure on a scale of 1-100 of how smooth and consistent throughout the stroke you are. Tonight, I was averaging around a 60. I am not sure of what this number means in absolute terms. But what I can use it for is a measure of how much I can improve. Some high cadence speed drills would probably help me. If it makes my pedal stroke more efficient, that will show up in more power and less fatigue. I have more to learn about this, but I find it exciting that I have some tools to help me measure how I am performing.
I think I've rode the CompuTrainer 7 times now and have about 125 CompuTrainer miles. Its not perfect. Its not as interesting as being out on the road. You are pedaling in one plane because you never have to go around a corner or up a hill. Yes, the resistance adjusts, but its not the same as the angle of the bike changing. But at the same time, when its 22 degrees outside, I'd rather be on the CompuTrainer, and it does give me a lot of tools that I didn't have before. I want to keep up twice a week, keep varying courses, and see how I can start making some quantifiable improvements.
So I've been spending a lot of time on the CompuTrainer at Recyclist. Well, not a lot of time, but I have been making it to ride a couple times a week. Generally I get an hour in on a course that is 16-20 miles. I've been pleased with the workout get on the CompuTrainer, and so far I haven't been bored riding it for an hour or so each time I go in.
What really excites me about the CompuTrainer though is all of the data that it collects and shows you. One feature is the built in power meter. On most of my rides, I've been averaging 200 watts. On a couple, I've averaged 211 watts. What I am interested in is how I can train over the winter and even into the spring to see that number improve. How much can I improve it? 10%? 25%? I rally have no feel for what I can do because I've never trained with power before. But having that instant feedback is useful.
One of the things that I have noticed about myself is that I fatigue about 40 minutes into the ride. I can see the power I'm generating drop off as teh ride goes along. For example, early in the ride tonight, I was averaging around 230 watts. By the end, my average was 211 watts. And in the late stages, I was a lot of times generating 195-205 watts. So this tells me something, that I need to work on my muscular endurance and being able to maintain a power output for a longer period of time. I'd like to improve that average power number by becoming more powerful overall, but I also ned to improve it by becoming more consistent through an hour long ride.
I used another feature for the first time tonight. We hooked up the cadence sensor to my bike and monitored my pedal stroke. The CompuTrainer will tell you a number of things. First, it will give you splits between your left and right legs, so you can see if one is dominant. For me, I know my right leg is a little stronger, and that showed sometimes, but for the most part, I was more even then I thought I would be. Secondly, the CompuTrainer will also analyze your stroke in terms of how even and smooth your power output is during the stroke. Clearly, everyone is going to be more powerful on their down stroke and I am no exception. But it also gives you a measure on a scale of 1-100 of how smooth and consistent throughout the stroke you are. Tonight, I was averaging around a 60. I am not sure of what this number means in absolute terms. But what I can use it for is a measure of how much I can improve. Some high cadence speed drills would probably help me. If it makes my pedal stroke more efficient, that will show up in more power and less fatigue. I have more to learn about this, but I find it exciting that I have some tools to help me measure how I am performing.
I think I've rode the CompuTrainer 7 times now and have about 125 CompuTrainer miles. Its not perfect. Its not as interesting as being out on the road. You are pedaling in one plane because you never have to go around a corner or up a hill. Yes, the resistance adjusts, but its not the same as the angle of the bike changing. But at the same time, when its 22 degrees outside, I'd rather be on the CompuTrainer, and it does give me a lot of tools that I didn't have before. I want to keep up twice a week, keep varying courses, and see how I can start making some quantifiable improvements.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
End of the Season?
Maybe, but maybe not yet. Its been raining in Appleton for the last 3 days. No chance to get out and ride. And there is a chance of rain/snow mix through the weekend. I'm hopeful I can get a ride in on Friday, but it just depends on the weather. I did go out and do 27 miles last Sunday, when the windchill was a balmy 18 F. That was cold, really, really cold. Coldest ride I have ever done.
I have went back to Recyclist and done the CompuTrainer twice more. I did the Madeira Time Trial course (22 miles) and a course on the Blue Ridge Parkway (17.7 miles). They were both easier than the first course I did (Death Valley Artists Canyon), but easier doesn't mean easy. The CompuTrainer is still a good workout for an hour of riding. Its good for me for a couple reasons. First, it forces me to ride at a certain intensity that a lot of times on my own, I don't think I do. Second, because you are on a trainer, it forces me to pedal all the time. I have this bad habit of pedaling 15 seconds and then stopping for 5. I need to be more consistent and keep pedaling all the time.
Tuesday night I averaged 200 watts on the madeira course, and tonight I averaged 204 on the Blue Ridge course. Don't know if those are good or bad at this point, but its where I am at. I guess what I really want to see is improvement.
I've found another company that makes real life videos for the CompuTrainer. ErgVideo offers videos that look more like the Spinervals workout. A nice thing is that they are only $45 each, so not as pricey as the Real Video's from Racer Mate. I'll probably try one of these when the weather turns completely.
