spin bikes (aka spinning cycle or group cycle) - Page 2

02-26-2005, 08:44 PM

Diablo Scott <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>1. Most of the adjustments are good, but there is no way to adjust
>saddle tilt - and they all feel too "nose down".

The solution to sizing to adapt a fully adjustable
bike-fitting rig to be a spin-bike.

>3. These bikes have the SPD/toeclip dual-sided pedals - probably the
>best compromise, but I wish I could use my regular road shoes.

I just have two identical pairs with different cleats.
But then, I buy the $39 shoes.

>4. The grips are always sliding off the ends of the bars (slowly, over
>many classes) - put an end plug in there that holds 'em on!

Hose clamps.

>5. These bikes have a dial that adjusts the resistance on the flywheel.
> It works fine but there's no indicator to show what resistance you're
>using - there should be.

Hard if not impossible to make; a bike with a PowerTap
on the crank would probably be the only way to gauge
resistance consistently.

>6. The feet don't adjust to account for uneven floors so sometimes you
>get a bike that rocks around.

Now that's just wrong. Although it brings up the point
that stationary bikes don't rock, and real bikes do, and
a little of that countermotion would be a good thing.
Although the slower riders would probably just end up
leaning farther and farther over until they fell off...

>7. No place to put your walkman if you're riding outside of class.

What? You don't wear a three-pocket jersey in the gym?

(Just let me be there when you do; I want to watch the
stares.)

>I can think of a lot of things I'd put on a super-expensive bike, like
>power meters and cadence sensors, but I figure these 7 items could be
>incorporated into a reasonably priced machine.

The machine you ride at the gym probably costs about $2-3,000.

And it still breaks more often than a real bike would.

--Blair
"8. Inch-thick crankshafts."

02-27-2005, 07:31 AM

>Diablo Scott <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>>1. Most of the adjustments are good, but there is no way to adjust
>>saddle tilt - and they all feel too "nose down".

Yep, this is the one item that cannot be readily adjusted on the Lemond spin
bikes at my club. Fortunately they are well maintained by our LBS so I
haven't had to resort to bringing a wrench to make my own adjustments.

>>3. These bikes have the SPD/toeclip dual-sided pedals - probably the
>>best compromise, but I wish I could use my regular road shoes.

Got a spare set of pedals? Bring 'em and a pedal wrench and switch pedals
for class.

My wife needs her Speedplays to keep her knees happy so we go through this
ritual every class for her. No big deal.

>>5. These bikes have a dial that adjusts the resistance on the flywheel.
>> It works fine but there's no indicator to show what resistance you're
>>using - there should be.

A nice feature for sure, but I can see it would tough to keep calibrated
without making it $$$.

>>7. No place to put your walkman if you're riding outside of class.
>
>What? You don't wear a three-pocket jersey in the gym?
>
>(Just let me be there when you do; I want to watch the
>stares.)

10 - 20% of our class wears cycling jerseys in class. No stares.

>>I can think of a lot of things I'd put on a super-expensive bike, like
>>power meters and cadence sensors, but I figure these 7 items could be
>>incorporated into a reasonably priced machine.
>
>The machine you ride at the gym probably costs about $2-3,000.

Doubtful. Our Lemond Spin bikes, which are the best stationary bike I've had
the pleasure of riding, cost about $1100.
REF: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I imagine a club buying 30 of these at a pop gets a nice discount.

>And it still breaks more often than a real bike would.

Most clubs pretty much ignore the bikes until they break. Our LBS has a
contract with our club and periodically performs preventative maintenance on
the bikes. Result: Never seen a broken bike at our club.

Chris Neary
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could
you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I
loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

02-27-2005, 07:31 AM

>Diablo Scott <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>>1. Most of the adjustments are good, but there is no way to adjust
>>saddle tilt - and they all feel too "nose down".

Yep, this is the one item that cannot be readily adjusted on the Lemond spin
bikes at my club. Fortunately they are well maintained by our LBS so I
haven't had to resort to bringing a wrench to make my own adjustments.

>>3. These bikes have the SPD/toeclip dual-sided pedals - probably the
>>best compromise, but I wish I could use my regular road shoes.

Got a spare set of pedals? Bring 'em and a pedal wrench and switch pedals
for class.

My wife needs her Speedplays to keep her knees happy so we go through this
ritual every class for her. No big deal.

>>5. These bikes have a dial that adjusts the resistance on the flywheel.
>> It works fine but there's no indicator to show what resistance you're
>>using - there should be.

A nice feature for sure, but I can see it would tough to keep calibrated
without making it $$$.

>>7. No place to put your walkman if you're riding outside of class.
>
>What? You don't wear a three-pocket jersey in the gym?
>
>(Just let me be there when you do; I want to watch the
>stares.)

10 - 20% of our class wears cycling jerseys in class. No stares.

>>I can think of a lot of things I'd put on a super-expensive bike, like
>>power meters and cadence sensors, but I figure these 7 items could be
>>incorporated into a reasonably priced machine.
>
>The machine you ride at the gym probably costs about $2-3,000.

