Originally Posted by
Banzai
There are probably a lot of benefits to spin class, but one major drawback:
They're not fun.
For whatever reason, it's fun to go all out on the road, or go find the steepest climb in your area and charge up it until your legs feel dead. But doing nearly the exact same thing in spin class is just not fun. Sitting stationary, with blaring and often irritating music, and people raining sweat all around you in a hot room with some weirdo up front screaming at you over the music and the fans. It just struck me as dumb the one time someone talked me into doing it during the winter.
After that, it was out on the roads, with some good winter clothes, feeling the freezing air bite into my lungs and enjoying the experience of actually riding a bike.
I've considered listening to the spin instructor and following the routine to be purely optional. Headphones in, I'm riding my [spin] ride. They're sitting, I'm standing, and vice-versa. I've never had an instructor complain..frankly I wouldn't hear it if they did.
They're fun, a 45 intense work-out without worrying about gear, cars, weather, lights, etc. ... just pound it out..get off and do something more interesting.