Cycling
Endurance cyclist Katie Kookaburra's top indoor training tips for beginners
The cold, and often rainy, weather at this time of year drives people to indoor training. Here Katie Kookaburra explains the benefits and gives her best advice for beginners.
If you're looking to get started indoor cycling – whether that's setting up a turbo trainer at home or joining a spin class – endurance rider and cycling YouTuber Katie Kookaburra is here to help you do just that. Katie clocked up 12,500kms last year, including riding from Land’s End to John o’Groats, on the back of a solid winter of indoor training, so is the perfect rider to offer advice to anyone new to training indoors.
The benefits of indoor training
"I first properly started using an indoor cycling plan last winter, and because of my regular indoor training, I went into summer much fitter than I did the previous season. It just really helps structure your riding and gives you something to work towards.
"I also think it’s much safer when it’s particularly cold outside or you’re strapped for time. Before I had my indoor turbo trainer, if the weather was bad, I was desperate to ride, I rode anyway. Unfortunately, I hit some ice and really hurt my wrist, which then led to a week or two off the bike. So now having the opportunity to ride indoors or attend a class means the weather isn’t really a factor in maintaining and building my fitness.
Spin class or turbo training?
"Depending on what your goal is, there are many different types of indoor cycling. If you want a regular class that is highly intensive, then signing up to somewhere like DigMe, Peloton or Pscycle, or a regular spin class, will kick-start your fitness. However, if you already have a bicycle, then you can purchase an indoor trainer (turbo trainer) for as little as £100. You can fix the back wheel of your bicycle to the trainer and off you go! I use a smart trainer, Elite Drivo II, which mimics road gradients by adjusting the resistance, giving me a bit more from my sessions.
Turbo training indoors is a good way to pass those cold winter nights
© Tacx
What should I wear?
"Although I have a fair amount of riding gear, I have my favourite pieces for indoor riding. I prefer to go for padded cycling shorts, such as the Shimano Sumire shorts, rather than bib-shorts when I’m riding indoors, because I don’t like having sweaty straps on my shoulders, especially if I’m in and out of the saddle. Do you really need padded shorts? Yes! Well, fitted padded shorts are much better than a pair of leggings as they protect you from saddle sores. Just remember that you don’t need to wear underwear with these.
"I will also wear a sports bra with a thin, moisture-wicking, comfortable jersey on top to prevent too much sweat run-off. The back pockets of a cycling jersey are really handy to pop your phone or keys in, if you are at a gym.
"There is also a real benefit to wearing cycling specific shoes as cycling shoes enable you to clip into the pedals. This makes riding and climbing specifically much easier, as you can push and pull on the pedals."
Example turbo sessions
"During the winter, indoor riding makes up the majority of my training, especially when the weather is bad or if I’m pushed for time. I use a range of sessions that help improve my base endurance fitness and some shorter sessions that help lift my overall power. I will do three or four sessions a week such as the following:
(1-5 Effort: 1 = Easiest, 5 = Hardest)
EXTENSIVE TEMPO (one hour):
- Warm-up: 20 minutes gradually raising my watts to 210 (1: Easy, can talk comfortably)
- Effort: 40 minutes ranging between 220-240 watts (2-3: Harder the longer I am in this zone)
- Cooldown: 5 minutes easy spinning (1: Recovery)
EXTENSIVE SWEET SPOT (one hour):
- Warm up: 20 minutes gradually raising watts to 210 (1: Easy)
- Effort: 3x 12 minutes high effort (4: Could say a few words but pretty hard to have a full conversation)
- Cooldown: 5 minutes easy spinning (1: Recovery).
ENDURANCE (90 mins):
- A ‘freeride’ outside with my club. This is a steady pace (1-2: Can hold a conversation). You can also do this inside.
How to stay fuelled
"Don't underestimate how much hydration you'll need when you ride indoors, try and drink as much as you would when training outdoors. Getting plenty of fluids when exercising aids recovery, as well as helping you sleep better. The reason you may feel sore and stiff is because fluid isn’t flushing out the lactic acid in your muscles. I also have a drink containing electrolytes [to help regulate the body’s fluid balance.] After a workout, I generally eat potatoes or rice with veggies to replenish my carbs."
Sweet potato is a great source of starchy carbs
© Wikimedia
How to stay motivated
"I generally use Zwift, a virtual cycling simulator to run my sessions, and help pass the time. There’s a huge community of other ‘zwifters’ out there and even virtual races to compete against each other. If I don’t use Zwift, then I usually stick on a podcast or a playlist that mirrors my session. Top tip: cycling documentaries are a great way to boost motivation while on the bike."
For more turbo-training tips, check out Ride Shimano's guide on what to wear when riding indoors.