# TT'ng indoor on the trainer during the week



## roubaix_sj (Nov 9, 2010)

How effective is doing a 30min TT effort on my indoor trainer every week ? I ask because I don't intend to ever do time trials when the outdoor season starts ? I do not find it realistic nor is it adding to my overall training benefit when I don't ever ride TT's during the season. I'm a club rider who wants to "stay with the fast group" on the weekends. 

Pedalling an indoor time trial is constant pedalling for 30mins straight. In real life outdoors, in a time trial you are not constantly pedaling for 30mins as well know. There's wind, different resistance., in and out of the saddle. etc. etc.. 

So I really don't know at this time of year the efficacy of doing this once per week ? 

Can anyone shed some light on this ? Any opinions ?


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## kbiker3111 (Nov 7, 2006)

Very, very effective.


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## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

I thought 2 x 20 minute efforts were the standard for pain.


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## bayAreaDude (Apr 13, 2012)

It will definitely help you stay with the fast group.


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

How about in the off-season you take a break from all the intense work and let your body recover? Year 'round intense work often leads to overtraining, burnout, and quitting the sport.

Use the winter to burn fat, keep the weight down, and hold on to baseline fitness.


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## Cervelo S-5 (Dec 16, 2011)

I do not find it realistic nor is it adding to my overall training benefit when I don't ever ride TT's during the season. I'm a club rider who wants to "stay with the fast group" on the weekends. 

Pedalling an indoor time trial is constant pedalling for 30mins straight. In real life outdoors, in a time trial you are not constantly pedaling for 30mins as well know. There's wind, different resistance., in and out of the saddle. etc. etc.. 

So I really don't know at this time of year the efficacy of doing this once per week ? 

Can anyone shed some light on this ? Any opinions ?[/QUOTE]

IMO, you can make this type of training as "REALISTIC" as you like simply by doing all of the things that you would be doing out there on the road. Although, nothing replaces the road, changing gears, standing up, cadence changes and the like while maintaining a constant threshold area level of power, or HR will keep it interesting and challenging not to mention simulate some of the conditions that you mentioned. If you want to stay with the fast group when they decide to hammer down on a 6-8% 3 mile hill, then you need to be able to tolerate the sufferfest and other than actually training on the hills, TTing regardless of where you do it, will help with this. Peter P. raises a good point, about over training, but this is something that you need to guard against at all times. 

As a 200+ lb rider I feel that the only realistic chance that I had to put anyone in a "spot of bother" lay with developing an ability to suffer in a TT type of effort and set a long and ugly pace. I am a realist and know that I will never be able to track all you lighter jack rabbits with great power to weight ratios on the hills so I know what my role would be as a domestique on a team. The bonus for me in this regard has been that I no longer get dropped as I once did on the hills anymore because the pain of the hill climb is much like the pain of a brutal TT. 
Do your base training yes, but if you incorporate this or similar interval training throughout the winter,( I saw the 2X20 min thing out there :cryin you will be in a better spot right from the get go in the new season. 

Hope this helps!

Cheers!:thumbsup:


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## scottz123 (Nov 15, 2012)

I think its a "it depends" answer". Strengths weaknesses. I would worry about burning out with same old work out.


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## Logan21 (Jan 4, 2010)

scottz123 said:


> I think its a "it depends" answer". Strengths weaknesses. I would worry about burning out with same old work out.


This, last year and in the run in to the Australian Winter I was doing 20Min FTP efforts for training once a week and then Hill Repeats once a week and a few other bits and pieces. After doing the 20Min Intervals every week for about 6 months I began to hate them.

I still do them occasionally, once a fortnight or so now as I just cant stand them, I actually prefer to go and find a hill that is 10-15mins long and then just ride as hard as I can up that until i hit the top.


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