spinning ==> real cycling?

[crownjewelwl]

any of you dudes have significant others that started with spinning but now ride a real bike (with you sometimes)??

i've tried to get my wife interested so she can understand my sometimes irrational behavior. a friend of hers got her to commit to a soul cycle class.

let's wee what happens...

[MattTuck]

Not sure the irrational behavior will translate. I've never heard of a spin class participant talk about lower rotational mass, or saving a few grams on the frame.... :p

[phcollard]

I thought it was the other way around... You start cycling then in the winter months you may attend a spinning class?

Spinning is such a pain you've GOT to love cycling to do it. So really? There are non-cyclists doing spinning? Wow. I bend forward :)

[crownjewelwl]

I thought it was the other way around... You start cycling then in the winter months you may attend a spinning class?

Spinning is such a pain you've GOT to love cycling to do it. So really? There are non-cyclists doing spinning? Wow. I bend forward :)

it is now hip

http://www.soul-cycle.com/soul-east/

[cdn_bacon]

Take that "spinner" for a century ride.

I've taken spinning classes and have been dying afterwards... but can they keep the endurance seated on a saddle for that long?

[thegunner]

it is now hip

http://www.soul-cycle.com/soul-east/

hate hate HATE this place. it's so... trendy that it's almost douchey.

[MattTuck]

it is now hip

http://www.soul-cycle.com/soul-east/

From what I hear, Tom Boonen would fit in there... :no:

[crownjewelwl]

hate hate HATE this place. it's so... trendy that it's almost douchey.

um...you're not the target audience!!

[veggieburger]

In general, I enjoy spinning when it is taught by a cyclist. What hacks me off is the ridiculous handlebar pushups and unrealistic up and down saddle changes.

[fiataccompli]

I did a few spinning classes with my wife several (4?) years ago and I can see the appeal of them. They kicked my butt for sure...but I like cycling. The weird thing was when I went out with her on real bikes, I would try to explain the proper use of gears and she would get frustrated and want me to put it in terms of "increasing resistance" or "decreasing resistance"...we're gonna take another run at the transition this year. That said, I know of a number of folks who have gotten into cycling after enjoying spinning classes and wanting to try real bikes. Go figure.

[laupsi]

spinning equals not cycling. taught spin when my son was born because I didn't have the time to train for racing my bike. although it was a decent filler, the best part was putting together the music, it was not cycling.

for the most the folks who participated liked the "closed" atmosphere, the short time period, 1 hour tops for my class, making friends and the predictable nature of the class schedule. I hope they liked my music too.

I tried to talk a few into outdoor cycling but to no avail. "riding outdoors was just too dangerous".

[christian]

I go to spinning a fair amount, and my gym has placed a couple of spin bikes on the floor for people like me who do structured work on them.

I don't mind the classes, if the instructor is a competent cyclist and teaches it with some cycling principles. But I prefer to ride on the bikes on the floor... I stick my HRM on the bars, turn on the music, and peg the HR to 160 bpm for an hour. I actually find it preferable to working out on my own bike on the trainer - I don't worry about sweat, etc.

People in most of the classes divide to about - 90% spinners only, 10% cyclists. It's easy to tell the difference.

[Liv2RideHard]

I spin in my off season when I am not racing. It is an intense workout. I quite welcome the change in...scenery...I mean my routine. Good for the eyes...I mean lungs and legs. But seriously man, some of the women I see in spin are super strong. I am usually the only guy in class.

[pjmsj21]

My wife and I belonged to a health club that offerred spin classes and to be honest it was one of the reasons she got stronger and started road cycling. She is now hooked on road cycling to the point she wants a custom cf bike.

That being said we quit last fall and purchased computrainers. While we miss some of the social aspects of spin classes, we appreciate the extra time we have in not driving to the health club and back. But the biggest difference is we have more structured work outs.

But for your situation, you may find you have a budding cyclist on your hands.

[cmg]

not a fan of spinning or the gym in general, tried it this pass winter. rather take my chances on the road. So what's an irrational behavior? talking about rotational versus static weight at dinner? then she realizes your not joking......

