# Trainer vs. Spin Bike



## Jcraw08 (Jul 29, 2008)

I need some other opinions so I figured this would be a great place to ask. I live in a cold climate and for many years I used a trainer in the winter. I had one of those magnetic trainers with adjustable tension. I can truly say I never really enjoyed putting the bike on it and felt like it wasn't doing the bike any favors. Last year I bought a used Lemond spin bike for $550 and couldn't be happier. I now have a good friend who's looking at a staying in shape over the winter and is contemplating the trainer or a used spin bike. IMO the spin bike is built for high mileage indoor cycling. Additionally it doesn't wear out your bike chain, chainrings, cassette, etc. If you think you are going to be into cycling the rest of your life doesn't it make more financial sense to buy a spin bike vs. putting stress and miles on your road bike year after year? (he has a carbon Orbea Orca) BTW if you're the guy who has 7 trainers then I don't need your opinion. (previous hilarious thread) 

Thanks.


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

A bike is MEANT to be ridden. Putting a bike on a trainer does no more harm to it than riding on the road, so why bother trying to "make it last"? I also am inclined to believe drivetrains don't see as much wear on trainers because you're not accelerating your bodyweight like you do on the road particularly up hill, and your chain doesn't collect the grime and grit that contributes to wear.

I can't speak for the LeMond, but most spin bikes I've ridden don't put me in anywhere near the position I enjoy on my road bikes and the flywheel/friction device doesn't feel quite like the real deal. While I'm not one to split hairs-a spin bike is good enough to train on in the off season-why settle for something that's so heavy it's a pain to move and just takes up space during the riding season?

My financial sense says to use the bike I have affixed to a trainer. I wipe it down after sweaty sessions and my bike is no worse for wear. If you have to worry about your bike being damaged by being clamped to a trainer, then your bike is not well designed.

In fact, for the least stress on a bike, use rollers instead of a trainer.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

As far as the drivetrain is concerned, watts are watts. Shifting under such a load like the trainer may not be as clean as on the road. 

The idea that road bikes are fragile little flowers and shouldn't be put in trainers are usually by folks that aren't even remotely strong enough to be doing damage to their road bikes. 

Ideally, get a trainer then a good set of rollers. 

If you want to save wear and tear on your bike. Hang it up and dust it once a week.


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## Jcraw08 (Jul 29, 2008)

Pete, Spade.... thanks for the opinions. Since I am certainly not as strong as Spade I surely won't discuss that. I would have to agree that the wear and tear on the trainer is less than the road but over the course of a few years it's likely you will be replacing more chains, chainrings, and cassettes. My friend is using dura ace components so it would be a couple hundo to be replacing that stuff sooner than later. Now certainly neither my friend nor I are as strong as Spade but even us weaklings would wear out components sooner. So to Pete's best point is that I think it comes back to getting a good fit on a spin bike versus a usually good fitting road bike. So.....I guess other than the fit of the spinner is there anything else I might be missing. (excluding the hatred for spin bikes by some people)


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Jcraw08 said:


> Since I am certainly not as strong as Spade I surely won't discuss that.


Never said I was strong. I have good power to weight, but at my minimal weight, my power is pretty modest.


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## farva (Jun 24, 2005)

After using both I prefer the spin bike because - 

Most can be dialed into the same position as your road bike. 
The fixed gearing helps maintain a smooth pedal stroke. 
They require virtually no maintenance. 
Belt driven versions are super quiet.
They are a lot safer if you have children - fast moving spokes of a bike on a trainer attract small hands like candy

This is just my opinion, but if you lock the rear wheel in place on a trainer then all the side to side energy you create while cranking hard standing up is transmitted directly to the bottom bracket & chainstays instead of being displaced by side to side rocking motion during normal riding. Agreed the frame may never actual fail from this, but I personally found it disturbing to see how much the frame bends & twists while doing standing efforts on a trainer. I can only sit so long before need to stand for a while


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## HML48 (Sep 18, 2011)

I prefer a recumbent trainer as its easier on my back.


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## HML48 (Sep 18, 2011)

I prefer a recumbent in door machine - its easier on my back :idea:


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## mandr007 (May 15, 2011)

Good thread. Just this week, I also bought a used Revmaster (Pro) for slightly over $1000 (with new Pilot II and shipping included) after weighing my options over the entire summer. Ultimately, the reasons for going this way were the following:

1. Silent
2. Adjustable (I can get into my exact road position AND my wife can also use it)
3. Robustness (the unit can take my mashing - should last the rest of my life)

Now understand - I don't claim that spinning is just like being on the road, but I'm not expecting it to be; it is merely a way of keeping off the 30 lbs I lost this past winter. After spending so much, I certainly can't say that a trainer is more expensive via the costs that come from replacing tires, cassettes, and chains. Ultimately, it came down to me knowing what I need to stick with a routine, and that is a dedicated piece of equipment - I've always hated a trainer.

Being a mechanical engineer, I can't help but think that a Finite Element Analysis would reveal significant and excessive stresses on the chainstay and bottom bracket areas for a bike on a trainer. While I don't know this without doing the analysis, intuition tells me that you should use a road bike for what it's intended - flying by terrified young children and senior citizens on the trails while cussing them out because they're in your way.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Other than letting my wife use my bike, my road bike is quiet. It was dialed in long ago, so needs no adjustment. It has withstood much abuse and still going strong.

The idea of wear and tear is so exaggerated, especially given that I'm guessing those who are so dainty with their bikes aren't riding as much, anyway. 

Care to guess how much wear and tear my trainer, rollers, and road rides cost me per year?? The answer is below.


















