Subject: RE: Rolling Resistance and Indoor Trainers As stated, your outdoor average will typically be faster than what you are doing on the trainer for the same level of effort. Your actual "speed" however is the exact same according to the sensor. It is your amount of effort to maintain that speed that is key.
If I am spinning a 39 x 16 at 100 cadence (my typical indoor cruise ride ), then it doesn't matter if I am indoor or outdoor, it will always be right around 18.7 - 19 mph. The difference is, outdoors spinning that on a flat I will quickly be up and over my usual cadence comfort level in that gear and will shift up to the 39 x 15 to stay in that 95 - 100 range and will be doing 20 mph. This is because it takes more work to stay at the cadence on the trainer because I have it set to the hardest resistence (I have a mag trainer ) and it is constant. As soon as I stop pedaling, the wheel is not moving within two or three seconds. On the road of course I would barely lose 1 mph after coasting for a few hundred feet.
The key is maintaining the level of intensity (RPE ) without getting too crazy and your cadence (90+ ). AND STAY IN THE SMALL CHAINRING - unless you have a race in March. |