1- Lemond Revmaster
2- Star Trac Johnny G Spinner
3- Schwinn Evolution
4- The Kettler Racer Indoor Cycling Bike
2- Star Trac Johnny G Spinner
3- Schwinn Evolution
4- The Kettler Racer Indoor Cycling Bike
spinning bikes, what would be your choice?
- Thread starter creaky crank
- Start date
You should have a choice for "none of the above". Last year I used a spin bike at the gym and a stationary bike at home and am dropping them. Have just purchased a CycleOps Fluid 2 trainer. Hopefully that will be a better choice all around.
Personally, I think it is better to buy a $1,000 bike and a $225 trainer than to spend the money on a spin bike. That way a person can actually use the bike indoors and outdoors. Although the spin bikes you've mentioned are nice peices of equipment, you are pretty limited in where you can ride them.
Personally, I think it is better to buy a $1,000 bike and a $225 trainer than to spend the money on a spin bike. That way a person can actually use the bike indoors and outdoors. Although the spin bikes you've mentioned are nice peices of equipment, you are pretty limited in where you can ride them.
Good point. If you can afford, or rather are willing to spend the cash on both as I did, the Lemond is great. I prefer the spin bike to my road bike in the trainer (same one, btw).Doctor Morbius said:You should have a choice for "none of the above". Last year I used a spin bike at the gym and a stationary bike at home and am dropping them. Have just purchased a CycleOps Fluid 2 trainer. Hopefully that will be a better choice all around.
Personally, I think it is better to buy a $1,000 bike and a $225 trainer than to spend the money on a spin bike. That way a person can actually use the bike indoors and outdoors. Although the spin bikes you've mentioned are nice peices of equipment, you are pretty limited in where you can ride them.
I own a Johnny G Spinner Pro and am very happy with it. I looked at all the available spinners out there, and I chose the Johnny G. The Lemond is a nice one, but is quite a bit more expensive (I also have a problem with the comments Lemond has made about Lance and American cycling in general, so I have a personal reason to stay away also). The Giant Tempo is also a good spinner. When I considered performance, quality, and $, I chose the Johnny G. All the ones you named are good quality. Good luck.
What about a roller? You can use your bike on it without damage to the frame or forks, you gain riding skills that you don't get with a stationary trainer, and it's not as boring. With a magnetic brake unit (like on Tacx rollers) or the headwind unit on a Kreitler you can crank up the resistance and get a little bit of a power workout too. I train indoors on a Tacx 1200 roller but will upgrade to the Kreitler when budget allows.creaky crank said:
Is frame damage really an issue? The trainer I just purchased connects via the rear axle only. A sales guy at an LBS told me that the rear axle is one of the strongest areas on the frame and that there shouldn't be any problem whatsoever.
Bamberg said:
I have read somewhere that frame damage is a potential danger of using a trainer when you do hard intervals. I'm sorry I don't remember where, but it was a source I respected, as I have retained the information. On the road, your bike flexes on every axis all the time and moves around, although it may not be felt. On a stationary trainer, the bike is locked into place, so all of the movement and flexing is done by the frame, and not road movement. This places more stress on the frame. I don't know if I have explained that very well, but I tried. The upside is that no matter which way you go, you get to buy new bike gear . I'll take any excuse to buy new stuff, the hard part is getting the wife to understand that it is absolutely necessary.
. I'll take any excuse to buy new stuff, the hard part is getting the wife to understand that it is absolutely necessary.
