Exercise bike v trainer

[gbnz]

[quote="Syd" but needed something to keep me going r.[/quote]

+ 1. A broken collar bone required my abense from the bike, gym, pool, weights a few weeks back. Didn't even fancy the X Trainer due to potential muscle/bone movements, so the exercise bike at the gym beckoned for the firts time in 24 years!

It's proved fantastic, enabling extensive 60 minute + cardio workout at 85%+ max heart rate daily (Nb. The benefits of spinning - no real muscle use, but flat out cardio).

[Tangled Metal]

I got a tacx smart trainer from Halfords for just over a hundred pounds IIRC. Easy to set up but I struggled with the various apps and the looking with them. Apparently it can be controlled by the app but nothing connected. That's probably down to my lack of understanding with the app. It is probably n very easy setup n but I missed something basic I think.

Still, we used it once or twice. A faff with changing it between my partner's 26" bike wheel same my 700 wheel? That's a loosen a bolt to change the roller part up to connect with the smaller wheel.

It was a decent spec for the price and relatively quiet. If you go turbo route then check out the cheapest smart turbo in Halfords from tacx brand, it's solidly made and his value starter turbo.

[rmurphy195]

Thanks for that TM, but the prices seem to have gone up a tad since you bought yours!

My main concern healthwise is a recurring stiff hip joint or pulled muscle or some such - this is a pain (!) when I've been sitting down or walking especially in colder weather but oddly enough doesn't bother me at all when cycling (Until I stop and put my foot down that is), which sounds illogical I know.

In the garage I can make up a stand out of bits of wood at a convenient height for mounting/dismounting, rather than put a foot into a pile of mud or a sheet of ice!

Thanks for all your replies and advice so far - Richard

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

Rollers.
No competition as fas as I'm concerned.

You have to concentrate and keep pedalling to stay on!
Not easy to learn, but if you set yourself up in a doorway, you can use your elbows to steady yourself to get going.

Can you simulate a 10 degree incline in resistance?

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

I think it’s important to keep riding.?

I'd agree that nothing will replicate the bike, in respect to precise muscle use, retention, development etc.

But even an exercise bike is beneficial. I've had to give the bike, swimming,upper & lower body weights, even the X Trainer a miss for 6.5 weeks due to medical issues. But 75 minutes a day at 90% + max heart rate on an exercise bike, six days a week has been beneficial, improving resting heart rate and so on

Is that an average of 90% of your max achievable?
If so thats hard graft

I have been off the treadmill I have at home for a month and when I returned my lower legs ached and my feet.
I stopped because I had a mild back strain which I know would be aggravated by the tread mill as I usually run / fast walk up to 10% gradient on a auto program, and its tough to hang on to the pace Just over 80%.
Instead I was fast walking in the woods which I now do in 69 mins 5 miles in the dark, tree roots mud, hills and low branches on a narrow path.
The other night, I kicked a boulder / tree root twice, then fell flat on my face, I managed to stop my face hitting the ground whilst my knees did and both hands, also thumping myself in the throat Made worse because my auto head led turned off when I put my arm out so landed in pitch black.
So this week 2h 40 min cycle 40% off road in dark bike weighs 1/2 cwt.
Wood walk 69 mins
Tread mill 40 mins
Another 2h 40 cycle.
At 62 years If I stop one type and come back even a week later its hurts more except the cycle which is Not Load bearing.
I did 5 months on a turbo bad winter etc, then I rode 100 miles on the road, energy was ok but inner thighs ached, disappeared a few short rides later, never experienced that before and not since, I guess that not standing and swaying on the turbo did not exercise those muscles that well.
Road 2.5 3hrs about 80% avg of max HR, turbo 1 hr will normally be 90% +.
I think it pays to keep up varying types of exercise, but dropping cycling which is a a high cardio, is hard to simulate with other leg exercises.

Edited- 95% corrected to 90%.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

I think it’s important to keep riding.?

I'd agree that nothing will replicate the bike, in respect to precise muscle use, retention, development etc.

But even an exercise bike is beneficial. I've had to give the bike, swimming,upper & lower body weights, even the X Trainer a miss for 6.5 weeks due to medical issues. But 75 minutes a day at 90% + max heart rate on an exercise bike, six days a week has been beneficial, improving resting heart rate and so on

That will at that rate mean overtraining somewhat so part of the effect is a lowered HR, I get it too

[mumbojumbo]

I would suggest walking.It is easier to keep out cold and it induces fatigue and uforic sensations post-hike.Most existing clothing can be used with gloves and balerclaver to supplement .Could be obtained at Doctors Heart Fund or Scalp the Aged for £5-10.You will find the majority of walkers even better than cyclists.They are less focused on what they wear etc.and more on the scenery.Cannot see many walkers wanting to use a treadmill over Christmas.

