It’s no secret The Sufferfest’s training videos are our current favorite, so we’re pretty stoked to get the exclusive pre-review opportunity.
If you ride the trainer at all and you’ve never watched one of their videos, you’re just making things harder on yourself. Let’s face it, riding the trainer blows. Unless you’re watching The Sufferfest. We’ve been using their vids to stay sane since they first came out.
The latest is There is No Try. It’s an ascending interval program that gets harder throughout each interval. Combine that with minimal rest time and a combination of high and low cadence efforts and you have the makings of a solid 54 minute workout. But is it as good as their other vids?
In many ways, it’s better. The video quality is higher resolution, for one. It also has cadence (90) and intensity (8.25/10) reminders on screen at all times. We all know how easy it is to drift off and drop cadence and effort on the trainer. This makes it less likely. Not foolproof, but just less likely. (Note: The play/pause overlay isn’t on the video, it’s just there when I pause it on my computer)
It also pops up with countdown timers as the intervals wind down, which is helpful in keeping the intensity high as they progress, particularly on the longer ones in the middle.
Content-wise, There is No Try is likely to be a gift that keeps on giving. After the first use, I realized how much harder I could have pushed it. Next time, I’ll go harder, and, likely, there’ll be a little something left in the tank. So I’ll go harder the time after that. Where most intervals use a descending intensity, Try’s reversal of that makes you feel like you could have done more, which has a sick way of making you want to train again sooner.
But those are really just icing on the cake. The best part of The Sufferfest’s videos is the video action and music. They do a fantastic job of lining up re-watchable UCI pro racing segments and smaller local ride stuff with very re-playable music. In other words, they’re solid workouts with great video that you won’t mind watching again and again. And, as their collection grows, they’re just more and more becoming the only video training tools you’re gonna need. Or want.
My only complaint is the end of the video. The other vids have some mellow riding footage during the cool down. There is No Try has mock race/ride commentary from Cyclismas, which might be funny, but I couldn’t hear it over the LeMond Revolution Trainer. Either way, things are only funny so many times, and I suspect it might get old after a couple run throughs. I mentioned this to Sufferfest founder David McQuillen and he said he understood, but wanted to mix things up a bit. Rotate it through the other vids and you extend the comedic life.
Overall, There is No Try is an excellent addition to their repertoire and worth the purchase. Speaking of which, The Sufferfest vids are a bargain at about $13. They’re digital download only, too, so you get immediate gratification.
There is No Try is available for download Tuesday, October 23.
EVAN’S REVIEW: Beat. That’s what I am after doing The Sufferfest’s new video. Tyler and I joined up for the first indoor training session of the season. It was a struggle to convince myself to roll out of bed before 6am for an hour-long training session before work. And having done their prior vids, I was generally aware that pain was on tap.
If we want make drastic improvements in regards to speed on that two-wheeled contraption we all love, we know we have got to put in time training. I think most would agree that trainer-ing is not always the most fun, glamorous, or rewarding part of cycling. And I’m not talking about the four hour Sunday fun rides chatting it up and slamming beers after. I mean the training that hurts deep in your bones and makes you want to hurl and never train again. The type of training that really pays dividends in getting faster. The Sufferfest videos help you do that type of training while also throwing in an element of entertainment and fun to keep the process from being insipid and disheartening. This new release, There is No Try, is of the same high caliber as the rest of The Sufferfest series. A combination of good video footage from the Tour de France to an intense crit circuit coupled with enthusiastic music and witty, motivating screen texts captivated my willpower, urging me to push it for the entirety of the video.
I enjoyed doing There is No Try that morning and feel it was time well spent on the bike. The Sufferfest videos do a commendable job in keeping the content plus training structures dynamic and fresh. By knowing it’s making me faster, I welcome gritting my teeth, hammering down, and having my butt kicked again in my next bout with The Sufferfest.
