My subscription is up tomorrow… Grandfathered at $99. Been a subscriber for a number of years but have been using xert due to the more individualised training and the fact that I’ve plateud using the same base, build, speciality method. I quite like the analytics but personally not a fan of the group workout functionality. (Hoping this isn’t the future of development) If I don’t subscribe this year then come back to it in a couple of years it’s $189 which I definitely wouldn’t be subscribing at. As, I said, I’ve subscribed to TR for a number of years and at its heart are the training plans and these haven’t really developed or changed for the years I’ve been subscribing. Is it time to say goodbye? Just wondering if anyone else is having the same thoughts?
How do we answer this for you? Why do the training plans need to change? Clearly they are working for the majority of people.
Yup, I’m sure that top athletes stick to the same old training plans for years and never change. There is an old saying, do the same, get the same results. I’m just thinking that TR haven’t really innovated on their for offering.
Agreed…how can anyone answer this for you? Particularly on the dedicated TR forum.
Seems like by posting this here you’re looking for people to beg you to stay, or give you a reason to keep it. If that’s the case, you probably already want to and realize the benefits of TR.
There’s only so many ways you can do an interval. It’s riding a bike, not gymnastics. Want more progress…then make the intervals harder or increase the volume, do both and/or make them more specific to what your primary event requires. That’s what the top athletes do. TR accommodates that for the vast majority of people. Want more? Hire a professional coach. It’s gonna cost a lot more than $9 a month.
Beg me to stay! 
No, was just wondering if other people thought the same.
But there isn’t one programme, they also ramp up with your fitness and there are different levels of each programme. Your point doesn’t make sense.
His point kind of does make sense. I experienced some of his concerns within just my first year of TR. The platform is geared toward “time crunched” subscribers, this, by design, means there will be more narrow training programs. The focus is on intensity (aka increasing FTP) far more than duration (increasing TTE), and this kind of boxes in an athlete.
Going into SSB for the second time, I was quite flummoxed that I was doing the same 10-15-20 minute intervals. Even the obligatory Coggan zones say the bulk of SS intervals should be at least 30min long; the bulk of TR intervals are less than 30min long. Within the first year of using TR plans I found myself utilising the Workout Builder instead of the actual plans. Even now I find myself building my own plans from their workout catalogue to suit specific needs instead of going for one of the standard plans.
That said, TR is still a good product, but it’s not going to be a perfect fit for all users all the time.
Of course a big part of TR is just mentally offloading the program structure. I put a lot of time and energy into preparation for cross racing as it is, and it’s nice to defer some of the planning. Of course I’m still left with macro decisions… LV or MV or HV… become more polarized? How to manage that with TR plans.
The workout catalog is definitely a draw, but I can see how it would get boring just doing SSB LV year over year, then going outside all summer and not using TR the rest of the year except for analytics. Since I’m still growing my performance year over year it feels like I’m still exploring TR the product. I’m plenty happy to shell out for it. And the workout app itself is excellent.
Maybe plan builder is a way to keep the whole experience more fresh… I wouldn’t know, haven’t tried messing with it yet. However, I’m sure left to my own devices I would do it all wrong for my goals.
Seems like you have to add 10 bucks 
$19,99/month is quite a bit of money - compared to others services.
That being said, I think the TR long term approach through base-build-peak is very appealing and I learned A LOT from the on screen texts the first time round.
Don’t know if I would trust xerts xata recommendations, maybe I should.
One thing I know for sure is, that SSB - sustained build - SSB put me in the black hole during the second half of sustained build and I didn’t (want to) realize until the end of 2nd SSB … maybe not TRs fault, but due to my own inexperience …
should have known that you can’t trust a ramp test to set ftp and then follow a sweetspot approach as a kinda-fast-twitcher …
I would’ve thought if you finding the same old plans etc., you’d change you’re own picks? Different build, different speciality?
Multiple subscriptions is always a bit of a headache - at the moment I’m also subscribing to zwift, but (mainly) doing TrainerRoad workouts underneath and doing my outdoor weekend rides on zwift.
I’ve considered dropping TrainerRoad, but the factors are so far keeping me subscribing are…
- Grandfathered prices (I think I probably would’ve dropped the sub for COVID without it)
- Functionality - plan builder, analysis and (despite not using it yet) outdoor workouts
- Tech requirements - if the “new normal” turns out like the “old normal” i’m back in the office 5 days a week
- TrainerRoad keeps my discipline, partcularly during recovery days/ weeks, which I really think I’d struggle with just doing zwift (as per another thread)
I will say group workouts add nothing for me, and would’ve preferred automatic upload of “other” activities to be the next thing (even as mainly a cyclist these days).
What I’d really like to see is further development of plan builder, and the removal of the intransigence around Heart Rate for run, and none power meter bike stuff. Do it with big caveats, but do it. It could really open a big market/ be a big selling point for the Tri plans, for outdoor workouts (I wouldn’t put a power meter on my commuter, where it has to be left), “outdoor” workouts on gym bikes for those travelling etc… Bugs the crap out of me tbh.*
*I get I should probably get to grips with RPE, but ffs I have heart rate on my wrist 24/7 so I don’t have to “think” as much!
