Building a $400 at-home DIY spin bike for Peloton and Apple Fitness+(montemagno.com)
montemagno.com
Building a $400 at-home DIY spin bike for Peloton and Apple Fitness+
https://montemagno.com/building-an-at-home-diy-spin-bike-for-peloton-apple-fitness/
93 comments
A cadence sensor and an ipad holder.
A cadence sensor, an ipad holder, _and_ a seat cover.
All you really need to know is whether you’re keeping the pace up with your current resistance settings. The cadence sensor shows you that. A speed sensor wouldn’t be accurate unless you could also figure out resistance (requires a $500 power meter...).
The leather pad IMO feels awful as well. Highly highly recommend getting the 550 dollar sunny with magnetic resistance if you want to do something like this
I actually did something similar with a really cheap micro-controller+Arduino with an OLED screen and an Echelon Fit stationary bike. It connects via Bluetooth and displays Peleton compatible stats. https://github.com/snowzach/echbt
Whoa! This is awesome!!! I know what I am doing for my holiday hack :) Added it into my post!
Alternatively, you could buy an Oculus Quest 2 for $299 and a
Magene Cadence Sensor for $20
https://www.amazon.com/Magene-Cycling-Cadence-Buletooth-Wire...
Then download this game for Oculus Quest https://www.virzoom.com/
video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyJU0vRtug4&feature=emb_logo
https://www.amazon.com/Magene-Cycling-Cadence-Buletooth-Wire...
Then download this game for Oculus Quest https://www.virzoom.com/
video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyJU0vRtug4&feature=emb_logo
My head sweats a lot cycling; I wouldn't want to try and wear a VR headset while exercising.
I really can't wait until this problem is solved. High volume training will become much easier.
My head sweats a lot playing VR, I couldn't imagine the torrent of sweat mixing them together.
Mine does as well. There are plenty of VR headset cover options depending on what you want. I would try it before dismissing it, because it doesn't sound like you've even tried VR.
I use silicone covers and I have a small towel on my neck. It works fine. There are other options as well.
I use silicone covers and I have a small towel on my neck. It works fine. There are other options as well.
The silicon cover + towel is a game changer / pro move!
The real game changer is just simply trying out VR before forming a really strong opinion. A lot more people are making big assumptions on HN then I would have expected.
If only Facebook didn't start their Facebook login requirement so soon. More people would actually try it out since the cost would be low enough
If only Facebook didn't start their Facebook login requirement so soon. More people would actually try it out since the cost would be low enough
People are weirdly polarized over VR. It's seemingly a trend to knock it before trying it.
I think it's been somewhat of a walled garden for a long time due to price (headset + PC)... So a lot of people formed negative opinions about it before even trying it.
I think it's been somewhat of a walled garden for a long time due to price (headset + PC)... So a lot of people formed negative opinions about it before even trying it.
This sounds miserable
Is there one that doesn't require logging with Facebook?
For general VR yes, but a decent system costs approximately $600 more not including the cost of a VR capable PC. Not many people want to or have the means to make that kind of investment vs giving up some privacy temporarily.
I ride on Zwift using an old Schwinn Airdyne bike I got for $25 on Craigslist. It works great!
I connected a bike computer magnetic pickup to the fan wheel, spliced it into a headphone cable, and plugged the headphone into a USB sound card connected to my laptop. On my laptop, I can monitor the microphone input and see each revolution of the fan wheel as a pulse. I wrote a program to convert these pulses to power (using Airdyne conversion formulas I found online) and then broadcast a Bluetooth power meter compatible with Zwift.
I connected a bike computer magnetic pickup to the fan wheel, spliced it into a headphone cable, and plugged the headphone into a USB sound card connected to my laptop. On my laptop, I can monitor the microphone input and see each revolution of the fan wheel as a pulse. I wrote a program to convert these pulses to power (using Airdyne conversion formulas I found online) and then broadcast a Bluetooth power meter compatible with Zwift.
I did a similar build about a year ago, though with nicer Sunny bike that set me back about $600. I have the Wahoo he mentioned and it works perfectly. I also grabbed chest heart rate sensor so it actually displays in the Peloton app, but it really isn't necessary unless you're very focused on staying in zones. I'm at about 150 Peloton rides and couldn't be happier. It's slightly annoying to not be able to compete with the leaderboard (since the app doesn't know resistance), but generally I'm watching the recorded classes so I'm fine save ~$1500 plus the higher monthly Peloton fee. I'm interested to test out how Fitness+ compares!
