Got an hour?
Ergo training is horrible. However, it works. Maybe it’s raining. Maybe it’s dark. Maybe you’re injured. Maybe you only have an hour. Do an ergo session. Really, an hour is all you need.
I recently got a LeMond Revolution trainer, it’s by far the best ergo I’ve used, and makes things a little more bearable. It’s stable, you don’t feel like you have to buy a new tyre every week and it places far less stress on your frame than a traditional trainer.
Aside from setting up your ergo properly; music, fan and a towel to soak up blood, sweat and tears, having a standard set of sessions to choose from will help. I have found having a selection of tried and tested sessions to select from helps to avoid the common problem that people face when they get on the trainer; lack of focus and direction. Unlike on the road when we have training buddies or a destination, it is difficult to motivate yourself to get a meaningful session done. Having a selection of simple easy to remember sessions ready to go narrows the decisions you have to make. Choose one, get it done.
The following sessions are similar, but increasing intensity and differing purposes. I find that I usually need a 20 minute warm-up and 10 minute cool-down. More or less is fine if it works for you, but using this structure you can do a 30 minute main set and be on and off in exactly an hour. I don’t really stand up on a trainer, apart from a few short ‘leg stretchers’ during the warm up. It is difficult to simulate the biomechanics of standing, and it can be unstable or cause damage to your frame.
The sessions may look a little complex on paper, but once you nut them out they really are very simple. It helps to have a HR monitor, but if you don’t here’s a handy guide.
At 50% you should be able to talk freely without breathing hard, and be able hold it all day. This is walking.
At 70% you should be able to talk in sentences and hold it for some time, like the length of a long climb. This is like running.
At 90-100 % you should not be able to talk, except perhaps a swear word here and there. You should not be able to hold this for longer than about a minute. This is like sprinting.
See you on the other side of winter!
Session A: Strength
20 minute warm-up
10 minute easy spin at 50%
10 min progressive build
1 minute at ~80-90rpm in each gear from 53/25 down to 53/11 or similar
30 minute main set
3 repeats of
5 minute 53/11 strength – strong, smooth & still at ~ 50-60rpm
3 minute 53/15 spin – smooth and fast at ~ 100-110 rpm
2 minute 39/15 spin – easy recovery
10 minute cool-down
Session B: Road Race Simulation
20 minute warm-up
9 minute easy spin at 50%
11 minute pyramid
3 minutes at 60%
2 minutes at 70 %
1 minute at 80 %
2 minutes at 70 %
3 minutes at 60 %
30 minute main set
6 rolling repeats of the following 5 minute set:
3 minute building from 50% to 80% HR (choose gear and rpm)
Simulates climbing/pulling a turn
1 minute 90% seated (~100-110 rpm)
Simulates bridging a gap/following a move
1 minute 50%– spin for recovery
Simulates descending/sitting in
10 minute cool-down
Session C: Breakaway Efforts
20 minute warm-up
10 minute easy spin at 50%
10 min at ~70% HR
1 minute 39/15 at 100-110rpm
2 minutes 53/15 at 90-100rpm
1 minute 39/15 at 100-110rpm
3 minutes 53/15 at 90-100rpm
1 minute 39/15 at 100-110rpm
2 minutes 53/15 at 90-100rpm
30 minute main set
6 rolling repeats, choose a gear and aim for 90-100rpm
4 minutes at 80%
1 minute at 60-70%
10 minute cool-down