Indoor Training...

[popeyespal]

Winter seems to be throwing a full court press on New England this year. I stopped riding outdoors just after the late December storm.

What sort of regimen do you average riders use to get ready for a tour when riding is not available?

I'm NOT a gym freak and am not able to dedicate multiple hours every day to going to a gym.
My tour is on a budget so buying one of those expensive floor stand things is out.

So it boils down to this....at home and minimal expense. Any ideas?

[DaveB]

Those "expensive floor stand things" needn't be expensive at all.  A plain wind fan or magnetic or (best) fluid resistance trainer can be had for quite reasonable cost as long as you don't insist on a lot of electronic and computerized enhancements.   

Performance has their "Travel Trac" fluid resistance trainer on sale now for $150 and a magnetic version  for under $90.  Either of these will give you a good workout. 

Fluid resistance trainers are more realistic in that the resistance is non-linear and increases faster than your "speed" which is what happens on the road.  Magnetic trainers are pretty much linear, i.e.. going twice as fast requires twice the effort.  Wind trainers are non-linear and very durable but NOISY.  Most of these trainers fold up to a small size for storage in the riding season. 

I have a Performance fluid resistance trainer set up with a dedicated older bike and use it on days when it is too snowy or icy to ride outside (nearly every day this January!) It has no computerized gadgets but can give me a very strenuous workout if I'm willing to put in the effort.  I do have a rear wheel pickup cyclometer (Cat Eye Astrale) on the bike so I can monitor my "speed and distance"  but that's my only instrumentation.

BTW, Even though a trainer does not damage your frame or fork, I recommend getting a dedicated trainer bike.  It protects your good bike from sweat and wear and tear on the drivetrain and tires and keeps it instantly available when a nice day occurs.   

The trainer bike can be anything that fits you at all well since weight and quality of the components are not important.  This is the perfect use for a cheap Craig's List special.

[Tandem4Rider]

What DaveB said...  I would add, though, that sweat impact can be minimized by simply placing a towel over the top tube.  Won't catch everything, but enough to make it easy to clean up when you're done.  I have the magnetic trainer - it's true it doesn't feel as real as fluid or riding, but beats nothing.  I also do a full range of weight lifting - don't get the impression I'm talking about power lifting, etc..., simple stuff to build and maintain strength.  Building cardio endurance for long climbs is important to me.  About two years ago I discovered the best cardio work is easily at hand for anyone and does not require much space or expense - jump rope.  It's also a good impact workout to help keep bones strong.

[mcparsons]

I think I qualify as an "average" rider.  I got a set of rollers off Craig's List this winter and have used them  almost daily for the past four weeks. The first week was rough as I could only manage around five minutes before grabbing the door jamb.  Now I can ride a full hour and can really feel the difference.  That got me believing in the need to work on other muscles and I've started doing some of these:  http://www.ultracycling.com/training/resistance_training1.html

I haven't been in a gym for 25 years (and it shows) but 30 min on the rollers and 20 min of strength routine 4 or 5 days a week has made a huge difference.  Haven't lost any weight but I feel great and sleep much better.

I paid $100 for the rollers and see them for that on CL all the time.

[shorecycler]

I have been spinning at the gym and just like the trainers, the sensation of riding just isnt really there. It is basically just going through the motions of pedaling and therefore only working/keeping loose the legs. With the rollers its nice because it utilizes the lower portion of your body with pedaling, your core (abs and back) to maintain balance and your upper body (arms and shoulders) to hold you up and stabilize your bars. With that being said, once I tried my friends rollers-spin got really old, really quick. Try the rollers first but be forewarned it does take some getting used to and keep in mind that my only advice for rollers is to just go for it, pedal up to speed and maintain it-once you start cruising you will realize what I mean.

PS SPRING AHEAD!Punxatawny Phil will tell us just how much longer we here on the East Coast have to endure winter, tomorrow.