Who Should Buy Indoor Spin Bike?
If you are looking for a safe indoor equipment for your workout sessions, nothing beats an indoor spin bike. Not only can you sweat out to your limits, but you can also perform in groups if it is inspiring enough for you. A lot of people have the common notion that indoor workout is not as aggressive and exhausting as exercising in the gym or going outdoor. A 30 minutes session on an indoor spin bike is always a lot more convenient than driving down 30 minutes to the gym. Even after you reach the gym, you are not sure if you the cycle will be available for you or not.
So, don’t you think working out at home on your spin bike is a better option? The truth is you are going to push yourself more to workout at your home and there is no end to the number of hours you would want to workout at home. It all depends entirely on your convenience! What is even better is that all you have to do is order it online and it will be shipped to your home within a few days. You do not have to fret about buying one from the store and then trying hard to fit it in your car and bringing it home.
1. If You Want To Workout From The Comfort Of Your Home
Getting yourself an indoor spin bike is a great way to work on your fitness and improve on your health, right from the comfort of your home. You do not need to walk out of home in the scorching heat or push yourself to drive down to your nearest gym which might end up being crowded. You could exercise on it while watching your favourite TV show or even playing workout videos on YouTube. Just get your pair of indoor bike shoes and you are good to go. The program settings on the bike will work as your virtual instructor. Not only is it fun but also a lot easy for you to manage your time as per your convenience.
2. If You Want To Lose Weight
A lot of the weight loss programs in most fitness equipments include exercising and if you are one of those who want to lose weight but don’t want to burn cash hitting the gym or going out, an indoor spin bike will be a great option for you. There are various resistance levels in a spin bike and the seat is comfortable as well, whether you go for a mid range one or a high-level one. Depending on how rigorous or easy you want your workout session to be, you can choose from the many preset workout programs as well.
3. If You Have Lately Been Recovering From An Injury
If you are have lately been recovering from an injury and want to recover your strength from the injury, then an indoor spin bike is the right option for you. It mostly depends on the type of injury you have suffered from and the severity of the same. Indoor spin bikes will provide you aid and recovery from the same. Indoor cycling provides low impact especially for those who want to recover from an orthopedic injury. If you exercise with it correctly and in the correct posture, you will see for yourself how the impact will be minimal in areas such as your hips, joints and ankle. It is very different from activities such as running or pushing yourself with dumbbells.
4. If You Are Looking For Muscular Endurance
The word muscular endurance means the ability of your muscles to exert force repeatedly through a continuous period of time. If you exercise daily on an indoor spin bike, the pedaling will lead to increased endurance in the muscles of your legs and calves. Not just this, over a certain period you will realise how your bones and ligaments have also strengthened.
5. If You Are Concerned About The Health Of Your Heart
You might be from a family which has a history of heart disease or might be one who is in the stage of recovering from one, which is why the right kind of exercise is important to strengthen your heart. You could refer to your doctor as well and see how intense they might want your exercise session to be. Ideally, an hour’s moderately intense exercise for five days a week should suffice. Cycling on an indoor spin bike will also maintain your heart rate and will lower the risk for any coronary artery diseases.
6. If You Are Athlete Looking For A Comfortable Workout Session
Most athletes usually train outside and work rigorously in the gym. Sometimes they too look for a comfortable training session from the comfort of their homes in order to achieve their fitness goals. Rigorous hours of training can be a reason for lethargy to travel to the gym for them, which is where indoor spin bike comes to their convenience assuring that they do not compromise on their performance goals.
Which Muscles Does Spinning Work?
Working out for long hours can affect your muscles in an extreme way. Cycling indoor or spinning is almost the same as taking a bike out on the streets. However, this has more benefits than a ride out. Not only does it increase your cardiovascular endurance but also increases your muscular endurance. Spinning requires good level of energy and that is one reason why it helps you burn more calories than most fitness equipments let you. The rule of thumb here is that the bigger your muscles are, the more metabolic effect it will have on your muscles. This means that the more you workout on your the bigger muscles of your body, the higher are the chances for you to burn more calories, post your workout.
Lets guide you through the muscles that are most affected from a spinning workout.
1. Lower Legs
It is your calf muscles which are the most engaging when you do cycling on your indoor spin bike. It is most effective when you push and pull up the pedal with your toes. This helps to activate the muscles inside your lower legs. The pedaling affects your calf muscles which in turn also helps to stabilize your feet and ankles. This has its benefit as it gives in added power to your muscles and makes it more comfortable for you to walk, jump or run. When your calf muscles are affected by cycling, your legs will also eventually tone down and people will be able to make out the difference.
