# Mileage on the trainer?



## jlandry (Jan 12, 2007)

I’ve always wondered this:
When on the trainer, (Cyclopse Fluid) using my odometer on the rear wheel, do trainer miles equal road miles in distance?


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

The Cycleops Fluid has a good amount of resistance, probably not too equivalent to your road miles.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

jlandry said:


> I’ve always wondered this:
> When on the trainer, (Cyclopse Fluid) using my odometer on the rear wheel, do trainer miles equal road miles in distance?


Maybe...maybe not.

It's better to go off of time than distance when using the trainer...though even that can be a bit misleading. I say this because on a trainer you are pedaling constantly and there is no need to coast or stop...while on the road this happens quite a bit. 

Looking at my road rides and the data from them I spend about 20 minutes or so not pedaling on 2.5 - 3 hour group rides. So the reality is I can get as good of a workout riding for 2'ish hours on my trainer compared to 2.5 hours on the road.

I find my trainer miles to average a little more than my road miles due to the constant pedaling and the ability to hold a higher "Average" speed than on the road since there are no hills and when I'm doing interval work it's at higher speeds than on the road where I'd likely do intervals on hills and such.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

> do trainer miles equal road miles in distance?


Road miles don't even equal road miles. The effect and benefit of a workout depends on intensity and time. 20 miles at a recovery pace on a flat road isn't the same as 20 miles of climbing at a hard pace.

Trainer "miles" equal zero. You're not going anywhere. It makes more sense to track time, and intensity (however you measure that: heart rate, perceived effort, power meter, etc.)

If your trainer sessions are done at approximately the same average intensity as your road rides, you could multiply your trainer time by your average road speed and get an approximate equivalent "mileage," which may or may not match up with how far the odo says your back wheel rolled, depending on the resistance. But they're still not miles.

Most people do shorter but harder sessions on the trainer.


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## Alex_Simmons/RST (Jan 12, 2008)

jlandry said:


> I’ve always wondered this:
> When on the trainer, (Cyclopse Fluid) using my odometer on the rear wheel, do trainer miles equal road miles in distance?


Provided your computer has correct wheel circumference entered, then it will accurately report the speed of the wheel (and hence distance).

However that will likely bear no resemblance to the speed (distance) you would ride at outdoors for the same level of effort. If it does, it's just a coincidence.

Indoors or outdoors, when training, what matters is time and intensity. Distance isn't relevant.


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## Keeping up with Junior (Feb 27, 2003)

*Why*



jlandry said:


> I’ve always wondered this:
> When on the trainer, (Cyclopse Fluid) using my odometer on the rear wheel, do trainer miles equal road miles in distance?


Depends on why you want to know:
1) For training purposes - No, use time and intensity.
2) For d!ck measruing contest at the end of the year - No, only count miles on the road.
3) For personal reasons- Maybe, use whatever gets you motivated to climb on that gerbil wheel.


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## hrumpole (Jun 17, 2008)

Keeping up with Junior said:


> Depends on why you want to know:
> 2) For d!ck measruing contest at the end of the year - No, only count miles on the road.


You're shorting yourself. Trainer miles = X + y(x), where x = outdoor miles, and y=the number of inches you need to make up.


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## shawndoggy (Feb 3, 2004)

I've found that trainer miles have a much more beneficial training effect than wang measuring contests, but maybe that's just me?


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## Keeping up with Junior (Feb 27, 2003)

*Ten*



hrumpole said:


> You're shorting yourself...


If you were hung like me you wouldn't need algebra or the metric system to get to ten.


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## scottzj (Oct 4, 2010)

I am actually starting to enjoy riding on my trainer......I know...I know.....but I am. Getting set up on the trainer, gear, drinks and shows to watch with riding takes half the time than getting ready for an outside ride. I do love to sweat and without a fan on a trainer, you can get plenty of that. Mind you, nothing can take the place of a great team ride in wind and environment. I try to mix it up outside, inside and running, to give me body a mix of cardio.


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

If you are enjoying your indoor trainer time, you are not riding hard enough.


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

My old Minoura trainer was way off in miles vs time compared to outdoors... It ramped up wattage suddenly so 12mph felt like 18mph..

