Sandra is recovering from a sprained ankle and isn't ready for riding the bumpy roads and trails of Bonaire. So she's been riding on an indoor trainer with some cool computer software that I picked up online a number of years ago.
The computer shows video footage of some classic bike races in Europe and some really scenic off road rides in Moab, Utah. The computer is connected to the bike so the rider on the screen pedals faster or slower depending on how fast you ride on the trainer. There is also an onscreen display of your performance statistics. The computer also accepts input from a wireless heart rate monitor, so at the end of the ride you can chart your speed, and distance, and heart rate.
The software makes indoor riding a lot more interesting, and it's safer than riding out in the wild world as well. Of course, nothing is foolproof. Here is an interesting story from this past week's edition of the roadbikerider review newsletter.
One of the few positive things about training indoors is that you don't have to worry about crashing. Well, tell that to Bradley Wiggins, known as the "golden boy" of British cycling. He was doing an indoor workout on rollers (like a treadmill for bikes) and wound up with eight stitches in his forehead. According to cyclingnews.com, Wiggins, the Olympic pursuit champion, was wiping sweat from his face when the end of his towel dropped into the front wheel, jamming it and throwing him over the handlebar.
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