2. Upper Body And Back
When you make it a habit to pedal regularly, the muscles in your upper body that runs along your spine stabilizes and it will help your body to support your torso as well. Your torso will also eventually tone down with regular cycling and your back will start developing a forward position that will make it look toned down, apart from the obvious benefit of strengthening the muscles within it.
3. Hips
The hips of your body is one area which stores a lot of fats and it takes a lot of time and exercising to tone down the fats in this area and strengthen the muscles. The muscles in this area is mostly affected when you rise up from your seat while pedaling and continue for longer duration of cycling without stopping. The muscles within your hips will be more affected when you will pedal up and down with more energy and pushing the strap with your toes. Your glute muscles will be the most affected after a good hour of spinning daily.
4. Heart
Everyone want to keep their heart healthy and this is one area of the body that is affected intensively after a good workout session. Not only do you increase your cardiovascular endurance but also essentially increases the endurance level of the muscles around it. You only need to do 30 minutes of cycling daily to maintain the good shape of your heart or bring it to good shape. This will overall affect the whole of your body and also provide the smooth regulation of your circulatory system in your body.
5. Ankles
Muscles within your ankle play a pivotal role in your spinning sessions. The way you flex the muscles in your ankles, help to push your toes towards the pedals. You can activate the muscles inside your ankles considerably when you set the toes within the strap of the spin bike.
6. Hamstrings
The hamstrings lie on the back of your thighs and help you considerably during your spinning session. They also support the muscles on the front side of the thighs which are also called Quadriceps. When you push the pedal down it is the muscles in your hamstring that helps you pull it up. If your hamstrings are strong, the joints in your knees will also be stable and it will be easier for you to endure the exhaustion of long spinning hours and help you workout faster.
7. Quadriceps
Aforementioned, the muscles in the front side of the thighs is called quadriceps and they are one of the largest muscles that are affected when you cycle on your indoor spin bike. Whenever you push down on the pedal, it is the quadriceps that are getting affecting and which in turn helps you to tone down your thighs as well.
Things You Should Consider Before Buying an Indoor Exercise Bike
1. Design elements
Our concern is to make sure that the structural integrity of the spin cycle you choose is the best in its class and provides complete reliability. Durability, the ability to adjust seats, quality, and structure are all important aspects of our analysis and lead us to the best results.
The guarantee provided by a manufacturer seldom means anything if it’s not accompanied by real performance benefits. In taking up these spin cycles for review, we’ve tried to ensure that their performance factors are at par with what their manufacturers claim for them.
3. Comfort
Many selection methods fail primarily because they do not take into account factors like the seat, height, ease of access for the pedals, and any related accessories which may add to or distract from the experience of using these bikes.
4. Price
We understand that price is a consideration in selecting a good spin bike, which is why we try to ensure absolute best values for you. Our picks are the best we could find in 4 different price ranges, all ranged between 250$ to 2000$
The pricier spin bikes come with heavier flywheels, provide you with greater adjustability which is a must-have for any exercise equipment. Greater adjustability means more varied workouts. This means that you can truly have some fun with your exercise regime.
5. Computing Features
In our list, we’ve included both bikes with digital displays and without in each segment. Digital bikes like the Keiser M3 provide odometers and have a huge impact in keeping you on track, but not all bikes have the same and it might not be as big a deal breaker as you think.
6. Resistance Adjustment
Resistance adjustment is a huge factor for our selection committee as well, which is why we’ve made sure each of these bikes allows their users to adjust it to their own needs. This helps create the best workout structure and propels you towards your desired goals.
There are two types of resistance found that can be found in bikes magnetic and frictional.
Resistance to friction is the more prevalent of the two. This operates with a wool pad or pads tightened up by turning a button on the flywheel. It gives an ongoing and progressive resistance. There are no resistance markings or levels–it can only be tightened to the previous level by instinct. When choosing a bike, it is necessary to look for the resistance that increases progressively and does not range from easy to difficult at the push of a button.
There are two ways to apply the friction resistance: a calliper-style system (as can be seen in outdoor bike brakes) and individual pads on the top of the flywheel. Both may be frictional, but there is less likelihood of the single pad system being removed. The resistance pads in calliper style can move around just like you actually witnessed with the outdoor brakes and therefore have to adjust them in order to keep them aligned.
Magnetic resistance is also enhanced by turning the button just like with friction resistance. You move magnets nearer to the flywheel instead of moving the pad, the closer the magnets come up, the more the resistance. They only move closer and farther. The magnets do not touch the flywheel. The upside is that there is no noise and no wear and tear in the magnets. These are used on some bikes to show you the resistance level of the bike when a console is in use.