[sparky33]

A little part of me dies when I see this:

http://www.proform.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_-1_14201_16002_29511_191319

[yoshirider]

i've tried to get a friend who loves spinning and spins regularly to ride outdoors with us. she came out one time and i let her use one of my older bikes, but her balance on the bike was just terrible. she was so nervous and couldn't steer straight too well so we were going at a very slow pace and balance when dismounting wasn't too good. i guess maybe the problem with some women is they're confident on the spin bike because they don't really need bicycle handling and balancing skills.

when i first got started in road cycling a few years ago i didn't know how to shift the bike correctly so i pretty much used it as a single speed for a couple years until last year when i joined a group ride. if you want to teach your wife how to shift properly, maybe you can set her up on a trainer and let her figure it out by trial and error.

[illdthedj]

I'm an exact example of this!

My wife (then GF) had no interest in cycling.

Then we both joined the same gym, and i noticed they had Spin classes, so I suggested we try a few to see how she liked it.

She ended up loving (and hating because it's an intense class) Spin. We still go every week.

That's when i suggested we start going on rides together...she was now into the idea, in that i had sold it to her as "Spin class but with a view!"

What also helped is her favorite color (and one of our wedding colors, combined with black) is CELESTE...so naturally when i built up a Bianchi Campione De Italia for her that was completely celeste, she LOVED the bike.

Shes still definitely not as into cycling as me (she has 2 bikes, i have 7 haha)...BUT we still go on rides together once a week, we've been on one metric century together, and have signed up for our first century!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8500/8396477602_8a245d0085.jpg

[Louis]

I actually find it preferable to working out on my own bike on the trainer - I don't worry about sweat, etc.

I've been thinking of getting one for home for much the same reasons. Are they (i.e. spinning bikes) pretty much all the same, or are some significantly better than others for mechanical or "electronic gizmo" reasons?

[christian]

They definitely differ in build quality. I don't use any of the electronics, but some of the new ones do show cadence, at aleast.

I would get a used gym-quality machine, not a home machine. You should be able to find one of these used for $250-300. These are good because saddle swaps are trivial.

http://www.csmfitness.com/Bike/SchwinnSpinnerElite2_L.jpg

[Louis]

They definitely differ in build quality. I don't use any of the electronics, but some of the new ones do show cadence


Part of the reason I've been holding off is that I've been debating the "plain Jane" (as in your image) vs the "fancy electronics to keep my brain occupied."

I know from previous experience that I'm unlikely to do something that will turn my brain to jelly. I'm not sure how much the machine itself can compensate for the fact that you're not out on the road having fun, but if some mental tricks can fool me for 45-60 minutes it may be worth considering.

[christian]

The only tricks I need are crappy movies or hard rock/southern rock/outlaw country.

[Louis]

The only tricks I need are crappy movies or hard rock/southern rock/outlaw country.

How many Molly Hatchet fans are there back in Sweden? ;)

http://bottledsmoke.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/molly-hatchet-album-cover.jpg?w=500

[christian]

One fewer with me here, but Molly Hatchet are (relatively) pretty huge in Sweden. Probably more fans of Molly Hatchet get together in Västerås during Power Big Meet than any other city outside of Jacksonville. (Edit: Actually, were you being facetious? -- Molly Hatchet actually ARE popular in Sweden...)

Today it's going to be mostly Drive-By Truckers and Robert Earl Keen on the play list....

[Louis]

(Edit: Actually, were you being facetious? -- Molly Hatchet actually ARE popular in Sweden...)

I would never have guessed that - seems like such an incongruous combination, which is why the image came to me, Norsemen album-art notwithstanding.

Long live "Flirtin' With Disaster." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgNAfSENE68) :)

[bcm119]

They definitely differ in build quality. I don't use any of the electronics, but some of the new ones do show cadence, at aleast.

