Following a tough season of Triathlon comptetion for Nils Frommhold, the preparation and hard work now begins for next year. Winter training and preseason is now underway and we took a chance to talk with Nils about his training and his new tool, the IC7 Indoor Cycle.

The Nils Frommhold Interview

Team ICG: Nils, you train on the IC7 Indoor Cycle. What was decisive for you?

Nils: After my stress fracture a few years ago, I was convinced during my build-up phase of the advantages of Indoor Cycles. The technical features, such as the high-quality optics and the precise measurement of Watts on the IC7 were ultimately decisive for me.

Team ICG: What are the advantages for you training on the IC7?

Nils: When training on traditional Indoor Cycles, the bike sometimes "tips" with up to 1000 Watts to drive. Due to the IC7's sturdy construction I have no doubts, it allows me to concentrate on my body and the use of force in extreme loads to increase my maximum strength.

Team ICG: Why not limited role training?

Nils: When indoor training I don’t need to take any aerodynamic position, ie my back is in the correct posture. What is important is the maximum load capacity of the training equipment and the pedal stroke so that I can work on my technique. I can always control my training through the requirements of my coach, so it is better to stay in the correct power zones. For this purpose, the resistance is distributed using the "magnetic brake" and always uniformly as opposed to a conventional method for a racing bike. This is great for me.

Team ICG: How should an ambitious triathlete train on an Indoor Cycle during winter training?

Nils: In winter, the focus of the training should be in the basic endurance range, ie at about 70-75% of the maximum value. Since most triathletes tend to participate in serious events it is also advisable to ensure consistently high cadence (90-100 rpm). People who train frequently on an Indoor Cycle (from 3 workouts per week) may even have to leave their comfort zone and pick up some other training tools. For example this could be "minute sprints" with high cadence, or even a strength endurance unit of up to five minutes with a lot of resistance and low cadence (about 60 rpms). To check the units, I recommend a heart rate monitor. If you have an Indoor Cycle with Watt display, the training can also operate via the Watt display. This is a little more accurate because when pedaling, Watts measure the direct physical power that appears.

Team ICG: When will you start training outdoors again?

Nils: This of course depends on the weather. The last winter was relatively mild, so you already could go one way or another outdoors in January. In principle, I would say from 5 degrees plus gives you the "green light" for a short training session (up to two hours) outdoors. In the initial outdoor sessions, it must be ensured that the clean technique (high cadence, round kick), which has been worked on indoors, are maintained. With this, valuable gains can be saved later in the competition.

Team ICG: Thank you for the interview Nils, we wish you a successful and injury-free season for 2016

Nils: You're welcome and thank you. I too would like to thank at this point all of my "supporters" who have accompanied me through 2015. Hawaii was not easy for me and I was glad to have had so much support from friends and fans. To all of you I wish happy holidays, as well as a good preparation for the 2016 season.

Find out more about Nils and follow his progress at nils-frommhold.de

To find out more about how the IC7 Indoor Cycle can become your perfect training partner, visit our IC7 Section here