Advice on buying a spin bike? [Archive] - Teton Gravity Research Forums

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altagirl

10-22-2007, 10:22 AM

So we're looking for a spin bike to buy. Anyone own one? Any features, brands, models etc. to look for or avoid?

Anyone have one for sale cheap?? ;)

I've used plenty of them at the gym but that's about it.

Benny Profane

10-22-2007, 10:59 AM

Lemond makes the nicest one I've seen and tried, but it's about a grand. On the other end of the price scale, there's a few guys here in NYC on Craiglist who refurbish and deal in used spin bikes - about 3-400 bucks. In order to save money, you'll have to buy local, because the weight creates quite a shipping penalty. If you have a health club chain near you, talk to them - they may have a few or know of a place to get them. I use New York Sports Club, which has a lot of gyms in the area, each with a 20-30 bike room, so you know they have a warehouse full of bikes and parts.

kidwoo

10-22-2007, 11:07 AM

Fritschi

Dynafit

Marker duke

altagirl

10-22-2007, 11:11 AM

Fritschi

Dynafit

Marker duke

Yes, I already have those sitting in the garage unused. ;)

(My knees don't seem to get along well with kick turns.)

altagirl

10-22-2007, 11:13 AM

Tyrone Shoelaces

10-22-2007, 11:16 AM

JONG question here...

What are the differences between a spin bike (never been on one) and a road bike set-up on a trainer? (what I normally do in the winter)

altagirl

10-22-2007, 11:27 AM

JONG question here...

What are the differences between a spin bike (never been on one) and a road bike set-up on a trainer? (what I normally do in the winter)

That's a good question, but I'm thinking that

a. we don't own a road bike. We could use my Bianchi, but... it's making me laugh to picture Craig riding it, even indoors. And it seems like it would take more adjustments to make it fit back and forth between the two of us on a regular bike than on a spin bike that's made to be easily adjustable. Or Craig would have to buy a non FS bike - I would think FS bikes would suck on a trainer?

b. isn't a decent trainer a couple hundred bucks anyway?

I guess it probably isn't that different. I like the feel of spin bikes and I felt pretty good going from the spin bikes at the gym to my SS, as long as I was doing a lot of standing on the spin bike.

Benny Profane

10-22-2007, 11:28 AM

JONG question here...

What are the differences between a spin bike (never been on one) and a road bike set-up on a trainer? (what I normally do in the winter)

The spin bike is like a rock. You can stand on the sucker with no worries about bending or breaking things. And it feels just like a roadie, much more than any other exercise bike.
They will probably last almost forever in a home situation, if taken care of, although maintenance just seems to be changing that brake/wear pad every now and then. If I had a place to put one, I'd do it. It saves a lot of wear and tear on your bike/trainer setup.

Tyrone Shoelaces

10-22-2007, 11:30 AM

fair enough guys thanks.

AG -- I think Mr. AG on a trainer on your pink SS would be a reason to GET a bike trainer :D

Also FWIW you can find old trainers on Ebay pretty cheap. Lots of people buy 'em, then realize that they don't really use them, and put them up for sale.

altagirl

10-22-2007, 11:34 AM

The spin bike is like a rock. You can stand on the sucker with no worries about bending or breaking things. And it feels just like a roadie, much more than any other exercise bike.
They will probably last almost forever in a home situation, if taken care of, although maintenance just seems to be changing that brake/wear pad every now and then. If I had a place to put one, I'd do it. It saves a lot of wear and tear on your bike/trainer setup.

Good point. To me it feels the most like my singlespeed. You can stand up and hammer on a spin bike and it just feels solid.

Benny Profane

10-22-2007, 11:35 AM

One more thing - I personally would'nt buy one unless I got a trial spin on it. Walk into any spin room, and you'll find a bunch of different "feels" from the same brand in the same room, especially if they've been there for a while.

altachic

10-22-2007, 12:17 PM

I feel like there is a big difference between a spin bike and a trainer, so get a spin bike! I don't know what to recommend even though I spin at the gym a lot, but I do know I'm jealous that you're getting one, especially for the winter...would be nice to do that at home instead of going to the stuffy gym all the time.

I'll see if my super radical spin instructor has any opinions, I know he has two at his house.

Telephil

10-22-2007, 12:45 PM

You can get a decent trainer for $100. Nothing fancy, but it would work fine. I'm in agreement with the others though as far as getting a spin bike. The one thing that keeps me from riding a trainer for than anything else is the setup. Stupid I know, but I hate it.

So not that it was really a question, but get a spin bike, not a trainer...trainers suck, just my .02.

Lynx

10-22-2007, 01:11 PM

altagirl

10-22-2007, 01:43 PM

have you ever been to that Discount Fitness Equipment place in West Jordan? They advertise on craig's list a bunch. sounds like their stock kind of rotates depending on what they can get deals on at the time. might be worth giving them a call?

Discount Fitness Equipment
1399 W 9000 S
West Jordan, UT 84088

(801) 255-2658

Yeah, that's where we bought our weight set. But they don't have any spin bikes, just regular exercise bikes. The guy there is supposed to call us if he gets anything in stock.

powwrangler

10-22-2007, 06:15 PM

just get some 2.5 hookworms on your FR bike and some rollers and you're set. Just kidding.

You'll probably find something on Craigslist.

dallread

10-22-2007, 07:36 PM

kreitler rollers is the way to go, putting balance into the equation.

but id love to get a spin bike as well.......

huckbucket

10-22-2007, 08:10 PM

kreitler rollers is the way to go, putting balance into the equation.

but id love to get a spin bike as well.......

