?'s for home spinners

R

Rose11

Cathlete
Hello educated crowd. I'm seriously considering buying an exercise bike and some spinning videos so I can cross train with my other cardio activities at home. Going to the gym is very difficult to me at the moment and I've been wanting to do spinning for awhile. I know some people in this forum spin at home so I have a couple of questions...

1. What kind of exercise bike do you own? A spinning bike, regular stationary bike, recumbent bike? What brand is it and how much it costs?

2. I'm considering 4 spinning videos to use with my spinning workouts: Jay Blahnik's Precision Cycling, Mindy Mylrea's Sport Cycle, and Troy Jacobson's Spinervals 6.0 and 7.0 Do you guys think these are great choices? Could you recommend any more spinning videos?

Well I think that's all for the moment. As usual thank you very much.
 
Hi Rose!

I have a Schwinn Comp spinning bike and LOVE it! (I just found out not too long ago that they are no longer avilable and that the company will be coming out with a new version in the future. Not sure when.)You may be able to find one in stock from a Schwinn dealer near you. I usually only use it one time a week because I like to cross train with step, Hi/Lo and kickbox. It is a very challenging workout and I am an advanced exerciser. Of course, you can start at any level. I have both Jay and Mindy's tapes and love them both. I grab for Jay's a lot. It has a super section of team intervals that will leave you breatheless! I don't know anything about the other vids. Hope this helps a little. Get back to me if you have any other questions.

Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
V-bike

Rose, I think you'll find that the favorites are the two that Debbie and I have. I have the V-bike by starTrac and love it too. The best part...aside from being really cool looking;-)..it's made incredibly well...solid and comes with plenty of spare parts. The reason is, you are getting the same bike the gyms get..and they have plenty more wear and tear on thier bikes than you could ever inflict on yours at home.

The V-bike http://www.StarTrac.com cost me $799 (that included shipping) about three years ago. The price has gone up $100???, but my friend and another fellow Internet person got the lower price this by just saying you were referred by a previous customer. Not sure if it's an option for you but they also sell the bikes at Fitness conferences where the V-bikes are used. They are brand new and they don't like shipping them home..so they sell them at very reasonable prices.

The V-bike sounded very expensive at the time and took plenty of persuading the old husband into it..but he now rides it and I have no regrets about the cost...worth every penny.

As far as videos...yes on Mindy and Jay's..love them both! I did have a Spinerval but giving it to my brother who is a die hard cyclist in CA. It just wasn't for me. It is also geared towards people on trainers where they use real bikes. They actually shift..and being on a spin bike...it's difficult to get a sense of the tesion. HOWEVER! I know someone will pop in here and defend Spinervals...I'm thinking of my good friend Cleda who just got about a dozen of their tapes;-)..so I'll let her go on about them...she's still my friend, even if she does love them.

Robert Sherman did a great video called 2 Reebok Cycle workouts...at least I think that's the name???. CIA used to have it..if you come across it, you may want to add that to your future spin videos. He did another one called Island Ride...which is OK..but the other one is better.

Back to a bike....one thing to consider when wanting to get the most out of your videos...buy a bike you can stand on and ride. IMHO...you'll miss doing the standing parts of the tapes.

http://publish.hometown.aol.com/naconfer/images/cathechicksig.jpg
 
about the Spinerval tapes

Just concurring w/ Nancy about the Spinerval tapes. My impression is that hard core cyclists like them. They mesh well with cycling training programs. From cycling forums, I understand they provide some eye candy for the guys. So look for the "fitness" rather than the "cycling" videos.

Debra
 
My Name is Cleda and I'm a SPIN Junkie.....

NanC is still my friend (love the sig!) despite the fact that we DO NOT agree on some videos (although we both love Cathe!);-)

I have a "Revolution Cycle" which I picked (inexpensively) at Play it Again Sports about 2 or 3 years ago when I first got into spinning (BEFORE I got into outdoor cycling). Sorry, I can't find the link for it now. But, I always call it my "pseudo spin" bike. I am a big woman and I am able to stand on this bike, which was a requirement for me. My only gripe is that it only has 4 tensions.

I improvise with the tensions while doing the Spinervals! I know what it would feel like on my road bike (won't get a trainer, cuz I would go through too many back tires and they're too expensive for that...) I also stand for some of the intervals for a change of pace!

Oh and for the record ... I did NOT buy a DOZEN Spinerval videos. tee-hee.... Close NanC, but not quite a dozen. I wanted to be sure I liked them first! ;-)

However, I did Mental Toughness (the 90 minutes Vol. 5 I think it is) and I LOVED IT!!!!! Of course, I picture myself outside on my real bike. I am not what I call a "hard core" cyclist, I imagine people might argue that! ;-) I'm not fast, but would like to be faster and I'm always looking for ways to improve my outdoor speed and endurance (like doing 110 hilly miles in a day isn't enough! :-wow ) Two days later I did Muscle breakdown, also an interval tape (Vol. 4 I think!) and LOVED that one also. It was only 45 minutes and it did accelerations (speed up for 4 seconds, just pedal for 4 seconds, speed up, just pedal, etc.) I had sweat dripping off my sweat!!!!