I'm working on my 2009 cycling goals and should post them sometime next week. Goals mean a training plan and sticking to it. Riding with a purpose and paying attention to the little things. Goals mean getting serious about the diet and actually doing your core exercises. But most of all, goals mean feeling a sense of accomplishment when you complete them.
I have went back to Recyclist and done the CompuTrainer twice more. I did the Madeira Time Trial course (22 miles) and a course on the Blue Ridge Parkway (17.7 miles). They were both easier than the first course I did (Death Valley Artists Canyon), but easier doesn't mean easy. The CompuTrainer is still a good workout for an hour of riding. Its good for me for a couple reasons. First, it forces me to ride at a certain intensity that a lot of times on my own, I don't think I do. Second, because you are on a trainer, it forces me to pedal all the time. I have this bad habit of pedaling 15 seconds and then stopping for 5. I need to be more consistent and keep pedaling all the time.
Tuesday night I averaged 200 watts on the madeira course, and tonight I averaged 204 on the Blue Ridge course. Don't know if those are good or bad at this point, but its where I am at. I guess what I really want to see is improvement.
I've found another company that makes real life videos for the CompuTrainer. ErgVideo offers videos that look more like the Spinervals workout. A nice thing is that they are only $45 each, so not as pricey as the Real Video's from Racer Mate. I'll probably try one of these when the weather turns completely.
I'm working on my 2009 cycling goals and should post them sometime next week. Goals mean a training plan and sticking to it. Riding with a purpose and paying attention to the little things. Goals mean getting serious about the diet and actually doing your core exercises. But most of all, goals mean feeling a sense of accomplishment when you complete them.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Riding the CompuTrainer
One of the problems is always how to maintain cycling fitness during the winter months. Living in Virgina, I was able to pretty much ride year round. Sure, you would lose weekends to bad weather, but you could always get some miles in every month. In Wisconsin during the winter though, riding outdoors is not an option. I plan to resume cross country skiing this winter, but it would still be nice to get some cycling specific training in.
The Recyclist bike shop here in Appleton may have the answer. They have 3 CompuTrainers set up that you can use on an hourly basis for $8 an hour. You can also buy a 10 pack pass for $70. This link has all the details.
http://www.bicycledealer.net/indoorcycling.html
For those unfamiliar with a CompuTrainer, its a cycling trainer that is hooked up to the computer. The computer will change the resistance of the trainer based on the course you ride, so if you are going uphill, resistance will be harder and downhill resistance will be less. It also includes computer graphics that display on a monitor (or at the Recyclist, that they project onto a wall) so you see a little bit of the course you are riding. The trainer has a power meter in it, so you get instantaneous and average watts. You can ride against a friend on the CompuTrainer next to you or against a computer generated "pacer" who will ride at a constant wattage throughout the course. There are over 400 courses to choose from, everything from dead flats to rollers to climbing workouts. With these features, the CompuTrainer tries to overcome the limitations on indoor cycling--namely boredom and repetition. Anyone reading this who has ridden on a standard trainer for 30 minutes knows what I am talking about. But with the power meter and software to analyze your pedal stroke, they also provide a tool that can help you work on weaknesses--and who doesn't have weaknesses that they can't improve.
I had heard of the CompuTrainer before, but never ridden on one. And at $1600 to purchase my own, it was going to stay that way until I found this option at the Recyclist. So I made an appointment for Friday and headed over with the bike in the back of the car.
You want to arrive about 15 minutes early to get your bike set up. The first thing they do is calibrate your resistance on the trainer. Then they enter your information into the computer--your name, your weight including the bike and the average watts you want your pacer to ride at. From there, you select your course and you are off. The guys at the shop suggested a course called the Death Valley something or other, 15 miles of what looked like a rolling profile (or so they thought).
Let me tell you, it was HARD!. Several sections with grades of 13% and long sections of grades over 10% (the CompuTrainer tells you on screen what the simulated grade is). There were two hills, and when I got to the top of the first simulated hill, I was wasted. I recovered on the downhill and fought my way up the second. For the ride, my average watts turned out to be 175. Not sure if this is good or bad--but its where I'm at. I can ride this exact same course a month from now and tell if I improved. At the end of the ride, my jersey was soaked. They do have a fan blowing and towels, of which a couple were soaked too. It was a hard intensity workout. Not exactly what I was intending to do, but good in the sense that I had to work at it.
I think the intensity of the workout falls into the positive category for the CompuTrainer. In Appleton, we don't have long hard climbs like the simulated ones I was climbing. But the CompuTrainer forced me to climb those. Also, I can use the CompuTrainer in the winter to get in that hard workout once a week, so I can maintain some power through the winter. Riding the CompuTrainer isn't as good as being outside, but its better than the stationary bike or riding a normal trainer. Better than a stationary bike because you are riding your bike in the position you are normally riding in. Better than a trainer because there are some graphics to look at and because it will automatically adjust resistance throughout the course. Not as good as a real ride because nothing can compete with real scenery and because you don't have to worry about bike handling. But on Friday night when its 40 degrees and raining, it sure beats being outside and it beats riding the couch.