Doubtful. Our Lemond Spin bikes, which are the best stationary bike I've had
the pleasure of riding, cost about $1100.
REF: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I imagine a club buying 30 of these at a pop gets a nice discount.

>And it still breaks more often than a real bike would.

Most clubs pretty much ignore the bikes until they break. Our LBS has a
contract with our club and periodically performs preventative maintenance on
the bikes. Result: Never seen a broken bike at our club.

Chris Neary
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could
you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I
loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

02-28-2005, 10:49 AM

Blair P. Houghton wrote:

>>5. These bikes have a dial that adjusts the resistance on the flywheel.
>> It works fine but there's no indicator to show what resistance you're
>>using - there should be.
>
>
> Hard if not impossible to make; a bike with a PowerTap
> on the crank would probably be the only way to gauge
> resistance consistently.

The indicator doesn't need to actually measure anything, just have a
reference number - say 0 to 10 in half unit increments for
repeatability. Or 0 to 11 for the really good ones!

>
>>7. No place to put your walkman if you're riding outside of class.
>
>
> What? You don't wear a three-pocket jersey in the gym?
>

Lots of jerseys in my classes too - not so many outside of the spin
studio though. I prefer a T-shirt.

> The machine you ride at the gym probably costs about $2-3,000.
>
> And it still breaks more often than a real bike would.

The StarTrac V-Bikes at my gym retail for $850.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

The little adjustment levers break when people use the pipe as an
extension lever, the bottle cages break sometimes, but mostly the crank
bearings seem to go bad.

--
My bike blog:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

02-28-2005, 10:49 AM

Blair P. Houghton wrote:

>>5. These bikes have a dial that adjusts the resistance on the flywheel.
>> It works fine but there's no indicator to show what resistance you're
>>using - there should be.
>
>
> Hard if not impossible to make; a bike with a PowerTap
> on the crank would probably be the only way to gauge
> resistance consistently.

The indicator doesn't need to actually measure anything, just have a
reference number - say 0 to 10 in half unit increments for
repeatability. Or 0 to 11 for the really good ones!

>
>>7. No place to put your walkman if you're riding outside of class.
>
>
> What? You don't wear a three-pocket jersey in the gym?
>

Lots of jerseys in my classes too - not so many outside of the spin
studio though. I prefer a T-shirt.

> The machine you ride at the gym probably costs about $2-3,000.
>
> And it still breaks more often than a real bike would.

The StarTrac V-Bikes at my gym retail for $850.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

The little adjustment levers break when people use the pipe as an
extension lever, the bottle cages break sometimes, but mostly the crank
bearings seem to go bad.

--
My bike blog:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

03-01-2005, 06:59 PM

Chris Neary <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] > wrote:
>Blair wrote:
>>>Diablo Scott <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>>>7. No place to put your walkman if you're riding outside of class.
>>
>>What? You don't wear a three-pocket jersey in the gym?
>>
>>(Just let me be there when you do; I want to watch the
>>stares.)
>
>10 - 20% of our class wears cycling jerseys in class. No stares.

I don't see many jerseys. One guy wears a spandex shirt,
but no pockets, and no sponsor logos. Some of the girls
wear tight tops; more like track suits than jerseys.

>>And it still breaks more often than a real bike would.
>
>Most clubs pretty much ignore the bikes until they break. Our LBS has a
>contract with our club and periodically performs preventative maintenance on
>the bikes. Result: Never seen a broken bike at our club.

My gym has a guy who's in there at least twice a week PMing
the bikes. Most things only need to be fixed when they
break (cranks, e.g.) but sometimes he'll scrub all the
resistance bands and burnish the races. Given that the
gym doesn't charge any extra for spin classes it's probably
one of their bigger loss centers.

--Blair
"But they get all the free steam heat
they can pump out."

03-01-2005, 06:59 PM

Chris Neary <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] > wrote:
>Blair wrote:
>>>Diablo Scott <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
>>>7. No place to put your walkman if you're riding outside of class.
>>
>>What? You don't wear a three-pocket jersey in the gym?
>>
>>(Just let me be there when you do; I want to watch the
>>stares.)
>
>10 - 20% of our class wears cycling jerseys in class. No stares.

I don't see many jerseys. One guy wears a spandex shirt,
but no pockets, and no sponsor logos. Some of the girls
wear tight tops; more like track suits than jerseys.

>>And it still breaks more often than a real bike would.
>
>Most clubs pretty much ignore the bikes until they break. Our LBS has a
>contract with our club and periodically performs preventative maintenance on
>the bikes. Result: Never seen a broken bike at our club.

My gym has a guy who's in there at least twice a week PMing
the bikes. Most things only need to be fixed when they
break (cranks, e.g.) but sometimes he'll scrub all the
resistance bands and burnish the races. Given that the
gym doesn't charge any extra for spin classes it's probably
one of their bigger loss centers.

--Blair
"But they get all the free steam heat
they can pump out."