Nice! I went back and forth on the different Sunny bikes to be honest. My biggest issue so far with Fitness+ is that it doesn't sync up with the cadence sensor as I wrote about. If you have an Apple TV then that is ideal as you can use your phone for the cadence. I really like the Apple Watch integration, i have a video on the blog. I am enjoying the 1 month trial and hope they improve it.
Here are some fun Exercise + Game Console DIY projects for the holidays:
* Turning a Treadmill Into a PS4 Controller So I Exercise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmABK2Chwe0&t=4m40s
* I played Breath of the Wild with a Ring Fit Adventure Mod - Controller Bending
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4wGalssNls
https://www.controllerbend.com
* Turning a Treadmill Into a PS4 Controller So I Exercise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmABK2Chwe0&t=4m40s
* I played Breath of the Wild with a Ring Fit Adventure Mod - Controller Bending
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4wGalssNls
https://www.controllerbend.com
If you're into gaming + exercising I very very highly recommend you consider getting an Oculus Quest 2 (or, if you are anti-facebook, a Valve Index).
There are so many great games which will really get your heart pumping!
- FitXR
- Thrill of the Fight
- POPULATION:ONE (lot's of very fast climbing if you know how to play well)
- Pistol Whip
- Until you Fall
The list goes on and on. There's many more than I share here.
There are so many great games which will really get your heart pumping!
- FitXR
- Thrill of the Fight
- POPULATION:ONE (lot's of very fast climbing if you know how to play well)
- Pistol Whip
- Until you Fall
The list goes on and on. There's many more than I share here.
A huge problem with spending $400 is the build quality of the bike. I went down this exact same route last December. I bought the same Sunny bike in the link, an Apple Watch, a Wahoo cadence sensor, and an entry-level iPad. The Sunny bike broke after 3.5 months of regular usage, right at the start of Covid quarantine. I ended up replacing it with a high quality ~$2k Keiser M3i. The Keiser has been great the last 7 months.
I’ve got the belt drive one with the leather pad for resistance (SF-B1002) and haven’t had any issues. I’ve been impressed that it feels like an average spin bike you’d find at a gym (for $400!). Did you have the magnetic version?
This is the same bike I had. The drive belt eventually frayed/snapped. Sunny customer support was terrible and I got way more help trying to fix it on a Sunny owners Facebook group.
I've had the slightly nicer model of Sunny (with magnetic resistance) and it's been great. I'm ~200 and do a lot of standing riding and haven't noticed any issues.
I've only had it for ~3 months so maybe a few weeks down the road I'll have issues
I've only had it for ~3 months so maybe a few weeks down the road I'll have issues
I've had the same sunny bike from begining of March and after -250 rides I have to encounter an issue.
It's interesting how exercise machines are starting to become game input devices and online class portals. Peloton obviously deserves a lot of credit for popularizing the idea, but the hardware required to do similar things outdates Peloton.
e.g. Pretty much any Concept2 rower you see in a gym or home that has been made in the last couple decades has a monitor that can provide realtime data to a computer via USB. I have one of these in my home that is older than Peloton but still connects to a computer just fine. If you actually have a Concept2 rower so old that it doesn't have USB, you can always upgrade the monitor (Concept2 sells upgrades).
The hardware has been under our noses for a long time, but it seems like we're only just now starting to make decent software to make use of it, although I'd say rowers are still a bit behind at present. It does seem like an under-served market.
e.g. Pretty much any Concept2 rower you see in a gym or home that has been made in the last couple decades has a monitor that can provide realtime data to a computer via USB. I have one of these in my home that is older than Peloton but still connects to a computer just fine. If you actually have a Concept2 rower so old that it doesn't have USB, you can always upgrade the monitor (Concept2 sells upgrades).
The hardware has been under our noses for a long time, but it seems like we're only just now starting to make decent software to make use of it, although I'd say rowers are still a bit behind at present. It does seem like an under-served market.
How do you like the Concept2 and rowing machines in general? I would prefer a treadmill but I don't have a good space for one. Do you get a decent cardio workout with it?
You can certainly get a good workout on a rowing machine. Most of the cheaper brands aren't very durable but Concept2 is solid.
If space is an issue, there are treadmills with decks that fold up.
