View Full Version : Suggestions for Spinning Bike?
Markedoc
08-14-03, 07:19 AM
Contemplating buying a spinning bike for indoor training (rain, winter, nights) ... does anyone have experience with the specific brands and models? I am aware of the Spinning brand bikes and also Schwinn. Was wondering if there was much of a difference between the brands and if there are any other brands/models to consider.
TIA
Schwinn bikes have the feel of a normal bike, but just be sure to work with resistance. I see a lot of people with very little resistance flying their legs around and bouncing all over the place.
Revmaster is a great bike- I love the feel of the bike. It has the geometry of a road bike that I'm used to.
Star Trac is similar to Revmaster. I have absolutely no complaints about them.
The problem is, the maintenance. Star Trac maintenance- non-existant. If your bike breaks and you don't use an authorized repair person approved by Star Trac, they won't follow up with repairs if it gets out of hand.
Revmaster is very proactive with repairs. They will call and make sure everything is ok. If you have a problem, they dispatch a repair person within 24 hours.
Schwinn- I have no idea about them. Since Nautilus bought their bikes and commercialized it (ie- selling at KMart and Target now) after Schwinn went bankrupt, I don't know how they're doing. If you're in Europe, you may fare better there- I heard Schwinn is much stronger in Europe- the bankruptcy didn't affect them as much as it did with Schwinn USA. Buy at your own risk.
My experience with the bikes from years of working on all of them. If I had the money, I'd go with RevMaster (the LeMond bikes) in a hot minute, no hesitation whatsoever.
Koffee
As a P.S. , with both the RevMaster and the Star Trac, you have the option of a fore/aft adjustment for the seat AND handlebars, so you get a bit more flexibility in adjusting your bike. Another thing about the RevMaster I like is that it comes with a video and a manual with instructions on precise bike set up, how to train on the bike, etc. (or it did at the time when one of my bikes bought their bikes). I think they also give you a few routines you can use for your bike when planning your training program.
Koff
Markedoc
08-14-03, 11:18 AM
Koffee - when you refer to Star Trac, are you referring to the bikes sold by Johnny G Spinner @ www.spinning.com? I didn't think their handlebars were adjustable.
I had the same reservation about Schwinn.
Markedoc
08-14-03, 11:21 AM
Koffee - one more question - do you have any perspective on the spinners vs. trainers?
Star Trac has 2 versions of their bikes. The ones sold for the Johnny G spin program have his autograph on it and is the sanctioned official spin bike of Johnny G. They are an exact replica of the other version of the Star Trac bikes. The Star Trac bikes (the ones they always made before the Johnny G/Schwinn split) is still being made and costs less than the Johnny G bikes because they don't have the Johnny G autograph on them. Both have the adjustable handlebars and adjustable seats. I swear, they are IDENTICAL- I've used both and there is NO difference except the autograph on the Johnny G "spin" bikes.
As far as spinners vs. trainers, I've never been on a trainer, but from what people say about trainers, they are comparable to spin bikes. The one thing about the indoor cycling bikes- I think they are great for building up base and endurance, but when it comes to riding, nothing feels like the real thing except the real thing. I'd take a trainer over any of the indoor cycling bikes anyday. Seriously.
Invest in the trainer if you want to spend more time on your bike. If you just want to work on building a better base, get the indoor cycling bike.
Koffee
Gojohnnygo.
08-14-03, 12:56 PM
I have to agree with Koffee they look identical.But I have only worked and trained the on Johnny G spinner Pro. http://www.startrac.com/products/bikes/pro_spinner.asp
Doh!
I take it back- I guess it's been a looooooooong time since I've seen the Johnny G spinner. You are correct- the handlebars do NOT have the fore/aft adjustment as the sister Star Trac V-bike does.
Both of them are belt driven rather than chain driven, I believe. Don't quote me on that, though. I'm getting old and my memory is dodgy. ;)
I believe the Schwinn has a chain driven belt, so it has more of a "feel" of a regular bike. STILL, the Schwinn bike I tend to view suspiciously, since it is now a KMart bike mass produced. That kinda makes me feel sketchy about it. The Schwinn bike does not have the fore/aft handebar adjustment.
I guess the only bikes leaving fore/aft handebar adjustment is RevMaster and the Star Trac V Bike.
My bad! Sorry!
Koffee
Markedoc
08-14-03, 01:10 PM
Yeah, the old Schwinn bike made for Johnny G didn't have the fore/aft either, which made the ride awfully cramped for me.
So now it's between the RevMaster at $899 and the Cat Eye CS-1000 for $339 ... price might win, but I wouldn't mind a dedicated stationary ride ...
Gojohnnygo.
08-14-03, 01:17 PM
:) I will say that the Star trac V-bike has the fore/aft handlebar adjustment.But don't buy that one I'm always pulling my hair out trying to fix the V-bikes.I'm just glad we have only two left.
If you are only going to use it a couple of times a week in your home it will probably make you a good bike.
