Any Recs for a home workout bike?
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ExistingFish
Posts: 1,259 Member
DH and I both want to increase our activity. We love our gym, but it's a 30-minute drive both ways and they don't have childcare for the foreseeable future due to Covid. Our current location does not lend itself to safe walking/running outdoors, nor is it suitable for outdoor cycling. DH has tried to incorporate jump rope for cardio, low cost of entry, but...
Anyway, we need something that doesn't take up space and we really can't spend much, but we do have enough flexibility to spend a little.
This is what my limited searching led me to:
https://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-100512-130-Upright-Bike/dp/B01MUAOZZ4?tag=shopping-1100116-athomecycling-20&th=1
Is this any good? It has decent reviews. They have a less expensive model but it looks like it has less adjustment in the seat (just vertical, not horizontal). Funny thing DH is 10 inches taller than me but has an inseam 1 inch different than me, so we may not need too much adjustment actually.
Or is it a bad idea to invest in home equipment? My instincts tell me it's never a bad idea if we'll use it. We both need more activity in our lives and with the kids at home all the time and lots of rainy weather going on, and not a safe place to go without packing up and driving to a park...
Anyway, we need something that doesn't take up space and we really can't spend much, but we do have enough flexibility to spend a little.
This is what my limited searching led me to:
https://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-100512-130-Upright-Bike/dp/B01MUAOZZ4?tag=shopping-1100116-athomecycling-20&th=1
Is this any good? It has decent reviews. They have a less expensive model but it looks like it has less adjustment in the seat (just vertical, not horizontal). Funny thing DH is 10 inches taller than me but has an inseam 1 inch different than me, so we may not need too much adjustment actually.
Or is it a bad idea to invest in home equipment? My instincts tell me it's never a bad idea if we'll use it. We both need more activity in our lives and with the kids at home all the time and lots of rainy weather going on, and not a safe place to go without packing up and driving to a park...
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Replies
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Don't know anything about the above referenced Schwinn exercise bike but at $499 retail, my guess is that's pretty much middle or the road home equipment.
In order to test the trustworthiness of the reviews, run the url for it thru Fakespot.com. if it doesn't get at least a B rating, look at something else.
As you already said, home equipment is "worth it" if you use it. You are most likely to continue to use those things that are well built & fully adjustable and those things that you have experience with and enjoyed using in the past.
People will usually recommend only those things that they like that they've bought and use at home. I am no different but I believe in the BEST equipment at a "reasonable" price which has a reputation for being 'good' and easily resalable if it turns out not to be "right" for you
Along these lines, I bought/own a LeMond RevMaster Pro (Google it), look 4 the black not yellow frame one) that I paid $900 for about 10 yrs sgo. Retail is around $1k, if you can find one new for sale anywhere, wc has been used in gyms for spin classes and general exercise extendively for years.
However, if you have access to Craigslist, you could find one used for about $700 (no tax or shipping if u can pick it up yourself locally), which is not much more than you'd pay for the Schwinn.
IMO, the LeMond RevMaster Pro is the absolutely BEST spin/exercise bike that you can buy for home use. It"s built like a tanks, weighs about 100#, can handle anyone weighing up to 300#, is fully adjustable for fit, uses a Kevlar belt (no a chain) wc is quiet and requires no lube or adjustment and can accept clipless pedsls and saddles.
If you have the chance to find and ride one, anything else will pale in comparison. The only thing lacking on the LeMond is the monitor wc is "dated" now but it will measure cadence, time and distance wc is all that I need and if you need more there are other apps that you can use.
BTW, I have a fullly equipped Olympic wt lifting gym in my garage and bought ALL of that gear at a fraction of the cost new off of Craigslist. I also have a Concept2 rower that I bought new direct from Concept2 because sellers were asking too much for used modelsand it made more sense to just just buy one new.0 -
Don't know anything about the above referenced Schwinn exercise bike but at $499 retail, my guess is that's pretty much middle or the road home home equipment.
In order to test the trustworthiness of the reviews, run the url for it thru Fakespot.com. if it doesn't get at least a B rating, look at something else.
