Stuck Inside on the Trainer? Binge These Shows to Pass the Time
Stuck Inside on the Trainer? Binge These Shows to Pass the Time
We know: One of the best things about biking is to be able to, you know, get somewhere. But the reality is, not every day is perfectly sunny and 65 degrees, and when the colder months hit—bringing thick fog, downpours, icy roads, and sometimes straight-up blizzards—you’ll have to break out the trainer to get in your miles. The secret to keeping sane? Setting up your bike in front of an engaging show.
[Find 52 weeks of tips and motivation, with space to fill in your mileage and favorite routes, with the Bicycling Training Journal.]
Here, we’ve rounded up the 30 best ones to stream on Netflix. (One side note: Make sure to only watch the show while on the trainer—the suspense will keep you motivated to get back on the bike.)
Stranger Things
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Considering the pilot episode starts with Mike and the gang biking down a dark road, this up-tempo thriller—with a killer ’80s soundtrack—is the perfect show to binge in your dim basement. Bonus points if you string up Christmas lights to illuminate the room.
The Office (U.S.)
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If Michael Scott doesn’t motivate you, who will? This go-to workplace comedy is broken up into 20 to 30 minute episodes, making it perfect for segmented workouts.
Parks and Recreation
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Leslie Knope is one of the most positive (fictional) people on the planet, so if you’re dreading the trainer slog, maybe her constant smile—and words of encouragement—will make it a little better.
Grey’s Anatomy
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Life or death situations, co-worker relationships, and shocking medical emergencies—this show, which has been running since 2005, has plenty of drama to keep you spinning.
The Great British Baking Show
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If we think of a happy place, chances are it involves British accents and abundant baked goods. Once you’ve finished your session, hop into the kitchen to make a few goodies of your own.
Amelie
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This isn’t a show, but the classic French rom-com about a girl who has a huge imagination is just plain fun—and for indoor cyclists, the subtitles key. In fact, out very own editorial director recommends foreign shows and films for their captioning.
Queer Eye
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If the Fab Five can transform the lives of unfashionable, stuck-in-a-rut dudes, you can make it through trainer season. Just imagine Jonathan Van Ness standing over your shoulder shouting, “Yas Queen!” and get to work.
New Girl
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It’s hard not to smile while watching the hilarious and sometimes cringingly awkward situations that Jess, Nick, Schmidt, and the gang get into. Each of these episodes are about a half hour long—so stack a few on top of each other, and enjoy the extra ab work from laughing.
Gilmore Girls
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This classic mother-daughter comedy is seriously addicting, meaning the quick episodes fly by before you know it. Cue up this for a long ride, so you can really get into into their dramas.
Friends
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When Friends in full became available on Netflix, cyclists everywhere raised a cheer—10 seasons and 236 episodes will last for ages. Plus, getting wrapped up in ’90s nostalgia and the will-they-or-won’t-they tension between Ross and Rachel will have you forgetting about your burning quads.
Mulan
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Again, this isn’t a show, but Disney movies are great for lifting your spirits—especially when they have a killer soundtrack and badass heroine. We dare you not to hammer when “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” comes on.
Chef’s Table
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The great thing about cooking shows is that they’re so visual, you don’t really need to listen to them—just watch the world’s best chefs whirl around the kitchen and make amazing dishes. Also, refueling inspo.
Gossip Girl
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The chic and scandalous lives of this New York elite circle is likely pretty far removed from most folks on trainers, but that’s exactly what you want in a show: an escape.
Nailed It!
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Here’s another visual-forward food show with an added side of comedy: Terrible home cooks are put to the test of developing dishes good enough to please a panel of judges. You can pretty much guarantee they’re struggling more than you are.
Orange Is the New Black
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This fan-favorite prison drama has just enough comedy to keep things from getting too somber on the ride.
Black Mirror
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This trippy, Twilight Zone-esque drama is suspenseful enough to keep you on the edge of your seat—literally. Cue up “15 Million Merits,” the second episode of the first season, in which the fictional society has to ride stationary bikes all day in order to power up their world and earn money.
Arrested Development
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Another laugh-out-loud show broken up in half hour episodes, Arrested Development is the light-hearted distraction you need while developing your endurance.
Breaking Bad
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Comedies are great, but sometimes all that laughter can screw up your workout (we know, we’re curmudgeons). Enter: an intense drama like Breaking Bad, about a high school chemistry teacher dying of cancer who decides to provide for his family by making crystal meth. The twisty plot will keep you engaged for the long haul.
Ozark
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Set in moody small-town Missouri, this drama follows a patriarch who’s hiding out from a Mexican drug cartel with his family. Be sure to turn on the captions here—the dialogue is sharp and keeps things moving. The wide-sweeping views of rural roads give a bit of escapism on the bike, too.
Shameless (U.S.)
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It isn’t hard to get drawn in to this family comedy-drama, which follows the lives and trials of six children living under an alcoholic father.
Abstract: The Art of Design
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Watching amazing artists make their work has a kind of hypnotizing effect—which is exactly what you want when you’re stuck on the bike.
Weeds
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Here’s another off-beat comedy to keep you riding high in the saddle. The plot: a suburban widow starts growing and selling marijuana to make enough money to support her family after her husband’s sudden death.
Nurse Jackie
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The storyline here is enough to hook you to keep riding: In order to keep up with her high-stress schedule in a New York hospital, this nurse relies on Vicodin and Adderall. Drama, drama.
Grace and Frankie
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The OG exercise queen herself, Jane Fonda, is back in this hilarious show about two women who come together when their husbands fall in love with each other.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
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Perhaps the most most positive character to come out of New York, Kimmy’s energy alone is enough to power up your ride. Channel her boundless enthusiasm as you crank up the wattage.
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
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The best thing to watch while you ride? Jerry Seinfeld and his really funny friends shoot the breeze while riding in old-fashioned cars. Hammer every time they drink a shot of espresso.
Big Mouth
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Crank the miles and try not to cringe as Andrew stumbles through puberty in this made-for-adults cartoon stacked with comedic greats—think John Mulaney, Nick Kroll, Maya Rudolph, and Jordan Peele.
The IT Crowd
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If you’re a fan of nerd comedy—and you’re maybe a stats nerd on the road, too—this is the show for you: A seriously awkward corporate IT department is trying to mix and mingle with the non-techy folks.
American Horror Story
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Okay, if your trainer’s set up in a dark and creepy basement, this horror-thriller show might not be the best to watch. But then again, there’s nothing wrong with getting your heart rate up a bit, right?
The Walking Dead
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Fact: Zombies are slow. The more you work on the bike during the colder months, the faster you’ll be in the case of a zombie apocalypse. So really, this dramatic horror show is as motivating as it is engaging.
Intervals aren’t so bad when you’ve got Leslie Knope to cheer you up.