Wreader

Yes. Just like there is no crying in baseball. There is no coasting in spinning.... It is a nasty surprise for everyone; once.

CACycling

My wife's Kettler Ergo Racer spin bike freewheels.

billydonn

Spin bikes in my fitness center do not freewheel and I think that's true of most of them.

FrenchFit 

Those Keiser spin bikes are the worst, not for real bike riders. And they are bolted, not welded...so you get to see them fall apart in spin class.

ftwelder

My wife and I have had schwinn spin bikes for years. They are the heavy duty type. We live in a small apartment but I have some space in the hall for storing them. I roll them in and out as needed (quite easy) and they have been stone-reliable. We are trying "Virtual active" downloads to ride with and they make it a lot more tolerable.

Brittany31

My friend has a spin bike is really great, even in the cold winter also can let the body to get sufficient exercise. I was about to consider to buy a suitable for their own spin bike.

jeromephone

I have been taking spin classes for the cardio benefits and agree with the other posters that it is not the same as regular biking. If you are going to get home spin bikes or trainers get the best you can afford. I have a schwin aerodyne that gets used off and on for various rehabs and it is at least 20 years old and works just like new. The cheap stuff does not feel right and will not hold up. For me the catch is should I put money into home equip or money to a gym membership which offers several different activities and programs.

Mr Grinch

Yes, they don't freewheel.

We we have a Lifecycle GX. Advantage is built like a tank, minimal maintenance, easy to move, simple to hop on and ride. No real set up or wear like a trainer. It takes bike pedals or any seat.

The free wheel issue is minimized on this bike by a quick acting resistance lever. You want to stop pedaling, just move the lever. I ride it all winter.

jyl

I like spin classes. You can crank up the resistance, stay seated, and get a serious leg workout. One that you'd need a five mile long hill for and there might not be one handy for evening works.

StanSeven

There's an older thread here on this subject. Despite many people saying this, no one could produce evidence that any manufacturer actually says this now. The only thing that came up were two companies literature from many tears ago (Waterford was one and I can't remember the other) and neither says that now. So it appears there's no truth in this old tale.

In fact Tour riders use their bikes on trainers to warm up and cool down in each stage

bowzette

They are fixed gear-no freewheeling. but unlike a FG bike you can adjust the resistance; method depends upon the model.

gforeman 

Wow, this tread has come back from the grave :-) I love my Waters Fitness Spin Bike. It's a few years old now, and the minor issues I have had with it have always been handled by Waters, no problem. I've had very few issues, broke a cable a few months ago, and the display had an issue out of the box.

I really depend on this in the winter. The bike and my Spinerval DVD's keep me in shape through the winter.

scottquiros

Though a lot of people think of “spinning” as a generic word for exercising on an indoor cycle, it’s important to note that the words Spinner. Just like Xerox for copy machines and Kleenex for tissues, Spinning Bikes, Spin Bikes, Spin Classes, etc. only really refer to the brand of indoor cycling bikes and classes licensed by that company. Mad Dogg Athletics, which distributes the bikes, and the Spinning® empire have done such a good job of promoting indoor cycling and selling their quality bikes that it’s led to everyone thinking that’s what indoor cycling is called. But to be clear, we’ll use “indoor bikes” or “indoor cycling bikes” as the generic term and Spin only when referring to things relating to the company.

scrming

I thinking this is you and your blog... will you only be reviewing Spinning/Mad Dogg Athletic Spin bikes? or will you also cover over indoor exercise bikes?

"BIO
Hi, This is Scott. Editor at my blog. Please visit our blog in order to get spin bike reviews and recommendations. You will get experts tips and suggestions. Read our tips and stay fit and healthy."

DiabloScott

Maybe; but Kleenex INVENTED the word Kleenex, and Xerox INVENTED the word Xerox. Spinning has been a cycling term for decades and the word was co-opted and trademarked inappropriately.

2 Piece

I live in Northern Virginia and cycle year round. Much rather be out riding than stuck inside, even in the winter.
But I also have ProForm Tour de France spin bicycle when the snow gets to deep. It works well and I like how it interacts with rider on different rides.

jeromephone

I have been going to spin classes for about a year now and find that I get a whole lot better workout with the group pressure than doing it on my own. Club has a lot of other activities as well. I was suprised that , at least for me how little crossover there was between spin and riding outside. Generally staying in better shape but nothing seems to equate to actually riding outside. No headwinds but no coasting either.

seysom

I have found some information for you, these bikes are might be the best option for you. Just find out more about it. https://www.top10great.com/spin-bikes-for-sale/

gforeman 

Wow, this is a really old thread!

I got a Waters Fitness Elite, and it's still going strong...and I use the heck out of it!

Mark2457

Hey frank I just ordered a schwinn (carbon blue). I'm having a hard time deciding if I want to cough up $500 for the mpower ecehelon2. Thinking that getting a polar m650 (have other polar gear and like polar flow) with a cadence and speed sensor and then putting same on my road bike and move computer between the two. The spinner is just for fitness, so not that bother about stuff like power.

Do you have any kind of cycle computer on yours?

Regards

Mark

Harumph

X2 for the Keiser brand bikes. I've been a spin instructor for the YMCA and several other health clubs in Houston since 2000. Of all the bikes I've taught on Keiser is hands down the best.

Terex

I agree. I used one at Princeton Fitness in NJ and bought one when we moved to New Mexico. People who say that spin bikes are to be avoided have never used them effectively. When I was riding a lot, time spent on a spin bike in bad weather provided a massive improvement to my road cycling fitness. In my late 50's I was averaging 350-400 watts an hour. Of course, I usually totally ignored what the instructor was telling everyone to do.

pattrick

I have one that I use when I can not get out for periods of time. Living in the northeast this can be common unfortunately in the winter months,with poor road conditions due to lack of maintenance and removal. If what you are looking for is the ability to keep up your power and endurance for the upcoming spring I can assure you that they can do that quite easily with much less time than it would take you to get ready then go out and come back. Knowing I can go as hard as I would like without worrying about that ten percent ,three quarter mile hill that is in the distance needing some of my reserves gives me the ability to push early and often when not concerning myself with terrain. I seem to do more interval type work and try not to stay on for long periods which seems to bore me. If..... I manage to keep this up over the winter months I have noticed an ability to easily transition into where I had left off with no undue fatigue or other concerns on my fitness. While they may not exactly duplicate your ride they can be set up close enough to allow a great workout to keep you primed for the upcoming season. At 27 I never needed to worry about getting back, at 57 I find coming back a bi#@h. While according to some here it is not ideal, rest assured it will keep you in decent shape quite easily.