Turbo Training in the Living rooms - Any risks?

Being in the garage is a good place for me to come up with an excuse not to use it...  Cold, nothing to do but cycle...  So I decided I could move the turbo into my livingroom, have the TV on or a DVD as I cycle away...  But are there any risks that could get me killed by the wife?  Oil off the cassette on the carpet?

Does anyone / has anyone tried this.  If so any tips to prevent me from a sudden death from the turbo!

Comments

  • i got carpet so i got an area that I put down laminate floor and a massive drip tray - sorted, but i still dont use it as much as i should image 

    its going to be the vibrations/noise if anything thats annoying, i turbo while the OH is in bed, the bedroom is far enough away for her not to hear the whirring, grunting and crying and coach troy  

     

  • I prefer just to keep it set up in the garage - it's not fun but for 55-60 minutes once or twice a week over winter it's doable and I find the fact I'm sat in a freezing garage motivating to work hard.   If you are turboing indoors a massive fan will be a necessity - otherwise you'll just be overheating and thinking you are working hard because you are sweating lots.   

  • Turbo isnt meant to be fun and if you can concentrate on TV or DVD then your arent working hard enough.
    Lock yourself away in the garage, less distractions = harder work

     

  • I have a sad story about the risks involved in using rollers in your kitchen in winter, it ends with a red face, bruises & a bent front wheel. And I then bought a Turbo.

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Yes, use of electric fans will alleviate much of the sweat. Prefer to use an indoor cycle machine as I can't be bothered to have to set up the turbo trainer etc.

    🙂

  • H0NKH0NK ✭✭✭

    I use mine in kitchen, sweat and oil on the floor afterwards so wouldnt want to use on carpet without putting something down first.

    a turbo training DVD or film (i have a couple of sufferfest downloads) motivates me to work much harder than i do without one as well as being enjoyable. 

  • electric fan is a must.you could put done a gym/ exercise mat underneath to catch any excess sweat..........

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    Couldn't you put a tv/dvd player in the garage?

  • Couldnt you just go out on your bike ?

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    Good thinking Carter (it's what I'm doing, so I should have thought of that!)

  • Well done Wilkie, you are hardcore compared to these softies who want to stay indoors ! image

  • TRTR ✭✭✭

    none meant, but if you find it cold and boring in the garage the maybe you are in the wrong game. Lots of triathlon training can be cold and boring. It can be pretty cold at times, but theres not many days/year when you dont warm up pretty quickly. Like popsider said you probably need to concentrate on some sort of session which will help you pass the time.
    I have a 2hr top limit on the turbo (which is in the garage - no TV either) but make sure that I work quite hard and always do some sort of session/chase HRs. 

  • Will you be bothered to set it up in the living room ?



    Sounds like hassle to me.

    Also it's going to annoy your wife.

    And it will be too hot. I turbo in the cold garage and I still need a fan to cool me down.

    The risk of sweat and oil stains and bits of rubber is also high



    And if you have any pets/kids - keep them away from it.



    Basically it's a bad idea.
  • I've turboed in both garage and lounge. I have to say the turbo in the lounge was vile. As that part of the house has heating, it was just way too hot and uncomfortable which meant I didn't work hard enough.



    In the garage I set up the ironing board in front of the turbo with the iPad on and I watch telly or DVDs. I dispute that this makes it easier as I have sufficient technology to tell me what my HR and cadence are (can't afford a power meter) to ensure I'm not just sitting and spinning.



    Obviously nothing replicates being outside like being outside but if its very early morning, appalling weather or there are time issues I think they have their place.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭

    impressive multi-tasking there, doing the ironing whilst turbo-ing !

  • With the family out, I've been known to spend (not a boast, simply the truth) up to 5 hours on the turbo in the living room.  As long as I had a couple of fans on me with the bike sitting on a large exercise mat to prevent any sweat or oil going onto the floor, my other half was fine with the situation.