As you already said, home equipment is "worth it" if you use it. You are most likely to continue to use those things that are well built, fully/adjustable and those things that you have experience with and enjoyed using in the past.
People will usually recommend only those things that they like that they're bought and use at home. I am no different but I believe in the BEST equipment at a "reasonable" price which has a reputation for being 'good' andeasily resalable if it turns out not to be "right" for you
Along these lines, I bought/own a LeMond RevMaster Pro (Google it) that I paid $900 for about 10 yrs sgo. Retail is around $1k, if you can find one new for sales anywhere, wc has been used in gyms for spin classes and general exercise extendively for years.
However, if you have access to Craigslist, you could find one used for $700 (no tax or shipping if u can pick it up yourself locally), which is not much more than you'd pay for the Schwinn.
IMO, the LeMond RevMaster Pro is the absolutely BEST spin/exercise bike that you can buy. It"sbuilt like a tanks, weighs about 100#, can handle anyone weighing up to 300#, is fully adjusesble for fit, uses a Kevlar belt (no a chain) wc is quiet andrewuires no lube or adjustment and can accept clipless pedsls and saddles.
If you gave the chance to find and ride one, anything else will pale in comparison. The only thing lacking on the LeMond is the monitor wc is "dated" now but it will measure cadence, time and distance wc issll that I need and if you need more there are other apps that you can use.
BTW, I have a fullly equipped Olympic wt lifting gym in my garage snd bought ALL of that gear at a fraction of the cost new off of Craigslist. I also gave a Concept2 rower that I bought new direct from Concept2 because sellers were asking too much for used modelsand it made more sense to just just buy one new.
Thanks. I've checked craigslist and I haven't seen anything in my area, but you have to check frequently you never know when stuff will pop up. Bought a fridge recently off craigstlist I'm really happy with.
We have an olympic bar and weights, a half rack, both from DH before we met (that stuff lasts!) We also build a DIY wooden power rack that works pretty well - had some woodworking mistakes that make it less than perfectly functional. If you are doing it (anyone reading this) a drill press is a necessity. You think you can drill straight...but...anyway.
We lift weights at home, we're just struggling with the cardio. In a past life, lifting weights provided enough cardio. Now we are at home all the time, we burn fewer calories. Hustling the family around various places apparently burns more calories than sitting at home all the time. I know this isn't forever, but we are both seeing the scale creep up despite eating reasonably. I don't want to keep cutting food, so I want to increase the other side of the equation.
On craigslist, I found no good exercise bikes - but I found not one but TWO cool looking tandem bikes for sale. One regular quite nicely styled, one super-expensive recumbent tandem bike.0 -
If you're not in a rush, just keep looking.1
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We have a Rogue Echo bike. It's a beast, highly recommend. It's belt driven so minimal if any maintenance required.
https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-echo-bike?gclid=CjwKCAjwk6P2BRAIEiwAfVJ0rCxFcCm5IIMPluDmwNn3KTp3SF87wzdL2_TrcWUKLjFC63-yPwTBSBoCtiwQAvD_BwE
This guy does a nice review on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvkoFargHaM
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »We have a Rogue Echo bike. It's a beast, highly recommend. It's belt driven so minimal if any maintenance required.
https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-echo-bike?gclid=CjwKCAjwk6P2BRAIEiwAfVJ0rCxFcCm5IIMPluDmwNn3KTp3SF87wzdL2_TrcWUKLjFC63-yPwTBSBoCtiwQAvD_BwE
This guy does a nice review on it.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvkoFargHaM
That is technically not a regular exercise bike, I've always heard that referred to as an "assault bike" - it's a little more hardcore than we are going for. I've used one at the gym for HIIT-style, but it isn't what I'm looking for.0 -
ExistingFish wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »We have a Rogue Echo bike. It's a beast, highly recommend. It's belt driven so minimal if any maintenance required.
https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-echo-bike?gclid=CjwKCAjwk6P2BRAIEiwAfVJ0rCxFcCm5IIMPluDmwNn3KTp3SF87wzdL2_TrcWUKLjFC63-yPwTBSBoCtiwQAvD_BwE
This guy does a nice review on it.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvkoFargHaM
That is technically not a regular exercise bike, I've always heard that referred to as an "assault bike" - it's a little more hardcore than we are going for. I've used one at the gym for HIIT-style, but it isn't what I'm looking for.