My new Kurt Kinetic is more realistic. 12mph feels like 12.. 18 feels like 18.. so I let it add to my overall millage but I base my indoor training on time.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Cool running*



scottzj said:


> I do love to sweat and without a fan on a trainer, you can get plenty of that.


You should know that you are decreasing the effectiveness of your workout by not having adequate cooling. You can get your pulse up just sitting in the sauna, but that is not a workout. When your body has to dump a lot of heat and cannot do it, then it will just shut down the effort to match the heat removal.


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## vetboy (Oct 11, 2005)

ZoSoSwiM said:


> My old Minoura trainer was way off in miles vs time compared to outdoors... It ramped up wattage suddenly so 12mph felt like 18mph..
> 
> *My new Kurt Kinetic is more realistic. 12mph feels like 12.. 18 feels like 18.. so I let it add to my overall millage but I base my indoor training on time*.


Agree. My KK is close to outside - not exact, but close enough that I count the miles. I use three fans which helps as well.

Joe


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## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

Alex_Simmons/RST said:


> . Distance isn't relevant.


It certainly is relevant.

If I tell a friend I spent 300 hours riding my bike they just say "huh?"

If I say I rode 5,000 miles so far this year, they say "WOW!"

See the difference?


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## vetboy (Oct 11, 2005)

MerlinAma said:


> It certainly is relevant.
> 
> If I tell a friend I spent 300 hours riding my bike they just say "huh?"
> 
> ...


Yea but impressing your friends doesn't make you faster. Spending the appropriate amount of time at the appropriate intensity does. Since the only reason to ride a trainer is to get faster (no sane person would ride one for any other reason, distance is irrelevant.

Joe


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## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

vetboy said:


> Yea but impressing your friends doesn't make you faster. Spending the appropriate amount of time at the appropriate intensity does. Since the only reason to ride a trainer is to get faster (no sane person would ride one for any other reason, distance is irrelevant.
> 
> Joe


You are absolutely, positively correct.


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## vetboy (Oct 11, 2005)

MerlinAma said:


> You are absolutely, positively correct.


I was bound to get something right eventually


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## scottzj (Oct 4, 2010)

Kerry Irons said:


> You should know that you are decreasing the effectiveness of your workout by not having adequate cooling. You can get your pulse up just sitting in the sauna, but that is not a workout. When your body has to dump a lot of heat and cannot do it, then it will just shut down the effort to match the heat removal.


Oh I understand 100%, my workout room has its own AC unit and is running while I ride (usually around 55-60 degrees) so there is plenty of air flow and "coolness" lol. I just dont have a fan directly blowing on my face or body while I ride.:thumbsup:


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

Kerry Irons said:


> You should know that you are decreasing the effectiveness of your workout by not having adequate cooling. You can get your pulse up just sitting in the sauna, but that is not a workout. When your body has to dump a lot of heat and cannot do it, then it will just shut down the effort to match the heat removal.



However there is the benefit of flushing many toxins from your glands while sweating your butt off on the trainer. As long as you replace the fluids!


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

ZoSoSwiM said:


> However there is the benefit of flushing many toxins from your glands while sweating your butt off on the trainer. As long as you replace the fluids!


There's no benefit of overheating and not hitting it as hard or as long as you would if properly ventilated.


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## jlandry (Jan 12, 2007)

Not looking for bragging rights. I was just curious is all.


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## shawndoggy (Feb 3, 2004)

ZoSoSwiM said:


> However there is the benefit of flushing many toxins from your glands ...


^^^^ this toxin flushing stuff is absolute BS.


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## Keeping up with Junior (Feb 27, 2003)

*Mondern Medicin*



shawndoggy said:


> ^^^^ this toxin flushing stuff is absolute BS.


Yeah, that is what leeches are for.


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

Didn't mean cook yourself. I always have adequate cooling.

If the flushing is BS why have saunas and such? Seen some articles online suggesting that a good sweat cleans you out. Not defending this just wondering.


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## jlandry (Jan 12, 2007)

Keeping up with Junior said:


> Yeah, that is what *BEER IS *for.


Fixed.