7. Maintenance
Continuous maintenance involves checking that before starting your training all your nuts and bolts are tight. Also, lubricate and check the drive for tightness and adjustment. It should take only a couple of minutes a week.
How Does an Indoor Spin Bike Works?
The Indoor bike will normally be accompanied by a relatively heavy flywheel upright stationary bike or Spinning Bike which has various resistance levels, which can be adjusted according to the challenge levels. Just as if riding a normal bicycle, the user can sit on the seat pad and start riding the indoor bike using the pedals. The force given will be used for spinning the flywheel, against the selected form of resistance. In case if you have noted, it’s clear that the flywheel is the unique factor of indoor bikes that you cannot see in other stationary bikes. The flywheel is used to create an optimal momentum, and it is further controlled using the functionalities of resistance and brakes. This particular momentum is the reason why upright stationary bikes are giving you a real-life experience of riding a bicycle. It’s also why you can adjust the challenges and move forward in the course of using a spinning bike. This basically sums up how spinning bikes and indoor cycling work.
Gym Fashion
Compact clothes which have the added benefit of sweat-free materials is the go-to option for most spinning bikers. However, you can be just fine with some short yoga pants, shorts, and your go-to t-shirt when you hop on that bike. Just limit the length of your sleeves and pant legs.
Learn to Use it
Your bike is a machine, which makes it necessary to learn how to use it: this is the key to a good workout, especially because these bikes can vary in type and style. Most come with manuals and while they seem like a boring read, we recommend that you persist so as to prevent the risk of injury or damages to the bike.
Comfort Adjustments
The seat level, the handle position and the straps for your pedals are important when it comes to your session. The grip alongside with comfort is important to take care of because otherwise, you might lose control of the bike during intensive training sessions.
Keep Essentials Close-by
There are two things we recommend keeping near at hand: a towel and a bottle of water/Gatorade/your favorite hydrating drink of choice. A towel on the handlebar, for instance, can prevent you from slipping and losing grip of the handle. Again, a bottle of water closes by should allow you to remain hydrated and get the best of your workout.
Compare Reviews for Top Indoor Spin Bike Brands
Here are the top 6 exercise bike brands that you definitely need to know about and we will tell you exactly why they are the best in the market now:
1. NordicTrack
NordicTrack is a leading name in the exercise equipment industry since its launch in 1975. Even though they are headquartered in Utah, most of their component part are made in China. There are three major kinds of exercise bikes that NordicTrack is known for selling: upright bikes, recumbent bikes and indoor cycle bikes.
The upright and recumbent bikes from NT are competitively lightweight and works best for those looking to lose weight or stay fit. If you are the kind who look for rigorous training, this bike is not meant for you. One of its bestsellers in this category is the Commercial VR25 Elite which comes with 25 pound flywheel and is also integrated with touchscreen.
The NordicTrack indoor spin bikes are different from the recumbent and upright bikes as most of them do not come with high-end features and preset programs. Their flywheels are also heavier in comparison and provides more resistance. Most of these indoor spin bikes have wider pedals and can hold between the range of 250-350 pounds.
All the three types of the NordicTrack exercise bikes come with a minimum of three years of warranty or even more.
If you are looking for high standard exercise bikes, look no further than the ones from this brand. The parent company of ProForm is ICON fitness, which also own NordicTrack. ProForm exercise bikes come with all high-end features you would want your indoor exercise bike to have, which includes: web-enabled touchscreen, internet connectivity, preset workout programs and so on.
One of the most striking features of the indoor bikes from ProForm is that it is iFit compatible which however requires membership to activate it as it is integrated with Google Maps and unlimited customised workout downloads. Alike, NordicTrack bikes, ProForm as a brand also manufacture Upright, Recumbent and Indoor Spin Bikes.
Apart from iFit compatibility, ProForm fitness bikes come with many preset workout programs. One example is the 14.0 EX that is an upright bike and comes with 32 preset workout programs based upon performance and calorie burnout. Not all the bikes come with touch screens but even the low-tech models are worth your money as they show the required bits to your workout which are time, speed, distance, calories and heart rate altogether. These bikes are made keeping in mind the consumers who wish to use them at home, hence the sizes are mostly not too big and promote utmost stability and comfort.
The warranties coming with ProForm bikes are mostly within the 2-3 years that will also include free labor cost for a year.
3. Peloton
Peloton is one name in the fitness equipment industry that is known for manufacturing high-end indoor spin bikes which is enabled with WiFi and comes with a touchscreen tablet of 22-inch. The bikes produced by Peloton are lightweight and sleek in their design. The handles as well are designed smartly and can rotate once you tighten the bolts. The pedals and flywheels also perform smoothly and comes with electromagnetic resistance that produce less to no noise. There are three ways in which you can adjust these bikes: height, distance from the handles and height of the handlebars as per your comfort.