Actually "Assault" bike is the brand name. Air or fan bike is more the generic. Good luck with your search. I'd say the air bike was used as hard core at your gym but to be honest these are used in anything from cardiac rehab centers to the Crossfit Games.
https://www.garagegymreviews.com/the-best-air-bike1 -
FWIW, airbikes pretty noisy and, like the elliptical, I don"t really see a huge benefit in using the moving handle bars but to each his/her own.
Use whatever you like best and "floats your boat."0 -
FWIW, airbikes pretty noisy and, like the elliptical, I don"t really see a huge benefit in using the moving handle bars but to each his/her own.
Use whatever you like best and "floats your boat."
The Rogue and Airdyne Pro are belt drive so the chain noise is eliminated vs an Assault bike you do get the fan noise but not so loud that you can't watch TV etc when using it.1 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »FWIW, airbikes are pretty noisy and, like the elliptical, I don"t really see a huge benefit in using the moving handle bars but to each his/her own.
Use whatever you like best and "floats your boat."
The Rogue and Airdyne Pro are belt drive so the chain noise is eliminated vs an Assault bike you do get the fan noise but not so loud that you can't watch TV etc when using it.
Yes, I was referring to the fan noise. Too noisy 4 me but, as I said, 2 each his/her own.
FWIW, everyone is different and I've heard people complain sbout the fan noise on a Concept2 rower wc IMO is about 1/2 as noisy as an airbike.
I've got a Concept 2 rower and was considering replacing my Lemond RevMaster Pro spin bike (which is about as quiet as it gets) but the noise on the airbike and the (to me) useless moving handlebars put me off.
Decided to get a Concept2 Skierg instead of an airbike to add to my collection of home exercise equipment that IMO will give me a far better upper (as well as lower) body workout than an airbike will.
This is not intended to "trash" airbikes which I know have a large "fan" (no pun intended) & user base but they are just not for me.1 -
Well, to update, MIL offered us a free recumbent one. It's not what we'd pick, but the price is right. Activity is activity.
She bought it, then her doctor told her it would not be a good idea with her physical limitations, so it hasn't even been out of the box.2 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »FWIW, airbikes are pretty noisy and, like the elliptical, I don"t really see a huge benefit in using the moving handle bars but to each his/her own.
Use whatever you like best and "floats your boat."
The Rogue and Airdyne Pro are belt drive so the chain noise is eliminated vs an Assault bike you do get the fan noise but not so loud that you can't watch TV etc when using it.
Yes, I was referring to the fan noise. Too noisy 4 me but, as I said, 2 each his/her own.
FWIW, everyone is different and I've heard people complain sbout the fan noise on a Concept2 rower wc IMO is about 1/2 as noisy as an airbike.
I've got a Concept 2 rower and was considering replacing my Lemond RevMaster Pro spin bike (which is about as quiet as it gets) but the noise on the airbike and the (to me) useless moving handlebars put me off.
Decided to get a Concept2 Skierg instead of an airbike to add to my collection of home exercise equipment that IMO will give me a far better upper (as well as lower) body workout than an airbike will.
This is not intended to "trash" airbikes which I know have a large "fan" (no pun intended) & user base but they are just not for me.
I'm not sure if you've ordered it and await delivery, or if you've had it a while, but I'm very interested in hearing your impressions.0 -
NorthCascades wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »FWIW, airbikes are pretty noisy and, like the elliptical, I don"t really see a huge benefit in using the moving handle bars but to each his/her own.
Use whatever you like best and "floats your boat."
The Rogue and Airdyne Pro are belt drive so the chain noise is eliminated vs an Assault bike you do get the fan noise but not so loud that you can't watch TV etc when using it.
