SHOULD YOU TRAIN HARD OUTSIDE OR IN?

Roads littered with leaves and twigs are a clear sign that winter is lurking. Even if you’re able to shrug off the worsening road conditions, there’s no ignoring that the clocks went back on Sunday, meaning it’s now dark by 5pm. Let’s admit it, riding outdoors is becoming less appealing – while the turbo or smart-trainer is becoming strangely alluring.

Not wanting to be labelled ‘soft’ or a fair-weather rider, the logical move is to start hammering out your hard sessions indoors; you can hit your interval targets far more accurately and you won’t be interrupted by road furniture, inclement weather or inconsiderate drivers. In terms of training benefit, is it OK to bring your intervals indoors until spring, or should you carry on doing at least some of your hard riding out in the real world?

If your season’s goal is to do well in outdoor races