Whether you’re trying to get more fit, faster or simply better on a bike, the value of indoor cycling is huge. However, many cyclists still question whether indoor cycling actual helps cycling outdoors?
As it turns out, lots of cyclists turn to indoor cycling as a means of training for an actual cycling event – a sportive, cycle tour or triathlon, for instance. That’s because during the winter months, opportunities to get out on the bike are limited and indoor cycling is an intense cardio workout that builds both strength and stamina, and mimics the actions of riding a real bike.
Here are some more reasons why indoor cycling does indeed make you a better cyclist:
More Intense Cycling Experience
If you’ve done indoor cycling before, you’ll know what we mean when we say your heart will be thumping and sweat will be dripping. A lot of cyclists underestimate the intensity of an indoor cycling session. And the first time you do an indoor workout, you’ll be surprised just how tough it actually is.
The good news is, there are plenty of highly visual workouts you can do from your own home to guide you through a workout. So, for example, you can cycle through some iconic settings in America all from the comfort of your own living room.
All indoor cyclists feel shattered and exhausted after their first indoor cycling workout. However, the more you do it, the stronger and fitter you’ll become. Pushing yourself harder and faster will translate into better overall cycling performance.
The results of indoor cycling can be pretty staggering. Spinning through the winter months will significantly boost your cardio capabilities and leg power. You’ll see the benefits of this come spring when you’re back outdoors on the bike, cycling at speed, or going up tricky hills. Wait for the comment, ‘have you been secretly indoor cycling?’, when you pull away from friends on a tough uphill climb!
Indoor and Outdoor Cycling
Many cyclists already turn to indoor cycling in a bid to maintain fitness through winter and generally build leg strength throughout the year. The structured nature of indoor cycling means you can choose the type of workout you want to improve certain aspects of your cycling, for instance, hill climbing.
Whether it’s spinning on a gym bike or cycling in your home set-up, finding the right workout for outdoor cycling is important. Workouts range between endurance, strength, speed and heart rate interval training.
Workouts that focus on higher cadence help improve outdoor cycling endurance and speed, while those that focus on strength include intervals of higher resistance and mixed cadence. Therefore, your indoor cycling workouts can be focused specifically on your objective.
First Time?
It’s not just really keen cyclists who benefit from indoor cycling workouts, it’s also a really good way to improve your cycling performance for those just getting started. And it’s so easy to get started.
While following along to a structured workout, you can go your own pace and sit or stand as you want or need to. You control the resistance against your legs. You can ease off the pace when you need a breather. You cycle on your own bike, which you know fits you. You can wear your familiar cycling shoes. You can even pick the music. And that’s the beauty of indoor cycling.
It empowers you to own your workout, in a comfortable environment.
So if you want to improve your overall cycling performance or train specifically for your next cycling event/challenge, arm yourself with one of our killer cycling workouts and reap the rewards of indoor cycling. It’s a fundamental part of winter preparation for many professional athletes.