Yes, I was referring to the fan noise. Too noisy 4 me but, as I said, 2 each his/her own.
FWIW, everyone is different and I've heard people complain sbout the fan noise on a Concept2 rower wc IMO is about 1/2 as noisy as an airbike.
I've got a Concept 2 rower and was considering replacing my Lemond RevMaster Pro spin bike (which is about as quiet as it gets) but the noise on the airbike and the (to me) useless moving handlebars put me off.
Decided to get a Concept2 Skierg instead of an airbike to add to my collection of home exercise equipment that IMO will give me a far better upper (as well as lower) body workout than an airbike will.
This is not intended to "trash" airbikes which I know have a large "fan" (no pun intended) & user base but they are just not for me.
I'm not sure if you've ordered it and await delivery, or if you've had it a while, but I'm very interested in hearing your impressions.
Re: The SkiErg
I'm on the Waitlist to buy one directly from C2. Production was backed up/slowed down due to Covid-19. ETA around mid-Jun until i can order 1. Delivery should be w/in a week after that. So, my guess is that should receive one by Jul 1st.
I've already seen/used 1 at a gym and I have cross country (xc) skied b4. I've also looked at a lot of videos on its use and there is more "bad" info on the use of the SkiErg on the Net than there is for the ErgRower. So, I can offer you some detailed comments about the SkiErg now.
First, it is very easy to exhaust yourself quickly on the SkiErg if you just use the double pole technique, wc you would never do actually xc skiing, that the demos of the machine on the Net (including C2's) seem to emphasize.
When xc skiing, you only need to double pole in order to get up to speed so that you can switch to single poling OR when trying to get up a small hill so that you don't have to sidestep or herringbone up the hill OR to increase speed going downhill.
So, a SkiErg workout for "distance" and endurance should include both single and double poling; more the former than the latter.
Also, in order to properly simulate the "glide" of a ski on the snow (like you would adjust the glide of the imaginary skull or boat on the ErgRower), you need to properly adjust the fan setting based on the type of terrain and snow conditions that you would experience while xc sking, which will vary between an icy man-made track (fastest) to untracked fresh fallen snow (slowest) and/or going uphill (slower) or downhill (faster).
So, the only reason to vary the fan setting is to try to simulate the snow & terrain conditions that you are training for, which in my case would be "machine tracked snow on flat terrain" which would be firmly packed but not yet icy with some but not a lot of drag.
However, there are more than a few stupid people on the Net,who claim to be SkiErg "trainers," who are saying that you have to increase the fan setting on the SkiErg in order to "work harder," who demo the SkiErg only by double poling on a high fan lever setting
Not true and not right!
Like the ErgRower, you just pull harder to work harder. The fan setting is only used to control the drag factor that simulates the glide of the boat on the ErgRower (higher setting, bigger/heavier boat/less glide) or the glide of your skis on the SkiErg (higher setting, hilly terrain and/or fresh untracked snow/less glide).
This misunderstanding (or lack of knowledge) about how to set the drag factor properly is at least one reason why many people think that it's "too hard" to use the SkiErg (and/or an ErgRower) and quickly give it up.
The physical techique used on the SkiErg is the same you'd use xc skiing. You pull down on the ropes w/the handles to simulate the push off w/ski pole(s) that you'd plant in the snow as you weight and push off on your skis in order to propel yourself along a track or across the snow.
The leg movement involves slightly lifting the heel of your foot by transferring the wt to the ball/toes of your foot which raises your body up momentarily and places the load on your quads before then lowering the heel of your foot while bending your knee and transferring the power to your hamstrings while flattening your foot (the foot plant) snd while at the same time pulling down on the rope and finishing the pull when your foot is flat (simultaneous pole and foot plant) and then raise your arm to return the rope to the starting position as you straighten your leg to prepare for the movenent again.
You'd do this alternating left & rt in order to simulate single poling or w/both sides at the same time to simulate double poling. Sounds complicated but if you've ever done any x-country skiing, this is exactly what you do while xc skiing.
