It’s important to note that the bikes we have at Full Pedal are different from your road, cross or mountain bikes. The reality is that outdoor cycling and indoor cycling are very different, however, there are some benefits to indoor cycling that will strengthen your outdoor riding. Indoor cycling is a great source to help train for events such as triathlons, long distance cycling events, and Ironman’s.
There are multiple benefits to training indoors that will help improve your outdoor performance.
In indoor cycling, you can maintain a higher watt output for a longer period of time because you don’t have the outdoor elements affecting your riding and/or preventing you from being able to hold the same wattage for the same period of time. For example, in the Reno area, there are a lot of mountains and it can become unrealistic to be able to hold a consistent watt output.
Another benefit of indoor cycling is that you can maintain an anaerobic state for a longer period of time. One of our Instructors, Jimmy, finds that he pushes a lot harder in class than on the road. We’re super glad to have had Full Pedal riders share with us that they are stronger on their hill climbs outdoors from what they are gaining in their indoor classes.
Instructor Jimmy uses Full Pedal indoor classes to train for his upcoming Ironman races to build up his cardiovascular endurance. He says, “there is no comparison to the 45-minute indoor class versus a 45-minute outdoor ride.”
Also, with indoor riding, you don’t have the environmental factors like wind, heat, cold, or the dangers of cars and traffic.
These are just some of the benefits we find when using indoor cycling to train for outdoor cycling. We want to know the advantages you see of indoor cycling and how it betters your outdoor cycling experience, share with us!