I LOVE looking at the people, cuz they are definitely cyclists and triathletes, etc, etc. And they seem to have a ton of fun. Not sure where the "eye candy" comes in, cuz these look like REAL people to me. (JMHO!). As a matter-of-fact, there's one gal who's MUCH LIKE me and I can definitely aspire to be just like her! And she's a triathlete.....

There's alot of counting in this one and it's all TIMED. Coach Troy (my new hero!) walks around the room timing EVERYTHING. And I am a "counter" so this is right up my alley.

Remember, my focus is to get better and train INDOORS so that when I ride OUTDOORS (and do the California AidsRide in June of 2002), it will be EASIER for me. Anything to make it more comfortable. So, maybe I am a hard core cyclist. :-rollen

Oh and on Island Ride? I like that one too! It's a much easier, kinda ride in the country.... going through Hawaii. It has picture graphs, but by the same token, it's not nearly as GRUELING as spinervals. It's nice for a change of pace.

I don't have Jay Blahnik's although it has been recommended. I have Mindy's & the CIA one (Robert Sherman with 2 workouts?) and I have Johnny G's 2 videos... (ha! NanC -- bet you didn't know I had soooo many spinning tapes???).. For now, the Spinervals are my love. They have the "spinning class" feel to them and I really feel that I am getting a good winter, indoor workout!!!! But, to each their own! ;-)

That's my $.02 gone $20.00!
Cleda

PS... And if you alternate Cathe's Weight training dvd's (Slow & Heavy, Power Hour, PS, MIS) with the Spinervals and aerobics..... ayayayayayayay..... a formula for SUCCESS!
 
Wow, Cleda!

Thanks for the review of Spinervals! Now, you've got me wanting MORE vids to add to my wish list! Just curious~my bike doesn't have a certain number of tensions. It just has a knob that you increase & decrease the tension. Do the Spinervals have you set your tension on a certain number? Thanks again for all the info. BTW, you might want to pick up Jay's tape. It's really good. As you put it, I have sweat dripping off of sweat! :-wow

Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
RE: Wow, Cleda!

Debbie, the tapes have you set your tension by what gear you are on with a real bike..they tell you which sprocket the chain should be on.

Cleda and other Spinerval lovers have figured a way around that..didn't you Cleda???

Also, if you search on VF for Spinervals, I think there was a post not too long ago where someone gave a good idea of where your tension should be on the spin bike and how it matched the gearing they cue on the video. Did that make sense?

Cleda...bought another one this morning...after giving me a hard time about saying she had 12 LOL...it's just a matter of time;-).

http://publish.hometown.aol.com/naconfer/images/cathechicksig.jpg
 
Is NOTHING sacred???

With that NanC around??? :-gloat

Ok, I did... I did, I admit it! I broke down and bought the Have Mercy Spinerval tape.. it's 120 minutes long and what can I say? (I fear NanC is correct.... just give me time and I'll be up to a dozen. YIKES :-wow !!!)

To answer your question: NanC is right...it's a regular road bike (I gawk at all of them also -- maybe I AM more hard core then I realize)... set into a trainer is what the people use on the Spinerval tapes. They go by front chain sprocket and rear. I have somewhat of a feel for where they want me, comparing it to my road bike and knowing WHERE I would be.

I figure it this way...They are interval workouts. You're choosing to do what you want on any given day. Sometimes you make it tougher, some days you don't. Bottom line is, we all know our own levels. Doesn't have to MATCH EXACTLY.... but the workout is there!!! At least that's my story and I'm stickin' with it! }>

There is the thread to sort of match up what each tension is... you may want to check it out (at VF). As for me? I just keep spinnin'....sometimes standing, sometimes sitting, trying to follow along. A workout is a workout is a workout! Besides, you all know I'm SIMPLE and I'm in it for the fun! :7

Cleda
 
Cleda - you are hardcore

You have certainly entered into the world of hardcore cycling. At some point you may go the trainer route. I never put my road bike on a trainer, but used a clunker so I had the gearing. It did wear on the tires & buckets of sweat poured over the frame.

I don't think lack of gearing should deter anyone from the Spinerval tapes. In Spinning classes we just use heart rate zones & cadence to monitor intensity.

As for the eye candy, that's from the guys on the Bicycling.com forum. Those threads often digress (or regress).

