Wattbike Winter Training with TrainerRoad
Posted by Tom Crampton about 1 week ago
Winter training…urgh! Winter training is a phrase that can strike fear and dread into the heart of even the most seasoned cyclist…then again there are those sadistic types who enjoy the long hours locked away in a garage with the thoughts of the new season at the front of their mind.
I definitely fall in to the first category. My Wattbike lives in the box room upstairs which is filled with a desk with a sewing machine on it (not mine) and various boxes that haven’t been unpacked in the 18 months since we moved in. Needless to say this is not the most inspirational environment for tough training sessions.
I do enjoy training, don’t get me wrong, but I do need as much external help as possible to keep me motivated and engaged. Fortunately, we are a competitive bunch at Wattbike and the office banter does help to keep me focused, especially when someone invents a new session that needs testing.
This winter I'm going to try something a little different. Since we launched the ANT+ firmware upgrade for the Performance Computer, I have started using TrainerRoad. If you haven’t used it before it is a piece of software that runs on a computer and picks up data from the Wattbike via an ANT+ dongle.
There are literally thousands of sessions to download and TrainerRoad works out the required wattage based on my FTP (Functional Threshold Power). It even has a couple of tests to work this initial number out for you.
My first session after completing the 20 minute test was called Sharktooth, a simulated crit race with lots of short intervals and a sprint finish. Having the guide to follow and regular motivational updates from the software meant that the hour just flew by. It helped me to keep on top of my cadence and make sure I wasn’t slacking.
My competitive spirit meant I made sure I kept up the wattage for the whole session although I’m not sure my sprint finish would have been enough to take the victory.
With the ability to watch a video at the same time, you can link TrainerRoad with videos such as Sufferfest and other similar programmes, or in my case watch old Tour de France videos for some extra stimulation. Suddenly, winter training looks a little more inviting!