Indoor Cycling
Pros
- Convenience – no need to travel with your bike to a good cycling location if your trainer is set up at home or your gym is near by
- All weather – rain, snow, hail, cyclone, tornado…
- Safety – no traffic to contend with and it’s unlikely that your stationary bike is going to fall over on you.
- Controlled conditions – no traffic lights to stop at, no hills to climb unless you want them. This also allows you to target a specific heart rate or power output
- Entertainment – it’s safe to use your MP3 player when you don’t have to look out for traffic. That favourite TV show might be just a remote control away.
- Close to home – by this I mean close to your family allowing you to exercise after the kids have gone to sleep.
Cons
- Hot – you can get hotter due to no airflow (unless you have a fan on). Then again, maybe it’s cold and you want to get warm!
- Limitation of the trainer – not all trainers are created equal. Mag trainers can feel very different to cycling on a real bike, wind trainers a little more realistic (but with more noise). If you’re looking to buy a trainer, make sure you check out the pros and cons of each first. Gyms typically have indoor trainer bikes with their own characteristics. The trainer can also have a maximum resistance which you may find too easy to overcome.
- Boredom – staring at your lounge room wall can get a little dull. You can always use your music player or watch TV
Outdoor Road / Track cycling
Pros
- Sociable – getting out for a ride with your pals or your partner is a great way to spend some time together.
- Outside – you can’t beat that fresh air!
- Varied workout – if structured workouts aren’t your thing, the natural geography will provide you with varied challenges
- Natural cycling feel – riding a bike is just like… well, riding a bike
- Wind through your hair!
- Longer workouts – maybe it’s all of the pros above, but I enjoy taking longer rides on the bike outside.
Cons
- Less Safe – Contending with dangers such as road traffic, animals, other riders, track obstacles and gravity!
- Mechanical failures – flat tires, broken chains, buckled rims. These all seem to occur far from home
- Weather – it doesn’t always go your way. Wind, rain, too much sun exposure. The best laid plans for an outdoor ride can be ruined by it.