I would get a used gym-quality machine, not a home machine. You should be able to find one of these used for $250-300. These are good because saddle swaps are trivial.

http://www.csmfitness.com/Bike/SchwinnSpinnerElite2_L.jpg

Dude, that's a fasterbackwards spinning bike.

[veggieburger]

One thing I will say...spinning is good for the fitness but it turns your pedal stoke to crap. I guess that was 2 things.

[Fiertetimestwo]

I'm an exact example of this!

My wife (then GF) had no interest in cycling.

Then we both joined the same gym, and i noticed they had Spin classes, so I suggested we try a few to see how she liked it.

She ended up loving (and hating because it's an intense class) Spin. We still go every week.

That's when i suggested we start going on rides together...she was now into the idea, in that i had sold it to her as "Spin class but with a view!"

What also helped is her favorite color (and one of our wedding colors, combined with black) is CELESTE...so naturally when i built up a Bianchi Campione De Italia for her that was completely celeste, she LOVED the bike.

Shes still definitely not as into cycling as me (she has 2 bikes, i have 7 haha)...BUT we still go on rides together once a week, we've been on one metric century together, and have signed up for our first century!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8500/8396477602_8a245d0085.jpg

Nice story- and a GREAT looking bike. Love all celeste Bianchis.

[Sheldon4209]

If you are sensitive to a wide Q factor (tread) pay attention when buying a spin bike. Mine was too wide and bothered my left knee so I sold it. I have been able to ride the spin bikes at the fitness club where my wife and I belong. Being road riders, we stay in the back row and don't do all the standing and jumping around. It has given us a jump on the riding season if it ever warms up.

[Louis]

it turns your pedal stoke to crap

How significant of an effect is it? Especially if you're not really a "real" cyclist, and are probably pretty close to pedaling squares anyway?

In other words, I barely have a "stroke," to begin with, so I'm not sure how much I really have to loose. However, if a spinning bike will cause me to loose the little stroke that I do have, that might be good thing to know. But if it only really affects you if you're getting close to a great stroke, then I probably don't have anything to worry about...

[christian]

It's meaningless, IMHO. Under lab conditions, pro cyclists have a bigger disparity in power generated on down and upstroke than amateur cyclists - because they'rebso damn powerful on the downstroke. In any case, it's nothing I've ever noticed impacting my cycling. If I think about it, I can get my hip flexors just as sore on a spin bike as on a road bike.

[csm]

I've been doing 30 minutes every evening most days since the new year. We have a cycleops 300 pt that has some gizmos on it. I've lost 17 lbs or so. I don't enjoy it but it goes by quickly enough.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[veggieburger]

How significant of an effect is it? Especially if you're not really a "real" cyclist, and are probably pretty close to pedaling squares anyway?

In other words, I barely have a "stroke," to begin with, so I'm not sure how much I really have to loose. However, if a spinning bike will cause me to loose the little stroke that I do have, that might be good thing to know. But if it only really affects you if you're getting close to a great stroke, then I probably don't have anything to worry about...

Well I'm not sure how to quantify it, but it seems stroke and overall handling suffer. When I was spinning a lot, I would start the season fit, but be a sloppy mess on the road. I tried to ride at the front or back of the pack, just bc I didn't trust my handling. Perhaps a personal phenomenon, but definitely noticeable.

[Louis]

I would start the season fit, but be a sloppy mess on the road

I think of one phenomenon that might explain this. If when on the spinning bike at high wattage levels you get used to throwing your upper body all over the place it would be no big deal, because the bike weighs a ton and it just sits there.

On the road (or say, on rollers) you're much more likely to notice. So I can see that at least in that respect the huge, "tied to the ground" bike is more likely to let you get away with bad habits.

