Cycling indoors is a necessity for me. Living in Seoul I have many limitations/factors that make cycling indoors a must.
Weather is usually the main reason people cycle indoors, but unfortunately rain/ice/snow is not the only adverse weather we deal with, but also days when air pollution is too bad to train outside.
If I am being honest there are many days that I train indoors on the trainer even when the weather is perfect outside; the reason is simple but it trumps just about everything, FAMILY! Huh? What does family have to do with riding indoors or outdoors? The answer is simple, TIME! As a dad, one of the best things you can do is give your family your time.
So let’s say your cycling workout is 1 hour:
Indoor Trainer
Prep time = 5 min. Throw some cycling shorts on, fill up a bottle and ride. My bike stays set up on my trainer when I am not using it.
Cycle time = 1 hour, no stop lights, little to no interruptions, no traffic...etc Just good quality watts.
Clean-up = 5min. Wipe down sweat and jump in the shower. Bear in mind you also only have one pair of shorts and a towel to wash now.
Total time = 1hr 10min
Riding Outside
Prep time = 15+min. Put on my kit and make sure it matches. “Honey, where did you put those…” Find sunglasses and helmet, pump up tires, check gears, get water bottles, extra tubes, etc..
Travel time = ? Unless you are blessed to live in a cycling heaven most people have to travel or ride somewhere where they can actually get a decent workout in.
Cycle time = 1+ hours. Including stop lights and traffic.
Clean-up = 10-15min. Clean your bike, put away all your equipment. Now you have several sweaty items to wash.
Total Time = I’d say at least 1hr 40min and up depending on travel time.
If I do 3 workouts a week indoors, I just bought my family at least another 90 minutes of my time.
Time is not the only benefit of riding indoors:
Lack of interruptions
Constant resistance = more work in less time
Just being in the house makes your spouse feel better than not being there at all. * side note: if it doesn’t, then you should quit triathlons and seek marriage counseling…
I am fortunate to partner with Wahoo Korea and ride one of their Kickr indoor smart trainers. I will be writing more about the Wahoo Kickr soon but so far all I can say is, WOW! Stay tuned!