for Winter excersise bike, rollers or turbo trainer?

[miremare]

Hi

some advice please.

for winter, which is best from experience.

1) dedicated exercise bike
2) indoor rollers
3) indoor turbo trainer

im not even attempting to cycle in the winter where i live, far too treacherous ( regardless of no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear)

any experiences to share

many thanks

 

[Rob3rt]

Sack the exercise bike idea off, to get a good one, you will need to pay disproportionately (spelling fail) more.

IMO,

Rollers will improve your ability to spin and improve bike handling, they are arguably less boring, but they lack resistance unless you pay quite a bit for one with a good resistance module. Can sling any bike on it, including a fixed wheel etc.

Turbo is better for hard interval sessions and threshold work etc.



I have a turbo, I dont find it boring, because I dont just sit and spin on it for hours on end, I train on it with a purpose. If you are hurting a lot, you dont think about boredom.

 

[smokeysmoo]

for winter, which is best from experience.

1) dedicated exercise bike
2) indoor rollers
3) indoor turbo trainer

im not even attempting to cycle in the winter where i live, far too treacherous ( regardless of no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear)

I've never got along with any of them tbh, so perhaps the poll needs editing to include, 4) none of the above.

A dedicated exercise bike seems very 1980s, I've never used rollers and don't have the space, and turbo trainers bore me to tears. I've even downloaded Spinnergy sessions on the laptop and tried to train along with them, but I just find there's something a bit sad about sitting in your shed/garage/spare room on your todd peddling away.

I'd rather go for a gentle ride outdoors taking it easy if the weathers off than go hell for leather indoors on any kind of trainer.

 

[amaferanga]

If you're training for something specific and want to do structured workouts then definitely the turbo trainer. The Kurt Kinetic ones come highly recommended for their road-like feel.

If you're just after something to allow you to ride when the weather is bad then any of them will do, but the rollers might just edge it for interest (though once you've mastered them they're no more interesting than a turbo).

What country are you in? Not the UK I guess since its perfectly possible to ride year round here, though not too pleasant at times!

 

[smokeysmoo]

What country are you in? Not the UK I guess since its perfectly possible to ride year round here, though not too pleasant at times!

Isle of Anglessey according to their MEMBER PAGE, (and avatar bit too)

 

[cyberknight]

get some mudgaurds + winter clothes and get out there !

I only missed a few days of my commute when it got below - 10 and the snow was freezing onto the cycle path.

 

[Dayvo]

I'd recommend spinning as an alternative.

An hour or so of spinning at varying cadences to motivating music will give you stamina and burn fat.

 

[Bayerd]

Just get your bike outside and ride as normal, and don't give me any of the 'but it's winter and I'm too soft' crap, I rode in all weathers in Gwynedd doing a paper round as a 12 year old and never missed a day because of the weather.

That's the thought I take with me every time I don't feel like it these days because the weather looks grim and it works for me....

 

[TobyM]

Just get your bike outside and ride as normal, and don't give me any of the 'but it's winter and I'm too soft' crap, I rode in all weathers in Gwynedd doing a paper round as a 12 year old and never missed a day because of the weather.

That's the thought I take with me every time I don't feel like it these days because the weather looks grim and it works for me....

+1 I did a paper round in all weather, even snow when I couldn't even get any traction up the hills. I battled through, and actually found it rather thrilling. If it's really icy/snowy, don't go out - but if there's no ice or snow, it's just a cold version of the rest of the year!

 

[Bayerd]

+1 I did a paper round in all weather, even snow when I couldn't even get any traction up the hills. I battled through, and actually found it rather thrilling. If it's really icy/snowy, don't go out - but if there's no ice or snow, it's just a cold version of the rest of the year!

Compacted snow that's thawing is the only surface I'll not tackle, it just gets silly!..

 

[david1701]

studded tyres baby

 

[jayonabike]

I bought a Turbo Trainer, used it a few times then sold it. Boring as *, buy some winter clothes instead. I did.

 

[byegad]

None of the above. Ride a bike with mudguards and a decent waterproof. Only wimps stay indoors.

 

[teletext45]

None of the above. Ride a bike with mudguards and a decent waterproof. Only wimps stay indoors.

I've ridden through snow, ice (had a huge accident in the ice) rain, mud etc etc

i use my turbo trainer for getting some riding in during the week and keeping active on dark nights, due to work commitments its difficult to get much riding in during the week.

andy

 

[fossyant]

Got a turbo and rollers. Can't stand using them. Tried the turbo a week after my shoulder op. I was so bored I was back on the bike outside on the roads the next week.