[Murocflyer]

I'm also pondering getting a spin bike and been reading up on all I can about spin bikes. I found that there are a lot of different barnds out there. Who knew there were so many? I'm sure I missed a few but here are some of the ones I found.

Schwinn

Proform

Keiser

Livestrong

Lemond

Kettler

Spinning

Nordic Track

Motus

What I am also wondering, is how important it is to have a bike that allows me to use my normal bike shoes. Some bikes have this option and some don't. Should that be a deal breaker?

Reviews on Livestrong LS28IC Indoor Cycle look good. But reading reviews is is a lot different from folks giving their own personal experiences with them. Looking forward to hearing some more commnents about what you are riding when it's too nasty to go outside.

Thanks,

Frank

 

[dcb]

I like the Keiser spin bikes a lot. I think the power reading is off though; too high. I really like the ability to change gears 1-25 so you can quantify the resistance from ride to ride. Although the power meter is off I think, you could still use it to measure your effort from ride to ride as well. I think the flywheel has a nice somewhat "roadlike" feel to it compared to some other bikes I've been on.

I've recently taken some spin classes that use Lemond spin bikes and they're one of the nicer ones as well. The computer, especially the cadence seems to go in and out of operation which is annoying though.

 

[bigjohnson54]

Keiser Spin Bikes

They use Keiser Bikes at the gym and they all have a different feel for the watts. The bike I rode this morning has over 78000 miles on it, other than the seats wearing out not many problems. I have the tour de france and I have had the service guy out once he was there the next day but it does a good job at making you work hard on the maps I downloaded, lots of hills

 

[DJ Milw]

CycleOps

After returning the piece of junk ProForm Tour de France indoor cycle bike, (see reviews here on ProForm for more details) I purchased the CycleOps 300 Pro & absolutely love this bike. I’ve owned it for about a month now and the workout I receive is awesome! My friend has owned one for 3 years, works out hard, 4 days a week on this bike for 60 strong minute and has never had an issue and it’s required no service at all! No adjustments, no belt tightening, no lube, nothing at all!

CycleOps factory is based in Madison WI, so its USA made, and all customer service people are based in WI. So there is no foreign BS to deal with.

I highly recommend this bike, but just note, the price tag for this awesome bike is not for the faint of heart!

 

[archbikes]

I know this is an old thread but since it's winter time weather for much of USA now I figured I'd lend my .2 here on this topic. I'm a cat 2 road/track cyclist who also teaches indoor cycling weekly. I've taught indoor for several years and have used various brands of indoor bikes at the gyms where I've taught.

My favorite indoor bike for overall durability and functionality is the Spinner NXT and Spinner Blade. -They are chain drive so not as smooth as the belt drive/magnetic bikes but they are reliable and relatively easy to service. The Blade also has power meter.

A word of caution on the Keiser M3 bikes. They do look cool and they're durable and have power via "fantasy watts" calculation, which is neat. But I see the biggest drawback being the wide Q Factor in the BB. For me, it felt like I was saddling a horse when I rode it at the club I taught. Some of my cyclist members who regularly ride outdoors complained of knee pain from the wide Q factor. I didn't get knee pain.

It's probably not an issue for recreational riders who wear running shoes and baggy shorts, but if you're putting in the miles on a road bike, I would say just be aware. Q Factors for indoor bikes:

• Most road bikes = 156-160mm
• Spinner® NXT = 170mm
• Schwinn AC Performance = 170mm
• Keiser M3 = 197mm
• Spinner NXT and Blade = 158mm

 

[dcorn]

^^ Thanks for your input man, good to hear from someone who races and teaches. Interesting that my gym has the spinner NXT for their spinning room. I did like how they felt, other than sometimes my knees would hit the bars when I stood up. Of course, that happens on my road bike as well, so maybe the fit is perfect haha.

So if you guys have these bikes at home, do you personalize them with actual bike seats and spd road pedals?

 

[Alfonsina]

I have a non fancy spin bike at home and I have just put an smp trk saddle on it (the cheaper ladies one) and it is totally worth it. I don't have clipless as I like to do casual bricks with the treadmill but if I had a spare set of pedals I probably would consider it. I use speed play on my main bike so I am not up for that $$ for the spin bike.

 

[BruceBrown]

From the CycleOps web site:
What kind of maintenance is required on the CycleOps indoor cycles?

The CycleOps indoor cycles have items on them that will need to be maintained, just like an outdoor bike, things like: the brake pads, cables, chain, etc need to be maintained. Over time, the chain will stretch and need to be tightened in order to maximize the life of the cog as well as the chain. The chain will also need to be lubed monthly with a spray-type Teflon-based lubricant. CycleOps sells appropriate lubricant. Contact Customer Service for placing an order for part number 18087. The brake pads will wear down over time and will need to be replaced. Your local Authorized CycleOps Indoor Cycle Dealer can make all repairs.

Ugh. My LeMond doesn't require any maintenance. I ride it, get off, wipe it down, and walk away. No chain, no brakes, nothing to maintain. Very quiet. Extremely stable. Large wheels up front make it easy to move around, but it doesn't move when I'm on it. The watts feel like the watts reported by my SRM. After clicking on some the links above and looking around a bit more, I'm happier than ever with my LeMond G-Force.

Are you still enjoying and using the G-Force (2 years after your post)?

 

[multirider]

I posted fairly extensively previously on the leMond G-Force. Mine is still working flawlessly and I'm still a big fan. I race road, mountain, cyclocross, and TT. I can set it up to match the position of any of my bikes in less than a minute. Training with power is much more effective than training by HR or RPE. If you're really going to ride indoors, the LeMond is an excellent investment and highly recommended.

 

[tekken2]

For my money the Keiser M3 is the best on the list. Second best are the Spinner bikes, but these seem to need more maintenance (although they are a lot cheaper!)

 

[Robert1975]

I have a Sunny Health & Fitness SF - BF1110 spin bike, it can easily adjust the resistance. The quality is very good!

 

[mrkavin]

I bought one at the end of last year for exactly the purpose and reasons you cite. I bought one of the belt-drive versions from the Precor Rally Spin line. I think it was a bit under $2K. I talked to a few folks in the know when I was shopping around and I heard great things about the Kaiser. I think you have to assemble on your own but they have videos to help. I put a few hundred miles on the Precor from Jan-Mar and my wife uses it from time to time. From early April till now I've hardly touched it but plan to use this winter. We have an older fitness cycle that is pretty clunky and noisy which has been collecting dust in our basement for years now. I purchased it many years before discovering e-bikes and I think retail on it was around $400. For keeping in shape for e-bike commuting, I wanted something more robust and pleasurable to use and an option that my petite wife could also use. The spin cycle is much quieter, smoother and with a greater range of adjustability vs our older general fitness stationary bike.