A set of tires and a new chain each year. Cables every 2 years or so. If I had time, daylight, and weather to ride year round, I'd guess I'd still be making these replacements yearly.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

mandr007 said:


> Being a mechanical engineer, I can't help but think that a Finite Element Analysis would reveal significant and excessive stresses on the chainstay and bottom bracket areas for a bike on a trainer. While I don't know this without doing the analysis, intuition tells me that you should use a road bike for what it's intended - flying by terrified young children and senior citizens on the trails while cussing them out because they're in your way.


where are all the broken frames then?


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## fitforever (Feb 12, 2012)

I use both a Spin Bike (Revmaster) and an indoor trainer with the road bike. I like the workout I get with both. I can spin a lot faster on the spin bike. I really like spinning with no resistance.


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## jcgill (Jul 20, 2010)

I have a spin bike, for many of the reasons the original poster stated.


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

I've never enjoyed spin bikes. I feel more comfortable on my bicycle because it's dialed in for my body.. on or off the trainer its the same setup. No switching.


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## RRH_88 (Jan 4, 2012)

ZoSoSwiM said:


> I've never enjoyed spin bikes. I feel more comfortable on my bicycle because it's dialed in for my body.. on or off the trainer its the same setup. No switching.


Same Here, plus the flywheel mass of the spin bike just doesn't give the right feel to my tastes. I will take my roady on a good fluid trainer anyday over a spin bike.


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## OldZaskar (Jul 1, 2009)

ZoSoSwiM said:


> I've never enjoyed spin bikes. I feel more comfortable on my bicycle because it's dialed in for my body.. on or off the trainer its the same setup. No switching.


I've never understood this rationale. I ride (outside) 4 different bikes. They're not identical - 'cause they're different bikes. But the measurements - from a fit - have been replicated for the other road bike. The mtbs are set up accordingly. 

The spin bike - a Revmaster - shares the EXACT measurements of my primary road bike. I'm in the EXACT same position. 

One of the primary reasons I wanted the spin bike - and I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned - is that I got tired of carrying the bike through the house - kitchen, family room... down the stairs, through the (finished) basement, to the "gym". I know a lot of guys will demote their old road bike to trainer status - makes perfect sense... but then that "same bike" argument is toast again. 

As a bonus, the spin bike is used by my wife and kids. Each has been "fitted" and the measurements marked with a Sharpie. 90% of the time, the bike is ready for me to just hop on, click in... 20" fan aimed at bike/rider, 32" TV on a moving arm pointed right at the bike, the DVD player is under that, shelf at side with remotes and water bottles... still hate training inside


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## ClancyO (Mar 20, 2011)

I was strongly in the spin bike camp until I found trainerroad. Now, I can get quantitative power data from my bike on the trainer and that alone tops the spin bike argument where feel, resistance, effort is 100% subjective. If I could find an inexpensive way to get power from the spin bike, then I might go back to it for all the reasons already stated in favor of spin bikes.

I presently only have one road bike. (long story, let's just say it kept the wife happy) I know everybody swears that there is no more stresses on the bike in a trainer than on the road, but I'm still not sure I agree... On the road there is nothing holding the rear axel in a constant plain - it moves with the bike. On the trainer, additional torsional forces are applied by the fact that the rear can't move with the rest of the bike under power. 

Anyway - I'm riding my trainer now anyway. And although I still need another cassette, but I am also inclined to use a dedicated rear wheel for the trainer over my 'regular' rear wheel if for no other reason than to prolong the life of the rubber. Also gives me an excuse to get an 11-23 cassette as I surely don't need a pie-plate on the trainer - and then gives me that option when I plan rides (downstate) that stay flatter than my normal semi-hilly rides..


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## Oracle7775 (Sep 16, 2009)

I do high intensity work on a spin bike at the gym during my lunch hour. I definitely get a good workout. I also understand all of the pragmatic arguments above in favor of indoor training on a spin bike.

But, if I had one at home, I'd never use it. Why? Because I am frikkin' in love with my bike. I love looking at it. I love riding it. I even love riding it on a trainer indoors (albeit less than riding it outdoors). If I had a spin bike at home, I'd look at the spin bike, then at my bike, and I'd choose the bike every time. For some reason that has nothing to do with logic, I just _enjoy _being on my bike much more than being on a spin bike.


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## RanGer498 (Feb 17, 2012)

wow great thread i was just speaking about this yesterday and my friend told me its not good to use my trainer as its making my bike flex ??? and will do damage to it .
that its better for me to use a soin bike or rollers .


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

RanGer498 said:


> wow great thread i was just speaking about this yesterday and my friend told me its not good to use my trainer as its making my bike flex ??? and will do damage to it .
> that its better for me to use a soin bike or rollers .


Your friend isn't very smart.


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## OldZaskar (Jul 1, 2009)

RanGer498 said:


> wow great thread i was just speaking about this yesterday and my friend told me its not good to use my trainer as its making my bike flex ??? and will do damage to it .
> that its better for me to use a soin bike or rollers .


The only likely damage to your bike, while on a trainer is increased tire wear and maybe some corrosion from your sweat dripping on stuff, e.g. hoods, cables, etc. You may also experience increased wear on your walls - as you carry the bike through the house. Okay, I'll shut up about that point


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## htimst (Feb 17, 2012)

I prefer the trainer to the spin bike. I have only used the ones at the gym, and even with all their adjustability, they don't give me the same feel as my bike on the trainer. I was upset with all the sweat so I used to use towels and such. Now, I just use dedicated trainer bikes, aluminum...same setup as roadie and tt bike. I hang the carbon on the wall and train on the aluminum. It's because I'm lazy and don't want to neither clean the sweat off my bike, remember a towel, or take the 1 minute to put my bike in the trainer. *shrug*


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