He is comparing the $99 annual cost available to the OP, since he is a legacy member and can continue at that price, if he so chooses.
- $99 per Year / 12 Months = $8.25 per Month
So that is where the “$9 per month” value is relevant and correct to the active discussion.
Sure. Cheap as chips. Active community. Features added are useful and not creep to attract VC funding. Great podcast. Flexible to work around. It’s an all around win.
But to each their own.
This really boils down to “value for money” and we can’t answer that.
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Do you get what you expect / want / need for the current pricing?
- If ‘not’, then that may justify leaving, but the next question may also be relevant.
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Do you expect near term changes (coming year?) that will match your requirements?
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Clearly, none of us knows the exact direction or what will be released, but there are some interesting hints to the intended direction. It doesn’t appear they are sitting on their laurels, but we really don’t know what will come or when.
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If ‘yes’, then paying now to maintain the legacy pricing is likely money well spent. Consider the potential price change if you don’t renew now, and then choose to rejoin later if there is some new or different use that suits your needs better. The higher cash outlay in the future may largely offset the “loss” in paying for another year at the lower rate now.
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If ‘no’, then move on and make use of any and all other options that suit your needs now or in the future.
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You know, funny this. I supported the app cronometer back when it was a startup. Plonked down 50 bucks to get a lifetime gold subscription since it was useful and the developers were working hard.
Years later it’s one of the gold standard food trackers that now doesn’t offer a lifetime subscription. I was granfathered in.
The $99 a year looks better and better over time. TR is really one of the only cycling apps that has really stuck around for as long as it has. And its largely due to the product’s quality.
Yes, I know people don’t like an opinion! XERT is great, seen good gains but this could also be due to using a different training program. The real beauty of Xert is that our constantly adapts to what you do. Throw in a weekend ride it adapts, do a weekday race… It adapts. I like TR and I’d be happy to take a year off and then resubscribe at the $99 but I feel kind of trapped because if I cancel there is no way I’m coming back at ,$189.
I agree. I only started TR in October, and because of current circumstances (Covid), I’m cycling Base>Build>Base. I believe a similar approach has been recommended in the podcast, especially where there are no events to plan for.
Because I’ve improved in terms of aerobic and muscualr endurance, and want to work on other aspects (also TTE), I’ve been manually changing up the plan because I don’t really want to do those shorter SST/Threshold intervals because they’re not particularly challenging anymore. It’s not a massive inconvenience to me, but I know a lot of people wouldn’t spend their time educating themselves about training and then digging around the workout catalogue to create new progressions for themselves. I feel this is an area for improvement, as long as it can be added in and explained clearly where it fits for individuals.
It doesn’t feel like it’d be massively time consuming or expensive to implement, and would keep the experience fresher and more engaging for those that want it.
So because the prevailing opinions are different than yours or not what you wanted to hear they are not valid opinions themselves? Tired of this argument I constantly hear.
You’re on a TR Forum… probably not gonna get a lot of people saying to ditch the subscription because the program is no good. We’re all in hear because we think it is good.
I enjoy the program. It keeps me motivated and disciplined. I’m surprised more people don’t use it. None of my friends “believe” in the trainer and they never get faster but oh well that’s their choice.
You can do many other things then just SSB. Use plan builder, move things around. I like you don’t care for the group functionality but, I find it a good move because that’s how society wants things and they need to adapt to that. No one can just do their workout, they constantly have to be surrounded by other people. We are in a “look at me society”. The best part is you don’t have to do the group workouts.
At the end of the day if you feel it doesn’t work for you then I’d say move along and do something different. Don’t pay for something you no longer get value out of because you think in the future you may want to come back but the price will be greater. It’d be the same waste of money to renew but not use it.
I think the more we learn about training and all the new information that comes out of the recent science, the more we realize that even TR’s plan builder can perhaps be sub-optimal. I’m on the LV plan, it’s 3 really hard workouts every week (just coming off build) and I question if that’s too much for me sometimes. All that to be said, TR is a self coaching platform. I look at the plans and even plan builder as just a guideline, I think it’s a great starting point, but don’t follow it to a T. I think people expect (and rightfully so) that dropping in all your data points for plan builder is going to return an optimal training guide. You are right to point out that doing the same thing every year (to a T) probably won’t stoke the improvement you’re looking for.
I’ve said this a bunch, but for me I’ll keep subscribing because I really like the interface. I like the calendar feature a whole lot. I participate in the forum here regularly for information and a sense of community (no sub required there of course), and the outdoor workouts are really great. For me and my expectations, the $9/month you’re concerned with, the calendar alone almost makes it worth it. I say keep it. I also think the $189 / annual subscription price is worth it.
Basically this. A subscription to 2 Patreon podcasts is already a TR subscription.
Plus this community is great
Stay Forever!
Just say… $99 a year gets me all this without advertising?
Go to your Corner and Grin until someone like me Winks…
3 years?
Free PodCast
Free Forum
That $99 pays Them…
The Whole Damn Team!
Everyone at TrainerRoad top to bottom… comes to work… because your Basement Price of $99 pays them…
Including Coach Chad
The Man that Talks to you… with Words… of Motivation…
As you Enter Hell!
Stay… because you had a place to ask this very question!