[William]

How many Molly Hatchet fans are there back in Sweden? ;)

http://bottledsmoke.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/molly-hatchet-album-cover.jpg?w=500

Frazetta does NOT do spin classes!!!:no:





;)
William

[fiamme red]

I heard that SoulCycle was expensive, but I just looked at their website and saw that it's $34 for a 45-minute class. Wow. :eek:

[christian]

I heard that SoulCycle was expensive, but I just looked at their website and saw that it's $34 for a 45-minute class. Wow. :eek:I will totally go with you if you want to try it one time though. I mean, it seems easier to try on than say, scientology. :)

[mktng]

I understand the idea of spin classes and all, being a great way to stay in top notch shape.. but seriously I feel like commuting through the winter does more for my body than a spin class would. Not only keeping my legs spinning but keeps my awareness sharp... sounds silly. but its true.

not to mention... commuting is free :)

[fiamme red]

I will totally go with you if you want to try it one time though. I mean, it seems easier to try on than say, scientology. :)http://www.soul-cycle.com/etiquette.cfm

"Talking during class is a major distraction for the spiritual folks around you."

:rolleyes:

[William]

They definitely differ in build quality. I don't use any of the electronics, but some of the new ones do show cadence, at aleast.

I would get a used gym-quality machine, not a home machine. You should be able to find one of these used for $250-300. These are good because saddle swaps are trivial.

http://www.csmfitness.com/Bike/SchwinnSpinnerElite2_L.jpg

They've got a few extra here.....
http://providence.craigslist.org/sgd/3697347241.html





William

[veggieburger]

I think of one phenomenon that might explain this. If when on the spinning bike at high wattage levels you get used to throwing your upper body all over the place it would be no big deal, because the bike weighs a ton and it just sits there.

On the road (or say, on rollers) you're much more likely to notice. So I can see that at least in that respect the huge, "tied to the ground" bike is more likely to let you get away with bad habits.

Very true, this might be it.

[fiamme red]

The Cybex stationary bikes in my gym have speed and power (and heart rate, if you wear a strap), so that you can gauge your progress, even if they don't correspond to real-world speed and power. The Schwinn spin bikes don't have either. I guess it doesn't matter when you're doing a class, but for solo structured workouts, having these numbers is useful.

[christian]

Power would be cool to have and track, but my stationary workouts are simple, so I just use my HRM:

Endurance (Z2): Ride 1-1.5 hours with heart rate between 137 and 148
2x20m: Warm up, then ride 20 minutes with HR 158, 10 minutes at 125, 20 minutes at HR 158
13x1m: Warm up, then ride 1 minute at HR 175-183, 1 minute recovery, repeat as many times as you can. Right now, I can do about 13.

I should probably be doing some sort of indoor 5-minute Z5b interval workout too, but I usually hit that zone on hill repeats on Whippoorwill outside. But this is really where I am lacking - getting dropped on 5-minute climbs.

[Louis]

bump

Page #3 on this thread is showing an error every time I try to read it, probably due to a forum database bug. I'm bumping it up to see if that fixes things.

[Louis]

Didn't work - I still can't read Page 3.

I'll have to try another computer to see if that helps.

[christian]

You won't be able to see this... but reset your settings to maximum number of posts per page. Then you'll only be on page 2.

[bheight1]

When traveling on the road, I love to take an occasional spinning classes--I find it a super workout. I like the EDM and lululemon yoga tights, but could do without the disco lights--yes, Hilton Anaheim.

[Louis]

A lot of these machines use "pull the pin, slide the ST up or down, replace the pin" to adjust the saddle position. It looks to me like the holes in the ST are more than 1.5 cm apart, which means that unless you're really lucky, chances are you'll be pretty far off on saddle height. Given that many of us (including me) consider even a 2.5 mm change a non-trivial matter, do you just live with whatever you get on this type of cycle?

I would get a used gym-quality machine, not a home machine. You should be able to find one of these used for $250-300. These are good because saddle swaps are trivial.

http://www.csmfitness.com/Bike/SchwinnSpinnerElite2_L.jpg

[christian]

Ok, spinning nerd alert. Cut off the seat "post" and braze or weld a seat tube stub on the horizontal fixture, calculating the required setback. Mount post in stub. Seat on post. Lots of spinning instructors do this.

I happen to be able to get 7cm setback and 76.5cm height on one of those at position v18/h4, so I'm happy with the stock settings.