Exercise Bike v Getting on the Road?

[ayceejay]

70 minutes on a stationary bike is worth a reward of some kind but every day I am thinking Nobe(l)r prize for masochism.

 

[YahudaMoon]

When I get reincarnated .... I want to be a spin bike !

 

[YahudaMoon]

Or if your really lucky, get dunked and have Julie Burchill sit on your seat post

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...ds-toughest-fat-camp-cure-Queen-Gluttony.html

 

[Nigelnaturist]

All that work just to be in the same spot, I would rather do reps on the hill out of Wentbridge, that takes me about 3:30 to climb bottom to top.
http://app.strava.com/activities/87817743#1820743194.
Then have a gentle 3:30 gentle spin in the high 80's
http://app.strava.com/activities/87817743#1820743197

 

[Sandra6]

We have an exercise bike, I hate it, but I do use them in the gym as a cool down after a session, and I like a good spinning class - but not the "studio cycling" style with dips and push ups on the bike. I used to go to a class lead by a cyclist and it was a really good complimentary work out. The gym I've just joined is a bit of a disappointment, but I still use the spin bikes occasionally.
I usually find I go a lot further in half an hour than I would on a real bike though.
With a standard exercise bike it all depends on what level you set it to, if you're doing 70minutes at level 1 then you're going to find a real bike hard. If you're used to being at level 10 you'll love the flats and downhills!

 

[Mickthemove]

A good friend of mine has over the last year turned into a fitness freek and has lost 5 stone in weight down to 15 stone ( chapeau), he has done this by gym sessions 3 times a week with loads of spinning glasses, he also does a few triathlons now and then. ( chapeau again).

Then he told me he had entered into a charity London to Paris bike ride last weekend, and proceeded to tell me he would average over 20 mile an hour and it would be a piece of cake, I offered advice that it is a bit different to hours on a spinning bike and a little bit harder than a 15 mile flat triathlon route, he said "what do you know"

Well, I understand he is back and can't walk at the moment, his rear end is black and blue, and had a shocking experience throughout ! He had never been up a real hill, ridden into a headwind (for 70 miles lol) and not had to lug his 15 stone on his own effort ! Oh how we are chuckling ( I know it's wrong to)

May offer him 500 for his brand new Starley frame! ( not wrong with picking at the carcass)

The moral of this is there is no substitute for time in the saddle, being king of the spinner makes no odds if you have the wrong gears, the wrong padding, the wrong weather etc.

Getting on a bike and cycling is the only way!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I always chuckle when I ride past a gym on an evening and all the people are coming and going in their cars ................ if they walked or cycled there they probably wouldn't need to go in

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Cant beat reality, but I just got a virtual reality cycle trainer to keep the legs turning in the winter as well on days i cant ride.

 

[Mickthemove]

Cant beat reality, but I just got a virtual reality cycle trainer to keep the legs turning in the winter as well on days i cant ride.

Same here! Or in the process, just to keep the legs moving when I can't get out on the real thing!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I dont find having a few days off has any determinant, the weather in winter usually offers enough days/nights to ride from Jan to April this year I did 410miles, 537, 502 and 866 miles. the avg temp ranged from 5 to 9 degrees C. avg distance 23 to 36 miles. I can take up to nearly 2 weeks off with out to much fall off in fitness. Why would I need to use any form of exercise bike/ turbo ect. You don't lose fitness overnight. it takes a long time like it takes a long time to regain it.

 

[jowwy]

I dont find having a few days off has any determinant, the weather in winter usually offers enough days/nights to ride from Jan to April this year I did 410miles, 537, 502 and 866 miles. the avg temp ranged from 5 to 9 degrees C. avg distance 23 to 36 miles. I can take up to nearly 2 weeks off with out to much fall off in fitness. Why would I need to use any form of exercise bike/ turbo ect. You don't lose fitness overnight. it takes a long time like it takes a long time to regain it.

you might not find having a few days off as detrimental to you - but others do and thats why they are asking for advice on turbo's, exercise bikes etc etc

whats good for one is not always as good for the other - each to their own as they say

 

[4F]

I always chuckle when I ride past a gym on an evening and all the people are coming and going in their cars ................ if they walked or cycled there they probably wouldn't need to go in

To be fair though a gym will also offer a good variety but you are right that most drive. I go to one 5 days a week (circuits, tac fit, cross fit, spin and box fit) which is all class based before work and cycle there and then onwards to work afterwards.

 

[Rob3rt]

As for exercise bikes etc, IMO, you are best just buying a decent but low cost turbo trainer and ride your real bike on it!

I dont find having a few days off has any determinant, the weather in winter usually offers enough days/nights to ride from Jan to April this year I did 410miles, 537, 502 and 866 miles. the avg temp ranged from 5 to 9 degrees C. avg distance 23 to 36 miles. I can take up to nearly 2 weeks off with out to much fall off in fitness. Why would I need to use any form of exercise bike/ turbo ect. You don't lose fitness overnight. it takes a long time like it takes a long time to regain it.

Obviously you are speaking only for yourself here, but in general terms, actually you do lose fitness at an alarming rate and it only takes a couple of days off for performance to start to suffer!

Cycling on a stationary trainer is generally easier than cycling outside because it have a flywheel which continues to spin even if you are not exerting effort on it whereas outside you have to continue to apply force. It's why you see people in spinning classes who seeming to be working hard when in reality they are doing nothing of the sort except bouncing all over the place.

It can help of course with general conditioning but you can't really replicate the experience of riding outside with them (outside of specific pieces of equipment which give a better feel such as a Wattbike.)

This needs revising!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Rob3rt Don't get me wrong I do notice it, in that the H.R. is higher, but not so much that a few days won't cure, I do appreciate others are different, and I am out 2 out 3 days on average what ever the weather.
I also guess it boils down to what a person is aiming for, I am only after overall fitness, I am not training for any sportives or races ect, so it's not so important to me, other it may be, if they are aiming for a particular goal, to keep at their peak (or to peak at a particular point)

 

[michaelcycle]

This needs revising!

Ok!

(Errrr, how? Oh, maybe I should clarify that by "stationary trainer" I meant the type of exercise bike you find in a traditional gym setting...)