Purchase a Trainer or a Health Club Stationary Bike?
10-20-09, 05:40 PM
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Purchase a Trainer or a Health Club Stationary Bike?
Hi folks,
I posted this question in the Training and Nutrition area, but it simply doesn't get as much traffic as the roadie section. So please pardon the double post; I pretty much have to decide by this Saturday.
I am a bike newbie, and have purchased my first road bike, just in time for winter....
I was planning on buying a Kurt Kinetic trainer, until I saw an ad for used Lifefitness stationary bikes. A local health club lost one of their locations/leases and is selling recumbent and upright bikes at discounted prices. They claim the bikes are in good shape, and are willing to include a one year warranty. (Don't yet have that in writing...)
The Kurt Kinetic is about $300, while the stationary upright bike is $1,350 used (Retail New is about $2,650). The bike has HR measurement and workout programs, with selectable levels of difficulty. I have used the same or a similar model to train for the bike portion of a spring triathlon last March, and felt I was bike-fit for the race. ( I used a buddy's bike for the race, since I didn't yet have a bike.)
The club is willing to let me test ride their bikes, and the deal seems aboveboard.
Ignoring price, which would you buy - the trainer or the stationary bike? Detailed justifications/explanations would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks!
I posted this question in the Training and Nutrition area, but it simply doesn't get as much traffic as the roadie section. So please pardon the double post; I pretty much have to decide by this Saturday.
I am a bike newbie, and have purchased my first road bike, just in time for winter....
I was planning on buying a Kurt Kinetic trainer, until I saw an ad for used Lifefitness stationary bikes. A local health club lost one of their locations/leases and is selling recumbent and upright bikes at discounted prices. They claim the bikes are in good shape, and are willing to include a one year warranty. (Don't yet have that in writing...)
The Kurt Kinetic is about $300, while the stationary upright bike is $1,350 used (Retail New is about $2,650). The bike has HR measurement and workout programs, with selectable levels of difficulty. I have used the same or a similar model to train for the bike portion of a spring triathlon last March, and felt I was bike-fit for the race. ( I used a buddy's bike for the race, since I didn't yet have a bike.)
The club is willing to let me test ride their bikes, and the deal seems aboveboard.
Ignoring price, which would you buy - the trainer or the stationary bike? Detailed justifications/explanations would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks!
10-20-09, 05:59 PM
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I'd buy the trainer. It's cheaper, even if you factor in a purchase of a heart rate monitor. It more closely mimics the body position of a road bike. It takes up less room too.
10-20-09, 06:01 PM
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Just my opinion, since you now have your own bike to get used to might as well get as much seat time on it as you can. So I would suggest the trainer.
10-20-09, 06:14 PM
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Trainer. And get a KK. They are great. 
10-20-09, 06:29 PM
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Trainer, for sure.
For the price of the stationary you could probably find a used Computrainer. They're awesome.
For the price of the stationary you could probably find a used Computrainer. They're awesome.
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10-20-09, 06:36 PM
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Don't get the stationary bike exercise equipment. It will take up a bunch of space, and I gaurantee you will be trying to sell it to "Play It Again Sports" within 5 years. The rear wheel trainer will not take up much room and save you a bunch of money. Take some of that money you saved and buy a second rear wheel that you have equiped with a trainer tire on it. By using the rear wheel trainer, you will be training yourself to ride your very own bike, instead of just making circles.
And "Play It Again Sports" won't pay squat for the exercise bike later on, maybe they will come to your house and haul it away for free instead of you having to hump it over there.
And "Play It Again Sports" won't pay squat for the exercise bike later on, maybe they will come to your house and haul it away for free instead of you having to hump it over there.
10-20-09, 07:21 PM
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Ditto, Get a trainor. Put your bike on it when your pressed for time and go to it.
10-20-09, 08:06 PM
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I'd look for a good spin bike at play it again sports. I've done some spinning classes and it's a great workout. You can stand on the pedals, pedal backwards and do some things that you can't do on a bike with a trainer. Just a suggestion. Before you make a decision, take a spin class. I'm going to get laughed at but it can be a killer workout, especially when it's too cold to ride outside!
Cheers,
J
Cheers,
J
10-20-09, 10:21 PM
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This is the only trainer I would be interested in.
but for what you would pay, you could get the KK and a Power tap wheel.
So, I'm going to have to agree with Sprocket Man, dguest, timster, Dr. Pete, Hot Potato. Barese Rider, jynx, pharding, RichinPeoria and Geoff326.
but for what you would pay, you could get the KK and a Power tap wheel.
So, I'm going to have to agree with Sprocket Man, dguest, timster, Dr. Pete, Hot Potato. Barese Rider, jynx, pharding, RichinPeoria and Geoff326.
10-20-09, 10:45 PM
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I just picked up a Tacx Fortius and I have to say the whole video game / live video aspect of it is motivating as hell. The fact that it tells me how hard the ride is doesn't let me slack off... So much better than slogging away listening to music or whatever one might do while on a trainer.
10-21-09, 07:17 AM
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What are you training for?
Presumably to ride your bike, and to ride it faster and or farther.
Hence you want your training to be as close as possible, in both postion, and resistence, to what riding your bike on the road is like.
The KK trainer will be substantially better in both regards than a lifecycle, not to mention cheaper.
Presumably to ride your bike, and to ride it faster and or farther.
Hence you want your training to be as close as possible, in both postion, and resistence, to what riding your bike on the road is like.
The KK trainer will be substantially better in both regards than a lifecycle, not to mention cheaper.
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10-21-09, 08:10 AM
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Merlin nailed it -- what are you training for?
honestly, keep the $ aspect down until you find what you like. Get the trainer. Better yet, get a set of rollers. You can always upgrade later if you find features you need.
I'm taking spin classes and don't care for the spin bikes. Big, padded seats, among other things. But I'll be on my rollers on the off-class days, using my road bike.
Get the trainer or rollers.
honestly, keep the $ aspect down until you find what you like. Get the trainer. Better yet, get a set of rollers. You can always upgrade later if you find features you need.
I'm taking spin classes and don't care for the spin bikes. Big, padded seats, among other things. But I'll be on my rollers on the off-class days, using my road bike.
Get the trainer or rollers.
10-21-09, 09:17 AM
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Trainer! Can't get any type of a road feel off of an excersize bike. Plus, if you are going to race you may want to take your trainer to races for warming up.
10-21-09, 12:58 PM
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Get the trainer. Have you thought about maintenance cost on the stationary bike/exercycle? The trainer, especially the KK Road machine, is maintenance-free.
10-21-09, 02:41 PM
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Many thanks for all the helpful replies. Your points regarding the trainer being better able to simulate actual bike riding make sense. I'm going with a trainer!
Regards,
Jim
Regards,
Jim
10-21-09, 03:29 PM
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I bought a spinner bike (Schwinn IC Pro) Retails for $1000 I saw it on Craigslist for $500 and talked him down to $300. It is definetly nicer than a trainer. I dont know about you but theirs something about trying to throw my weight around while my bike is locked in trips me out. Not to mention they are loud. My spinning bike is relatively quiet after some adjusting and I feel comfortable standing up and doing hard sprints and climbs and dont feel guilty about putting wear and tear on my bike.