aley

It took me a minute to figure out why you'd take a spin class if you needed a petroleum engineering class. Where I went to school, PE was petroleum and a spin class would have been a PR (Physical Recreation) class.

I've never had much attraction to stationary bikes (what I love about cycling more than anything is that the scenery changes!), but to each his own. Some people I know don't get why I hang out on BF instead of going and spending time with "real, live" people at the bar - they probably look at Internet forums the same way I look at stationary bikes.

imi

An hours spinning class leaves me totally wasted... Depends of course on how much you push yourself... I push hard, that's sort of the point of it for me... If I was that exhausted when I got to work I'd get nothing done all day

I'm sure you can get there hammering up hills... But as sweaty? I doubt it...

dciskey

There's a crazy high-end triathlon store right by my work that does this, except with trainers instead of rollers. I've never gone in, only seen from walking by. Pretty sure I couldn't afford a bottle of lube from that place. More of a winter/spring thing than year-round, from what I can tell.

exile

It's the same argument for people who walk on treadmills. Why drive to a gym and walk when you could just go outside. And spinning can be very brutal, but the chicks man, think about the chicks in tights. And don't forget those wonderful mirrors. And don't forget about the ratio of 10 females to every one male. Okay, I admit it, I wasn't in the spin class just for the ride.

Also another poster made a good point about gyms catering to thier members requests. When I worked at a gym while in college a few people convinced the manager to shell out $1000 each for pilates equipment. Six months and $12000 later we had some very expensive and bulky furniture collecting cobwebs.

DataJunkie

You broke it.

lil brown bat

And half a dozen people have already answered that question in this thread, have they not?

-10 for being hoist by your own petard?

MNBikeguy

lol...
Seeing this old expression just gets me all cock-a-hoop..

AltheCyclist

Shoulda wrote "EGO" ... Everybody's Got Opinions

aoeuhtnsi

I LOVE SPINNING... when I had a gym membership.
I would ride my bike to go to class. I don't think spinning is anything like riding my bike/commuting.

oboeguy

Nicely put. It about sums up why I liked spin class when I had a gym membership through my job. Cute hipster ladies and a chance to bury myself on a "ride" without worrying about getting hit by a car -- great combo! I've rarely let myself get as blasted by a road ride as I did in spin class because of safety issues. BTW, I was the only one who showed-up in full kit with clipless pedal shoes (they had two "bikes" w/ SPD pedals). Oh and they machines are fixed gear, also a nice difference (curiously, it helped me work on my "spin" haha). The best days were when I commute AND spin.

d2create

Spin class is awesome (but so is raquetball).
It kicks your ass!!!
Don't be such a pill.

Tom808

I'm surprised that no mentioned that spinning allows a great way to exercise with you significant other. We start together, stay together the entire "ride" and end together while still pushing at our individual limits. And I don't drive to the gym, I walk or ride my bike.

jeff^d

I understand negative attitudes towards spin classes and stationary bikes because I used to feel the same way. I was a year round commuter to work, 25 miles a day minimum, biked for all my errands, etc etc blah blah blah. Then I suffered a badly broken arm/wrist (I was also a Cat 1 mountain bike racer) and spent 6 months in a cast and needed multiple surgeries to put everything back together.

Believe me when I say spinning kept me sane. My life was built around bikes, my girlfriend rode, nearly all my friends rode, and when you're injured, other people don't stop riding either. I quickly became depressed and decided to try a spin class. It wasn't long before I was hooked and feeling great again.

Sure, I'd prefer to ride a real bike. But sometimes you have to take what you can get. Quit being so closed minded and go ride your bike.

bbirnie

I tried my first spin-class last night....... it was 60 minutes and I created a pool of sweat below my bike like you wouldn't believe, it looked like I spilt my entire water bottle....... Im in very good shape........ and I frequently ride 50 miles +....... and the class made me work really hard...... therefore it's not hard to figure out why people like to do spin classes.......and I can't really figure out why there has been so many critical comments in this thread.

1- No expensive gear and bike to buy
2-The conditions are always the same
3-Some climates endure WINTER
4-No crazy drivers to get hit by
5-They are damn hard if you push yourself

I recommend it to any body who experiences winter or needs a safer way to exercise

PaulH

I wonder whether some spinners decide it might be fun or useful to ride a bike. Maybe spinning gets more people riding real bikes.

Paul

AltheCyclist

Interesting comment ... it is kinda like basic cable TV or an ISP .. you want more customers, but the less that actually *attend*, the better.

sd_mike

I never really got spinning, treadmills, stair climbing... I am a hamster? Where is the cheese at the end? Mind you, the Fitness Center, at San Diego City College, where you can "spin", doesn't have bicycle racks!

imi

I started spinning maybe 5 years ago after a toe operation kept me from running and martial arts... I could still ride my bike but wanted to "work-out" as well... so I bicycled to and from spinning classes... two totally different worlds...

haven't spinned for a year or so now, but this thread has got me wanting to start up again... thanks

Bah Humbug

Can spin while watching football. Can't really do that with a normal bike. And the girls, as mentioned. And the lack of getting rained or snowed on. Congrats on being more dedicated than me; I have circulation issues. Eff the cold.