One of the most promising aspects of the CompuTrainer is the Real Course Videos they have released. Instead of computer generated graphics, these are actual videos of Ironman bike courses. This would make the CompuTrainer ride even more interesting because now you are looking at real scenery. I'll need to inquire at Recyclist if they have these available (they are a CompuTrainer dealer, so they may get them at a discount or included with their setup). If not, I may have to try to talk them into splitting the cost with me. Riding an actual Ironman course with actual video of the course--then I could see myself going in on a snowy Saturday and doing 50 miles. That would be great for maintaining on bike endurance through the winter.
So all in all, I'll be back, probably on Monday, toiling away on the CompuTrainer. I'm starting to put together my 2009 cycling goals, and they will include some long distance events. I'll need a strong base for that, and I'm sure the CompuTrainer will be a big part of that base.
The Recyclist bike shop here in Appleton may have the answer. They have 3 CompuTrainers set up that you can use on an hourly basis for $8 an hour. You can also buy a 10 pack pass for $70. This link has all the details.
http://www.bicycledealer.net/indoorcycling.html
For those unfamiliar with a CompuTrainer, its a cycling trainer that is hooked up to the computer. The computer will change the resistance of the trainer based on the course you ride, so if you are going uphill, resistance will be harder and downhill resistance will be less. It also includes computer graphics that display on a monitor (or at the Recyclist, that they project onto a wall) so you see a little bit of the course you are riding. The trainer has a power meter in it, so you get instantaneous and average watts. You can ride against a friend on the CompuTrainer next to you or against a computer generated "pacer" who will ride at a constant wattage throughout the course. There are over 400 courses to choose from, everything from dead flats to rollers to climbing workouts. With these features, the CompuTrainer tries to overcome the limitations on indoor cycling--namely boredom and repetition. Anyone reading this who has ridden on a standard trainer for 30 minutes knows what I am talking about. But with the power meter and software to analyze your pedal stroke, they also provide a tool that can help you work on weaknesses--and who doesn't have weaknesses that they can't improve.
I had heard of the CompuTrainer before, but never ridden on one. And at $1600 to purchase my own, it was going to stay that way until I found this option at the Recyclist. So I made an appointment for Friday and headed over with the bike in the back of the car.
You want to arrive about 15 minutes early to get your bike set up. The first thing they do is calibrate your resistance on the trainer. Then they enter your information into the computer--your name, your weight including the bike and the average watts you want your pacer to ride at. From there, you select your course and you are off. The guys at the shop suggested a course called the Death Valley something or other, 15 miles of what looked like a rolling profile (or so they thought).
Let me tell you, it was HARD!. Several sections with grades of 13% and long sections of grades over 10% (the CompuTrainer tells you on screen what the simulated grade is). There were two hills, and when I got to the top of the first simulated hill, I was wasted. I recovered on the downhill and fought my way up the second. For the ride, my average watts turned out to be 175. Not sure if this is good or bad--but its where I'm at. I can ride this exact same course a month from now and tell if I improved. At the end of the ride, my jersey was soaked. They do have a fan blowing and towels, of which a couple were soaked too. It was a hard intensity workout. Not exactly what I was intending to do, but good in the sense that I had to work at it.
I think the intensity of the workout falls into the positive category for the CompuTrainer. In Appleton, we don't have long hard climbs like the simulated ones I was climbing. But the CompuTrainer forced me to climb those. Also, I can use the CompuTrainer in the winter to get in that hard workout once a week, so I can maintain some power through the winter. Riding the CompuTrainer isn't as good as being outside, but its better than the stationary bike or riding a normal trainer. Better than a stationary bike because you are riding your bike in the position you are normally riding in. Better than a trainer because there are some graphics to look at and because it will automatically adjust resistance throughout the course. Not as good as a real ride because nothing can compete with real scenery and because you don't have to worry about bike handling. But on Friday night when its 40 degrees and raining, it sure beats being outside and it beats riding the couch.
One of the most promising aspects of the CompuTrainer is the Real Course Videos they have released. Instead of computer generated graphics, these are actual videos of Ironman bike courses. This would make the CompuTrainer ride even more interesting because now you are looking at real scenery. I'll need to inquire at Recyclist if they have these available (they are a CompuTrainer dealer, so they may get them at a discount or included with their setup). If not, I may have to try to talk them into splitting the cost with me. Riding an actual Ironman course with actual video of the course--then I could see myself going in on a snowy Saturday and doing 50 miles. That would be great for maintaining on bike endurance through the winter.
So all in all, I'll be back, probably on Monday, toiling away on the CompuTrainer. I'm starting to put together my 2009 cycling goals, and they will include some long distance events. I'll need a strong base for that, and I'm sure the CompuTrainer will be a big part of that base.
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