[Closed] Trainer road? Alternatives?

I don’t use android but have a 1 month free trial code for TrainerRoad of you want to try it out at home with your kickr?

I'm really happy with TrainerRoad, and the stuff they have in beta test at the moment is cool (machine learning that tweaks your plan as you go based on performance).

You might want to look at xert, who have a bunch of workouts and plans and sufferfest (although I'm not sure if they have android yet).

This is a year old, but might help you find what you're after:

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/03/cycling-indoor-trainer-app-guide.html

Trainerroad is fine on android phone and tablet.

I've not used tablet for a good while but recall some inability to run two windows simultaneously, ie if you wanted to minimise TR and watch a race or something like that - but that could well have just been my tablet (a samsung one). But the functionality of TR itself was always fine.

I'd choose either zwift or TR and not think further than that tbh. I actually use both simultaneously but there's certainly no need for that, I just have the zwift subscription because I liked the racing.

I like the Sufferfest.

Do you not have a laptop you can run it on?

But yea, the lack of Android is annoying. Can't understand why, they're owned by wahoo so there's money behind them. It'd be nice to just pick a workout and click cast to tv, but nope, faff with laptops and wires.

Still, at least it's not zwift.......

If I could afford a smart trainer, I’d find the extra ££ for a secondhand iOS device to be able to run the sufferfest app. I run the app on a IPhone SE (1st gen) through an HDMI adapter to an old flat screen TV that someone wanted rid of. I find the sufferfest videos make it easier to get through the workouts than just grinding away to numbers on trainer road.

I prefer Xert to TrainerRoad
It’s cheaper- integrates outdoors workouts with training schedules
Can run via Garmin, iOS or Android

Bit different to TR in that you set targets and a selection of workouts are presented each day based on these choices; rather than having a plan mapped out weeks ahead. It lets you know if you are keeping up with your target - I really like this as it motivates me to train.

Most of the time the choices boil down to "what motivates you?".

For some, like me, just having a target to aim at is enough. Others need something more visual/entertaining. Nothing wrong with either approach you just need to know.

TR focus on training, their CEO has said that he isn't interested in "reinventing the wheel" and thus diverting engineering resources from their primary aim so recommends firing up your own entertainment should you so desire. They have an Android app, they've just updated both this and the iOS version.

TR (and Zwift, Sufferfest and all the others) should work with any "smart" trainer as the comms protocol is standard. Start up the app, pedal the trainer a bit so it broadcasts a signal and the app should find it; run whatever calibration is needed and you should be good to go.

I'm becoming a bit of a convert to Sufferfest from Zwift. Have an old MTB on a Kickr trainer.
Only do workouts as 'just going for a ride' indoors never appeals and I'm not into racing.

Tried all the main (PC based) training programmes when they were free during lockdown last year and gave all of them up as they either had intermittent connectivity issues on bluetooth and ANT+, or were just a bit boring.

During all that I must have inadvertently signed up to 12 months of Sufferfest and thought i'd try it again last week.

Seems to have been updated somewhat since I tried it last and the workouts that fit into a calendar and can be moved about is a great touch. On the MTB in season programme and so far it is great. Feels far more intuitive than any of the Zwift ones I did and the quirky videos and comments really do help pass the time.

Would recommend it for anybody looking to do a training programme and currently getting a bit bored on Zwift.

Well I got the free trial of TR courtesy of robbo up there, thanks robbo!

Currently a good few sessions in. It works well and I've got my set up sorted (probably need a more powerful fan though.)

I did the ramp test, it's set my FTP at 239 even though it was 219 last time I did a test and I've done much less riding recently.

Still think I would prefer sufferfest though, but I don't have access to anything other than Android so it's not an option really. Although I might price up a set up like ballsofcottonwool.

I contacted the help desk and the Android app is still in development. Been a long time that.

Still think I would prefer sufferfest though, but I don’t have access to anything other than Android so it’s not an option really. Although I might price up a set up like ballsofcottonwool.

I said it's a faff, but it's not actually that bad.

HDMI cable hanging out of the TV in the conservatory, fire up the software, press go on a workout and it auto pauses until you're on the bike.

