AUTHOR: HAEMA NILAKANTA, STAMINA RACING COLLECTIVE X MACHINES FOR FREEDOM
A lot has happened over the last year. In response to horrific acts of police brutality against Black Americans in my home city of Minneapolis, a national movement rose to address the systemic racism and injustice in this nation. Globally we have also had to navigate through a pandemic resulting in prolonged isolation. The results of which have created moments of reflection, personal growth, and opportunities to improve as a society.
On a personal front, I decided in the midst of the Covid lockdown, social awakening, and the desire to create a stronger social-justice community here in Minneapolis, now was the time to pedal out of my comfort zone (pun intended). I logged into an intro zoom session where I met others based throughout the Twin Cities who were committed to social justice and were either devoted to or interested in getting involved in cycling. This led me to join a freshly formed Minneapolis based cycling team and non-profit, Stamina Racing Collective (now Stamina Racing Collective x Machines For Freedom, or SRC for short). SRC was formed to strengthen and diversify the pipeline of Femme/Trans/Women (FTW) and Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) riders in competitive cycling through mentorship, community development, and accessibility.
The team started in July of 2020 when outdoor road cycling in Minnesota was still possible (and enjoyable). However, as anyone who has been in the upper-midwest knows, summers go by quicker than they come and the cold sets in fast. Outdoor rides soon turned into indoor ones and those of us new to cycling set up our standard (aka non-smart) trainers to begin our winter training with online platforms such as Zwift.
Being new to the world of cycling and indoor training, I always wondered if I set up my standard trainer correctly. Did I tighten the bolt near the back enough to get the right amount of tension? Were my estimated power numbers even close to what they actually are? Could I really replicate what it’s like to bike up a hill indoors? More importantly, was I making enemies of my downstairs neighbors by generating so much noise biking inside? On top of these questions, a few months into my indoor training I’d also experienced at least three rear tire flats! I even tried to install one of those frustratingly hard blue trainer tires to reduce heat build up between my rear tire and the trainer cylinder.
With increased training, growing annoyance over blowing tires indoors, and desire for more precision, smart trainers were looking more and more attractive.
Queue Saris. I already knew of the company as I used their Bones 2-Bike bike rack but wasn’t familiar with their trainer options. Saris generously donated several H3 Direct Drive Smart Trainers to SRC. Each box they sent proudly displayed the message “bring your ride inside”. With the help of my teammate, a used cassette, and one crank wrench (not required but helped make the whole process go faster), we got my trainer set up in under 20 minutes.
Now all I had to do was plug this buddy in. Since the trainer comes with built in sensors, with a quick pedal, my Zwift session found my active trainer and I followed the steps to get it all ready. Everything was seamlessly displayed: cadence, speed, and power. Now in Watopia land I could actually feel those hills.
Feeling more connected with my training I could now push myself further. Whether it was a threshold workout to hit specific power levels or recovery rides where I could actually pick terrains that would reflect a relaxing ride outdoors (and not the -15 degree and ice covered road outside my window). An additional plus is how quiet the trainer is! I knew my basic trainer was loud, but didn’t realize how loud until I started riding on the H3 Direct Drive. My spouse even commented on it one evening when I first started using the smart trainer. He popped his head in the room wide eyed and stated, “whoa, this is so quiet, I can actually hear myself think again”.
I also started to learn more about ERG, trainer difficulty, and all the other tools I could leverage with this smart trainer. And I actually enjoy calibrating the trainer every week or so!
Now that the weather is warming up and the roads are finally ice free, I’m starting to ride outside again. However, during those cold and rainy days, or when I can only get on the bike late at night, I still mount my bike on the H3 Direct Drive. After some smart indoor training this winter season, I feel so much stronger and prepared for the racing season and my legs are ready for those hills.
Haema Nilakanta (she/her) is a member of Stamina Racing Collective x Machines For Freedom. Haema’s new to cycling, indoor training, and is learning tons along the way. You can follow the team and her journey on SRC’s website, Instagram, and Facebook pages.