[TobyD]

At the moment I'm using a turbo for cardio sessions. I'm just switching a basic interval session with an occasional cadence session and plugging into whatever sounds good on SoundCloud. (An excellent DJ Vadim old school hiphop mix this morning, and some recent AIM)
Anything more scientific that I can give a try? If possible I don't want to go get loads of measuring equipment, but any recommendations for heart rate monitors or cadence meters appreciated. Nice as a power monitor would be... I'm not even slightly that keen(or good).

Particularly interested in possibly using one of the apps like sufferfest but that looks probably a bit hardcore for me. Experiences? Cheers all.. T

[tlr]

I'd definitely give sufferfest a go, it's based on perceived effortso doesn't have to be technical at all.

Something basic like 'A Very Dark Place' or 'revolver' are just basically intervals with some pretty pictures and good music.

[webbo]

I wouldn't be doing intervals of highish intensity  until I had a basic level of fitness. I would doing stuff going no higher than 75% of max heart rate.
Try 10 min warm up lowish gears gradually increasing intensity with bursts of 100+ revs for 15 secs. Then 20 mins up to 55% max hr then 15 mins up to 65% then10 mins up to 75% 10 min warm down.
Or 10 min warm up then 5 mins on 1 min off times 5 then adding more if you can stand it again up to 75% hr 10 min warm down.

[richieb]

I enjoyed some of the GCN workouts. I don't have a cadence sensor or heart rate monitor though, so I was mainly going on feel or trying to match pedal revs with the people on screen.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUdAMlZtaV13e3-rJq1W0O1kf2DVlslmC

[kelvin]

I wouldn't be doing intervals of highish intensity  until I had a basic level of fitness.

What would you say is a basic level of fitness? I'm interested because a friend and myself have both started road cycling recently. For him it's his only sport and he's been doing had intervals on a spin bike. I was thinking of getting a turbo trainer myself. On the road @ 30 miles for him is 17.5mph, I'm only 15.8 but I'm busy doing all my rehab after the crash, so cycle less than him.

We want to cycle the Furka Pass this coming summer.

[webbo]

A basic level to me would be to ride for 3 or 4 hours steady,on or off road not on the turbo of course. Having said that when I was recovering from Achilles surgery early in the year,  was doing intervals before I'd started riding on the road again but it's all about the intensity.
Using a turbo is mind numbingly difficult, so breaking it up in to sections or intervals makes it easier.
When I do intervals on the road its all about increasing my power and speed, so that my cruising speed takes less out of me. So I can do it faster and for longer.
Another good session which you can do at lots of different intensities is
15 secs on 15 off X 3 x5x7x9x11x13 and so on with a minutes easy pedalling between each effort.
I forgot to say I try to pedal 90 to 100 revs a minute.

[kelvin]

A basic level to me would be to ride for 3 or 4 hours steady,on or off road not on the turbo of course. Having said that when I was recovering from Achilles surgery early in the year,  was doing intervals before I'd started riding on the road again but it's all about the intensity.
Using a turbo is mind numbingly difficult, so breaking it up in to sections or intervals makes it easier.
When I do intervals on the road its all about increasing my power and speed, so that my cruising speed takes less out of me. So I can do it faster and for longer.
Another good session which you can do at lots of different intensities is
15 secs on 15 off X 3 x5x7x9x11x13 and so on with a minutes easy pedalling between each effort.
I forgot to say I try to pedal 90 to 100 revs a minute.

Cheers webbo. Appreciated. Something there to try for sure.

[TobyD]

I wouldn't be doing intervals of highish intensity  until I had a basic level of fitness. I would doing stuff going no higher than 75% of max heart rate.
Try 10 min warm up lowish gears gradually increasing intensity with bursts of 100+ revs for 15 secs. Then 20 mins up to 55% max hr then 15 mins up to 65% then10 mins up to 75% 10 min warm down.
Or 10 min warm up then 5 mins on 1 min off times 5 then adding more if you can stand it again up to 75% hr 10 min warm down.

