Tangent Trainer

 
I do have issues with the Tangent Trainer.
 
First there is the added width to your pedal stance of about 1cm either side. It’s not ideal, especially if you are a mileage junkie and start using the device mid-season; you need to be on the look out for resulting injuries. On the flip side, positional variety can help to keep things fresh and the wider stance may also bring other muscles into play adding to the overall beneficial effect.
 

 
There is also the matter of added pressure on your nether regions. Not being able to apply direct pressure on top of the pedal means that more weight is taken, on a constant basis, by your saddle. In use it’s much harder to stand out of the saddle as well but you have to force yourself to do it regularly in order to relieve the pressure. You have been warned.
 
That’s it for issues though and there may be an added benefit as well. I am currently sporting an overuse injury to my right quad – probably exercise induced myositis (chronic muscle inflammation) according to my physio – and the Tangent Trainer may be a method of still riding without fully engaging the quads. So usefulness in the active recovery stage of a quad or gluteus injury may be a real benefit.
 
So far the Tangent Trainer seems to do everything it promises, though obviously a couple of sessions of actual riding prove nothing. To answer (3) the plan is that I will use the device for one month, which should be a minimum of 15 turbo sessions, and then, with the Tangent Trainers removed, do a fitness test and ride over a familiar course (probably the one in the graphs above) to see if there is a noticeable increase in my power output compared to before starting Tangent Training.
 
As usual be sure to check back to see what difference the Tangent Trainer has made…
 

 
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Tangent Trainer Website