[rfryer]

Personally, I'd strongly recommend getting a smart trainer, a dedicated bike, and a Zwift subscription. It might seem a very expensive option (it is) bit it's far better value than a contraption that you use once or twice, then takes up space in the corner while you lose fitness sitting on the sofa!

My experience with a range of trainers, including rollers, is that Zwift is the only option that is actually fun. The others I can do for a few days, but motivation soon dwindles to nothing. With Zwift, the main problem is convincing myself that the weather's good enough for me to venture outside again!

[Audax67]

During lockdown here (17/03 - 11/05) I used my old bike on the turbo trainer. Post lockdown I did one ride on it, then put it back on the turbo and forgot about it. Last week I took it off again, and was surprised to find that the headset bearing was brinelled. It was fine during that post-lockdown ride.

This to say that if you put your main ride on the turbo for a long time, watch it.

[tykeboy2003]

I'm 64 but I still prefer getting out when it's cold to a turbo trainer - boring in the extreme.

[rmurphy195]

Thanks for all your replies.

Having borrowed a Minoura trainer for a couple of days, and now understand how it all works and fits together, I've ordered one so should get it next week. For the boredom factor I can read a book while pedalling, as opposed to sit on the couch while I read a book! ("Minoura Magride B60R")

I didn't fancy spending a fortuine on this, nor did I feel that popping the bike onto one of those "wheel-off" trainers was a good idea (chain meshing with different sprockets to those on the bike and all that)

Also getting a cheapie tyre for the back, useable to have the occasional ride when ice/snow/salt permit, but save the now-irreplaceable (and excellent) voyager hyper.

One thing I did find was that my Q/R clamp didn't fit the cup on the trainer, however an old Shimano skewer from my box of bits does the job nicely.

And of course when all those lockdown-panic-buy bikes appear on Ebay next year I might get a bargain for trainer use only!

An added bonus is that with the bike clamped onto the trainer, I can more readily play with the adjustments!

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Always use a spare skewer, never the one that you would normally have on your bike It will get chewed up, also make sure it's a steel skewer all round, I don't use an aluminium ended one, Internal cam of course.

[drossall]

Personally, I'd strongly recommend getting a smart trainer, a dedicated bike, and a Zwift subscription. It might seem a very expensive option (it is) bit it's far better value than a contraption that you use once or twice, then takes up space in the corner while you lose fitness sitting on the sofa!

My experience with a range of trainers, including rollers, is that Zwift is the only option that is actually fun. The others I can do for a few days, but motivation soon dwindles to nothing. With Zwift, the main problem is convincing myself that the weather's good enough for me to venture outside again!

I agree that Zwift is a big help with motivation. I've found a dumb, wheel-on trainer very adequate though. I started with just that, an old bike that wasn't doing much else, and speed and cadence sensors plus an HRM (most of which I had anyway). Switching to a power meter was a help, but nonetheless the basic trainer is still working well for me.

[rmurphy195]

Well, I've been using it for the last 4 days, about 30mins each day.

And even on its lowest drag setting I find 30 mins is plenty enough to get warm, even in a freezing cold garage. It seems harder work than being out in the open air, but I put this down to the fact that its continuous, mostly steady pedalling, in the second highest gear (using sprockets I don't normally use)

Happy to sit there and pedal away, reading a book and listening to the radio, with a quick "sprint" every now and agian (OK only for about half a minute at a time, but thats a loooot for me!)

So - basic though it is, it does the job I need it to do at a time when I need to do it.

[Tangled Metal]

When we get into our new house I'll be setting up a home gym in the garage under the house. Large driveway for cars, large garage and undercroft for bikes and other kit so enough room for dedicated and permanently set up exercise kit.

IME I never got much benefit from exercise bikes in the gym. They just never pushed me enough. I used the stepper and before that a concept 2 rower. Imho if you're not training specifically for the cycling then bikes aren't the best for CV benefits. Rower, stepper and climbers like the excellent versaclimber machine simply work your body and CV system out much more efficiently.

I once saw a set of figures for the time needed to achieve the same level of exercise on different machines. Exercise bikes for something like an hour was was equalled by 15 minutes on a good quality rower. It's about the rower working 85% of your muscle groups putting more demand on your CV system.

Imho time is a premium at times so getting the most out of every minute I have spare is why my first new kit in that home gym will be a good rower. Even though my old road bike on the turbo is already available. That road bike needs a lot of TLC before it's any good for the road but it's the front end, wheels and brakes that need the work. On a turbo it's issues do not effect its use. So it'll be left set up and be used occasionally as well as the rower.