Markedoc
08-14-03, 01:21 PM
Johnny - where are you in the Adirondacks? I used to live a little north of Lake George.
Gojohnnygo.
08-14-03, 01:28 PM
Originally posted by Markedoc
Johnny - where are you in the Adirondacks? I used to live a little north of Lake George. I live in Redford,Just 15 miles west of Plattsburgh.I love to going to Lake George it's a great place.
Gojohnnygo.
08-14-03, 01:33 PM
:D Oh I forgot Redford's Population 467 and love that fact.
Gojohnnygo.
08-14-03, 01:49 PM
Originally posted by Koffee Brown
Star Trac has 2 versions of their bikes. The ones sold for the Johnny G spin program have his autograph on it and is the sanctioned official spin bike of Johnny G. They are an exact replica of the other version of the Star Trac bikes. The Star Trac bikes (the ones they always made before the Johnny G/Schwinn split) is still being made and costs less than the Johnny G bikes because they don't have the Johnny G autograph on them. Both have the adjustable handlebars and adjustable seats. I swear, they are IDENTICAL- I've used both and there is NO difference except the autograph on the Johnny G "spin" bikes.
As far as spinners vs. trainers, I've never been on a trainer, but from what people say about trainers, they are comparable to spin bikes. The one thing about the indoor cycling bikes- I think they are great for building up base and endurance, but when it comes to riding, nothing feels like the real thing except the real thing. I'd take a trainer over any of the indoor cycling bikes anyday.
Seriously
.
Invest in the trainer if you want to spend more time on your bike. If you just want to work on building a better base, get the indoor cycling bike.
Koffee I still think you are right.There was one year when Startrac made the Johnny G bikes and V-bikes with the same bars.:)
Ok, I thought I'd been hallucinating! I rode the new bikes early on- they'd just unveiled the new spinning bikes made by Star Trac, and I was like "what's the difference?".
Thanks for clearing that up for me. I would have stayed up all night pondering this mystery of the universe! ;)
:lol:
Koffee
Markedoc,
I just went through this. I wound up getting a Kurt Kinetics trainer.
You can see some reviews at roadbikereview.com. The review when it got Bicycling's Editor's CHoice award is also worth reading. But what sold me is a guy I know who is into competitive cycling. He saw Lance warming up on a Kurt Kinetics, and decided that was good enough for him.
I just bought a Johnny Spinner Pro, but plan to return it because of excessive vibration and noise created by the chain drive. I can't understand why this unit is considered the leader in its class. I am not impressed at all, at any price. I have a Star Trac tech person coming to my house to check out the noise and vibration, but I think it is just the norm for this spin bike. The unit that still impresses me is the Lemond Revmaster, which I have been spinnig on for over a year in a spin class.
Is anyone in my camp on this subject? Am I wrong about this? Do I have a lemon spin bike?
Markedoc
10-10-04, 06:23 AM
I would think that you could adjust that bike to get rid of the noise and vibration. I have done spinning on the Johnny G bikes, and found them to be OK, but too lacking in adjustability. Seat was either too high or too low - just not enough increments. No handlebar fore-aft adjustability either. I've never heard anyone call the JG bikes "leader in class" either.
IF I were buying a spin bike, I would get the Revmaster. I went to other route and bought a CompuTrainer for my road bike. Cyclops 2 is very nice also.
I suspect the vibrations from the Johnny G bike may be because the home bike is a lot lighterweight than the bike sold for gyms. I find those bikes to be pretty cheap.
I am more impressed now than I've ever been with RevMaster. Since they got the Pilot computer you put on the RevMaster, it's a step up from where they were before- you can now track cadence, heart rate, and speed on that bike, and it won't be long before they add in a power meter too... all for an affordable price that any person can handle, since they mass produce for the fitness clubs and need to keep the bottom line low enough to move their product. I just rode their bikes a couple of days ago with the Pilot. They are really nice!
Koffee
LAJ1225
10-27-04, 01:20 PM
I just got my Johnny G Spinner Pro 2 days ago. I also have the vibration & noise. Although I noticed that if I keep riding it eventually goes away. I wonder if it just needs to be broken in. I will try it for a few more days & if it keeps this up I will call Star Trac & get some suggestions.
In response to the above comment, the Spinner Pro is not the same cheap spinner from the infomercial. This is $850, has a 43 lbs flywheel & is exactly the same as the Schwinn I use in class. I hope the problem is just a minor one.
:) I will say that the Star trac V-bike has the fore/aft handlebar adjustment.But don't buy that one I'm always pulling my hair out trying to fix the V-bikes.I'm just glad we have only two left.
If you are only going to use it a couple of times a week in your home it will probably make you a good bike.
please tell me what goes wrong on a V-biike ?
I have a 4 year old star-trac V-bike and have countless hours of spinervals
done on it and it is rock solid, no problems. I have adjusted the
wheel 2 times for chain stretch (I keep the chain absolutely buried in thick grease)
what can go wrong ?
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