D A V E A MB R O S E , A 3 4 - Y E A R - O L D
venture capitalist in New York City,
had a problem most of us can relate
to: Work got busy and his time to ride
outside evaporated, resulting in low energy
and weight gain.
By the end of 2016, he was the heaviest
he’d ever been, carrying 190 pounds on his
5'7" frame. His friends suggested that he try
indoor training, but he thought it seemed
boring. Finally, Ambrose agreed to test
Zwift on a friend’s Wahoo Kickr. “I did 45
minutes for the first ride and thought, ‘This
is amazing,’” he says. “You actually feel
like you’re outside. It changed everything
I thought about indoor cycling.”
Hooked, Ambrose got his own Kickr and
Zwift subscription. He soon began riding
100 miles a week—twice as much as he
ever did outdoors. He got inspired to start
cooking more and eating out less. By the end
of that first year, he was down 25 pounds.
“I had a ton more energy. Now that
the weight was coming off, I wanted to
get even fitter and stronger. But I didn’t
want to go to a gym. I figured—like with
cycling—there must be something I could
do at home.”
His fiancée was into Peloton. Though he
wasn’t interested in the cycling classes, he
discovered the platform’s strength classes
and started consistently tacking on core
workouts to his Zwift routine.
He now trains indoors with the Trainer-
Road app, competes in Zwift races, and doesTEST EDITOR
BOBBY LEA
TAKES THE
KINETIC R1
FOR A SPIN.❯❯
SELENE YEAGER | FROM: PENNSY LVA NIA| CREDENTIALS: USA CYCLING–CERTIFIED COACH, NASM-CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER, PRO-LICENSED MOUNTAIN BIKE & GRAVEL RACER | GO-TO BIKE:
OPEN UPPER | FAVORITE PIECE OF GEAR: RAPHA WINTER NECK COLLAR| HARDEST RIDE EVER: STAGE 2 ABSA CAPE EPIC | BEST RIDE EVER: RIDING THROUGH A LOCAL PARK WITH MY HUSBAND FIVE
DAYS AFTER OUR DAUGHTER WAS BORN AND STILL IN THE HOSPITAL WITH SOME SCARY COMPLICATIONS. SUNSHINE, FRESH AIR, EXERCISE, AND HOPE | CYCLING PHILOSOPHY: I NEVER REGRET A BIKE RIDEcore workouts via Peloton. The subscriptions
(sans equipment) add up to about $55 a
month, which is more affordable than the
average gym membership in New York City.
Ambrose says they are totally worth it. “I
feel like a new person.”
And he is. Today, Ambrose goes to bed
at 10 p.m. and gets up at 6 a.m. to do an
hour-long ride to start his day. He’s landed
at a healthy 147 pounds, down more than
40 pounds from less than three years ago.
“It’s an incredible time for a cyclist to getfit and stay fit no matter the season or how
busy they are,” he says.
It’s true. Long gone are the mind-numb-
ing trainer sessions, trying to will time
to pass faster as you slog along. Today’s
indoor cycling experience is interactive,
immersive, and honestly enjoyable. Like
outdoor riding, it can also serve specific
goals. As Ambrose’s story shows, you just
need to choose the right system (or sys-
tems) to get it done. Here are some of the
most popular options.INDOOR TRAINING
OPTIONS TO HELP
YOU CRUSH EVERY
CYCLING GOAL
Trevor^ Raab(Lea,Bkool);^Lakota^ Gambill^ (Kinetic,^ Elite,^ Wahoo);^ Courtesy^JaimeLivingood(Yeager)32 BICYCLING.COM • ISSUE 1 | 2020