Spin Bike Features Explained

For our latest blog entry we've gone back to the topic of spin bike jargon. These are the features that you'll often find associated with spin bikes and the terminology that is often used. This is by no means an exhaustive list of terms but we think we've tackled the important ones.



Flywheel
This is the wheel at the front of the bike that moves when you pedal and there are a number of factors to consider. The first is the size of the flywheel which is measure in kg. The higher the weight of the flywheel, the smoother the action will feel. Good quality domestic indoor cycles start at a flywheel weigth of about 18kg, with commercial bikes having a weight of 20kg or over. The other main thing to look out for with the flywheel is the quality of the bearing that allows the flywheel to spin. Bearing failure in lower quality indoor cycles is quite common, resulting in a lot of noise when the wheel spins. The other sign when bearings wear badly is excessive vibration when pedalling. The only real way of telling whether the bearings are up to the job is by buying a known brand, like the ones found on our website, because you'll know that the quality will have been proven on many thousands of bikes across the world.

Friction Braking
There are two types of resistance and braking mechanisms on indoor cycles - Magnetic Brakes and Friction Brakes.

A bike that uses friction resistance uses a friction pad that comes into contact with the flywheel. The harder the pad presses against the flywheel, the harder it is to pedal.

The resistance level is controlled by a lever or knob on the frame of the bike that you can move when cycling - so if you feel like simulating a hill climb part way through your exercise programme you move the level or turn the knob (depending on the model) to move the friction pad closer to the flywheel which increases the resistance. Now you feel like you're cycling uphill! The reverse is true - reduce the resistance by moving the friction pad away from the flywheel and it's much easier to pedal.

Friction pads wear over time and will need to be replaced. However, friction resistance bikes are generally less expensive than their equivalent magnetic counterparts.

Magnetic Braking
As the name suggests, a magnetic cycle uses magnets to control the level of resistance when pedalling. Quite simply, the closer the magnet to the flywheel the more difficult it is to pedal. When the magnet is at it's closest position to the flywheel it's almost impossible to pedal at all!!

The resistance level is controlled by a lever or knob on the frame of the bike that you can move when cycling - so if you feel like simulating a hill climb part way through your exercise programme you move the level or turn the knob (depending on the model) to move the magnet which increases the resistance. Now you feel like you're cycling uphill! The reverse is true - reduce the resistance by moving the magnet away from the flywheel and it's much easier to pedal.

The main advantage of the magnetic resistance bikes is that there are no friction pads to wear out and therefore maintenance is reduced.

Belt Drive
The flywheel needs to be connected to the crank and pedals - this is done by a belt or a chain. With entry level and mid range indoor cycles, it's best to go for belt driven and this is for three main reasons: they can be adjusted easily when necessary; they are quieter than chain driven bikes; and there's no maintenance required. At the higher end then more often than not it's the chain drive that are more popular. This is because chain bikes feel more like an outdoor cycle to ride because of the dynamics of the crank and the positioning of the pedals. Essentially, unless it's a premium brand then avoid chain drive bikes - you'll have fewer problems and a quieter ride.

Chain Drive
Chain driven bikes work on exactly the same principal as a road bike - the chain connects the drive wheel/flywheel to the crank. You have to keep the chain lubricated which is about the only routine maintenance required. It's better to avoid cheap chain driven bikes because the quality is often poor. However, the top end chain driven bikes can give a more authentic feel and are popular with outdoor cyclists who want to train indoors.

More information can be found at Indoor Cycles UK

CycleOps Indoor Cycle Review

Here's our latest review - this time it's for the CycleOps range of indoor cycles. To see the full range, please follow this link. Otherwise read on....

The CycleOps range has four models – 100 Pro; 200 Pro; 300 Pro and…go on, take a guess. Yes – that’s right the top of the range model is the 400 Pro. The point to note is that the bike is exactly the same for each model – it’s the level of technology that changes as you move up the range. For example, the 100 Pro doesn’t have a console whilst the 400 Pro has a console that will automatically control the resistance of your bike based on a pre-defined program.

With this in mind, we’ve reviewed the CycleOps 200 Pro but most of our comments apply equally as well to the other models in the range. Just check the console options on each model before deciding which model is the right one for you.

How Easy is the Indoor Cycle to Build?
It’s a very different looking bike that most of the others available in the UK but it’s assembled in pretty much the same way. Stabiliser bars; seat assembly handlebar assembly; (optional) console and pedals. All of these components go together very well, primarily because of the excellent quality of the individual parts. Note that the bike is supplied without pedals as standard (if you’re wondering why, it’s because CycleOps is from the outdoor cycle world rather than the fitness world and all top outdoor bikes are supplied without pedals – they’ve carried this through to their range of indoor cycles). All standard pedals will fit.

What are the first impressions?
We think that the CycleOps range of indoor cycles look fantastic. The design and attention to detail really do take some beating:
- It’s easy to adjust and it’s the closest feel to an outdoor cycle of any indoor bike that we’ve tried. That’s perhaps not surprising because (as we mentioned above) CycleOps are from the outdoor cycle world.
- Build quality is excellent
- The bike is easy to move because of the transport wheels on the rear stabiliser bar, so you can move it out of the way when you've finished using it.
- Heavy and well balanced flywheel gives a smooth ride
- Chain drive is surprisingly quiet - the alignment of the crank and flywheel is just about perfect so the chain is much quieter than on lower quality bikes
- The console is excellent with a wealth of data available for you to transfer to your computer (cable supplied with bike)

What's it like to ride?
If you’re an outdoor cyclist then this bike moves things on to another level. It really is the closest thing to an outdoor cycle that you can get, and if you choose the right console option you can gather some great training data:
- The resistance works extremely well which enables you to make the workout as easy or hard as you like, and of course you can vary this resistance during your workout by turning the adjuster knob as you cycle (note that on the 400 Pro, the resistance is controlled via the console).
- At high speeds and/or resistance, when you're putting more strain on the bike, it still feels very stable and solid. There's no frame distortion which demonstrates the qualiity and strength of the frame.
- It’s a free-wheel bike so you need to make sure that you’ve got a good level of resistance applied. Once you’re used to this it’s great to cycle.
- Because it’s chain driven you get a vibration through the pedals that you don’t get with belt drive bikes. This is usually popular with outdoor cyclists because it makes the ride feel more authentic.

Any niggles?
None that we could find.

Anything else to add?
If you’re an outdoor cyclist looking to train indoors during bad weather; training for an event; or just simply want the best possible bike to get fit on then this really could be the bike for you.

Overall Impression?
It’s just a great bike – it looks great; rides great and the console gives really good information.