[Sportsandrec] Trainers vs. stationary bikes?

[Rachel Kuntz]

I for one am thrilled you asked on list and that Kelly was kind enough to offer his expertise. I wish there were more fitness related conversations going on.  

Rachel. Cincinnati. 

> On Jun 8, 2015, at 8:39 PM, Joe Shaw via Sportsandrec <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Thank you sir. This kind of stuff is why you are my favorite.
> I sometimes consider asking you off-list, but I figure some others may have thought of this and not asked.
> I am considering adding in some cycling. I want to be able to fire those muscles in real world applications. If I read correctly, you are saying I can prepare to have some rides by spinning, sprinting, and climbing hills and mountains on the stationary and only grabbing a captain and a two seat bike when the opportunity presents itself.
> Thanks.
> Joe
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kelly Thornbury via Sportsandrec" <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
> To: "Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion List" <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: "Kelly Thornbury" <kthornbury at bresnan.net>
> Sent: Monday, June 08, 2015 7:11 PM
> Subject: Re: [Sportsandrec] Trainers vs. stationary bikes?
> 
> 
>> Sorry I'm late to the show dad...
>> 
>> As far as exercise benefits there is no difference, you can get the same intensity out of both.
>> 
>> One advantage to the stationary bikes like the ones you find at the gym is they are a more stable platform, and are better if you do a lot of standing and spinning. You can also get a little more "crazy" in sprints, but !!!WARNING!!! most are direct drive so you can't coast. If you get into an intense spin and have to stop pedaling you have to soft pedal and find the tension knob/brake, and if a foot slips off the pedal stick it way out to the side because there could be enough force there for the pedal to tear up a calf or ankle.
>> 
>> The bike in the trainer will offer you far more adjustability in your positioning. Trainers that use magnetic or wind resistance are noisier typically than fluid-dampened ones, but cheap fluid ones develop leaks; most of the expensive and cheap ones are temperature sensitive (as you ride the fluid heats up and you lose a little resistance); and in really intense loads may cavatate (bubbles in the fluid that cause a loss in resistance, some cheaper models this loss is nearly instant and can cause a stationary bike crash... ask me how I know ;). Some trainers are a "fixed" resistance and some are adjustable (usually the more expensive magnetic ones), but with all of them the faster the wheel is turning the more resistance is produced. If you get a trainer that keeps the rear wheel attached you can expect to eat through rear tires rather quickly. Friction and heat melt them down pretty fast. There are "trainer specific" tires with harder compounds, but I've melted those down fairly quickly as well.
>> 
>> I personally have a wheel off computerized variable resistance trainer (a Wahoo KICKR). More expensive (about $1k), but it allows me to control the resistance from my iPhone, I can program in workouts and it will automatically change resistance at described intervals, and I can download real world rides like ones from the Tour de France and it will simulate the climb inclines and set resistance based on my bike type and body weight... It does a lot of cool [i.e. useless] stuff. It also does FTP (Functional Threashold Power) tests (average watts of power over an hour) and I can create workouts based by test results.
>> 
>> Bikes and trainers are also typically more easily moved and stored if that's an issue. Buying all new the bike and trainer is also the cheaper route, and you can always find a crappy bike in the classified ads... Doesn't need brakes or even good wheels, only needs to shift and pedal.
>> 
>> JS, you know better than to ask me these long winded questions. That was the short answer, the long answer is...
>> 
>> The workouts intensities are the same.
>> 
>> Thre's a whole lot more, if you're into "the numbers" (power output, heart rate, cadence and speed, blah blah blah nerd exercise science stuff), but this is already a novel...
>> Kelly
>> 
>>> On Jun 8, 2015, at 1:27 PM, Joe Shaw via Sportsandrec wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hey kids,
>>> Tell me the differences in putting a bike on a training platform and riding a stationary bike. I'm curious if the exercise benefit is the same or similar? Are they close or completely different?
>>> Thanks,
>>> Joe Shaw, Nashville
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>> 
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