Correction ... inside ride is the way to go. If I had a spare $750

inside ride (http://www.insideride.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=50)

huckbucket

10-22-2007, 08:18 PM

A few comments;

Spin bike versus trainer:
The advantage of the trainer is that you can use your own road bike setup. For some people that's a big deal, for others not so much. Furthermore, the basic spin bikes out there have fairly gross adjustments that make it hard to replicate your road bike setup exactly. Again, for some this is a big deal.
The spin bike uses a ~20lb freewheel and therefore carries moment built.

Yes, it's like a fixie in that there ain't no stoppin' it once it gets rolling. This is great for working on leg speed, but can make you quite lazy if you're not pegging your workout to heart rate or power output. Hell, just look around most spin classes and half the people aren't even sweating because they're just sitting there spinning with very little resistence. I'm not sure I have firm grasp of why or if a trainer is better ... it's just a little different and possibly a little harder.

I picked up a used Spinner bike a few months ago for $125 through local craigslist. Damned if that fucker isn't heavy as shit. I'm lucky I got it in the basement without destroying the house. It's on the old side, but still does the job and is relatively maintenence free as Benny suggests. Check out craigslist.

altagirl

10-22-2007, 08:32 PM

Correction ... inside ride is the way to go. If I had a spare $750

inside ride (http://www.insideride.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=50)

Okay seriously - that's like how to injure myself and need to replace a lot of drywall all in one expensive gadget.

And a road bike is out. I've owned one, sold it and have no intention of ever buying another.

I'll keep looking on our local Craigslist. There hasn't been anything on there for a while now, but I guess it's just a matter of waiting long enough...

Arty50

10-22-2007, 08:35 PM

Paging lph...

dallread

10-22-2007, 08:40 PM

man my rollers are way outdated...

i want that inside ride

DerJaeger

10-22-2007, 08:45 PM

The ultimate spin bike would have to be the CyleOps Pro 300PT (https://www.saris.com/p-315-pro-300pt.aspx). If you see a cheap one on craigslist or ebay (local only... these things are HEAVY), grab it.

huckbucket

10-22-2007, 08:47 PM

Okay seriously - that's like how to injure myself and need to replace a lot of drywall all in one expensive gadget.

It doesn't sound like that's your bag ... which is cool ... but it should be pointed out that they designed that inside ride thing specifically to keep you from falling off. That guy in the video is throwin' his bike all over the place and staying on the rollers because they've put a bumper on either side of the drum. Pretty damn smart idea if you ask me. I'd pony up if I had the coin.

lph

10-22-2007, 10:10 PM

nothing much to add that benny hasn't already said.

I have owned both; a 1upUSA trainer and a Schwinn spinner. There is NO comparison. The spinner wins in every respect, except if you are a roadie and you want to train on your road bike, which you are not, so get a spinner.

I bought mine 2 or 3 years ago and decided that the Schwinn was the best for the money, and also liked the feel of pedaling it.

They are simple and solid and as has been said, really don't require any maintenance, they don't take up much room and are easy to move.

As for features, get one that allows the seat post to move up and down, forward and back, and allows the handlebars to move up and down. Also, the handlebars should have alot of different choices for hand positions, just cause you never know until you start spinning where your hands are gonna be the most comfortable.

BTW, didn't we have this discussion while riding amasa back a couple years ago???

trainnvain

10-22-2007, 10:14 PM

If you buy one for home use, you can scream "you go girl!!" all you want.

(I still have a crappy mag trainer. Booo!! Good for the football game though)

snow_slider

10-23-2007, 07:14 AM

The two biggest pieces of advice on spinner bikes is to get the one with the most adjustability and with the heaviest flywheel.

gonehuckin

08-02-2008, 07:53 PM

How do you messure your workouts on these things? I hear all about watts and cadence and such but I don't know how you get that feedback.

My setup is a fixed gear (36T/ 13T) road bike on a blackburn trakstand ultra trainer. 30 minutes at this point kills me.

1wsguy

08-03-2008, 07:13 AM

I've ridden/owned/sold these products mentioned:

Rear wheel trainers:
OK, but they don't match the performance of a dedicated spin bike.

Schwinn IC Pro or the Schwinn IC Evolution:Schwinn® IC Pro Indoor Cycling Bike (http://www.schwinnfitness.com/schwinn-fitness/equipment/indoorcycling/prdcdovr~100114/Schwinn+IC+Pro+Indoor+Cycling+Bike.jsp)
They are very dependable, just use some silicone spray on the felt brake pads every couple of weeks, and they will last for years.
The flywheels are over 40 lbs, so the workout is awesome .But,.... I would not suggest getting one with the "SR" (smart release) . The SR models are not true fixed gear, and allow for a bit of coasting/slow down. I've seen problems with that mechanism.

The Cyclops has CyleOps Pro 300PT (https://www.saris.com/p-315-pro-300pt.aspx)

Better adjustments (than the Schwinn's) in regard to seat and handlebar position, and you can get it with a power tap rear hub. I like this machine alot!

If you're considering rollers GET THE INSIDE RIDE E-Motion Rollers!!

I have regular rollers, and I have E-Motion rollers . inside ride (http://www.insideride.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=50)

There is no comparison to regular rollers. Begginers can ride E-motion rollers in just a few minutes. Experienced roller riders can absolute hammer on them! Standing, sprinting, riding sloppy,..... you name it! You have to try really hard to crash off them.