It sounds like most of you are using a trainer versus a fitness bike like a peleton? Is there a major difference in the experience between the 2 types of training bikes?
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There is a major difference between the two. My initial “training” was on a spin bike (I.e peloton) with no POwer meter,which really helped me go from a new rider trying to win at Cat 3. Then I got a trainer 3 years ago.
These days I have the trainer at home, but I travel for work a lot. I have given up on wasting time on life fitness recumbents in Marriotts. I will go find a spin class that has a PM based spin bike and do 2x or 3x intervals at 90-105% of FTP while everyone does their thing. It’s kne of the single best changes I have done to my travel routine. Worth 20 bucks each time by far!
The quietness of the peloton is important for many households! Consider that.
Also, we do Travel with our trainer! We spend weeks away from the house and can easily fold up the Hammer and Wahoo fan and toss it in the Tacoma. The trainer/fan/massive bike tool box all fit in the rear passenger seat. It’s very compact.
You can’t travel with a peloton or other spin bike. At least not in my Tacoma with 4 bikes and a dog.
Major difference:
Spin bikes in general do not freeewheel, meaning you cannot stop pedaling. A heavy freewheel coming down from 120 rpm, can be hard on bad weak knees.
Increasing resistance on the spin bike means you must typically twist a knob. Sometimes while mid effort and while standing. It takes finesse, experience and coordination to get it exactly right. Digital on screen markers help. Sometimes the jump from one to the other is “too big”
Smart trainers, you shift with the bike to change gears like normal, OR you are in ERG (ergo meter) mode which controls resistance for you so you just keep your hands on the bars and pedal. This works like a car clutch as you pedal. Like a car, if your power and rpm are too low when you take off, the car will big and stall. If your power and revs are very high, the clutches (magnets) will feather off your resistance and won’t let you put out the full power. Erg mode is one of the most important things for many new to structured training because it allows them to ride smoother more consistent power near the target.
Classes: you can do the same workouts/classes in each bike, but each poses a challenge and isn’t as good as the other at their respective class styles.
Spin instructors Tell you a resistance number to hit. It’s really just a guess. There are no numbers on your smart trainer, so you will have to self govern.
If doing structured training work on the spin bike, you must control your own resistance and get it just right to perform the interval. That can be quite the guessing game on a spin bike because you will have no idea which turn on the dial you need to hold 200 watts, 300 watts, 600 watts. You have to really learn where to turn it to and almost know this before the workout starts. Again, harder for a beginner to structured workouts, but definitely doable.
I personally find the peloton to be overpriced and a poor choice unless you have a family member who is going to take advantage of all of the peloton classes. If you have a extra bike, and your goal is yo get fast on the bike and have something that other members of your household can spin on. I would get the trainer, have an alternate seatpost and seat for your loved one, or a saddle you can both agree on and a dropper.
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Learning to draft properly on Zwift takes quite a while. As you move to the inside of the road, you are going too hard and your avatar is trying to set up for a pass.
