{"id":55937,"date":"2023-10-26T12:00:53","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T10:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=750963"},"modified":"2023-10-26T13:35:31","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T11:35:31","slug":"jack-evans-indoor-cycling-is-boring-and-thats-the-way-i-like-it","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/jack-evans-indoor-cycling-is-boring-and-thats-the-way-i-like-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Jack Evans | Indoor cycling is boring and that\u2019s the way I like it"},"content":{"rendered":"

The gamification of turbo training removes some of its benefits <\/p>

By Jack Evans\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 26 October 2023 at 10:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

As indoor cycling becomes more \u2018fun\u2019, I want it to stay boring.<\/p>\n

The popularity of Zwift\u2019s virtual worlds suggests I\u2019m in the minority. And (to my chagrin) it may well be, as Simon von Bromley argues, that gamification is the future of indoor cycling<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It is good that indoor cycling no longer means slogging away on the rollers with only a thudding techno beat to distract you from supra-threshold purgatory.<\/p>\n

But what\u2019s fun is not always good for fitness.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll explain why I hope training-focused alternatives remain to increasingly gamified, \u2018realistic\u2019 indoor cycling.<\/p>\n

The gamification of indoor cycling is futile<\/h2>\n
\"Dutch\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Should indoor training attempt to recreate the reality of riding on the road?<\/span><\/figcaption> ROBIN UTRECHT\/ANP\/AFP via Getty Images<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The attempts of clever software designers to make indoor cycling apps<\/a> more engaging and lifelike are wasted on me.<\/p>\n

And not for lack of trying on my part. I\u2019ve done Zwift racing<\/a>, explored RGT Cycling<\/a>\u2019s virtual worlds and grovelled through simulations of WorldTour races on Wahoo SYSTM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But when I jump on my smart trainer, I\u2019m not looking to replicate the reality of riding on the road or trail.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m avoiding real-world variables that make producing steady power difficult outside.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want to steer past other virtual cyclists or ride through virtual worlds as if I\u2019m an animated character in a budget noughties computer game.<\/p>\n

I just want to train in a structured and effective way.<\/p>\n

So, after all that experimentation, I\u2019ve settled on the exceedingly spartan TrainerRoad<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Structured workouts and adaptive training plans<\/a> are all TrainerRoad does (plenty of human coaches are sceptical about the efficacy of its \u2018AI-coaching\u2019 but that\u2019s a topic for another time).<\/p>\n

Gimmicks such as virtual worlds, tron bikes, power-ups and special jerseys are cast aside.<\/p>\n

If using TrainerRoad resembles any reality, it\u2019s the grey, grainy footage from an old East German propaganda film showing young hopefuls spinning on rollers, staring at the gymnasium wall.<\/p>\n

Because I think the platform is far more effective for training than its competitors, I can abide its lack of stimulation \u2013 the end justifies the means.<\/p>\n

Back from reality<\/h2>\n
\"This\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
The presence of other people\u2019s avatars can defeat the objective of endurance riding indoors.<\/span><\/figcaption> BELGA\/AFP via Getty Images<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

In my experience, many features designed to make apps more lifelike undermine the benefits of indoor cycling<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now, you may be better disciplined than me.<\/p>\n

But when I ride up behind another cyclist on the open road, I struggle to resist the urge to increase my effort. Hills have the same effect on me.<\/p>\n

While base training<\/a>, surges above zone 2 of your training zones<\/a> are what you\u2019re trying to avoid.<\/p>\n

To do so, I try to rein in my competitiveness and avoid undulating terrain on my outdoor aerobic development rides. Or I turn to the even more controlled environment of my pain cave<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So the presence of other riders\u2019 avatars and climbs on the likes of Zwift are exactly what I\u2019m trying to avoid while working on my cycling endurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can of course do structured workouts on Zwift<\/a>. But the banner above your avatar\u2019s head that signals you\u2019re doing one suggests you\u2019re an outlier.<\/p>\n

\"Zwift\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
While doing a structured Zwift session, you\u2019ll be in the minority.<\/span><\/figcaption> Zwift<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Many more Zwifters are doing unstructured \u2018free rides\u2019. Or, what you could call riding around aimlessly without achieving any physiological goals, such as improving VO2 max<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Whereas on TrainerRoad, I tap away at the prescribed power output, turning my heartbeat up with only the drip of my own sweat and a Northern Soul playlist to distract me.<\/p>\n

Without the temptation to chase after other avatars, I don\u2019t spend too long in the dreaded physiological \u2018grey zone\u2019 of zone 3.<\/p>\n

This moderate intensity level is fatiguing relative to its fitness benefit. So, excessive tempo riding<\/a> is a common cause of indoor training burnout and possibly overtraining<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Real riding can be boring too<\/h2>\n
\"red\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Sometimes cycling on a seemingly unending road is as interesting as staring at one of these.<\/span><\/figcaption> Getty<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

