I just bit the built and bought a Saris H3 Should have it in on Thursday and check it out Friday. Kinda excited. Anyone needing a cheap wheel on trainer let me know.
You'll like it. They did a good job on this one. I had a Hammer before and the H3 is definitely quieter, more accurate (less variation in ERG mode) and all at a more competitive price point.
I tried this on Monday. The laptop I used is an older one and I had the default image refresh rate setting in the app. It felt like I was riding in Google Streets. I did not like the 'feeling' at all. The trainer integration and dashboard I liked. The photo realistic routing I didn't like oddly enough.
Try ErgVideo. 1080HD quality videos. Very large library of rides including many TdF areas. You ride in Erg mode so no shifting. The resistance is changed based on the terrain. It operates at a % of your FTP based on the terrain. Sometimes very low % and others on steep climbs and which route you selected. I've had parts of a ride at 140% of my FTP.
Erg mode is evil. It just reminds me that I'm not as in shape as I once was. I like it for the workout plans in Zwift though. I'll check it out.
ah, that’s disappointing. Oh well. TrainerRoad I find enjoyable unless it’s a day like today which was basically just 60% of FTP for an hour. Turned on Hitting The Apex halfway through. When the intervals are a little more intensive it’s much more engaging.
I finally gave up on the Specialized Power saddle. I liked the concept - the saddle is just too damn wide for me. I had the saddle set with the 3 cm greater setback like Specialized said, but I still developed saddle sores. The “wings” have too gradual a taper. Tried the Romin Evo again on the trainer and felt like my sitbones were much better supported. I’m also giving Speedplays another shot. I found I missed the float of Speedplays, and I like their dual-sided entry.
Hmmm. What size saddle do you have? My Power saddle is a 155 and I do find it wide as fuck. And I have the Garmin Vectors 2s pedals which takes the Keo pedals. Although I like the Shimano pedal pattern better. It’s just the feel is better but I’ve never ridden the Speedplay ones. and yeah the 60-70% on a trainer seems awful. Today according to my workout plan I have Sufferfest’s “Who Dares”. Tomorrow I have an off day stuff but am going to probably do some endurance stuff while setting up the new trainer. This is who dares
It’s a 155 as well. Same as my Romin. Yea that workout looks more fun than “Pettit,” which is what I did yesterday. I am basically alternating Base I and Base II until March or April and then will start a Crit specialization block as I’d like to try racing again this year. I’m on the low volume plan right now with weight training the other 4 days of the week. I wish they had a 4-day plan vs. just the 3-day or 5-day.
I'm going to give Trainer Road a shot. I do like erg mode on the Zwift workouts since there's no way out. I'm riding in Death Valley the week of New Year's and need to get some endurance in my legs more than bumping FTP but slogging out time on a trainer is never fun if it's JRA without a plan.
Yea, I think this is why I didn't like Zwift. Riding around when you're actually outside is fun. On Zwift, not so much. Plus, Zwift is so easily "gamed" with people putting in their weight as if they just came out of Auschwitz and the whole TT bike thing. Just kind of annoying.
This post inspired me to give that workout a run, and I’m eager to report... IT’S A BEAST! Once you’re through the second 9:30 “race”, your legs just go on autopilot. That is until the last sprint at a cadence of 130 RPM!
Have any of you roadies dabbled or made the switch entirely to off-road? I was planning on doing a few crits next year, but I don't really care to be on the open roads anymore with the distracted drivers, so I think it'll be tough to hone my pack skills. Just too many distracted drivers out here. We have a pretty active XC race series, and I've dabbled in MTBing this year a bit. It was a very rainy season, so it was a little frustrating to get out as much as I would have liked, but the days I did get out, I really enjoyed it. It's really one of the few things that has come close to motorcycle track stuff for me. My technical skills need a lot of work, but that's something I can practice.
I love the XC/MTB stuff, but even for the guys who don't want to get all technical, the gravel series seem to be getting more and more popular. Basically a road bike with some tread on the tires, on gravel roads, with a lot less traffic.
Man, gravel just doesn’t appeal to me at all. Seems like the worst features of road with the worst features of XC. I like the dirt stuff because the courses are technical and there’s no cars. Which is funny because I used to love the Grand Tours. Now, road races just have no appeal.
You might want to give a try. It's "funner" than you might think. Don't get me wrong, the single trails and stuff are a blast, but I've found the need to log more miles in training. Doing just single track isn't enough, and gravel riding works out well. Usually a long Saturday morning ride has a mix of both anyway.