Exercise Bike vs Bike Trainer

happycauseIride
happycauseIride Posts: 536 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I will be the first to admit I am not a fan of riding a bike, but I'm going to give it a try. I love my treadmill, but due to an injury I need to go to a bike instead for a while. That being said, I am looking into to either an exercise bike or a bike trainer for the mountain bike that I have .

Do you notice a difference in the ride?
Is the trainer hard on your wheels?
Is one option better then the other?
Is the trainer easy to take the bike out if I want to ride it outside?

As far as cost, I'm not looking at any expensive exercise bikes. I don't like recumbent bikes and upright bikes on Craigslist are as cheap as $75 but trainers are that price on Amazon too.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Replies

  • happycauseIride
    happycauseIride Posts: 536 Member
    Anyone?
  • hawkeyegal1995
    hawkeyegal1995 Posts: 2,009 Member
    I use a bike trainer in the winter/off season to keep up with my training and attend spin classes so I will throw out my two cents worth.

    Using a mountain bike on a trainer would be a pretty bumpy ride in my opinion given how nubby a mtn bike tire is. If you went that route, you could always change up the tire that you are using on the rear tire. It does wear down my tires but then I am riding up to an hour or two and doing sprints and other drills so that is a lot of wear/tear. As for getting the bike on and off the trainer, I would guess it only takes me a couple of minutes when I am grabbing the bike to go outside for a ride. You should have something to block your front tire to keep it more stable as well.

    As for the difference in rides....that would probably depend on the type of trainer that you are using. The fly wheel lets you adjust the amount of tense that you have on the bike tire so you can make it as hard or easy as you like. Pretty much the same with a exercise bike. If you want to get out of the saddle, the exercise bike is probably easier as it is just more stable when you are standing up.

    Any chance of you getting outdoors with the mtn bike? That would be my first choice. My best suggestion would be to try and visit a local bike shop or find someone that has a bike trainer for you to try it out and get a feel for it. I am on both so much that it is an even split but I love to be on a bike!
  • happycauseIride
    happycauseIride Posts: 536 Member
    Thank you for your reply. I will be able to use the mountain bike outdoors, but not until summer when it's light at 6 am. I live in the country so riding in town where the lights are on in the dark is not an option. I would like to ride it in the summer, not just for exercise so that is why the trainer interests me vs the exercise bike.
  • johnknappcc
    johnknappcc Posts: 28
    Rollers . . . if you have the room. No more wear and tear than roads, and you can grab the bike and take it out. The bike is not attached to the rollers in any way.

    One other plus is that you use your core muscles for balance, just as if you were riding on the street. Less monotonous then riding on a trainer or exercise bike.

    You can find them used and they are fairly inexpensive, I bought mine for under 100 dollars on CL.

    Only two drawbacks, you should have smooth tires (road tires or hybrid tires), and there is a bit of a learning curve, practice close to a wall in case you fall.
  • karenoneal3
    karenoneal3 Posts: 1
    I have been using the Cybex 750AT at the gym for 45 minutes. everyday it said I used 368 calories.
  • DaffyGirl88
    DaffyGirl88 Posts: 5,076 Member
    I use, and like, both. I have a road bike so the ride may be smoother than with a mountain bike. It's easy to put the bike in and out of the trainer (I have a CycleOps), but if I'm feeling lazy I jump on my spinning bike (a ProForm). Either way I agree with riding outside whenever possible. Iget bored easily inside and need the scenery changing to keep my interest. As the previous writer suggested, go to a bike shop and try out both before investing your money. Even if you buy from Craiglist, Ebay, calssifieds you can get good information. Good luck.

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