My indoor setup … 🚴🏻

I have setup a “pain cave” as an indoor cycling studio.

I don’t like riding in the cold or wet weather. And, I don’t want to return to the gym anytime soon. As long as it was sunny and dry, I welcomed riding outside, and training in the local parks. Now that the weather is changing, and we are experiencing an uptick in Covid cases, I’m happy to stay home.

But I need more equipment. I have some dumb bells, an exercise ball, and a mat. This is enough for strength training. But what about indoor cycling?

I decided to purchase a smart trainer. You know, one of those direct drive ones where you remove the back wheel, and connect your drive train directly. I have an extra carbon road bike I can dedicate to the cause, and space in my den – a converted walk-in closet – to set it up.

Which trainer?

There are so many to choose from. I began asking around, and calling the local shops. In the end, I chose the Wahoo KICKR CORE. I’m a big Wahoo fan 😃 It gets excellent reviews for reliability, features, and noise. And, it was available locally for a good price. I had it setup in a day.

Now, what software to run on this smart baby?

Until I started researching, I didn’t realize there are so many apps to choose from.

I was familiar with Swift. Everyone seems to be using it. But I don’t like the virtual reality aspect. It’s not real enough. It’s like a video game. And, I never liked video games 😂 I know the social features are popular, but that’s not the type of cycling I enjoy.

That’s where I had to start. What kind of cyclist am I, and what do I expect from an indoor trainer?

I’m not a racer. I enjoy century events and Gran Fondos, but I do them for the experience, never expecting to win, or even compete, except maybe with myself. I prefer solo rides to group rides, and I like to train with structure. Despite my age, I still think I can improve, become more efficient, and get stronger. I want my indoor experience to be like my outdoor road rides.

This helps.

Given that, Swift is out. Sufferfest is more for racers. The videos actually put you in races. That’s not for me. TrainerRoad gives you all the stats you need, but is visually uninteresting.

I want a more realistic experience.

Two apps come strongly recommended. FulGaz and Rouvy. Over the next 1-2 weeks I’m planning to test them out – they both come with a 14 day free trial – and select one for the winter.

Stay tuned 😂

PS – If you have experience with either, let me know your thoughts.

Do you ride on the drops … 🤔

I ride on the drops a lot when I’m at the cottage.

At first, I thought it was because I am battling headwinds all the time, and it is certainly a more aerodynamic position. But on todays ride, I was on the drops mostly, even when there was no hurting wind.

I began thinking about this.

It’s true. Riding on the drops is more aerodynamic. It is also the most powerful position you can be in on a bike. It is an athletic position. Think of a baseball shortstop getting ready for a ball hit his way. He is leaning forward, knees bent, and arms at his side. He is ready to move quickly, and powerfully to his left, right, forward, or up. Think of an NHL hockey player racing to for a pass along the boards. He too is bent forward, his knees are bent as he pushes hard with one leg, then the other, with his arms at his side. And, think of a sprinter in the blocks ready to start his race. Again, he is bent at the waist, knees bent, and arms at his side ready to propel himself quickly, and powerfully forward.

This is the athletic position.

And, this is the position the cyclist is in when riding on the drops. Imagine if you can, freezing a cyclist on his bike while positioned on the drops, and you could put him at shortstop ready for the next ball, a professional hockey player racing for a breakaway pass, or a track star ready in the blocks.

So, why am I positioned on the drops most of the time while cycling here and not at home?

I think there are several reasons. First, at home on the west coast, I am climbing a lot more. There are no flat rides where I live. Instead on being on the drops, I’m frequently on the bar flats climbing a 6-8% grade. So when it flattens out a little, I’m happy to relax on the hoods for awhile before approaching the next hill. Second, when I’m at the cottage, I have more wind to contend with. Sure it gets windy on the west coast but there is an incessant north westerly in these parts, and the bast way to combat them is to get into the most aerodynamic position you can. Lastly, and I had overlooked this initially, I’m in training mode here at Camp PedalWORKS. The weather is favourable here, the roads are quiet, nicely surfaced, and scenic. I’m here by myself mostly, and I’m usually preparing for a cycling event in the fall, at the end of the cycling season.

I notice too that I travel faster when on the drops. At first, I thought is was because it is a more aerodynamic position. And it is. But I also realized that I can maintain a faster cadence more easily when on the drops. I have more power. It is the power position.

When I first arrived at the cottage, I wasn’t comfortable on the drops for long periods of time, even though I have cycled for years. I simply wasn’t used to it. I could only hold the position for 10-15 minutes at a time. Not now. I was out for 2 1/2 hours this morning, and most of that time I was on the drops. So, don’t despair if you are not comfortable at first. You’ll like it. It’s safer too. You have a lower centre of gravity, and thus better control of the bike with your weight more evenly distributed over the wheels. That’s a good thing for fast descents. And, you have greater leverage when applying the brakes which means you can stop more quickly if need be.

Do you ride on the drops?

The Gravel Truck Road

Look at that. Not a ripple on the water. No wind. Not even a breeze. This is the first no-wind day I can remember since arriving.

Lou and I went for a long, fast ride over to the big lake, and along the shoreline road. It was a smooth, fast ride. I was on the drops most of the time, tucked tight, maintaining a high cadence in a large gear. No wind. No hills. And, no traffic.

There’s nothing better 🙂

I rode “The Gravel Truck Road” to the lake. I call it “The Gravel Truck Road” because during the week, it is littered with large, fast moving gravel trucks hauling gravel to the urban centres. You see we also grow gravel in these parts. A lot of gravel. There are several quarries in the area.

“The Gravel Truck Road” is my favourite ride. It is 10 km long, straight, rolling, newly surfaced, and runs east-to-west. It’s fast. On the weekends, the gravel trucks rest. On the weekends, I ride “The Gravel Truck Road”. There is generally a headwind travelling west, and a helping tailwind on the way back. Today, there was no wind. Not a whisper.

Lou and I reach speeds of 40-45 kph on “The Gravel Truck Road” and maintain high speeds even when climbing the little hills. This is an exhilarating stretch of road. The kind of road cyclists dream about.

That was Sunday. Today is Monday. The gravel trucks are back in action. Chas and I will find a different route.