Planned to do 2hrs riding tonight but the weather looks crap tonight (Leeds) so don’t really fancy going out. I regularly use a Tracx Excel turbo, but find that after 1hr its all starting to get very uncomfortable in the saddle area –
any advice on how to make things more comfy?
The bike is level & saddle in the correct position, actually it very comfy on the road just not on the turbo – the room has a TV – but will probably stick a DVD in – and a big fan
but find that after 1hr its all starting to get very uncomfortable in the saddle area –
any advice on how to make things more comfy?
an hour pretty much does it for most people
I sometimes do half an hour standing when I've had enough sitting
Are you on a very firm floor? Sometimes a bit of give helps, i use mine on the lounge floor which is bouncy floor boards.
Just shift up a couple of gears and ride out of the saddle. That's what I do.
Or do intervals - the rest of you will be hurting so much you won't have time to worry about your backside..!
I usually do more intense workouts on the turbo – Intervals and power based / ‘climbing’ type sessions – but I’m trying to build up my base endurance to ride sportive events this year – so the work put needs to be steady pace (often run the SS up the canal tow path)
Will try and stand for a while and see if this helps
Markd – the back wheel (and turbo) are sat on a chipboard floor (although no fully insulated has some give – the front wheel is on exercise mats & a foam wheel block
An hour is way enough.
I’m trying to build up my base endurance to ride sportive events this year – so the work put needs to be steady pace
For this, I'm doing zone 3-4 rides on the turbo while the snow and ice is about. Usually for no more that 90 minutes (with another 20 mins of warm up/down). Still pretty tedious.
Otherwise, it's thesufferfest.com for some interval action.
90 minutes and I'm bouncing off the walls. An hour session planned for tonight.
ride bikes all set up about to pop in a DVD and see how long I manage - I'll let you know how I do
I took a helmetcam out with me and made a video to watch. I adjust my pace to match the video. It's the only thing that's made a static bike bearable for me.
re: base endurance. This is something i need to do.
Something from Pete read's black book
The classic heart rate zone in which to train aerobic base is in the Level 2
zone. It is loosely 75-85% of your maximum heart rate.
While you are creating this all-important base it is essential that you do not
become involved in any high intensity effort whatsoever. This means no
sprinting, no racing with club mates and no hard circuit training in the gym.
In fact don't to see your heart rate exceed the top of Level 2 even when
climbing. To ensure this doesn't happen, I suggest you stay on flat or slightly
undulating terrain for the time being. Any high heart rate training before the
aerobic base is fully developed will simply cancel out the benefits so don't do
it! The time will eventually come when I will want you to raise your effort but
it isn't now)
ourmaninthenorth - great recommendation there. I thought thesufferfest.com was a joke but have just placed an order and am downloading as we speak. Great stuff!
ourmaninthenorth - great recommendation there.
Wait until you've ridden either of them before you thank me..! 
thesufferfest is a guilty secret, why do i look forward to so much pain?
have a look at this website for turbo workouts - you can even upload your own
Ok scores on the doors – managed to stay on the turbo for 90 min at good a good steady pace 24kph ave HR144 (81% max hr) – found the last 15min very uncomfortable
breakneckspeed, how old are you?
50 this year - why
Just wondering as sometimes people may offer slightly bad advice on HR, Cadence etc without taking age into it. We are not all spring chickens 
I am like you, averaged 29 mph for 1 1/2 hours and my knackers were dead after 50 minutes. I have lowered the saddle 1/2" and pointed the nose up a little as well as having a small block of wood under the front wheel.
This has worked for me before so it may help you (worth a try).
I also purchased a portable dvd player as my trainer is in the garage so this helps the time go by and gives me some peace to watch what I want to watch for once.
Sounds like a well structured interval session lasting no more than 40 minutes will do what you need.
Mix it up, keep it fresh and throw in some climbs.
But what you need to ask yourself is, "Am I doing this to get fit or just to get some exercise"? As an inerval session is a lot of pain to go through just to have a bit of exercise.