why no intervals earlier? I'd have said i had an okay - ish basic level of fitness preinjury e.g. 30-40 miles in the peak fairly steadily (albeit pretty slowly), I don't think my CV fitness has declined that much, its more the muscle mass i have lost through inactivity in hospital affecting power (legs and arms!) A turbo is currently safer, and more controllable and measurable, than real riding which i would obviously massively prefer. It also takes me loads longer to recover between sessions, so it seems to work better to keep it short and sweet, and be able to eat / drink properly asap afterwards and my thinking had been to try to increase 'cruising pace' on actual rides.
I really can't see myself having the attention span to do proper volume on a turbo, but further advice accepted:
I've been doing Intervals as : 10 min easy spin warm up; 6 x (1 minute of 85%ish; 2 minutes easy spin); 12 minutes warm down

Cadence: 10 minute warm up; 2 min fast, 2 min easy, 3 min fast, 3 min easy, 4 min fast 3 min easy... reverse previous pattern and warm down. 

[webbo]

My understanding which might be a bit old school is that if you go straight in to high intensity intervals with no base fitness. It would be similar to campusing and fingerboarding, when you can barely hang body weight 2 handed from a bar.
I would always try and keep the turbo short and sweet although I have done 2 hours plus which I found horrendous.
I base my use of the turbo on a now out of print book called Advanced Turbo Training ( The blue book ) by Peter Read.
Which takes you through assessing your heart rates into what you should be doing at this time of year progressing towards the start of the next racing season March. At this time of year he suggests Aerobic base work. This should be sessions at level 2 75-85% of max heart rate. The 5 mins on 1 min off and the 20,15,10 which should be 25,20,15 are designed to achieve this. He recommends doing a couple of these a week with a recover session and a 3 hour ride outside as a basis for developing  base fitness. Then after Christmas gradually starting to introduce things like 1 min on 1 min off.

If you want to borrow the book. Pm your address and I will send it to you.

[peewee]

I've been using the trainer road software for the last year and found it very good. you need a Ant+ dongle for the laptop/pc and a Ant+ speed sensor and HR monitor. you put the model of your turbo trainer in and it knows the theoretical power curve for a set speed and the software gives you a virtual power. you do a fitness test to start with which it then bases the workouts on that (large amount of different plan available).

[TobyD]

If you want to borrow the book. Pm your address and I will send it to you.

Cheers Webbo, that's amazing of you! I'll pm you.

[Ti_pin_man]

I used to t/train most winters. 
You need to decide what you are training, what is the weakness your trying to address?
Then build intervals on that weakness.
Example: my weakness was usually mountain biking and medium length hill effort.  Not short sprint and not long steady speed but the bit in-between.  The transition from 30 seconds to a minute or two. 
Once you figure your weakness aim to train it for 6-8 weeks of sets 2 or 3 times a week with at least a day gap between sessions.  Then plan a week or two of no intervals.  Then pick yer next weakness and repeat. 
Turbo trainers are not places to get miles!  Unless youre training your mind to tolerant boredom!!

[tlr]

Turbo trainers are not places to get miles!  Unless youre training your mind to tolerant boredom!!

Very true, although I was on a cycling trip last year with a lady who had won the RAAM (Race Across America) solo - unfortunately she lived in Juneau Alaska, which only has a short bit of road and obviously it is shut for bad weather a lot of the time.

She trained for the RAAM with 12 hour turbo sessions!

[Ti_pin_man]

did she used to be in the SAS? sounds like torture 12 hours on a t/trainer! 

[webbo]

If you want to borrow the book. Pm your address and I will send it to you.

Cheers Webbo, that's amazing of you! I'll pm you.

It's in the post.

[webbo]

Turbo trainers are not places to get miles!  Unless youre training your mind to tolerant boredom!!

Very true, although I was on a cycling trip last year with a lady who had won the RAAM (Race Across America) solo - unfortunately she lived in Juneau Alaska, which only has a short bit of road and obviously it is shut for bad weather a lot of the time.

She trained for the RAAM with 12 hour turbo sessions!

A lot of budding Ironman triathletes do 5 or 6 hours on the turbo when they can't get out because of the weather. They seem to follow their training schedule almost to an obsessive level. I.e. 3 hour run sat 5 hour bike sun.
I'd choose a different sport if I had to do that length of time on the turbo. 2 hours plus and I had not a lot of sensation in my testicles and a very sore crotch.
Possibly handy if you do it prior to staring in your next pr0no movie.