In Jenny Graham\u2019s account of her record-breaking round-the-world ride, Coffee First, Then the World<\/em>, she describes taking on the Eyre Highway.<\/p>\n

Nicknamed the \u201890-mile straight\u2019 for good reason, the road runs for 145.6km between Western and Southern Australia across the tree-less Nullarbor Plain.<\/p>\n

Sounds pretty dull, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

Well, in preparation, Graham rode on a turbo trainer with a map of Nullarbor hanging in front of her to visualise \u201cticking off the kilometres\u201d.<\/p>\n

She geed herself up for the mind-numbing crossing by telling herself: \u201cNothing will ever be as monotonous as riding a stationary bike while staring at a brick wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Nullarbor\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
The Nullarbor Plain was plain boring to ride across, and indoor training helped Graham prepare.<\/span><\/figcaption> Getty<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

This is an extreme example. But those of us not planning to circumnavigate the globe by bike in 124 days can still learn from it.<\/p>\n

Any sustained effort on the bike can become boring. The mind can wander during time trials <\/a>and audaxes <\/a>alike.<\/p>\n

To develop a mental strategy, nothing beats doing the real thing.<\/p>\n

But I find relatively monotonous indoor cycling good preparation for the duller moments of a long ride.<\/p>\n

In this scenario, I divide the daunting, remaining distance or time into chunks to make it seem more manageable.<\/p>\n

I use the same strategy to break down a prolonged block of endurance riding on my smart trainer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a loner who loves solo riding. If you\u2019re not though, unsociable indoor cycling apps more closely replicate the loneliness of the long-distance cyclist.<\/p>\n

More tuned in<\/h2>\n
\"Jack\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Free from gamified distractions, it\u2019s easier to concentrate on your effort.<\/span><\/figcaption> Chris Teagles <\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

At the more explosive end of the sport, hill climb racing<\/a> demands intense concentration to maintain steady power when lungs and legs are stinging.<\/p>\n

My minimalist approach to indoor cycling<\/a> has helped me hone this requisite focus and attuned me to how hard an effort feels.<\/p>\n

Looking out for hazards and taking in the surroundings on the road distracts you from your exertion.<\/p>\n

This is true to a lesser extent in a virtual cycling world, where the virtual landscapes and gamification gimmicks are also distracting.<\/p>\n

This is good when you want the time to seem to pass faster, but it\u2019s less advantageous if you want to pay keen attention to the relationship between power and heart rate<\/a> and rating of perceived exertion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Doing high-intensity interval workouts<\/a> on a pared-back indoor training platform has improved my pacing.<\/p>\n

I have a better idea of what, for example, 450 watts feels like \u2013 in the oxygen-starved, tunnel vision of a hill climb you can\u2019t always read your power meter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Less paraphernalia, fewer excuses<\/h2>\n
\"Wahoo\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
The added complexity of the Wahoo Kickr Move (and all its accessories) doesn\u2019t appeal to me.<\/span><\/figcaption> Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Getting layered-up for winter cycling<\/a> takes longer and can reinforce the mental barrier to heading out into the cold, wet and dark.<\/p>\n

Jumping on the turbo trainer can require a lot less motivation \u2013 as long as your setup is simple.<\/p>\n

Call me a technophobe, but I hate the hassle of connecting an electronics shop\u2019s worth of devices to my Wahoo Kickr Core<\/a>. All I need for indoor training is my phone and heart rate monitor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not worth projecting TrainerRoad\u2019s blue interval blocks onto a laptop or TV screen.<\/p>\n

\"TrainerRoad\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
The TrainerRoad workout screen is no spectacle.<\/span><\/figcaption> TrainerRoad<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

My view through the windows onto my street is more engaging than the aforementioned east German gym wall.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t need a keyboard, headset or handlebar-mounted controller<\/a> to speak to strangers sweating in solidarity in different time zones.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t need to mess about with a riser block, steering or rocking device to mimic \u2018real\u2019 riding. I\u2019ll just go outside for that.<\/p>\n

Some turbo training accessories<\/a>, such as a trainer table, are useful. But so many diminish the convenience of indoor cycling: one of its principal attractions.<\/p>\n

Be careful what you wish for<\/h2>\n
\"Jack\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
\u2018Boring\u2019, structured indoor training has made me faster on the road.<\/span><\/figcaption> Halls Photography<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

I already think, and believe more people will soon do, that gamification is adding excessive complexity to indoor cycling.<\/p>\n

The possibility to do sustained, uninterrupted efforts will be lost as \u2018fun\u2019 features become unwanted distractions. This will lead those who train indoors to get fitter back to simpler forms of indoor cycling.<\/p>\n

Arguing in favour of gamified indoor cycling, Simon asks: how many of us would choose boredom over fun?<\/p>\n

Well, I would. Boring indoor training makes me fitter, faster and cycling in the real world a lot more fun.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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