Spin Bikes

[surgtech1956]

I've been looking at home exercise equipment, particularly spin bikes and elliptical trainers. I don't want to spend alot of money, because I know I'll use it for awhile and get bored. Any recommendations for a spin bike? A couple of brands I've seen are SunnyBrook and Spinner. How is a spin bike different from an exercise bike? How about elliptical trainers? Thank you

[Miranda]

This is more than you want to spend I'm sure, but they do make lesser priced models. Anyrate, I like the Spinning brand of bikes.

http://www.spinning.com/spinning-shop-spinner-bikes/spinner-bike-velo.asp

One gym I teach at we use these. Another a Schwinn brand. My primary complaint about those is that there seems to be no "in-between" for resistance. Once the pads make contact with the fly wheel or "catch" it's really on. With the Spinning brand there is a more gradual "catch". I think this gives you more options for resistance range.

One of the price differences is usually the weight of the flywheel. These are just above 40pounds. The heavier the fly wheel, it's more of a work out.

These bikes have road bike geometry, a chain, resistance knob, no gears, and adjustments for saddle and bars. Generally they will fit riders little over 5ft tall to 6ft5" tall, aprrox. The spindles take clipless pedals as well. So if you even wanted something other than mtb spd, you could wrench it on yourself easily.

One of the hardest things for outdoor riders to get used to is not having gears. You have to find a happy medium between enough resistance, plus cadence of course, and not knee strain for your work-out. If you train with a heart rate monitor of some sort that helps guage your intensity being right also.

LeMond makes a bike, but I'm not sure I'd really care for it. I've never ridden one, but just hear say. The feedback I received was the work out wasn't as intense. Think the fly wheel was lighter. Plus, they use a kevlar belt, vs a chain. I can't wrap my mind around what that would feel like. Just seems unatural.

Many gyms you can take a class for free with no obligation. You might even do that to see if you liked a particular bike. Now keep in mind gym bikes get lots of use- and read abuse. So, if the bike performs funky, yours at home would be different.

On the not getting bored and sticking with it... well, that's why people like myself have jobs as instructors... because I know I can not make myself do alone at home what I can at the gym in class lol... people need people. Fwiw, both gyms I work at have a class card option. Thus, you don't have to join and pay membership fees ongoing. It just kinda tides you over until winter passes.

Good Luck!

[ridenread]

I bought a Schwinn Evolution spin bike off of Craig's list last winter. I like that I can set it up to similiar riding position as my road bike, not exactly, but the geometry feels more like a road bike than the staionery bike I have. I can also ride out of the saddle which I couldn't do on the stationery bike. I have a Lifecycle 5500 that I am trying to sell since I bought the spin bike. It is a good statio nery exercise bike but very different from a spin bike and not comfortable to ride for more than thirty minutes due to the wide saddle.
Riding indoors does get boring. I bought a few Bike o Vision DVD's so I can sort of pretend I am out on the road

[Catrin]

I strongly dislike the Lemond spinning bike, my club has both Spinner and Lemond. The Spinner feels more like a real bike, though of course that can only go so far and I like the fly-wheel far better on the Spinner.