If space is an issue, there are treadmills with decks that fold up.
Concept2 rowers make for amazing workouts. Great cardio, and it's truly full-body.
I love mine. Granted, I love rowing too though.
I love mine. Granted, I love rowing too though.
Folded out, a rower is probably a little longer and skinnier than most treadmills. Concept2's do come apart in the middle for storage and they're light enough that moving them around isn't a big chore.
There's a reason why Concept2's are used by gyms, for training by Olympic rowers, and also for indoor rowing competitions. They're indestructible. I've had one for about 15 years and all I've done is oil the chain and clean the rail. Every treadmill I've had gave up the ghost after a year or two of regular use.
The quality of workout you get with a rower is fantastic. It's great cardio and works a lot more muscle groups than a treadmill. Doing HIIT workouts on a rower is highly effective.
Two caveats:
1. It is possible to hurt yourself if you row with poor form. Take the time to learn how to row properly.
2. When you start, you will get blisters. Then you will develop calluses. If you don't want calluses on your hands, stick to running.
There's a reason why Concept2's are used by gyms, for training by Olympic rowers, and also for indoor rowing competitions. They're indestructible. I've had one for about 15 years and all I've done is oil the chain and clean the rail. Every treadmill I've had gave up the ghost after a year or two of regular use.
The quality of workout you get with a rower is fantastic. It's great cardio and works a lot more muscle groups than a treadmill. Doing HIIT workouts on a rower is highly effective.
Two caveats:
1. It is possible to hurt yourself if you row with poor form. Take the time to learn how to row properly.
2. When you start, you will get blisters. Then you will develop calluses. If you don't want calluses on your hands, stick to running.
I wonder why author didn't just bought dumb trainer and put the daily bike on it getting same opportunities but riding the bike he has used to? Cyclists typically do that.
Because the author wanted to build an indoor spin class bike, not a road bike on a trainer. Now, you're not wrong. When I was racing I'd take a bike very similar to my race bike (because when you race, you don't just have one bike), stick a trainer tire on the rear wheel, and the trainer had power and cadence readings built-in. The trainer also cost considerably more ten years ago than the author spent recently.
Maybe the author just has the one bike and doesn't want to unhook all the shite if there's a freak winter day when it is not rainy and cloudy in Seattle. Maybe the author is just a dorky geek that likes to build stuff. Maybe if I were still a hardcore cyclist, I too would try and see how much lipstick that $300 pig will hold. 'cuz I'll admit that my first thought was, "what, you didn't try to cobble a power meter onto that thing? Hold my beer..."
Maybe the author just has the one bike and doesn't want to unhook all the shite if there's a freak winter day when it is not rainy and cloudy in Seattle. Maybe the author is just a dorky geek that likes to build stuff. Maybe if I were still a hardcore cyclist, I too would try and see how much lipstick that $300 pig will hold. 'cuz I'll admit that my first thought was, "what, you didn't try to cobble a power meter onto that thing? Hold my beer..."
With the advent of pedal based power meters, there’s literally nothing you can’t get power out of.
That’s what I don’t get about this whole peloton thing.
Why aren’t people just getting bikes and then putting them on trainers?
You can get the whole trainer workouts and still have a bike that you can ride outside.
Why aren’t people just getting bikes and then putting them on trainers?
You can get the whole trainer workouts and still have a bike that you can ride outside.
I don't know about what the Peloton experience is like, but:
My bike is on a trainer, and I see the following down-sides:
a) My bike on a trainer is really loud. Can't do it early; can't do it when the baby is sleeping, etc.
b) It's a moderate pain in the ass to hook and unhook. Not a huge pain in the ass, but I certainly didn't do it any time of the year it was feasible for me to bike to work.
c) It's dirty. I mean, the bike. I dislike washing the tires so I can bring it indoors even a couple of times a year, never mind if it's coming in and out constantly. And never mind the fact that even washed, my wife sure as hell isn't letting me bring that into a corner of the bedroom.
d) My bike has exposed chains and gearing that, if I'm not mistaken, the Peloton and similar bikes do not. I've got a toddler.
e) Indoor exercise bikes are usually reasonably set up to let you have somewhere to put your phone, or ipad, or kindle, etc. Bikes on a trainer do not. When I'm working out indoors, that makes a big difference for me.
This hasn't been enough to convince me to buy a Peloton, but I can certainly see why someone with more disposable income (or square footage) would.
