Hi CDMama!
Your post took me on a quick trip down memory lane... I'm an indoor cycling instructor based in Los Angeles, where RealRyder International is based. I was one of the first people to try the RealRyder Indoor Cycle when it first came out. Accustomed to teaching on a traditional stationary bike, I was one of those people who went through a bit of a learning curve -- and I recall feeling frustrated because I couldn't seem to stabilize the bike like other people around me. Looking back, as a instructor, I'm certain that my ego got the best of me. I blamed my apparent physical inadequacies on the bike! I mean, I KNEW I had a strong core, strong legs, strong joints... the bike was wild... I was strong!
Boy was I WRONG.
After riding on the RealRyder bike, I'd return to teach my classes on the StarTrac bikes at my gym and I couldn't shake the feeling of wanting to move... to lean... to tilt... I wanted to feel my entire body engage more (not JUST my legs). All of a sudden, my once perfect indoor cycling workout was feeling extremely stiff and rigid -- not functional at all. I found my body wanting to return to the RealRyder Indoor Cycle. I found myself wanting to cue my students to tilt side-to-side on their stationary bikes! No such luck!
Then I took some private trainings with one of their top instructors (lucky me) and voila! I started feeling so much stronger -- in my core, my arms, my back... even the pain in my knee started to go away.
Net-net: I'm hooked on RealRyder Indoor Cycling and I encourage you to try a couple more RealRyder classes and see how you progress from there. Like anything new, it takes our bodies time to adapt and become efficient (the "figuring it out" phase is the best part if you're open to it!). "Fixed" equipment is out. Functional equipment that integrates and engages multiple muscles groups while challenging balance, coordination and flexibility like the RealRyder bike are in.
The best part is it's FUN -- it simulates the feeling of being outdoors, which is great if you can't get out on the real road due to weather, safety or time restrictions. So, keep your mind open, throw a leg back over and give it another whirl, sister!!