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## batman1425 (Nov 29, 2005)

I like tracking trainer milage so I have a better idea how much wear my drivetrain has on it. Its easy to forget about chain and cassette wear from the trainer.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

batman1425 said:


> I like tracking trainer milage so I have a better idea how much wear my drivetrain has on it. Its easy to forget about chain and cassette wear from the trainer.


With most trainers having significantly more resistance than on the road, still probably best to measure the stretch manually than rely on road and trainer miles.


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## batman1425 (Nov 29, 2005)

My KK trainer is about as close to road resistance as you get, so I don't worry about it too much. When my chain gets to 3500-4000 miles I swap it out for a new one. If you're trying to squeeze every mile out of a chain measuring might be worth it, but with the inaccuracies of several of the gauges out there, not to mention the variability in the definition of "stretch" I don't feel like the measurement data is any more reliable than milage.

For a ballpark estimate milage should be just fine. You can drive yourself up the wall thinking about resistance, how clean you keep your chain and how well lubricated it is as this will effect wear rates as well, and then measuring it with a gauge that says a new chain is 50% worn... Not worth the hassle if you ask me.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

batman1425 said:


> My KK trainer is about as close to road resistance as you get, so I don't worry about it too much. When my chain gets to 3500-4000 miles I swap it out for a new one. If you're trying to squeeze every mile out of a chain measuring might be worth it, but with the inaccuracies of several of the gauges out there, not to mention the variability in the definition of "stretch" *I don't feel like the measurement data is any more reliable than milage.*
> For a ballpark estimate milage should be just fine. You can drive yourself up the wall thinking about resistance, *how clean you keep your chain and how well lubricated it is as this will effect wear rates as well*, and then measuring it with a gauge that says a new chain is 50% worn... Not worth the hassle if you ask me.


Personally, I think that the variability in wear rates as a result of varied conditions makes mileage a pretty poor gauge, and if you measure the "right" way (with a ruler),measuring is quite reliable, and no hassle at all, IME.

YMMV

I agree that those tools are not worth a thing.


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## Caadmandu (Nov 28, 2011)

I started riding in Aug. 2011 I'm 57... I bought a cycleops trainer to use in the winter. It has been hard trying to get into good condition as a new rider and I don't want to lose what I gained. will using the trainer not only keep me as I am or can I be even in better shape come spring time if all I use is the trainer....
I also use my trainer with a old mnt bike with smooth back tire which works great for me.


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## hrumpole (Jun 17, 2008)

vetboy said:


> Agree. My KK is close to outside - not exact, but close enough that I count the miles. I use three fans which helps as well.
> 
> Joe


Do you ever find that when you take the tension off the wheel is torqued to one side or the other and springs back into place? Or does that simply mean that the bike skewer wasn't tensioned strongly enough?


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## vetboy (Oct 11, 2005)

hrumpole said:


> Do you ever find that when you take the tension off the wheel is torqued to one side or the other and springs back into place? Or does that simply mean that the bike skewer wasn't tensioned strongly enough?


Nope. Stays straight. I make sure the bike is clamped pretty tight first (and I assume you have the correct trainer skewer that came w the trainer), then tighten the drum up onto the tire - usually two full rotations of the screw tightener after first making contact w the tire. In fact after 5 or 6 winter seasons, there's a pretty well defined "rubber line" on the drum where the tire makes contact.

Joe


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Toxins*



ZoSoSwiM said:


> If the flushing is BS why have saunas and such? Seen some articles online suggesting that a good sweat cleans you out. Not defending this just wondering.


Saunas are really good as a muscle relaxant - like a hot bath. Plus, the Finlanders had a hard time taking a bath in the winter, and when they got all hot and sweaty in the sauna, then they could jump in the hole in the ice to rinse off.

I can find articles online that say J. Edgar Hoover killed John Kennedy, but that doesn't mean they are correct. A good sweat is a good sweat, whether you do it in a sauna, a steam bath, or on a hot bike ride, but none of them will help you get a better workout and none of them release anything signfiicant but salts and water.


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## BostonG (Apr 13, 2010)

shawndoggy said:


> ^^^^ this toxin flushing stuff is absolute BS.


That's not what my colonic irrigation provider would say


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