Winter in So Cal is why so many live here. Yesterday was 79. Needless to say, I haven't used a wind trainer in years. I'm not sure Nancy's brother is going to use those tapes! Though El Nino will return (lots of rain).

Looks like last year's AIDS ride was too short for you!
 
Thanks Debra!

As far as "gearing" goes, is it possible just to keep beat with the music to come somewhere near the right gear? In Jay's tape, you just match the cadence with the music.

Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
You rock!!!!!!

All of you! Well this is more info than I asked for and let me tell you this is super helpful to me. Now I can't wait to try spinning at home :7 I will let you know about which bike and videos I end up buying. Thank you very much.
 
? for Nancy & Cleda - you spinning fools you

I am wondering if you think I could benefit from getting a magnetic trainer as opposed to a spinning bike? Right now I am having a really hard time justifying the purchase of a Vbike or any other. I can see getting a trainer to use during the winter. What do you two think? (Nancy be nice!)

Thanks ladies.

Hedy
 
Hedy...my good friend...

You KNOW what I would tell you...save save save;-)..vbike vbike vbike.

Seriously...go for the trainer Hedy. You might start seeing them go on sale??? I'm guessing bike catalogs are going to be trying to move the winter stuff out of the way for the summer stuff. And the trainers are more of an indoor winter item. I honestly can't give you any input on a trainer..I never had one:-(. The upside to one...you could use those Spinervals real easy (blech...poooey...yucko }> ). It would give you more options for Spin videos.

OK..not so serious...when;-)..you get the trainer..you're DH see's how much you love riding but are limited on what you can do...make sure he knows you can't stand safely;-)..are you following me Hedy hehehe...then you pitch for that *&%$ VBIKE again! LOL

Not to change the subject but I got a new sticky mat at Target today(on sale :7)...cut it in half and placed the sections on top of each other..and put my KB bag on it...sticks to the floor like glue! I'll be testing it tomorrow. Best use of a sticky mat yet;-). Hopefully it will cut down on the stuff that crashes to the floor during PS Impact LOL.

http://publish.hometown.aol.com/naconfer/images/cathechicksig.jpg
 
RE: Hedy...my good friend...

O.K. O.K. Nancy, you are no help whatsoever. I didn't know I couldn't do stands with the trainer (and even better the one I want is over $300. YIKES! For just a little more, well a lot more I could get the V-Bike. Gee, now I am not sure what I am going to do.

Great idea about the sticky mat! Are you doing PS Impact tomorrow? Maybe I will join you because unfortunately I won't have a lot of time for a workout tomorrow. I did Millenium #2 today. Great tape.

Let me know how the sticky mat works and thanks for the info (I think).

You know I think it is your fault I am even talking about the spinning bike and I really think I want an elliptical more. What is going on with me? I have no willpower and I am so easily swayed. NANCY STOP IT!

Hedy
 
I could be wrong Hedy

Maybe there are trainers stable enough so you can stand..so don't take what I said as fact?

And an elliptical too! LOL...did you ever get that coreboard?! Speaking of which, I might do Gin's instructional medicine ball with the coreboard tomorrow...testing the tape out for someone..then..YIKES...I may put on the gloves and double up on workouts.

http://publish.hometown.aol.com/naconfer/images/cathechicksig.jpg
 
RE: I could be wrong Hedy

O.K. I will check it out further (maybe). You would think for $300 you would be able to stand while pedalling. Don't the Spinerval tapes do any standing? It is recommended by them for use in their tapes.

Yes I received the coreboard but haven't even taken it out of the box yet. Another insane moment in my fitness product purchasing.

Nancy are you leading someone else down the proverbial garden path? Testing out a tape for someone else? No doubt they will be purchasing after you are done with them.

You are bad, so very bad.
 
Although I've only made it through

2 of my eventually to be DOZEN Spinerval tapes........

The answer would be NO.... so far Hedy! They do NOT stand!!! I will do the other 2 tapes I have and the one I just ordered within the next couple of weeks. (for those enquiring minds, that would be a total of FIVE.... count 'em NanC..... FIVE Spinerval tapes so far!!! ;-))

I think I'll be doing one today.. although the Rhythmic Step urge is taking over....

When I ride my real bike.... I rarely come out of the saddle. Mostly only to stretch. For climbs, I usually do them seated, pushing back and out of the hamstrings and butt! I guess mentally I save the standing for that "last-ditch" effort on SERIOUS climbs...and it's kinda my safety net. I feel if I end up there, I will have no other gear/stance to drop into!!! That's a SCAREY thought! :-wow I would hate to roll backwards, down a hill, while clipped into the pedals! ;-)

Hope that helps!
Cleda
 
RE: Thanks Debra!

That's a good idea since the tempo of the music reflects whether it's fast & furious or a slow climb. I'd still use a HRM if I had one.

Debra
 
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