Fifty Plus (50+) - Hotel Gym bikes -- rant

It's bad enough that I'm in LA at a conference and will miss my daily bike commute as well as a chance to do la ong weekend ride.
I went to the hotel gym to do the stationary bike. I hate them, but what the heck, if I don't do something I feel like $%^&%$ all day.

What's up with those saddles? Is everyone that uses them fat, with A SUPER wide rear? Every one of their 4 bikes had a seat that, well, wouldn't fit on your computer screen.

I rode an hour and am now all chafed out. Bleeeccchhhh. I wanta go home and ride my bike.

/rant

Thats what you get for being bored. One hour on a Stationery and I would be out of my mind. And don't worry about your bike- The wife has had enough of it in the lounge and loaned it to the local kids to practice their kerb hopping with.

Why didn't you take your bike?

I got one adout six years ago there alright.But i thought adout getting some fresh air and bought a hybrid last week.Biking on the road has a different feel,and is harder.

Why didn't you take your bike?

Got a ride in a full min-van. No room for the bike. Plus I'm at the Wilshire Grand in LA and would have no idea where to head out to. This area doesn't look very bike friendly.

Every other year we meet in Sactamento, and i DO take my bike there and sneak out for a ride.

Biking on the road has a different feel,and is harder.

It's different; I think the road is much more engaging. I find the stationary harder, even though my heart rate doesn't get anywhere near what I get on a good hill.

Just a thought. Many places now also have recumbent trainers.
it may not be everyones first choice, but it wont chafe like those
"old timer" saddles do.

It's bad enough that I'm in LA at a conference and will miss my daily bike commute as well as a chance to do la ong weekend ride.
I went to the hotel gym to do the stationary bike. I hate them, but what the heck, if I don't do something I feel like $%^&%$ all day.

What's up with those saddles? Is everyone that uses them fat, with A SUPER wide rear? Every one of their 4 bikes had a seat that, well, wouldn't fit on your computer screen.

I rode an hour and am now all chafed out. Bleeeccchhhh. I wanta go home and ride my bike.

/rant

Probably not...but the one who purchases them does.;):D

We used to live in LA and I have to believe that there is a spin studio around the hotel where you could do a spin class. Ask the concierge.

I see that you are downtown. Well, there may be a spin studio around but if not, go to Santa Monica / Venice beach where you can rent a bad bike. Just have no expectations vis a vis a good ride, but the scenery should be fabulous.;);););):D

I rode an hour and am now all chafed out. Bleeeccchhhh. I wanta go home and ride my bike.

An hour, you did well. I tried one once in Santa Cruz. It was a recumbent.

After 3 minutes I was overheating from lack of circulating air and then a woman on the treadmill put an inane TV show on. I was out of there and took a 2 mile walk. :)

The seats are for the 300 pounders who put on inane TV shows and leave 5 minutres later thinking they've had a workout.

Got a ride in a full min-van. No room for the bike. Plus I'm at the Wilshire Grand in LA and would have no idea where to head out to. This area doesn't look very bike friendly.

Go West Young Man.

I used to work a few blocks north of you. While it's not really bike friendly, its bike doable.

The two best areas near you would be Griffith Park or the beach.

For Griffith Park, Hollywood Pro Cycles (http://www.hollywoodprobicycles.com/index.php)would be the place to rent bikes.

At the beach there are several places to rent bikes. Spokes ‘N Stuff Bike Rental or Blazing Saddles Bike Rental.

The best cheap way to get to the beach would be to take the Santa Monica Bus Lines (Big Blue Bus (http://www.bigbluebus.com/busroutes/index.asp)) Freeway Express line 10 between downtown L.A. and Santa Monica.

Enjoy.

I tried using one at a hotel once. The seat was set as low as it would go, and they had tightend the adjusting knob so tight with a wrench that I couldn't budge it. I won't go there again.

I loathe hotel gyms so much that I am very seriously considering buying a folding bike so I can just pack it up and take it with me when I travel. That way I can get up before breakfast and find myself a nice 45 minute ride. Beats those squishy seat bikes any day.

Only problem is how that one will work if airlines really do start charging for the second piece of luggage.

Only problem is how that one will work if airlines really do start charging for the second piece of luggage.

Just don't fly from the New Terminal 5 at Heathrow, Still around 20,000 bits of luggage that have no hope of being sorted for weeks. And its only been open 10 days.

http://search.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?uri=%2F&scope=all&go=toolbar&q=terminal+5

Is Terminal 3 going to be OK? I fly in there tomorrow.