OK, thanks. I guess I'll start out using my old beater bike. Its frame is True Temper chromoly steel and should last longer than I will be on this earth. That way I can keep the miles off of my new toys until spring when the weather is more pleasant.
ghostpedal said:I have read somewhere that frame damage is a potential danger of using a trainer when you do hard intervals. I'm sorry I don't remember where, but it was a source I respected, as I have retained the information. On the road, your bike flexes on every axis all the time and moves around, although it may not be felt. On a stationary trainer, the bike is locked into place, so all of the movement and flexing is done by the frame, and not road movement. This places more stress on the frame. I don't know if I have explained that very well, but I tried. The upside is that no matter which way you go, you get to buy new bike gear
Doctor Morbius said:
I disagree. If you have the finances, a dedicated trainer is a better choice for a number of reasons: no tire wear, don't have to haul your bike in and out, cleaner (especially if you're riding when it's crappy out), no setup time, quieter, more accurate if you have a power readout and the potential of sharing with a spouse (or whomever) if the bike is adjustable.
If you can afford it, it's a better way to go.
BTW, although it's not really a spin bike, I picked up a cardgirus (http://www.cardgirus.com ) It's got some issues but I'm pretty satisfied with it.
Wow,
Very impressive piece of equipment, this is exactly what I've been looking for!! If you don't mind, how much was the shipping? Software looks great, how do you like it so far? Anything about it annoying you?
thanks for sharing this!
Very impressive piece of equipment, this is exactly what I've been looking for!! If you don't mind, how much was the shipping? Software looks great, how do you like it so far? Anything about it annoying you?
thanks for sharing this!
beerco said:
PixelPusher said:
Here's a review I wrote: http://www.bicyclewattage.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3
beerco said:
I would second beerco's recommendation of Cardgirus. I have one, and the only issue I have had with it is that one part (the "two-way," i.e. the smallest wheel the rubber drive band runs through) has had to be replaced once and now likely twice. I am trying to figure out if it is a bad bearing or whatnot, but whatever it is it causes a clicking noise when there is not so much resistance on the wheel (during a "downhill"). (Any thoughts, beerco?) So, the machine works great and the only issue I have has to do with a bit of noise, not real functionality. For example, I just spent three hours on the Cardgirus last night.
One of the best features, other than stage programming and the solid platform, is the ergometer function. You can set a resistance level in watts and keep it irrespective of the cadence, which is great for spinning exercises. I really love this machine despite minor quirks and the need to deal with customer service from Basque country.
Finally, shipping from Spain was less than the Computrainer-equivalent (Velotron) would cost from Seattle, and the Cardgirus costs over 1/3 less than the Velotron.
I have not tried the Lemond one. But of the others I would choose the Kettler. My favourite spinner bike is this one though http://www.body-bike.com/ (and i should mention I have no affiliation with the company. I´ve worked 5 years as a spinner instructor. Now I only ride my bikes and am planning to buy an Tacx I-magic fortius there you go I dont want a spinner bike at home.
We have the Revmaster here at work and it's a great bike. It's built like a tank and will last you about 100 years. However, the downside is there are NO electronics on it. This might not seem like a bad thing but if you want true consistency in your workout, it's very tough. This is esp true if you want to do a workout based on power. I don't think it's a deal breaker, but it is something to think about.
I never liked using my bike on a trainer and prefer a spinning bike. I like the way it feels and my bike is always available when I can ride outside. I bought a Schwinn and liked it better than the Kettler, though can't remember now what I didn't like about the Kettler. Also, I was able to find the best deal on the Schwinn on the internet. I didn't check out the Revmaster though it looks much like the Schwinn. I think the heavy flywheel and your seated position are the most important factors. I use the Star Trac at the gym and it seems fine to me.creaky crank said:
The Lemond is the only one listed that I've tried.
I'd still choose my beloved bike on a good trainer any day!
I'd still choose my beloved bike on a good trainer any day!
I choose to use a bike on a trainer, rather than a spinning bike so that I can set my training bike up EXACTLY the same way as my road bike (seat height, fore-aft, reach etc.) This can not be done on a spinning bike (at least, not on any of the spin bikes I have ever tried). If I am forced to train indoors, I want the indoor training to be as beneficial to my road performance as possible, it is therefore very important to me that I can duplicate exactly my road position.
