Gym bike vs Turbo Trainer

Dirk1978

Now the nights have drawn in I am looking to get some extra training in. Is it better to use one of the exercise bikes at my local gym or fork out for a turbo trainer?

Cheers

Mark Ehlers

Dealing with the hassles of trying to fit the gym's excercise bike each time you train (that's if they even let you), is enough to discourage me from going to the gym. Think of how convenient it is for you to get on your own bike, which is already set up for you, and get those miles in!

chill123

i use both. stationary bike in the gym, turbo at home. time is short for me so time dictates which gets used when. both can form an important part of your training. some will argue gym bikes are next to useless but i disagree. i've ridden some big rides (150 miles +) with a large part of my training done on a gym bike (intervals/tempo rides).

it's not what you ride but how you ride it ;-)

there's some good info on riding stationary trainers here.

Anonymous

Pros of Turbo -

You use your own bike, so are training with your body in the right position
Convenience - just stick your shorts and shoes on and get in the garage.
Realism - a good turbo is much more road like in feel than a gym bike.


Pros of Gym Bike -

You get to ogle the fit girl in front of you on the cross trainer.

jgsi

NapoleonD wrote:

Pros of Turbo -

You use your own bike, so are training with your body in the right position
Convenience - just stick your shorts and shoes on and get in the garage.
Realism - a good turbo is much more road like in feel than a gym bike.


Pros of Gym Bike -

You get to ogle the fit girl in front of you on the cross trainer.

However, is she going to appreciate the sweat sodden eeedjut doing intervals with the rasping breath behind her...?

mclarent

I used to use gym bikes, the "fit", once I knew my markings was M on height and 3 on setback - takes 10 seconds at most. I found them very useful at the time, but I use a turbo now.

Mark Ehlers

mclarent wrote:

I used to use gym bikes, the "fit", once I knew my markings was M on height and 3 on setback - takes 10 seconds at most. I found them very useful at the time, but I use a turbo now.

I've never been able to get the adjustments as accurate as I wanted to. On top of that, you're not using your own saddle. Then there's the pedal/shoe issue too..

Anonymous

mclarent wrote:

I used to use gym bikes, the "fit", once I knew my markings was M on height and 3 on setback - takes 10 seconds at most. I found them very useful at the time, but I use a turbo now.

The problem is I can't replicate my position from the bike onto a gym bike... Can't get enough set back, front end too close and too high.

poacherjake

I find the bikes at my gym v uncomfortable - they are pretty outdated and seat is only adjustable for height and not distance from the bars. To get the pedals in what feels like the right posn involves sitting right forward so the nose of the saddle is poking right in the back of the sac ... But I have no choice!

I have a q. re. exercise bike settings: got on for an hour last night and even setting the progs at fairly high levels (8-9 / 10) found I was pushing it round at 100-120 rpm for the whole session.

It was tough and I lost a gallon in sweat but is that spinning too fast? Should I be setting a higher resistance and pedalling at a lower cadence?

But I also understand cadence doesn't mean much without some indication of effort / energy expended pushing the pedals - so is it better to go by the 'watts' counter instead?

Thanks.

Grifteruk

Personally I like using gym bikes and think they have advantages over a turbo. However my gym bike seems pretty good more suited for harder efforts / more serious cyclists.

For example, the ones I use have the usual RPM, distance, time etc... but it also have a power meter fitted, which I find very useful in comparing sessions. As a result, Imy FTP has gone up in the last few months.

The other benefit is that by pushing yourself with others next to you or nearby you get that mental boost which has nearly always meant I have pushed on for that extra few minutes. I dont think you get that when working alone on a turbo.

Yes fitting can be a pain but IMO there is a benefit depending upon the quality of what you are using.

Bronzie

Poacherjake wrote:

Should I be setting a higher resistance and pedalling at a lower cadence?

Train at a cadence that you normally ride on the road at

SteveR_100Milers

NapoleonD wrote:

Pros of Turbo -

You use your own bike, so are training with your body in the right position
Convenience - just stick your shorts and shoes on and get in the garage.
Realism - a good turbo is much more road like in feel than a gym bike.


Pros of Gym Bike -

You get to ogle the fit girl in front of you on the cross trainer.

Which makes you go harder....

Anonymous

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

Pros of Turbo -

You use your own bike, so are training with your body in the right position
Convenience - just stick your shorts and shoes on and get in the garage.
Realism - a good turbo is much more road like in feel than a gym bike.


Pros of Gym Bike -

You get to ogle the fit girl in front of you on the cross trainer.

Which makes you go hard....

Fixed.

prb007

Did 45 mins of intervals on a gym bike today,
cos my plans for a ride were scuppered by the poxy weather.
Not ideal set-up; cranks feel about 165, saddle is way-wide, but
it's a BSO and I get the option of x-training with other equipment after.
Getting the turbo out is like a final admission winter is here, AFAIC!

silverpigeon

NapoleonD wrote:

Pros of Turbo -

You use your own bike, so are training with your body in the right position
Convenience - just stick your shorts and shoes on and get in the garage.
Realism - a good turbo is much more road like in feel than a gym bike.


Pros of Gym Bike -

You get to ogle the fit girl in front of you on the cross trainer.

Heeellooo Fitness First!

poacherjake

god I'm finding the gym bike hard work!

at least when you're riding you've got more to think about than just how close to meltdown you are

and other gym machines just don't seem as brutal - like, I can boss the cross-trainer at all levels .. but maybe that's a question of still not having a cyclist's legs on me yet

fellow gym users were visibly disturbed at the state of me towards the end of the 40-min beasting I gave myself. Not as disturbed as me though.

chill123

Poacherjake wrote:

god I'm finding the gym bike hard work!
fellow gym users were visibly disturbed at the state of me towards the end of the 40-min beatsing I gave myself.

gyms are for self inflicted beastings.

i cycled next to a lady wearing a pearl necklace yesterday. i kept having to apologise for flicking sweat onto her Stieg Larsson.

nuff said.

a_n_t

NapoleonD wrote:

Pros of Turbo -

Convenience - just stick your shorts and shoes on and get in the garage.

If only! Takes me half an hour to set it up in the kitchen then put it all away again!