training WITHOUT a bike

FWIW I would find a gym with one of these virtual bikes and bring a fan. If you log in to it it stores your ride data online (if you like data). Bring a polar chest strap if you want to watch heart rate displayed continuously. You can also race head to head with some one else😎

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iceberg said:

Any workout ideas &/or leads to previous threads that offer ideas on how to train for cycling WITHOUT a bike?

I know this may sound crazy, but my bike is in need of serious repairs that'll take me some time to pay off. plus my current schedule + terrain where i live make it near impossible to get in any good time on the bike. i've kind of been in this slump for a couple of years now and haven't been riding, well, at all. but i miss being out on two wheels and have decided to get back on track, period.

thing is, there's a century ride coming up in about a month that friends are bugging me to do with them. so the clock's ticking and I want to do all I can to get in good enough shape to just complete this social ride and stay injury free. i know how to pace my self on teh day of, i'll have my nutrition dialed in by that time as well, plus my cardio is strong. i just don't have bike legs.

i KNOW that nothing prepares you for being on the bike like being on the bike, but i'm also convinced that there MUST be good ways to cross train in such a way that kind of comes close. the idea is to get in as much saddle time here and there as I can but also supplement that with time in the gym or out running in the park.

so, like i said, any suggestions?

thanks all!!!

wiredued said:

FWIW I would find a gym with one of these virtual bikes and bring a fan. If you log in to it it stores your ride data online (if you like data). Bring a polar chest strap if you want to watch heart rate displayed continuously. You can also race head to head with some one else😎

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+1 on gym ergs.

I use them all the time when I travel or during the winter months as an alternative to riding my trainer at home.

I haven't found the sort of trainer wiredued describes where you can download workouts, but most gyms have bikes that either display or let you dial in watts directly soo you can track your own workouts. Many gym bikes support ergometer mode where you set a fixed power target and it adjusts the load to hold power steady even when your cadence speeds up or slows down. I always run the gym bikes in "manual" mode and set my own intervals as opposed to "fat burn", "hill climb", etc.

Anyway, the saddles aren't great, the pedals aren't great and some gyms maintain their bikes better than others but if you're looking for a very close sport specific way to maintain or build cycling fitness than definitely check out the exercise bikes in gyms and hotels, they definitely work.

And of course running, swimming, cross country skiing, rollerblading, you name it are good forms of exercise. They're not as sport specific to cycling as time on a stationary bike but if it's a question of cross training or no training then by all means find an alternative activity that you enjoy and can do on a regular basis.

Good luck,
-Dave

Weightlifting! I'm working out on free weights this year to control my weight by increased muscle mass and it seems to work!

You could try hiking. Last year I did a 5 and half week hike and upon my return rode a local climb 10% faster. Not bad given I had almost 7 weeks off the bike.