Indoor exercise bikes - feedback please

LivingtheLeanDream
LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
edited November 18 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone,

My knees get sore at night and I feel I need to cut back on high impact exercises as they can take their toll. I thought that an exercise bike might be the way to go ... (I've been a 5 times a week runner for the past 4 years and walk alot too )

Does anyone have one of these and if so what do you think of it?

What model do you have? pros and cons etc of it.

(I have read soo many reviews online, there is a lot of contrasting feedback to so many models)

For me I think something that can be easily stored would be ideal i.e a foldable one

I am interested in something that wont break the bank :smiley: just in case I end up not liking it.

I'm a fair weather gal and we have to put up with a LOT of rain here on our Emerald Isle so it makes sense to have an indoor alternative way to workout.

Thanks in advance :smile:

Ruth

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    There is an enormous difference in quality - personally I would go for a professional/gym standard second-hand bike over an equally priced cheap and nasty home/leisure standard bike.
    Often the budget ones are flimsy, light weight or no flywheel at all, badly spaced pedals with and just plain mechanically nasty to use. Most fold up ones I've seen would also fall in the flimsy / nasty to use category.

    My #1 preference would be a real bike and a turbo trainer so that you have the best of both worlds - outdoor and indoor options.

    If you don't ride outdoors (is the weather too "soft"?) then I would go for a Spinning type bike, heavy flywheel, study construction.

  • eIIekay
    eIIekay Posts: 166 Member
    i love mine...it's a freespirit...ive had it for about 15 years. yes, there were long periods of time i didn't use it. i keep it in the living room now, and on weekend mornings i will sometimes watch a whole movie on the bike. i usually break a sweat after 20-30 min...you can change the tension. It's a recumbent bike, so low profile and super comfortable. my knees are good, but my husband uses it when his knees are bothering him and he can't run. ive been using mine when my steps come in below 10 000...makes me feel more accomplished.
  • moonstroller
    moonstroller Posts: 210 Member
    I have an old NordicTrack ski machine. I've looked at spinning bikes and the high quality models are not cheap, some are in the $2,000 USD range. Perhaps go to some local gyms and see if they have spinning bikes that you can try out to see if you like them. Paying for a one day use at a gym is cheaper than buying a bike only to discover you don't like it after a few rides.
  • BruinsGal_91
    BruinsGal_91 Posts: 1,400 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    There is an enormous difference in quality - personally I would go for a professional/gym standard second-hand bike over an equally priced cheap and nasty home/leisure standard bike.
    Often the budget ones are flimsy, light weight or no flywheel at all, badly spaced pedals with and just plain mechanically nasty to use. Most fold up ones I've seen would also fall in the flimsy / nasty to use category.

    My #1 preference would be a real bike and a turbo trainer so that you have the best of both worlds - outdoor and indoor options.

    If you don't ride outdoors (is the weather too "soft"?) then I would go for a Spinning type bike, heavy flywheel, study construction.

    Yep, that would be my suggestion too. My husband has his road bike set up on a turbo trainer in the winter, and then when summer rolls round, he can unhitch it and hit the roads.
  • Joanna2012B
    Joanna2012B Posts: 1,448 Member
    Why not go to a spin class to see if you are even going to like it?
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Thanks so far for information and feedback.
    Good to hear others ideas.

    There's no point of me buying a cheaper foldable bike if they're mostly not that great. But I would spend a bit more for something more sturdy/ comfortable.

    My son uses the turbo trainer with his bike in winter so maybe I should give his a whirl first to see what I think.



  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    I have a LeMond RevMaster Pro, which you often see in gyms and is one of the best spin bikes you can buy.

    It's heavy, durable and fully adjustable to fit a person of virtually any weight and size. You can also change the seat and add clipless pedals, which I did, if you like. The weakest part of the bike is the Pilot monitor; pretty basic for such an expensive and otherwise well made spinbike.

    I bought mine "like new" used off of Craigslist for $1k, which was 1/3rd off list at $1.5k but sell for as little as $1.3k new.

    You can find used models for $500-750 but they tend to be pretty beat up gym models. However, there are gems to be found, if you have the patience to locate them.
  • ramskermfc
    ramskermfc Posts: 41 Member
    Keep an eye out on Craigslist for an Airdyne.
  • raven56706
    raven56706 Posts: 918 Member
    peloton bike... expensive but well worth the money.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »

    My son uses the turbo trainer with his bike in winter so maybe I should give his a whirl first to see what I think.



    Good idea but keep in mind that his bike might not fit you very well unless you're both pretty much the same size. Having a bike that fits you properly makes a world of difference in both comfort and mechanical efficiency.




  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    We have an Airdyne AD6. I like it. My one complaint is that every few weeks the seat will suddenly tilt forward so I have to stop, loosen it, set it back to the right spot, and tighten it again.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Hubby has ordered me this bike >> can't wait til it arrives :smiley:

    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E3WKSAZKSQY/WTEm82qkw2I/AAAAAAAAMeA/iWAHs3smkLk9Ew1eVXoaOKY0eNIx_3yJwCJoC/w530-h942-p-rw/Screenshot_20170602-091156.png
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    My bike arrived at the weekend, I have been workout out on it for 3 days now and am very impressed. Its a solid bit of kit and it's going to do my job well :smile:
  • Alisonswim46
    Alisonswim46 Posts: 208 Member
    edited June 2017
    Buy a bike and use an indoor trainer. That way if you want to ride outside you have that option. I have a Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll smart trainer.

    https://www.kurtkinetic.com/trainers-products/kinetic-rock-and-roll-smart
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    agree with the folks that recommend a road bike and turbo trainer - advantage being when the weather is nice, you can go and ride outside; there are good online workouts (trainerroad and spinervals for example) that you can do with a laptop on a desk in front of you or a TV/DVD player

    I have a kurt kinetic (road machine) - it is 8yrs old and still going strong - cost me $350 and I've probably ridden it several thousand times, so its pennies of an investment
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    edited June 2017
    I have a Water's Tsunami I bought almost 7 years ago. I instruct Spin and have been on a lot of different bikes and I really like mine the best. It's well built, has a heavy flywheel, and a long resistance band. My second favorite Spin bike would be the newer Schwinn models.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Thanks everyone, some peoples feedback has come too late as I have already purchased - I posted the link above in another reply.

    @Leadfoot_Lewis I am glad I chose a heavy flywheel for my bike too, that was one of the main things I felt it needed.
  • betterwhenimdancin
    betterwhenimdancin Posts: 31 Member
    Slightly off topic but I'd highly recommend a treadclimber for bad knees. It's basically just low impact incline walking. The treadles move down as you step on them.
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