Entertainment on the "nowhere bike"

[redrhodie]

I would love to watch movies (especially Zombie flicks!) but my trainer is in the bedroom, and there's no tv in there. So, I amuse myself with music. I also try different things on the trainer. Lately, I've been trying to balance for 10 seconds while standing on the pedals with no hands. I do this at the beginning or end of my workout, just for fun. I've also been riding no hands from the drops and hoods (from either position, I take my hands off the bars for maybe 10 revs, then put back on for 10, without changing my body position). It's a fun way to break up the time. I also do a lot of single leg pedaling and standing (not no hands!).

That makes the first half hour go by fast. Then it gets boring, and I move on to the stability ball. The thing I like most about the trainer is I'm more inclined to do some other stuff (like weights and core work) that I won't do after an outdoor ride.

[TsPoet]

Audiobooks. Unfortunately I'm half-way through the last Harry Potter book, I don't know what I'm going to do when I have no more Potter to listen about.
I pedal slowly when I listen to books, though. The only way to keep my pace up is using broadcast TV and doing "commercial sprints" or Spinnervals.
Commercial sprints are just about right for me; 2-4 min of sprinting, 10-15 min of keeping a reasonable steady pace, 2-4 min of sprinting... Sometimes I had a "climb" when a certain character is on screen and set a high gear until they are off screen.
It's not the show that counts, but the bike mental games instead.

[tulip]

My heart rate monitor keeps me entertained...that and some very loud salsa!

[zoom-zoom]

Audiobooks. Unfortunately I'm half-way through the last Harry Potter book, I don't know what I'm going to do when I have no more Potter to listen about.

I LOVE audiobooks...that got me through the longest runs while training for 3 marathons. I "read" all of David Sedaris' stuff, as well as Chelsea Handler's books. Though laughing out loud really makes the legs turn to jello.

[lo123]

I do the 'Glee' workout watching it on Hulu (not now though since there's no new episodes).

• Warm up during the 'previously on Glee'
• Cruise or do single leg drills during normal dialog
• Sprint through commercials
• Up the resistance and climb when they're singing.

I've recently started watching Dexter through Netflix On-Demand, but I haven't found a good routine with that show yet. At first I thought I'd sprint through crime scenes, but that proved to be a bit much.

[TsPoet]

I've recently started watching Dexter through Netflix On-Demand, but I haven't found a good routine with that show yet.

Try swear words. I sprint from f*** to any other 4 letter word. I climb from s*** to any other 4 letter word...
That works pretty well for a completely random ride session. The sprints are sometimes ~2 pedal revolutions.

[malkin]

I started listening to music regularly after I fell off the rollers while trying to remember the Lord's Prayer in Norwegian. I got stuck on the '...Forgive us our debts" (or sins or tresspasses) part and wiped out in the hall.

[ny biker]

At home on the trainer I have to be watching a spinning tape. Regular tv or movies don't do it for me unless I'm just softpedaling.

If I use the stationary bike at the gym, I leave the tv off and just listen to music. I pick a good song and repeat it over and over.

Either way, I find doing intervals is the best way to make the time go by. Always easier to focus on 2 minutes than 45 or 60.

[gnat23]

Try swear words. I sprint from f*** to any other 4 letter word. I climb from s*** to any other 4 letter word...
That works pretty well for a completely random ride session. The sprints are sometimes ~2 pedal revolutions.

This is hysterical, I love it! Unfortunately, the only thing I could think of then was trying to do the same trick for Deadwood and dying of exhaustion.

-- gnat!

[channlluv]

Audiobooks. Unfortunately I'm half-way through the last Harry Potter book, I don't know what I'm going to do when I have no more Potter to listen about.

I love audiobooks, too. DD and I listened to the Harry Potter books on our cross-country drive two summers ago, and for a similar trip last summer, we bought the entire Tamora Pierce catalog from Audiobooks.com. I highly recommend them, but listen to the various trilogies and quartets in order, because they share characters and they are progressive. I think we've listened to a dozen or so books by now. They're fantastic. Full of strong women warriors and leaders.

We're almost through them now. I want to write to Pierce and ask her to write faster.

Roxy

[PinkBike]

I'm with Thorn - I have Spinervals or CTS on one portable DVD player with the sound low, and a race video on the other. Right now I'm going thru last year's spring classics, it's just nice to reduce the monotony.

[andtckrtoo]

I love audiobooks, too. DD and I listened to the Harry Potter books on our cross-country drive two summers ago, and for a similar trip last summer, we bought the entire Tamora Pierce catalog from Audiobooks.com. I highly recommend them, but listen to the various trilogies and quartets in order, because they share characters and they are progressive. I think we've listened to a dozen or so books by now. They're fantastic. Full of strong women warriors and leaders.

We're almost through them now. I want to write to Pierce and ask her to write faster.

Roxy

LOVE Pierce!!

I just do Spinervals, although I usually rock out to different music. Right now I'm into Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. I simply cannot pedal soft to swing.