    That said, I've now moved all the gear into the garage to save on the hastle, if you can really call it that, of putting all of the bits together and then taking them apart again each session.

    I'm sure one of the popular IM books, I think it's "Going Long" mentions putting the Turbo in the front room or even a play room so an athlete can get the training miles in the legs while also spending some quality time with the family.  Somehow I cant really see that working, do you?

  • What kind of effort are you putting in for a 5 hour stint ?
  • Depends.  They can often be all spent within the endurance power zone or perhaps I try to mimic a race situation.  

    For example, when training for the Marmotte sportive, I would aim to ride at a given power / cadence for a time that I would expect to cover a given set of climbs:

    - 15 min warm up

    - 80 mins @ 250 watts (Glandon)

    - 20 mins rest 

    - 50 mins @ 245 watts (Telegraphe)

    - 20 mins rest

    - 90 mins @ 240 watts (Galibier)

    - 30 mins rest (Just over 5 hours in total)

    Another example would be a session spilt within the endurance power zones with perhaps a 3 x 20 mins at 89% / 94% of my functional treshold power such as this ride form last year: http://lamarmotte2012.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/extreme-turbo-action-5-hours-100-miles.html

    To be honest - 100% of my winter sessions on the bike through to April / May will be on the turbo or rollers. 

  • Garage, like the peace and quiet away from everyone, set up lap top and suffer away.

  • we haven't got a garage so its the living room...............but working to HR so doesn't matter really.....watching tv/dvds works but then i wouldn't / couldn't do a long session on it..........

    hubby uses it for a 30 min easy cycle after his long runs as a way to cool down and to extend the session without risking injury of running longer

     

  • I'm new to this, but found a DVD to be pretty much essential. Thankfully I bought a turbo with a digital display screen for interesting numbers. Every 15 minutes I'll throw in a 3 minute climb and get out of the saddle.
    My set up is in the garage, but it faces a window, and that's where it will stay.

  • If you get in the way of the telly when an important programme is on, you'll be killed outright!................just saying....image.

  • I use mine in the living room with an exercise mat underneath to collect any sweat etc. I tend to use it early morning before the heating comes on, and manage without a fan, sometimes I open a window for a bit of air and to cool things down. 

    today I turboed in the afternoon and my youngest son came and sat to watch me and the sufferfest video! You do need to be careful of the kids messing around near the rear wheel though, wouldn't want any nasty accidents. I do put the bike back in the shed though and don't leave it set up in the living room

  • I turbo in the loft, nice and cool and out of everyones way. Have speakers that I hook up to my iPhone and listen to podcasts. I found DVD watching tricky as room is at a premium and the only place for the screen meant craining my neck to see it.

     

    Downside is I can't easily take my bike off the turbo and out for a ride as I have to take the wheels off to get it through the loft hatch.

     

  • I think if I set my turbo up in the living room it would end in divorce.

    Mines in the shed.  It's cooler in there anyway.  Tri bars hold the ipad and I can spin away while watching something.

    Must admit though I do try and get out on the bike as much as possible this time of the year.  Turbo training bores me to death and lets not start on treadmill running....

  • Tricialitt your right she wasn't happy...  Hagakure..  I feel that if it stays in the living room you might be right, so back to the garage but with new motivation!!!

  • I used mine again in the living room......with fan.had to get the son to put the TV louder because of the noise of the fan and turbo............and fetch me diet coke half way throughimage

    You lot need to get your partners into triathlon.........I'm sure mine will one day if i leave the bike out enoughimage

  • seren nos...  I love the thinking BUT I am having to prevent my OH from running or cycling as she has a prolasped disc...  Think the turbo in the living room was more of a torment...

  • I just caught a repeat of 24 hours in A&E about a young lady who was admitted suffering leg pains after her first spinning class.



    She was sent up to the renal ward as her kidneys were having trouble removing the toxins from her overworked thigh muscles.



    Following morning she had to have surgery to cut away the worst affected bits of muscle - probably not the risks you were thinking about but it's put me right off spinning.
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