The advantage of a trainer is that you are riding on your own bike in your optimal position. By doing this you take advantage of the specificity of training principle. You will be using those muscles as you would when you are out on the road for the most part. Most exercise bikes come nowhere close to a triathlon or even a good road position.

The bike on the trainer is yours, thus you are getting used to the geometry, saddle, and fit of the bike you ride all the time. Trainers are worth it if you are going to use them. You can get a cheap trainer just to get you through the winter or you can get a good trainer that will last a while. Supergo/nashbar/etc have some cheap trainers for about $125 or so. I have a cheap trainer, and am going to upgrade to a good trainer this winter. Most likely the Kurt or Cyclops Tom D has on sale.

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- Nick
Now that I know some of you guys look through the special needs bags for kicks, I'm gonna put some really weird stuff in mine. I can see it now. "What the heck was he going to do with a family pack of KFC chicken, a football helmet full of peanut butter, a 12 inch rubber dildo, and naked pictures of Bea Arthur?"

Then on the flip side, if all you would do on a Exercise bike is ride blindly by feel, the trainer alone is all that has been described above.

But you will probably want a HR monitor and some type of intensity indicator, so now you need a HR monitor and either a fancy trainer with different levels of intensity or better, some type of wattage indicator.

Don't forget that riding a trainer may be the most boring thing man has devised so you will need some Spinervals or Carmicheal tapes.

With the exercise bike you get a great workout on the major muscle groups you use biking, you get a built in HR monitor, indicators of intensity so you can track improvement, and pre-set workout routines to keep you occupied while you waste your life away ridng indoors.

There is a large convenience factor as well, no setting up, you just jump on and ride, no tires worn out, no burnt rubber smell, no shredded tire bits in the carpet, etc.

To summarize:

Advantages Trainer - Your bike, your position, marginally better muscle specific exercise

Advantages Exercise Bike - Convenience, built in HR monitor, built in intensity gauge, built in workouts

You can add the HR monitor and wattage gauge and but some workouts to add to your trainer, many do, but if you already belong and go to a gym or have an exercise bike handy and don't have or want to invest in the different add-ons, for god's sake, your level of intensity on the trainer is going to mean more fitness wise than the bike specifity of muscle memory.

Well, I'm glad to see some pro exercise bike. I'll probably have to stick to it this winter anyway. I'll get the trainer next year while I'm training for IMLP. I think as much as anything, I want to hear I'm not doing any huge disservice to all the work I'm doing, but I can live with losing a little specificity. I'll still be outside a couple months before my first race. Thanks for the feedback.

The CT has all the advantages of the exercise bike you talk about.



Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

But a CT is quite pricey. I believe this guy is looking to maximize his bike time this winter while saving some cash.

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- Nick
Now that I know some of you guys look through the special needs bags for kicks, I'm gonna put some really weird stuff in mine. I can see it now. "What the heck was he going to do with a family pack of KFC chicken, a football helmet full of peanut butter, a 12 inch rubber dildo, and naked pictures of Bea Arthur?"

Pricey is a relative term.



Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

You may want to try some of the spin bikes at the gym. I know that my gym has a couple out in the gym for people to use outside of the spin classes. Atleast with these you can change the position to one CLOSER to what your bike's is. You still dont have the HR monitor or easy to use training programs built in, but you can watch TV or the girls in the tiny outfits walk by.

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Yes

Price is most definitely the big issue. The computrainer would cost more than my bike. I could maybe scrap together some change for a cheap trainer, but I'd really prefer to just buy once and not spend extra by buying twice.

personally I don't have the mental drive to do "decent" workouts on a trainer. I *do* however get very good workouts with my club on indoor spin bikes. The position SUCKS but you get a huge flywheel which helps you spin faster, and doing the class with other people is a LOT more motivating than staring at a tv for hours at a time.

I didn't enjoy my one spin class experience. Maybe I was in the wrong class and I should try another, but 3/4 of the class was spent out of the saddle. It seemed more like a running class with pedals attached to your feet. I do have other class options with Bally. Should I try again?

My preference is studded tires on a beater and ride through the winter. Cheap and fun. I have a Softride mountain bike with studs for icy days and a fixed gear bike for clear days and ride through the winter in Canada.

I use a Cyclops for two coached spin sessions each week. The Computrainer only gets used on days where there are blizards or it's below -30 outside. In hindsight I probably shouldn't have bought a CT given my willingness to ride outside in almost any weather.

If you want to ride at home or at friend's places go for something like a Cyclops (It's cheaper than a health club membership).

Try peeking your head into the classes to see what they're doing. Or talk to the instructor before the class to see what's up. You'll be able to figure out real quick who's an aerobics instructor with a saddle under them and who's a cyclist moved indoors. If you can find one that's more like cycling, that's good. Or if you just like the music, motivation, and coeds, tell the instructor before the class that you'll be sitting a lot and just spend the hour spinning and staring.

Sure it is, but the original poster said he strapped his cash buying a bike and a wetsuit. Do you really think he's got the money for even a used CT?

You can try different instructors, I've experienced everyone from hard core tri/road cycling riders (quiet serious, lets you know what the goal of the class is today and unsderstands if you just want to do a recovery ride, etc) to Johnny G wanna bees (out of saddle swaying to and fro with the shoulders).

BTW, my winter routine is Stationary Bike Monday/Thursday (40 minute interval routine, 4 sets of about 3.5 minutes on/3.5 off with a warm up and cool down). Treadmill Tuesday/Friday (40 minute routine of mix of faster and hills), Spin Class Saturdays (60 minutes) Treadmill LSD Sundays. The weekday stuff is done from 5:30-6:30 in the mornings before my two kids (1 and 3) get up. My wife does the opposite routine weekday mornings so we spend an hour of quality time together each morning.

I've got a copy of the Bible and can't imagine getting that crazy about plotting out my life. I understand that is what I woudl need to do to get to the next level like many of the folks here at ST, but for me, 40 years old, in my second year of tris, I've lost 30 pounds, gone from BOP to the front of MOP. It works for me with two kids and a full time job.