The grip by the handlebars as well as the saddle are comfortable. The 22-inch touchscreen tablet is integrated with speakers and you can also connect your headphones with it through wire or through bluetooth. The tablet is also sweatproof so you won’t have sweat drops drying over it after your workout session.
This indoor spin bike comes with a 1 year warranty for its parts and you can purchase extended warranty for up to 39 months.
4. Schwinn Exercise Bikes
Schwinn has been one name that has been making quality-driven cycles for more than a century now. The company was cofounded by one Ignaz Schwinn who was a German engineer, who shifted to Chicago and founded this company in the 1890s. Whether it be recumbent bikes, upright bikes or indoor spin bikes – Schwinn covers all the categories in the spectrum.
If you are someone who is looking for a quality-driven indoor exercise bike but which should also be cost effective then this brand is the perfect option for you. Most of the models come below 1000$ and some are even available below 500$. These bikes however are not ideal for those trainees who look for intensive workout sessions as they would look for challenging levels and programs. Some of its best models in the recumbent series are Schwinn 230, and Schwinn 270 and all of these bikes come with preset workout programs.
The resistance level in these bikes come with the contact brake and some of the models also come with magnetic flywheel systems that makes controlling the resistance levels pretty smooth. Most of the latest Schwinn exercise bikes come with preset workout programs and some of the high end models such as the Schwinn 270 even come with as many as 29 preset workout programs. These programs are enabled to track weight control, cardio health as well as distance goals. Most of the bikes from Schwinn is designed in a sturdy way and can hold users upto 300 pounds of weight.
The warranty for Schwinn Exercise Bikes come for 1 year which also include free labor cost.
5. Sole Fitness
Sole Fitness as manufacturers sell cost effective fitness equipments that are home friendly as well as budget friendly. Their bikes fall into either of the three categories: upright bikes, recumbent bikes which for general workout sessions and indoor spin bikes which are meant for intense workout session. The price bracket for their bikes are mostly between $599 to $1499, which is reasonable for those who look out for general workout as well as for those who look to have a challenging workout experience daily.
The quality of these bikes are too high and the body is also sturdy as they come in steel frames and can hold weight upto 350 pounds. Most of the bikes also have up to 10 preset workout programs and you can also connect the mobile fitness app via bluetooth. The weight of their flywheels come between 18 to 48 pounds.
The pedals of the bikes are mostly cushioned and designed in a way that you can have a comfortable workout session. Along with this, the handles are also adjustable and you can move it up, down, back or front depending on your convenience. Furthermore, the saddle is also adjustable and you can move it horizontally as well as vertically. The USP of Sole bikes is that they come with self generating power which means that the bike generates power from the expended energy of the user.
SolePower provides lifetime warranty for all their bikes along with five years warranty for parts coverage.
6. Keiser Exercise Bikes
Keiser is a known and established name in the fitness equipment industry which has been manufacturing fitness machines for 35 years now. All of the exercise bikes from Keiser comes with magnetic resistance technology that provides noise cancellation and gives you a quite workout session.
There are four types of indoor exercise bikes that Keiser manufactures: M3 indoor bike, M3i indoor bike, M3iX indoor bike and M7i wheelchair accessible trainer. The M3 model is designed for those who like to cycle in groups and comes with a four-way adjustable seat. The M3iX model is meant for those who wish to enjoy the biking-high that comes with mountain biking and the handlebar resistance also comes in 7 levels. The M3i model is low in maintenance and is compatible with bluetooth, tablet and smartphones. The M7i wheelchair accessible trainer is a hybrid of exercise bike and elliptical wheelchair, which can be used by senior citizens as well as those with disability.
All of the Keiser exercise bikes come with a 10 years warranty that will also include 2 years of parts coverage.
Conclusion
As we already mentioned before, cycling helps to affect the largest muscles of your body, and the larger the muscles are the more calories you will burn which will in turn help to increase the metabolism in your body. It is not just the muscles in your body that is affected by spinning. You end up increasing your cardiovascular endurance as well which will eventually reduce your exhaustion as you increase the duration of your spinning sessions. Your system will overall stay healthy apart from the fact that you will lose calories and make your muscles stronger.
The secret mantra to it is that you have to do it regularly and not laze out. So if you want to maintain your health and also look fabulous, do not skip your spinning workout a single day and you will see how your body has become leaner and your metabolism has become stronger.
Hayden Saunders
