Gym exercise bikes - what a disaster.

[Globalti]

I'm on an overseas business trip and watching the waistline expand with alarm, so I went down to the hotel gym and sat on the exercise bike for a few minutes. The position was absolutely hopeless and the saddle a nightmare and those few minutes were enough to tell me two things:

1 - Gym exercise bikes have probably discouraged more people from cycling than encouraged.

2- A decent session, say 45 to 60 minutes, would cause you an injury from forcing your legs and body to work in completely the wrong posture.

So I went for a curry instead.

 

[Simpleton]

Only stationary trainers I use are wattbikes and they are superb. Were there no fixed wheel bikes there like the type they use in spinning classes?

 

[dan_bo]

I'm on an overseas business trip and watching the waistline expand with alarm,


So I went for a curry instead.

Hmmm.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

all the gym bikes in the nuffield gym at work have what i'd describe as female saddles. i've twice done a simulated 10 mile tt on them and regretted it as the saddle caused perineal soreness, even the second time with decent padded shorts.

won't be bothering again, although the spin class bikes are fine…

 

[LocalLad]

Without the wind in my hair, I'm not convinced I'd cycle...hate gyms, and always have

 

[Pikey]

I picked up an injury about ten years ago on a gym 'bike'. Physio checked out the bike and said the saddle was waaaay too wide for my hip joints.

Think they might be designed for those broader I the beam than myself...

 

[Milkfloat]

My gym has sofas for saddles, the spin bikes are not too bad, but after an hour I am done. Luckily we also have 3 Watt bikes, one with a ladies sofa and two with razors. I pick the razors and make sure I get out the saddle on a regular basis.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I've never been near a gym since I was at school and was glad to see the back of them. Any outdoor sport we did I took part in with a passion, but gyms hold as much attraction as a Siberian salt mine.

 

[vickster]

I've done many hours on my exercise bike over a number of years, never suffered any mishap, the saddle is wide but so is my backside . I expect a turbo would be better for cycling training but they feel very unstable to me and I wouldn't be confident using one at home, they are also very high to climb onto!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I found the same as the OP when I was a gym member - the static bikes were hateful Luckily my gym did have some recumbent versions which I did like but the cycling part of the workout often got skipped if one of those wasn't available.

Membership didn't last - I'd much rather be out riding a real bike.

 

[ColinJ]

The saddle on the one I bought could not be set to anywhere near high enough and I only have a 32-33" inside leg, so the position I need is not super-high. I had to take the thing to pieces and bolt in a big piece of timber to raise it a further 4 inches!

 

[Milkfloat]

[QUOTE 3926298, member: 43827"]It's not the discomfort that stops me riding as long as an hour - it's just the mind-numbing boredom of riding a bike in a gym. I need to ride one this autumn & winter as part of my exercise plan to build up my strength after a leg operation, but I'm not looking forward to it at all.[/QUOTE]

In the gym I listen to podcasts, usually comedies, it is still boring as hell even with a structured work out. I actually go to a spin class a couple of times a week. I am not sure if it is trashing my riding, but it is certainly far from boring.

 

[ColinJ]

[QUOTE 3926298, member: 43827"]It's not the discomfort that stops me riding as long as an hour - it's just the mind-numbing boredom of riding a bike in a gym. I need to ride one this autumn & winter as part of my exercise plan to build up my strength after a leg operation, but I'm not looking forward to it at all.[/QUOTE]
Listening to loud, fast music is the secret! Mind you, it sounds like your leg might not be up to the kind of efforts that the music is supposed to inspire ...

Good luck with the recovery of the leg!

 

[youngoldbloke]

I never saw anyone adjust saddle height on a gym bike, and most users seem to think they're for exercising the upper body, swaying from side to side. Appalling objects!

 

[raleighnut]

As part of my physiotherapy after breaking my femur I was put onto an exercise bike and blew the Physiotherapist away by how well I could do on it (I couldn't walk unaided at the time) he said "Its a shame you haven't got one at home" so I toyed with that idea and also buying a turbo trainer and bolting one of mine onto it.
Then I saw sense and bought a Trike.