Training & Nutrition - Can I use a RevMaster for Sufferfest videos???

I have a bike on a Cyclops fluid trainer and it works great, parked in front of a flat screen TV in the workout room. But now my wife wants a spin bike in the worst way and my bike is way too big for her to ride. She tried a RevMaster at a hotel health club spin class while we were travelling and loved it, so is now pushing for that. I just don't have space for both. The question is this: can I use the spin bike for Sufferfest videos and other race related workout DVD's that feature interval/climbing? The reason I ask is that I shift gears on my bike to increase effort and keep cadence steady and I'm not sure how/if this works with a RevMaster. Do I need to stop and screw that damn knob every time I want to increase/decrease resistance?? Thanks in advance.

If its like the spin bikes I have used you can screw the tension knob while riding.

The drawback I find with spin bikes is they don't always accept road bike seats, pedals and bars. The ones they come with I often find uncomfortable.
And they are fixed gear. I dont' ride fixed. Every once in a while I forget and try to stop pedalling for a moment.

I've ridden a RevMaster once, for a short while in a gym and it was extremely comfortable and very adjustable. I am not so concerned about seats/bars and pedals if I'm comfortable since I don't race but want to keep some level of biking fitness in the long winters here.

If it gets her on the bike...

Cripes...I ride to get away from her :)

I have a bike on a Cyclops fluid trainer and it works great, parked in front of a flat screen TV in the workout room. But now my wife wants a spin bike in the worst way and my bike is way too big for her to ride. She tried a RevMaster at a hotel health club spin class while we were travelling and loved it, so is now pushing for that. I just don't have space for both. The question is this: can I use the spin bike for Sufferfest videos and other race related workout DVD's that feature interval/climbing? The reason I ask is that I shift gears on my bike to increase effort and keep cadence steady and I'm not sure how/if this works with a RevMaster. Do I need to stop and screw that damn knob every time I want to increase/decrease resistance?? Thanks in advance.

First, you don't "stop and screw that damn knob" every time you want to increase/decrease resistance. You can actually still pedal and turn the knob. If you can change your gears on your bike while riding, I'm sure you can master that knob.

Often, I teach race day classes on a spin bike. No, it's not the exact same feel as riding a bike, but you can still simulate the feel of a race day using your heart rate monitor, adjusting resistance, and working with cadence. So- it might do well if you took a few spin classes from someone who knows what they're doing- not some chirpy irritating instructor who spends all their time jumping to the beat of the music, making you feel like an idiot. Find a spin class with a good spin instructor who knows about riding outdoors. Then listen for the cuing on how they ask you to adjust cadence and resistance, as well as how to work with the heart rate ranges specified. You should be able to very quickly figure out how to work with the RevMaster.

If you can't wrap your mind around having one of these bikes in the house, why not get her a bike of her own? It kind of doesn't make sense that if she wants to do what you're doing, she has to get on your bike to do it. RevMasters are adjustable and comfortable, and would feel better than getting on your bike- probably why she likes that RevMaster so much. So rather than focus and fixate on that "damned knob", which seriously- is NOT a big deal in the scheme of things, perhaps you could work it so you both get what you want- she can have a means to do some indoor bicycling with her own bicycle, and you can stick with using your own bike with your trainer. Or else- get the RevMaster and call it a day. This is a pretty simple decision.

Oh- As a P.S., RevMaster also has a console you could purchase and attach to the handlebars. It has sensors for the flywheel. So you can also clock your cadence, miles per hour/km per hour, calories burned, and heart rate (provided you're wearing the strap on your chest). It's not a total travesty if you ended up getting a RevMaster.

koffee