Doesn't really need any more in-game control than that, it's not zwift. You just pedal till you puke or the laser goats get you.

I did the ramp test, it’s set my FTP at 239 even though it was 219 last time I did a test and I’ve done much less riding recently.

Depends on the test, the full Sufferfest 4dp test gives me a low MAP which is accurate (I can do threshold efforts, but any short excursion slightly above that kills me). Their ramp test puts it about 20W higher and makes "A Very Dark Place" almost impossible. I can sprint though. I'm a Z2 trapped singlespeeder 🤣.

I did the ramp test, it’s set my FTP at 239 even though it was 219 last time I did a test and I’ve done much less riding recently.

It's best not to think of FTP as some kind of inherent attribute that you have, rather just a point around which you can anchor your training and measure progress. Give some of the workouts a go with this FTP and if they're too much of a struggle (or too easy) then don't be afraid to adjust it to suit. I think TR have made this much easier by categorising the workouts with levels so you can get a good sense of how hard a workout should be: https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/introducing-workout-levels-a-new-way-to-understand-a-workouts-difficulty/

I’m not bothered about zwift, happy to just suffer a normal work out.

Well I've come into possession of an iPad recently so thought I'd give the free trial of zwift a go. I'm afraid I'm loving it!

I've got a cheap bike from Facebook market that's going to live permanently on the KIKR, it runs really smooth given its a 14 yr old bike!

Did the Ven Top challenge today, that was....... Fun!

Artist from that, done a few of the available routes, going to try some workouts and maybe follow a plan, see how I get on.

I like it a lot more than I thought I would! 🤓

If you like zwift then you should try racing, proper way to destroy yourself a bit more than usual. Sets off ridiculously fast then just seems to get faster.

Zwift works fine on Android.

I've had it running no issues on a basic Android tablet.

Im a big fan of Zwift, having recently bought a turbo to go in the garage, with a wall mounted screen and apple TV to run it on. Works a treat.

Im sure the others would work just aswell if not better, but not tried them.

Can't beat a savage Zwift race..
Best way to spend an hour during winter certainly.

a wall mounted screen and apple TV to run it on. Works a treat.

@dcwhite1984 so do you just log into the app directly through the Apple TV unit then? I've never used one so don't really know how that works. I'd kinda like to put a decent screen on the wall. Or would connecting the iPad via HDMI be just the same?

@dcwhite1984 so do you just log into the app directly through the Apple TV unit then?

@richardkennerley yep exactly that, download the app on from the app store and load it up like an ipad. I would assume that an ipad with hdmi would do the same thing.
However I don't own an ipad and apple TV was the cheaper option.

The problem with pretty much all of the online training subscriptions is that they pander to the audience that pays their bills.

If you undersrand the downsides of this, you can make your selection better.

All of the programs prescribe too much intensity and not enough volume (no TR, 2hrs at 85% is not going to leave you ready for vo2max the next day). SF does this by giving you 3/4 of your workouts in a week involving work over FTP, and Zwift does it by never programming in recovery weeks or rest. They mostly do this to keep you on the platform and not riding outside.

Sufferfest prescribe too much low cadence work (I suspect because varying cadence makes people feel like they're working harder than they are).

Zwift workouts feel like someone gave a monkey an interval typewriter and they're just thrown in there at random.

I gave up on racing when I was staying at a mates house and borrowed his elite turbo muin for a workout and suddenly found I could push 425w at sweetspot.

I gave up on racing when I was staying at a mates house and borrowed his elite turbo muin for a workout and suddenly found I could push 425w at sweetspot.

The Turbo Muin has a very specific ban in the more competitive echelons of Zwift racing. The rule literally says:

The Elite Turbo Muin (any generation) shall not be used in any race

@thisisnotaspoon

Fair one - though I wonder how much the usual weekly races are policed. Equally - my favero assiomas can be physically told to offset power by a given percentage in the Hardwear. I could just slap them up 30 percent and smash mvdp.

Even if I didn't do this, there is c. 30-45w disparity in power output across my four power meters at threshold, more above.

What's the point?