Which do you prefer Trainer (using your normal bike) vs Exercise Bike?

I would also like to know peoples opinions on this. Coming up on the winter months I'm not going to be able to ride as much so I'm looking to either hook my bike up to a trainer or buy an exercise bike.

Trainers seem a lot cheaper on price vs quality and I'm leaning towards that since it puts me in the actual riding position I use rather then something that might be unfamiliar/strange.

From what I've read the only downside is wear and tear on the bike, especially the back tire so maybe I'll buy a cheap slick for trainer purposes.

Indoor bicycles, in this order ...

1) Trainer ... it's a lot more realistic.

2) Spinning bike / taking a spinning class ... perhaps a little bit less realistic, but if you get into a good class they can get you into shape, and it's nice to get out and do something like that with a group of people. The hours go by faster.

3) Stationary exercise bike ... only if you're desperate for something to use to keep in shape.


My recommendation would be to sign up for a spinning class 1-2 times a week, and then ride the trainer the rest of the time.


As for wear and tear on the bicycle ... there really isn't much. I've also never had issues with my back tire ... no worse than riding on the road.

Personally, I just ordered a Spinner. I want the indoor bike always ready. I am getting one that takes a seat just like my bicycle, and pedals.

If you get a trainer, get one of those red rubber tires. They are designed for trainers and won't wear down your normal tires. I also hear that if you do run a normal tire, be prepared for small black flecks of rubber all around the bike.

I rode a trainer all last winter, never saw any black flecks on my white carpet.

I like the trainer for a couple of reasons

1) I have MY bike on it and it fits great.
2) I can use the trainer to fine tune my bike after doing some maintenance to it.
3) I can change bikes for a different riding style.
4) it packs away in a smaller area of than the spinner when it is riding season.

There is alway the other option of rollers for a more realistic experience

I've ridden a trainer for years, and there have never been any little black tire flecks.

As for "I want the indoor bike always ready", you would, of course, have that with a trainer. Your trainer bicycle goes on your trainer. In my case, my trainer bicycle is a Giant OCR3.

there is another way.

i tried a trainer 2 winters ago to try to help keep me from fattening up too much over the winter and to keep my leg strength up. i'm not a competitive cyclist or anything, just a commuter/utility/recreational/lifestyle/car-free cyclist, so it's not like i was looking to stay in super tip-top riding shape, i just didn't want the leg muscles to atrophy too much from inactivity over the winter months.

long story short, i HATED the trainer. so. freaking. boring. i found spinning indoors on a stationary trainer to be one of the most mind-numbing activities i had ever engaged in. so the following winter, i decided to get some studded snow/ice tires, slapped them on an old mountain bike, and just rode throughout the winter. that was the right decision for me. riding into work on a chicago january morning may not exactly always be pleasant, but it's still trillions of times more fun for me than riding a bicycle indoors, going nowhere really fast. there's something about the wind in my face and the fact that i'm actually going somewhere that just make real cycling so much better for me.

of course, other riders love their trainers/spin classes/stationary bikes, but i just can't do it. i thrive on the stimulation of actually moving when i ride.

Same here. The only instance in which I would use a trainer is if I was watching a tv show or movie while doing so.

I'd love to be able to ride during the winter but it would literally be suicide here. We often receive 20+cm of snow at a time, sidewalks are never cleared and thus a lot of drifts end up making the lanes smaller. That with 2-5 inches of slush, black ice, packed snow and 50-70(gusting)+km winds creating 0 visibility at times? No thanks. Also the amount of salt would probably rust through my new bike in 4 months. Winters here are too dangerous even for cars let alone bikes.

Just check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P9BtO25j3o

Those snow banks along the road seem high? They get about twice that height.

I spent the whole of last winter, one or two hours a day, on my trainer. I have a laptop plus internet TV (need loud speakers if you use a big fan like I do), and I found that my old specialized computer headset mount was actually an excellent kindle mount (just keep the text small so you change pages less often). Without these things I would have given up biking indoors within about 15 minutes due to boredom. With them I have found it incredibly easy - I'm just doing what i would normally be doing for an hour or two on the couch but with the feelgood factor of having gone for a ride as well. I'm actually looking forward to winter riding this year, and if I could figure out a way to play civilization 5 while on the bike I would probably make the next Olympics.

Dave

Which is what I do with my basement Gym. I have a big TV, and a DVR, so I always have something good to watch. Right now there is a Commercial grate Treadmill, Recumbent bike, Total Gym, and soon to be Waters Fitness Tsunami Elite Spin Bike. Bring it on Winter!

when watching tv, try getting out of the saddle for the commercials. this will give you a few minutes of climbing.

I usually try to sprint through the commercials ... I call them, "commerical intervals".

Depends on the trainer, and the bike. If you can afford a commercial quality stationary bike with all the bells and whistles, power, HR etc, they are excellent. But the majority of cheap exercise bikes that are typically bought for domestic use are terrible.

Similar story to Steely Dan for me - except I didn't wait for the following winter. Was never happier than when I got on my bike with the studs after a couple months of no riding and avoiding the trainer- and you have to go a long way to find a winter worse than where I live (Winnipeg).