How to train professionally with an indoor bike trainer

Indoor cycling rollers have for years been one of the most popular alternatives among professional cyclists who choose to carry out their training at home without the need to organize routes and travel with the vehicle to the nearest mountain passes. Training with a cycling trainer has a lot of advantages, especially for improving your performance. However, there are a few things to keep in mind. Cycling experts explain how to train with a bike trainer in a professional manner.

Indoor cycling training has become enormously popular in recent years, and this is due to the progress made in the devices that make it possible to carry it out, as is the case of indoor cycling rollers. These, as clarified from the sector, can be of various types, as is the case of smart rollers, direct drive rollers and rollers rollers (or balance rollers). Each of them has specific features that combine with the feeling of realism of these devices, as is the case of the rollers of the prestigious brand ZYCLE, one of the most popular in the indoor cycling market and one of the most used by professionals in their workouts. ZYCLE has the ZPro, ZDrive and the current addition of RooDol by ZYCLE rollers. The latter also allows cyclists to warm up in a practical and simple way on any terrain in the moments prior to any route or competition.

The choice of the type of trainer is therefore the first thing the user should pay attention to when carrying out indoor training, emphasize the professionals. However, they remind us to focus on other aspects, such as proper hydration, the use of cycling simulators, ventilation of the site, optimization of training and a commitment to fun.

Hydrate properly to recover lost fluids

Indoor cycling training usually lasts from 45 minutes to 60 minutes, approximately, and the cyclist usually sweats considerably, according to the sector. To prevent the body from entering a state of dehydration it is essential to hydrate properly, so it is recommended to drink water or a drink with electrolyte during the session at intervals of 15-20 minutes. As well as drinking before and after training to prepare and stabilize the body, respectively. Proper hydration during the session will also allow the cyclist to perform optimally.

Cycling simulators for a more realistic experience

Apart from offering a more realistic cycling experience at home, cycling simulators help to motivate the professional cyclist, keeping his or her focus on the track and working correctly with the recommended level of effort and intensity in each of the sections of the mountain pass climb. In addition, training is much more fun and practical, and for this reason it is advisable to work with some of the most popular simulators that, on the other hand, have a large number of tracks to be altered over time -these are updated periodically-. Some of the most popular simulators on the market are: Rouvy, Bkool, Best Cycling, Kinomap, Who Ohs and Fulgaz.

Pay attention to the ventilation of the area

Ventilation plays a very important role in an indoor cycling session. According to some studies, the ideal temperature of the room should be around 20ºC, but in order to maintain it and keep the increase in temperature low, it is recommended to install air extractors or air conditioners in the room. Using the roller in rooms with high ceilings also favors a lower relative humidity, which improves thermoregulation by providing more cubic meters of air. On the other hand, if you do not want to make a large investment, it is advisable to install fans as they generate an air flow in a simple and economical way favoring thermoregulation. It should be taken into account that the increase of the temperature in the room is related to an increase of the HR (Heart Rate) which, in some cases, can be counterproductive in training, as well as causing serious problems.

Optimizing your training in a professional way

Choosing a quality trainer is essential for proper training, as is training with a professional cycling simulator. However, this is not the only thing, according to professionals in the sector. To optimize training in a professional manner, you must pay attention to the data and parameters and interpret them. In this way, the cyclist will be able to monitor his results and, if necessary, make any adjustments if he detects that he is failing in any important aspect. On the other hand, they remind us that the performance of an indoor trainer is greater than a training session on the street, so the duration of the sessions should be shorter. This is due to the fact that with a roller, time is maximized because there are no irregularities in the terrain and no stops, among other things. In fact, it is for this reason that many elite cyclists combine their races with roller training.

Roughly speaking, the time spent on the roller is twice as effective as the time spent on asphalt. Therefore, avoid overtraining by adjusting and optimizing your workouts as much as possible.

Fun as a starting point

Cycling, like any other sport, should be done with the intention of enjoying every moment, experts stress. This is not incompatible with improving performance and surpassing records since, they add, you can bet on fun to achieve your goals. In fact, fun and motivation are closely interrelated, they stress, and are the perfect formula for not failing in the attempt and enjoying each session to the fullest.