I see that you are downtown. Well, there may be a spin studio around but if not, go to Santa Monica / Venice beach where you can rent a bad bike. Just have no expectations vis a vis a good ride, but the scenery should be fabulous.;);););):D

+1 in every possible way. Just don't run into the guy in dreadlocks, on rollerblades, and playing an electric guitar plugged into a pignose amp.

+1 in every possible way. Just don't run into the guy in dreadlocks, on rollerblades, and playing an electric guitar plugged into a pignose amp.

Sounds like there's a backstory here that you're not telling... Just sayin'

+1 in every possible way. Just don't run into the guy in dreadlocks, on rollerblades, and playing an electric guitar plugged into a pignose amp.

Is he still there?

Hi,

I was in a Seattle area hotel last week and ended up riding a recumbent stationary bike with all of the computer gadgets. I set it up for 20 minutes on a hilly program with a moderate intensity. My quads were killing me within 10 minutes and not wanting to damage anything I dropped the intensity. Then at about 15 minutes my butt started killing me to the point where those last 5 minutes were like an eternity. Finished the workout and never went back in the exercise room after that.

I get to go back there next week and I'm bringing my shoes and some pedals and I'm going to find a spin class instead.

Went to the gym at a resort in Mexico to get some spinning. The seats were more like a "normal" road type set vs. the wide glide type you usually see. It was a flywheel type bike and got it going but holy cow the thing had no brake. Almost broke a leg getting out of the pedals to let the thing stop on it's own.

Get a folding bike and bring it with you.

Just don't fly from the New Terminal 5 at Heathrow, Still around 20,000 bits of luggage that have no hope of being sorted for weeks. And its only been open 10 days.

http://search.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?uri=%2F&scope=all&go=toolbar&q=terminal+5

I understand that there will be new help there soon (a former supermodel, now serving a 5 year sentence for public arrogance :p) Once she starts to scream at that luggage it will fall right in line.

Adaptation, that's the ticket!:D
I just spent a week at one of our time shares. They have exercise facilities all over the place and have upright and recumbant bikes, ellipticals, treadmills, and assorte free weights and machines. In the past I've just walked the campus and maybe hit the treadmill or elliptical. However, this time I spent most of my time on the Lifecycle. I did one session on the recumbant just because I could. I normally got about 30 minutes of 65-80% heart rate work in while my wife did her time on the treadmill. I'd set the TV to a ball game when alone and let her pick a movie or whatever when I was with her.
I didn't get bored since I had a goal of losing or maintaining my current weight while on vacation.
Is a stationary bike my first choice? Nope. Is it better than nothing? Yep. A decent sweat is far better than griping!:D
And yes, the saddle was a modified wide-load model...however, I set the height and just spend most of my time in the "tri-bar" position and kept my 50+ butt perched towards the nose. It must have worked! I lost 1.5 pounds over the week while eating out and indulging in more "adult beverages" than usual.:rolleyes:

Sounds like there's a backstory here that you're not telling... Just sayin'

That fellow has been around Venice Beach for decades. You can't miss him. He's actually a decent musician.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/126921037_aeab3ecb13.jpghttp://www.shapeable.com/images/venice2.jpg

i have used a gym bike for while ,got a REAL bike used it.Because it was rainning i used my gym bike and felt exhaued i never felt like that before,i do not like it anymore much prefer the REAL bike feel.I think it is just a different work out.

It's bad enough that I'm in LA at a conference and will miss my daily bike commute as well as a chance to do la ong weekend ride.
I went to the hotel gym to do the stationary bike. I hate them, but what the heck, if I don't do something I feel like $%^&%$ all day.

What's up with those saddles? Is everyone that uses them fat, with A SUPER wide rear? Every one of their 4 bikes had a seat that, well, wouldn't fit on your computer screen.

I rode an hour and am now all chafed out. Bleeeccchhhh. I wanta go home and ride my bike.

/rant

My local gym has saddles on bikes like that... unbelievable... Yeah I do use the bikes when the weather is bad (not often) and I can only do about 20 minutes in them.

What gets me is all the gym rats that sit and read magazines while "riding" those bikes... hey... think aerobic folks... if you ain't breathin' hard it ain't doing you any good. :rolleyes:

I often find the bikes missing the pedal straps too.

Funny thing is riding my bike to the gym for a upper body workout and then hitting the stationary bike and then cycling home... almost enough to be real exercise. ;)