Home Equipment #17: Bike

Next up on our slowly-expanding home equipment list is the bike. An indoor bike, of course. Because riding outside is not always desirable, or possible. And this series is about "Home Equipment."

Generally speaking, there are two options: a stand on which you can mount a real bike or a dedicated indoor exercise bike.

Stand

My trainer stand

A trainer stand (which I use) allows you to repurpose an old bike (like mine) or keep using your regular outside bike indoors during the off-season. If the latter, it will free up space in your training area when you take the bike back outside. It's also a more realistic cycling experience that will translate better to road work than an exercise bike.

Trainer stands usually use a flywheel with adjustable magnetic or fluid resistance. But there are other varieties available. There's a wide price range with the lower end being less expensive than an exercise bike.

Riding this way can be quite dull. I like to ride watching Perry Mason videos (of course). You can also get videos that will simulate rides on outdoor roads or trails, or "spinning" videos with a coach. Or you might prefer just putting on some music and getting in the groove.

Exercise Bike

Photo by Andrew Valdivia on Unsplash. Peloton bike.

There is a dizzying range of options here from the old, simple "dumb" bikes to the fancy-pants subscription-required bikes made popular by Peloton. As you'd expect, there's a corresponding range of prices.

The bikes with electronics on them (i.e. most of them) will include training programs that can try to simulate outdoor rides or just give you a preferred workout. Simulations can include fancy graphics or video to potentially make your ride more interesting. Subscription bikes can let you bike with a live coach and/or other riders if that's your thing.

Wrapping Up

There are plenty of other home cycling options but you get the idea. None are the same as biking outdoors but it's a great option to have in your home gym.

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