Magnetic/fluid trainer OR stationary bikes?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by tanggoman
I just want to ask everyone here what will give a better workout, a mag/fluid trainer OR those stionary bikes

Using a mag/fluid trainer has one huge advantage, your bike fits (or should).

My experience of using a stationary bike (at a gym) was really bad for me knees. I don't know about the ones you mention, but make sure it fits you. I also recomend pedals with float on a trainer sine you won't have much of the normal sway.

Personally I like my fluid trainer. But, I have never tried one of the Giant Tempo bikes. I looked it up, it looks like a spin bike. If you are looking for something just for the house, not mobile, then it might not be a bad idea. Just change the saddle to what you are presently riding on your bikes and tweak it so the fit is the same.

Not too much info I gave, but I hope it helps.

Ron

With the Giant Tempo spin bike, you can change the saddle and pedals to your liking. Also you can adjust the seat, up and down, forward and back. So I guess it is fully customizable to fit your size and height.

Here's the site in case anyone's interested:
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.006.asp?bikesection=8837&lYear=2004

A stationary bike like the Giant, or a Lemond, is an excellent choice -- I'd love to have one. They offer lots and lots of advantages, as far as I'm concerned, particularly if you own one, and can carefully dial the positioning.

Which you can, with these things. A modern stationary bike from a reputable maker allows for most of the adjustments you need: saddle up/down, saddle fore/aft (in a huge sweep, generally -- inches and inches), and the same for the handlebar assembly. In essence, you can recreate the BB/handlebar/saddle relationship of your bike with reasonable accuracy.

Some allow for saddle changes (not sure about the Tempo).

Riding your own bike in a rear-wheel trainer is a great alternative to owning a dedicated stationary, but let's face it... it's a bit clumsy and falls short in the comparison. Going out of saddle, and even hard flat spinning, can be treacherous; the stability of the unit relies completely on a fixed, unflexing clamp on your rear-wheel skewer. Riding naturally, particularly if you're going hard, depends on the bike swaying with your cadence -- not possible in a trainer. With each stroke, the whole frame twists, sometimes noticably. Rear tire wear can be considerable, too.

Don't get me wrong... in the end, I love my fluid rear-wheel trainer. I'd just never use it if I had an adequate stationary bike. Go for it!

Stationary bikes, like the Lemond Spinmaster (currently gracing my garage/bike shop/gym) are for indoor workouts. [Fluid] trainers are for warming up at a race, or for those who can't/won't stomach the luxury cost of a spin/stationary bike.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Aztec
Stationary bikes, like the Lemond Spinmaster (currently gracing my garage/bike shop/gym) are for indoor workouts. [Fluid] trainers are for warming up at a race, or for those who can't/won't stomach the luxury cost of a spin/stationary bike.

I don't know... You are still staring at the wall. I have a fluid trainer and the Cateye Gamebike for the Playstation 2. It is pretty cool and I don't think I could train without it. So I think I would put the money towards a CompuTrainer instead of a Spin bike. They are in the same $$$ ballpark, I think.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Randybaker99
I don't know... You are still staring at the wall. I have a fluid trainer and the Cateye Gamebike for the Playstation 2. It is pretty cool and I don't think I could train without it. So I think I would put the money towards a CompuTrainer instead of a Spin bike. They are in the same $$$ ballpark, I think.

Hmmpf, fair enough. I suppose the ultimate would be one of the extremely costly systems that combines a dedicated stationary bike with a TV or monitor readout.

I sometimes workout with a Computrainer, and it's definitely more interesting than plain old spinning; still... for pure workin', nothing beats the spin-till-you-drop stability of a stationary.

Guess I should start playing the lottery so I can get one of those all-in-one hookups.

🙁