The Benefits of an Indoor Cycling Trainer
Why you ask? Why should you part with your hard earned money to buy a bicycling trainer? Well the answers SHOULD be obvious to most but if you are the kind of rider that takes 2 hours to watch 60 Minutes then we thought we would help you understand what the benefits of parting with your hard earned money might be.
The right indoor cycling trainer can be the closest exercise machine to simulate actual outdoor cycling. They are ideal for both apartments, condominiums and houses and some people take advantage of the benefits of cycling trainers in their own living rooms while others use them in their garages. Once the weather starts to cool down, cyclists and exercise enthusiasts can turn to an indoor cycling trainer.
What is an Indoor Cycling Trainer?
Load your actual road bike into the trainer and away you go.
The actual equipment for a bike trainer is actually a steel or aluminum frame with clamps that hold the bicycle in place. A roller is attached to the frame in order to press against the rear wheel and provide the resistance needed to give you a workout. There are different models and manners of providing that friction but they all work in the same basic manner as described here.
Why You Should Consider a Cycling Trainer
Training for Cycling: Professional cyclists and other competitive cyclists benefit from an indoor trainer for sport specific purposes. With an indoor trainer, they can continue to develop and maintain their skills as well as work on very specific parts of their strategy such as sprinting or out of saddle hill climbing. Cyclists have to stay in shape and ready for racing, especially when the weather turns cold. Unlike bike trainers, indoor exercise bikes do not offer the lifelike experience of outdoor cycling. You still retain the same riding position, handlebars, bicycle seat, and pedal clips as a road bike.
Staying Healthy: Cycling trainers are great devices for staying healthy. Many people do not enjoy jogging, going to the gym and riding a bike on the road. Having a simple machine indoors allows one to exercise to stay healthy and stay motivated. You can even set up the trainer in front of a television for added entertainment and to help the miles click by. Specialized DVDs are also available that will provide specific workouts that range from mild to grueling.
Losing Weight: Aside from being healthy, bike trainers actually cause you to sweat. This means that you are burning calories and potentially losing weight. With the resistance mechanism on the trainer, you can adjust the amount of resistance for a harder workout. When the weather is too cold or too hot for outdoor activities, you can use an indoor bike trainer to maintain your fitness program throughout the year.
Building Endurance: Because you hold the same body position and use the same bicycle parts with a bike trainer, you can actually build more endurance than most other indoor exercise machines. While there are different types of trainers, Rollers offer the most effective endurance building options. This is because Rollers do not support the bicycle and the rider must balance the bike on his own without coming off. This is a more challenging workout for anyone.
As I mentioned before, Indoor cycling trainers come in a variety of types that are categorized based on resistance. These include Magnetic, Fluid, Air-Resistance and Computer trainers. There are also Rollers and Turbo Trainers that function on a slightly different system. Each type of trainer offers its own benefits in terms of resistance, noise level and overall functionality.
Regardless of the type of trainer, both professional cyclists and exercise enthusiasts can take advantage of the number of benefits. You can read more about the specific types of trainers in our Bike Trainer Buying Guide.
Rate This Product!
You must be logged in to post a comment.