Using the SkiErg in this manner will give you a full body workout that is different than but supplementary to rowing on the ErgRower; just with more arm/shoulder, indvidual leg and quad/ham emphasis than the ErgRower which involves the hip/glutes and pecs/lats more than the SkiErg.
Of course, all of the muscles in the legs, arms, shoulders, back, hips, glutes and hams are being used in both machines. The difference is just in which muscles most need to be used in to order execute the different movements required by each machine.
Hope thst I didn't completely bore you (and everyone else) with this lenghty dissertation on the SkiErg but I believe it accurately describes how to use one properly and what happens when you do. So, I hope you've found it informative and eventually useful.1 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zcZOw0577k
bicycle crunches-2 -
How would doing a core workout help with building endurance - other than flogging your channel on an old thread?3
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OP, I got the Exerpeutic bike at Costco almost a month ago and I like it better than I thought I would. Feels solid and smooth.
As for the troll, I will make sure NOT to watch anything of theirs. Some people have no manners.0 -
NorthCascades wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »FWIW, airbikes are pretty noisy and, like the elliptical, I don"t really see a huge benefit in using the moving handle bars but to each his/her own.
Use whatever you like best and "floats your boat."
The Rogue and Airdyne Pro are belt drive so the chain noise is eliminated vs an Assault bike you do get the fan noise but not so loud that you can't watch TV etc when using it.
Yes, I was referring to the fan noise. Too noisy 4 me but, as I said, 2 each his/her own.
FWIW, everyone is different and I've heard people complain sbout the fan noise on a Concept2 rower wc IMO is about 1/2 as noisy as an airbike.
I've got a Concept 2 rower and was considering replacing my Lemond RevMaster Pro spin bike (which is about as quiet as it gets) but the noise on the airbike and the (to me) useless moving handlebars put me off.
Decided to get a Concept2 Skierg instead of an airbike to add to my collection of home exercise equipment that IMO will give me a far better upper (as well as lower) body workout than an airbike will.
This is not intended to "trash" airbikes which I know have a large "fan" (no pun intended) & user base but they are just not for me.
I'm not sure if you've ordered it and await delivery, or if you've had it a while, but I'm very interested in hearing your impressions.
Re: The SkiErg
I'm on the Waitlist to buy one directly from C2. Production was backed up/slowed down due to Covid-19. ETA around mid-Jun until i can order 1. Delivery should be w/in a week after that. So, my guess is that should receive one by Jul 1st.
I've already seen/used 1 at a gym and I have cross country (xc) skied b4. I've also looked at a lot of videos on its use and there is more "bad" info on the use of the SkiErg on the Net than there is for the ErgRower. So, I can offer you some detailed comments about the SkiErg now.
First, it is very easy to exhaust yourself quickly on the SkiErg if you just use the double pole technique, wc you would never do actually xc skiing, that the demos of the machine on the Net (including C2's) seem to emphasize.
When xc skiing, you only need to double pole in order to get up to speed so that you can switch to single poling OR when trying to get up a small hill so that you don't have to sidestep or herringbone up the hill OR to increase speed going downhill.
So, a SkiErg workout for "distance" and endurance should include both single and double poling; more the former than the latter.
Also, in order to properly simulate the "glide" of a ski on the snow (like you would adjust the glide of the imaginary skull or boat on the ErgRower), you need to properly adjust the fan setting based on the type of terrain and snow conditions that you would experience while xc sking, which will vary between an icy man-made track (fastest) to untracked fresh fallen snow (slowest) and/or going uphill (slower) or downhill (faster).
So, the only reason to vary the fan setting is to try to simulate the snow & terrain conditions that you are training for, which in my case would be "machine tracked snow on flat terrain" which would be firmly packed but not yet icy with some but not a lot of drag.
However, there are more than a few stupid people on the Net,who claim to be SkiErg "trainers," who are saying that you have to increase the fan setting on the SkiErg in order to "work harder," who demo the SkiErg only by double poling on a high fan lever setting
Not true and not right!