Same as me,50 that is 
Man 90 minutes on the Turbo How!. Is there nowhere you can train safely on the road or any tracks?
I've wound mine right down to about 45 minutes, though very high intensity to the point of nearly passing out if I close my eyes....fun though in a kinky way.
What is your training for?
My local club in Milton Keynes has closed road training on Tuesday nights, you got anything like that?
Oldgit – I’ve got plenty of places to ride safely just out of the door – but tonight didn’t fancy taking out the full sus or the singlespeed as the snow is melting & I didn’t want to work too hard (also been full of cold of late so need to take it easy) – road rides are a bit tricky as well because of the snow
In a couple of weeks time I move into a more intense training phase – so lots of eye bleeding intervals and tempo rides
Managed to watch most of Inglorious basterds while sat pedalling away
Dimmadan – sessions are mixed up – I tend to start the week easy & build up the intensity – riding alternate days so as to get plenty of rest
Veriety is the spice of life.
I am just doing long distances to get my stamina back.
2 hours max on the trainer for me.
90 minutes? Pah! I've done 4 hours a couple of times. Watching films, but still dull dull dull dull dull...
90ish minutes is about my maximum at the moment, either watching films downloaded from Sky or DVDs.
Did a couple of 2 hour Zone 2 sessions at the weekend in the garage, cadance about 90-95 avg HR 133, very, very dull but not much choice as weather was not good for riding and I've at least another 4 weeks of base level training, bring on the pain 
Turbo training is hell. End of.
I used to have numb plums, but I also did on normal rides too. Now I've fixed my saddle position after endless changes of saddle, bar, stem, position and all, my arse is fine on the turbo too.
Get some bloody studded tyres and get out there. It's far far more enjoyable 
Do a Sweetspot sesh @ 80-85% of your FTP.
2x20 yada yada..
Thing is boredom is not the main problem – I have a TV set up on front of the turbo so can watch that or a TV – or I can pop the ipod on – for me it more a question of comfort – the bike is pretty comfortable out on the road and I regularly do 4 -5 hours rides without problems - For endurance (zone 2) session I prefer to take the SS for a run up the tow path and do an out & back – but in the current weather that not been that safe
Chamois cream, when on the turbo, sudocrem as soon as you are off the turbo, you tend to sit more statically when on the turbo as opposed to when you ride normally, plus you sweat a lot more, its a recipe for saddle sores/chafing/general discomfort in the saddle area
Echo what someone else said, get used to riding out of the saddle a bit, but do this as a preventative measure, its too late to start thinking about riding out of the saddle when you are already sore.
I know its sad but, I often do 2hr + sessions on the turbo (I have one of the Tacx Fortius Virtual reality trainers, which explains why I can fight of the boredom of riding the turbo more than an hour).
I am not saying that the above recommendation eliminate soreness, but it certainly helps.
have trained on the turbo, on and off for years. these days i'll probably stick to 4-6 weeks of regular sessions then give it a rest. main problem is saddle discomfort, i've tried several saddles and altered my position etc. i've just bought a selle smp hybrid (went for the cheap model to try them out) and have to say it is the best saddle i've used for turbo training. no numbness at all so i could just concentrate on the effort rather that shifting about trying to reieve pressure. occasionally the edges of it felt a bit sharp, but i'll take that instead of numbness.
I'd rather go out in slashing freezing rain than turbo. Really I would.
Bream -> is it me or are most of those videos less than a minute?
I'm considering getting one of these turbo thingies and a HRM to build base fitness for the London 2 Paris I'm doing in July, good idea?
I’ve used the turbo for several years now to a grater or lesser degree – usually work outs have been short-ish and relatively intense - mainly over the winter period – I find it very useful – that said there is no substitute for getting out there and riding.
I find that if I spend a lot of the winter on the turbo my skills (road & off road) are rubbish come the spring and take a few weeks to come good
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