Subject: RE: Mileage accuracy on trainer Originally posted by McFuzzI log a fictitious "mileage" for trainer rides that is about the average of what I'd ride outside. I usually use 17 or 17.5 mph even if lately I've been doing a lot more riding at 18+ mph. I use the fictitious number to track mileage on tires and drivetrain and for an approximation for monthly or yearly totals. Exactly... I even do that for a spin class. If my average HR is Z2, then give myself 17 miles for the hour. If it's Z3 or higher? I adjust accordingly to ball park numbers. It may have been mentioned or eluded to, but the trainer can be tricked in too many way to make "distance" unreliable. For example, I can crank the resistance up, run a small gear for an hour (I guess to simulate a climb) and "travel" only a couple miles of wheel revolutions. OR, I can put the bike in the biggest gear possible and run a low resistance on the trainer and suddenly I'm doing 40 miles worth of wheel rotations - both at the same HR (and same amount of work). SO, like I said earlier (and others), on my "typical" ride (typical weather, route, etc), I average about 17mph at an HR in Z2. So I give myself that mileage in my logs or adjust accordingly and don't even use the computer on the bike. Only HR and a timer. |