Spin Me Right Round

August 15, 2022 3:50 PM

I am looking for a bit of advice about buying a spin bike.

I am looking at this bike or this bike.

I don't know much about these kinds of bikes. I regularly ride a hybrid and my doc wants me to ride something iin the winter.

I'm about 6' 2", 185 libs.

Any advice on which bike might be better? or if one bike should be avoided at all costs?

posted by miles1972 to Health & Fitness (2 answers total)

If you ride a real bike, a spin bike might feel a bit weird. The posture is different and the there's no freewheel so your legs always have to keep moving when the wheel turns. Also, it's just kind of boring compared to riding a real bike, so you may want to think about how to keep yourself entertained while on the spin bike. On the other hand, they're cheap and adjustable.

You may also want to investigate getting a bike trainer, a thing that attaches to your real bike and provides adjustable resistance. The "smart" ones can connect to various apps that simulate riding in famous locations, with other people, or just having a specific power-based workout.
posted by meowzilla at 4:47 PM on August 15, 2022

One nice feature of spin bikes is you can sit up straight on them, which is great for ergonomics. You don't have to be use the handlebars.

Stationary bikes don't have dynamic movement the same way bikes in the wild do. You're not, for example, going over bumps or making turns.

If the location in your profile is accurate, I don't think your area gets much snow. There's a lot you can do to make winter riding safer and more pleasant. Generator lights, wool pants, rain gear, fenders, etc.

So, if possible, I'd suggest taking the money you'd use to get an indoor bike and spending it on winter biking gear.

Otherwise, pretty much any spin bike I've been on seemed fine as long as you don't care about the statistics box, which is usually broken when they get cheap enough that I end up on them.
posted by aniola at 5:16 PM on August 15, 2022