Like the ErgRower, you just pull harder to work harder. The fan setting is only used to control the drag factor that simulates the glide of the boat on the ErgRower (higher setting, bigger/heavier boat/less glide) or the glide of your skis on the SkiErg (higher setting, hilly terrain and/or fresh untracked snow/less glide).
This misunderstanding (or lack of knowledge) about how to set the drag factor properly is at least one reason why many people think that it's "too hard" to use the SkiErg (and/or an ErgRower) and quickly give it up.
The physical techique used on the SkiErg is the same you'd use xc skiing. You pull down on the ropes w/the handles to simulate the push off w/ski pole(s) that you'd plant in the snow as you weight and push off on your skis in order to propel yourself along a track or across the snow.
The leg movement involves slightly lifting the heel of your foot by transferring the wt to the ball/toes of your foot which raises your body up momentarily and places the load on your quads before then lowering the heel of your foot while bending your knee and transferring the power to your hamstrings while flattening your foot (the foot plant) snd while at the same time pulling down on the rope and finishing the pull when your foot is flat (simultaneous pole and foot plant) and then raise your arm to return the rope to the starting position as you straighten your leg to prepare for the movenent again.
You'd do this alternating left & rt in order to simulate single poling or w/both sides at the same time to simulate double poling. Sounds complicated but if you've ever done any x-country skiing, this is exactly what you do while xc skiing.
Using the SkiErg in this manner will give you a full body workout that is different than but supplementary to rowing on the ErgRower; just with more arm/shoulder, indvidual leg and quad/ham emphasis than the ErgRower which involves the hip/glutes and pecs/lats more than the SkiErg.
Of course, all of the muscles in the legs, arms, shoulders, back, hips, glutes and hams are being used in both machines. The difference is just in which muscles most need to be used in to order execute the different movements required by each machine.
Hope thst I didn't completely bore you (and everyone else) with this lenghty dissertation on the SkiErg but I believe it accurately describes how to use one properly and what happens when you do. So, I hope you've found it informative and eventually useful.
Thank you for this! Great detail, really good to hear. It sounds like it's very very similar. I love XC skiing, and our season is so short, this sounds like a good way to hit the ground running and enjoy it more from the first day. 🙂0 -
OP - Congrats on your MIL giving you the bike. But keep the Rogue Echo in mind for the future. My wife is 59 and hardly does anything too intense and she loves our Assault Style Bike. We have an AD Pro, a bit quieter than the Rogue Echo, but if it was my choice (my wife got to choose), I would have bought the Echo. It's an amazing company with great customer service. AD Pro is a top end Schwinn and Schwinn is AWFUL at Customer Service.
Anyone can do fan bikes. All the exercise bikes back in the 70s and 80s were actually fan powered. They were Assault Bike light, so to speak. Even my MIL had one and did it until her 60s. Those old Schwinn Air Bikes are now a hot commodity used. You can't find them because some frugal X-Fitter has bought them.0 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »OP - Congrats on your MIL giving you the bike. But keep the Rogue Echo in mind for the future. My wife is 59 and hardly does anything too intense and she loves our Assault Style Bike. We have an AD Pro, a bit quieter than the Rogue Echo, but if it was my choice (my wife got to choose), I would have bought the Echo. It's an amazing company with great customer service. AD Pro is a top end Schwinn and Schwinn is AWFUL at Customer Service.
Anyone can do fan bikes. All the exercise bikes back in the 70s and 80s were actually fan powered. They were Assault Bike light, so to speak. Even my MIL had one and did it until her 60s. Those old Schwinn Air Bikes are now a hot commodity used. You can't find them because some frugal X-Fitter has bought them.
Thanks! The one my MIL got me doesn't fit me too well, even with the seat pushed as far forward as it will go I don't reach the pedals (I'm shorter than average, but not outside the realm of normal!) well. I can't sit with my back on the back of the seat, I have to sit forward, which isn't comfortable.
Anyway, I've joined a different, closer gym and I'm back to going to the gym 4 days a week. DH can use the bike because he is taller, and he does use it, so we are pretty good. He prefers to do it at home.1 -
I use the Marcy recumbent and love it. So much easier on my back.0
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