Exercise bikes

aberfeldyweather

My wife would like a cross trainer but I have persuaded here to get an exercise bike for home use (we both gym it reg). I use the bike in the gym 2-3 times a week in winter just to keep spinning but my question is. Should I buy a exercise bike with drops and tri bars (spinning bikes) or an upright, or perhaps are they both rubbish?

A turbo trainer is not an option.

stevec205gti

My advice would be get one you can actually sit on first and make sure it's comfy - and the more adjustment the better - i find exercise bikes to be completely different geometry wise to road bikes, and if i was planning to spend some time on one I'd want it to replicate my usual ride as best as possible.

ut_och_cykla

Second hand quality spinning bike rather than an exercise bike with its urk! saddle & general upright position

Bronzie

ut_och_cykla wrote:

Second hand quality spinning bike rather than an exercise bike with its urk! saddle & general upright position

Not to mention trying to pedal with the pedals so far apart it feels more like riding a horse

bahzob

I know this may sound like the wimps option but I would suggest thinking about a recumbent exercise bike. I have one and use it especially during winter when I find it easy to pop on a DVD and do a long steady 1-2 hour session where I don't even notice I am exercising. (Actually the better the film the harder I can exercise..)

popette

whenever I have a baby, I buy a big piece of exercise equipment! after number one, I bought an exercise bike (since given it to mother in law), after number two I got loads of DVDs and a step (in the cupboard under the stairs), after number three I got an enormously expensive cross trainer (gathering dust in my bedroom) and after number four, I bought my first bike since fniishing uni and haven't stopped cycling since.

I've never tried a spinning bike, but if given a choice of exercise bike or cross trainer, I would go for cross trainer - it got loads of use before I got hooked on real cycling. The exercise bike was ok-ish but I had to go on it for ages to feel that I'd had a decent workout. On the cross trainer, you could really get a good workout in a shorter time - I found it to be similar in intensity to running.

Anyway, not having any more kids so I'm sticking with my bike now.