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Exercise bike or Spin bike


clint_1987's picture

By clint_1987 - Posted on 18 June 2015

NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.

I'm looking to buy something to train on when its wet. Exercise bike or spin bike or something else I don't really know what would be best. I'm doing cross country races and would like to get fit. Please help.

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MrMez's picture

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/au/en/elite-v...

Will need to swap rear wheel/tire.

Discodan's picture

Get a cheap road bike and a trainer, stick a trainer tyre on the back and off you go. Put a speed/cadence sensor on it for another $50 and you can track all your sessions on any number of phone apps and upload them to Strava.

That way you have another bike (always good) which you use on the road as well for when the trails are wet but the weather's good or if you just want to stop looking at the garage door which can get pretty boring

You can get a lot of second hand bike for under $700
http://www.bikeexchange.com.au/a/road-bikes/apol...

Or a new budget roadie for the same money
http://www.cellbikes.com.au/Cell-Lapa-1-0

Hangers's picture

I have just gone from a spin bike to a jet black fluid trainer and it is better. More realistic feel then then the spin bike, which is the reason most people choose a spin in the first place. Add a training app with programs and I have found that indoor training is a lot more tolerable.

hawkeye's picture

Another vote for a road bike and hydraulic trainer. I have a KK Road Machine.

Sufferfest videos keep me entertained.

Get a decent fan. I need one if anyone has one taking up space they need to get out of their garage.

staffe's picture

Is what I thought to myself this morning sitting in the car in the heavy rain not moving and emitting CO2 gasses when a dude on a single speed mountain bike zoomed past on the spit bridge.

Single speed dude in rain : Tough
Me in car spewing ot CO2: Pathetic loser

Riding in the rain on road has to be more enjoyable than a trainer.

ptpete's picture

As for the riding in the rain.. besides being slightly unsafe due to peoples inability to be courteous and share the road, or even see us, I believe you can get a more focused training session on an indoor trainer, with more value and more induced fatigue in 30 minutes, then you can get on the road in an hour... especially with Perth's obsession with Traffic lights and lacking of cycle paths.
Try heading up Marmion ave whilst trying to maintain a certain tension over a given period of time, and you can guarantee a set of traffic lights will F%ck it up.

use your trainer to get fit, then transfer that fitness to the trails..
works for me.

Pete

the.flying.al's picture

If you get it right the trainer takes you right to the edge of what you can do. If I do this in the morning the endorphan buzz lasts half the day.

hawkeye's picture

One word of caution with trainers: go hydraulic.

Wind trainers give a realistic load but howl like a banshee, and mag trainers are hard to get enough load out of and tend to be linear, which just isn't realistic. You will soon outgrow a mag trainer.

Hydraulic gives you the load and realism of a wind trainer with the quiet operation of a mag trainer. The downside is the higher price. I think someone had a used Kurt Kinetic on here a little while ago. If they still have it, that would be the one to get. Leakproof, too: magnetic drive, so no shaft seals to wear out.

Bize's picture

That rundown of the basic differences between fan/mag/hydraulic has been the most useful bit of info on trainers I've come across. Cheers.

Brian's picture

Wahoo Kickrs are good

Dicko's picture

Www.dcrainmaker.com

The definitive source for everything you need to know about trainers.

D

fairy1's picture

My vote goes to a cheap second bike and a jacket, trainers are like watching food cook in a microwave, fun for thirty seconds then boring as shit!

ptpete's picture

Found another benefit of trainer and bike combo. When riding at 5am in 5 degrees, it isnt cold and your face, hands and feet dont freeze. Plus i was done in 30 minutes.
Awesome!

BAS's picture

Trainer is something you can do once a week regardless of weather for focussed sessions, and when really wet its a lot better than otherwise doing nothing. When i was younger id just go out in any weather, but with kids/job/etc the increased risk isn't worth it- plus the fact that winning or losing a bike race isn't the end of the world any more...
Just use your usual road bike, if you can find a second hand wheel to use with a trainer tyre so you don't wear your normal tyres out that's best. Be careful running a separate bike unless you are sure you have the position identical.
Some good sessions:
5min on/2min off x6
10min on/5min off x3-5
1min on/1min off x20.
If you have a powermeter on your bike ride to power, if you don't and are serious about getting fit then get one. Plenty of secondhand ones around on Bicycle Market in Facebook or Ebay.

clint_1987's picture

To everyone that has taken the time to provide info thanks, has been a really good help.

ptpete's picture

Sign up to trainer road, link cadence sensor, register what trainer you are using, and you can train with virtual power. Works a treat. Plus they have heaps of training sessions with power profiles to follow.
Awesome!

hawkeye's picture

Are pretty indispensable. The most I can handle without something to take my attention off the suffering is about 30 minutes.

My favourite Sufferfest vid goes for *an hour and 44 minutes*... the Sufferlandrian National Championship. Footage from road, mtb and CX races. Others that are good include Blender, Revolver (15×60sec sprints), and Elements of Style, which is good for maintaining pedalling technique and efficiency.

Cheap to buy and download. Smiling

ptpete's picture

Flippin bargain, and i can highly recomend the fluid trainer. I have the same one, but without dyno meter. Served me well for over 4 years now! Jet Black Dynometer Wind Trainer on Gumtree http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/1082525373

hawkeye's picture

That's a good buy

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