Riding climbs indoors isn't the same as scaling a mountain - here's how to ensure your hard work pays off outside

Grinding up virtual climbs may not carry the same physiological benefits as scaling mountains, but the differences can be overcome - cycling coach Andy Turner explains

training indoors vs training outdoors on climbs
(Image credit: Future)

With a lot of riders now opting for training indoors when the weather gets wet, cold, windy and otherwise wintery, it may be easy to think that all those hours of training on the turbo will directly translate to performance out on the road. A lot of it does, but there are a few outdoor aspects that are very hard to replicate indoors. The big one, and one which a lot of us want to get better at, is climbing.

The problem with climbing indoors vs outdoors is that several elements can be very easily lost when migrating onto the turbo.

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1