Should I cancel gym and get a turbo trainer

Philinmerthyr

3 weeks into training and I'm totally hooked. I proved my commitment today with an hour riding in torrential rain. I can't see me missing many sessions so am wasting the £35 per month gym fees.

With 25% Internet discount and 10% British Cycling discount I can get a Elite Magnetic Cycle Trainer for £94 from Halfords.

Will I regret cancelling my gym membership and buying the trainer? Is there a better trainer available or around £100?

Bozman

I did exactly the same four years ago. It saved me £35 a month, i do use a turbo a bit which i hate and it has forced me out in all weathers but that has improved my cycling, i'm faster, fitter and leaner. Apart from losing the eye candy it's probably the best thing i did fitness wise.

finlayson99

Bought a bike

Cancelled the gym membership

Lost more weight and have become fitter than I ever did at the gym

Go out in all (most) weathers

Totally addicted and saving pots of cash

Go on........cancel it..........you know it makes sense.

jgsi

Turbos seem to have gone up in price recently for some reason.
Have a look at user reviews for that mag trainer... I dont know if it is an effective one or not, but next up budget might need to be stretched to 150 +

ricey155

yes if you have the right mindset to smash hour after hour on it

mines sat collecting dust for 9 months used it for a month maybe again in the winter if pushed

Mikey23

I will continue with my gym membership. There are many occasions when I just don't want go out in wet windy and cold conditions. A session on a nice new matrix machine while watching sky sports followed by a swim and the spa pool is just too nice to give up ...

fudbeer

I would keep the gym membership.

Its great for cross training at the end of the day cycling is not the best workout for your upper body.

Also doing to much to soon can increase the risk of injury as happened to me.

stueys

Turbo trainer with some good interval sessions
Free weights
And a copy of 'your body is the gym'....

Is much more effective than a gym, and takes less time. Issue with gym resistance machines is they target small groups of muscles, free weights and selected body weight exercises target more areas in one hit.

Do miss the sauna and pool though....

Flâneur

Gym will give you a better training session unless you have free weights and exercise ball /space at home. Gives all the muscles you use directly and passively a work out. The weights help flexibility as well as as muscle strength. Same goes for all sports.

Does depend on what you do in the gym.

jimbo0023

Nobody can answer that for you.

Depends on how hard you work in the gym and your goals? If you purely want to increase your cycling fitness then maybe a turbo is for you.
I had one, used it a few times then sold it on here. Just couldn't take to sitting in the shed with my headphones on

Personally I love the gym and do spin classes and boot camp sessions a couple of times a week.

My opinion, don't cancel gym membership until you have tried the turbo for a few months. And if you're gym has one do the spin class! Nothing like a room full of women to spur you on to work hard.

Philinmerthyr

I got the trainer but will keep the gym for a few weeks to see how it goes. I got a great deal as the only one they had was the display model so got Halfords 25% online discount, British cycling 10% and a further £15 off or being the is play model. Paid less than £80 for a trainer that was over £200 advertised as reduced to £135.

I plan to be riding though but it's good as back up.

Silverbull

Philinmerthyr wrote:

I got the trainer but will keep the gym for a few weeks to see how it goes. I got a great deal as the only one they had was the display model so got Halfords 25% online discount, British cycling 10% and a further £15 off or being the is play model. Paid less than £80 for a trainer that was over £200 advertised as reduced to £135.

I plan to be riding though but it's good as back up.

I was looking at that exact turbo...whats it like? is it noisy? hows the resistance? Was going to pull the trigger but have since read the fluid ones are better/quieter and wiggle have a decent looking one for £150atm... http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-crono-flu ... l-trainer/

Philinmerthyr

Silverbull wrote:

I was looking at that exact turbo...whats it like? is it noisy? hows the resistance? Was going to pull the trigger but have since read the fluid ones are better/quieter and wiggle have a decent looking one for £150atm... http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-crono-flu ... l-trainer/

I haven't used it. It was a nice day so went for a ride down to Cardiff Bay. Looks ok tomorrow as well so it may be a few days before I use it.

andyrr

Regular and lengthy, eg 45mins+, turbo use does take commitment but for cycling-specific training it is better than the gym and paying £35 month is a fair bit to save. If you spend around £30 for maybe 3 Sufferfest videos to watch whilst on the turbo then that can help while away the time and make it more bearable. If you have a target for next year that you can remind yourself of each time you go to climb on the turbo then that helps set your mind to finishign the workout.

Philinmerthyr

andyrr wrote:

If you have a target for next year that you can remind yourself of each time you go to climb on the turbo then that helps set your mind to finishign the workout.

I've got a great target. I place in the London100 in August for the Beating Bowel Cancer charity. Started training just over 3 weeks ago and have ridden 260 miles with the longest being 30 miles.

This is on a fairly heavy mountain bike. I've promised myself a road bike for my birthday in Feb. the other challenge is that when I started I was 22st 7lbs. I've lost over a stone so far so it's going well. 8)

The trainer is a backup for the winter weather although at he moment I'm riding in even the heaviest rain. Brecon Beacons snow and ice would stop me though :twisted:

carl_p

Keep the gym membership. I gym 4 times a week, including 3 spin classes and weight training for all body parts. It works for me, good all round body shape, fit, it complements my cycling and frankly I can't imagine giving my bike (or would want to) the same amount of welly as I give a spin bike. I'd have to spend mega bucks on a turbo trainer to get anything near as smooth or planted to the floor as a spin bike.

andyrr

I don't think there is an issue with being able to go all out on a bike on a turbo as opposed to a heavy-duty spin bike. Riding at the hardest pace you can handle for an hour session will mean that you get off your bike at the end of it dripping in sweat with sore legs. Or do intervals, repeated flat-out sprints with short rests is easily achievable on a turbo/bike and you'll feel sick at the end of that.

markp80

I can understand people's comments regarding using a turbo if you're simply stuck in a garage withthe radio on. So if you wanted to go down the turbo route then to maintain your motivation I would suggest you consider factoring in using something like TrainerRoad. With that then you might stick with the turbo and could then make a comparison with the "is the gym worth it?" question.
Cheers,
MarkP

noaddedsugar

Neither! Motivation on a turbo trainer beyond 30 mins is more of a mental workout!
Its got to be either rollers or the road. Know their more expensive but worth every penny.