Indoor exercise bicycles?

[Marble-eye]

So the question is would you use an indoor exercise bike, do the purists among you consider them to be off limits or would you use one? 

The reason I ask this question is I decided to bite the bullet and buy one, it came on Sunday, built it up, took about 20 minutes. It came with one of those racing saddles that tries to slice you in two so that got exchanged immediately to a softly softly saddle. The bike is magnetically controlled and cheap as chips, but well built, bluetooth connected immediately, it does not come with a console but will connect to many workout apps available on PlayStore to connect to your tablet etc. This particular bike is the Yesoul S3, it was on offer on Lazadas 2/2 sale at 6,790 Baht

There has to be quite a bit going for them, no dogs to worry about, no vehicles to knock you off, you can use them any weather. I cannot really think of a downside. 

To intensify the workout I have found that by putting an upright fan in front of the machine it simulates a cool breeze on low, but up the fan to high and it feels like peddling against Hurricane Katrina.

[Shade_Wilder]

 

Hi ME

I read your post, then went down for a swim (my second-best thinking time is swimming in the ocean) and now I am trying to think of something positive to say. 

I can't.

Simply put, if you don't leave the house, you ain't cycling. And, if you ain't cycling, it simply doesn't matter what Apps are available, whether or not it has Bluetooth or... anything else; it may as well be a butter churner or an old-timey sewing machine.

Apologies, but you did ask; were I a betting man, I'd wager that it'll be a 6,790 Baht clothes peg in a few months. Why do I say that? My neighbor, from whom I rent my house, stores his electronic exercise machine, complete with Apps, Bluetooth and space for a console, on my un-used back patio.

Genuinely and sincerely hope that I am wrong...

 

[Marble-eye]

19 minutes ago, Shade_Wilder said:

Hi ME

I read your post, then went down for a swim (my second-best thinking time is swimming in the ocean) and now I am trying to think of something positive to say. 

I can't.

Simply put, if you don't leave the house, you ain't cycling. And, if you ain't cycling, it simply doesn't matter what Apps are available, whether or not it has Bluetooth or... anything else; it may as well be a butter churner or an old-timey sewing machine.

Apologies, but you did ask; were I a betting man, I'd wager that it'll be a 6,790 Baht clothes peg in a few months. Why do I say that? My neighbor, from whom I rent my house, stores his electronic exercise machine, complete with Apps, Bluetooth and space for a console, on my un-used back patio.

Genuinely and sincerely hope that I am wrong...

Bit tired at the moment, just done a ride on Grand Canaries, the weather is so much cleaner there than here in Pattaya. 

Tomorrow the Alps or maybe the French Pyrenees, all reliant on my aircon not failing of course.

[Gord]

Taking bets on how long before bike is in this state.

You are in Thailand ffs, not rural canada lol or wherever weather is crap 200 days of the year.

Grab a bike and head over to a bike trailed park.

 

[yselmike]

I've got one.Dutch brand,magnetic totally silent.not a peleton or zwift.Only really use it in the winter parked in front of the telly.just to keep the body moving.

If I was living in Thailand I would definitely get one, it's just too hot for outside riding once you hit your 60s.Of course it depends where you are living.A safe place to store a bike,dogs, traffic,access to parks and bike trails all become part of the equation.There may be a good second hand market for lightly used clothe horses!

[Grumpish]

My sense of balance is f*d and one of my knees is on the way out (courtesy of a serious motorcycle accident twenty odd years ago that is now catching up with me). For me a static exercise bike is a really good option - no, not as good as out on the road, no more than a treadmill is a replacement for pounding the pavement, but a lot better than nothing.  

[Pinetree]

On 2/7/2023 at 2:40 PM, Marble-eye said:

So the question is would you use an indoor exercise bike, do the purists among you consider them to be off limits or would you use one? 

The reason I ask this question is I decided to bite the bullet and buy one, it came on Sunday, built it up, took about 20 minutes. It came with one of those racing saddles that tries to slice you in two so that got exchanged immediately to a softly softly saddle. The bike is magnetically controlled and cheap as chips, but well built, bluetooth connected immediately, it does not come with a console but will connect to many workout apps available on PlayStore to connect to your tablet etc. This particular bike is the Yesoul S3, it was on offer on Lazadas 2/2 sale at 6,790 Baht

There has to be quite a bit going for them, no dogs to worry about, no vehicles to knock you off, you can use them any weather. I cannot really think of a downside. 

To intensify the workout I have found that by putting an upright fan in front of the machine it simulates a cool breeze on low, but up the fan to high and it feels like peddling against Hurricane Katrina.

I would strongly suggest that you consider a good cross trainer and not an exercise bike.  You can get CTs that do have a cycling element, but I wouldn't bother if I were you. CTs cover far more muscle groups than do bikes.  I would guess that some 95% of indoor exercise bikes never get used after the initial novelty has worn off.  Mine is rotting on the outside veranda, CT still going strong. 

[Captain_Yossarian]

Given that you can't exercise outdoors without breathing in the equivalent of a handful of cigarettes three months out of the year, at least up here in the North, yeah - stationary bikes have there place in your exercise routines.  So yeah, by all means, go for it.