My bike is on a trainer, and I see the following down-sides:
a) My bike on a trainer is really loud. Can't do it early; can't do it when the baby is sleeping, etc.
b) It's a moderate pain in the ass to hook and unhook. Not a huge pain in the ass, but I certainly didn't do it any time of the year it was feasible for me to bike to work.
c) It's dirty. I mean, the bike. I dislike washing the tires so I can bring it indoors even a couple of times a year, never mind if it's coming in and out constantly. And never mind the fact that even washed, my wife sure as hell isn't letting me bring that into a corner of the bedroom.
d) My bike has exposed chains and gearing that, if I'm not mistaken, the Peloton and similar bikes do not. I've got a toddler.
e) Indoor exercise bikes are usually reasonably set up to let you have somewhere to put your phone, or ipad, or kindle, etc. Bikes on a trainer do not. When I'm working out indoors, that makes a big difference for me.
This hasn't been enough to convince me to buy a Peloton, but I can certainly see why someone with more disposable income (or square footage) would.
Additionally, I think folks are assuming that you're the only cycling nut in the house. If there are two or more, then an easy-to-adjust bike is essential. If you think your non-mechanically-inclined partner is going to grab a hex wrench every time he wants to hit the "trainer", you will be sadly disappointed. Hell, if you think I, who used to be a bike mechanic in his misspent youth, am going to grab that hex wrench you'd be sadly mistaken. You stick a road bike on a trainer, and there will be exactly one person that ever uses it.
Summary: a dedicated indoor bike immensely reduces the friction of getting a ride in.
Summary: a dedicated indoor bike immensely reduces the friction of getting a ride in.
That is a good point as well. My wife also uses the bike and this is a big benefit.
My wife & I swap our real bikes on a Wahoo Kickr. It takes less than 60 seconds to swap a bike. Then we get to use the same bikes we ride all summer as well - no adjustments necessary.
Same here - wife and I do the same thing. I will say that I would prefer not to but it *normally isn’t enough friction to stop it. To the commentators point it does add friction though.
> a) My bike on a trainer is really loud.
Not that it's going to make (b) any better, but do you have purpose-made tyres on it? I've never tried with my road one, I heard it was loud and wore down extremely fast if you did so, so I just bought a smooth (and I think harder?) one designed for use on a trainer off the bat.
Could just be marketing and I fell for it, but seemed reasonable.
Re (b), and especially if you changed tyre, I suppose if you wanted to do that regularly you'd soon get a second quick-release rear wheel, so you didn't have to faff about switching skewers (and tyres!) - or better a 'direct drive' trainer (instead of running the bicycle wheel against another wheel, it comes off and you put the chain directly around a sprocket attached to the trainer).
Not that it's going to make (b) any better, but do you have purpose-made tyres on it? I've never tried with my road one, I heard it was loud and wore down extremely fast if you did so, so I just bought a smooth (and I think harder?) one designed for use on a trainer off the bat.
Could just be marketing and I fell for it, but seemed reasonable.
Re (b), and especially if you changed tyre, I suppose if you wanted to do that regularly you'd soon get a second quick-release rear wheel, so you didn't have to faff about switching skewers (and tyres!) - or better a 'direct drive' trainer (instead of running the bicycle wheel against another wheel, it comes off and you put the chain directly around a sprocket attached to the trainer).
Modern smart trainers have an attached sprocket and are used with the rear wheel off the bike. Some models are fairly quiet.
As I said:
> or better a 'direct drive' trainer (instead of running the bicycle wheel against another wheel, it comes off and you put the chain directly around a sprocket attached to the trainer).
> or better a 'direct drive' trainer (instead of running the bicycle wheel against another wheel, it comes off and you put the chain directly around a sprocket attached to the trainer).
f) The super sweating because there is no wind. I bought a fan to throw some air to me.
About your point e, I exercise close to a table. I put a bottle of water on there, with the phone (also for the app of the cardio) and the tablet to watch something while I pedal.
About your point e, I exercise close to a table. I put a bottle of water on there, with the phone (also for the app of the cardio) and the tablet to watch something while I pedal.
The tacx flux and wahoo kickr are the quietest trainers available and are incredibly quiet, especially when placed on the shock absorbing pads wahoo sells. These direct drive trainers are easy to take your bike on and off too. IMO the pad takes care of the dirt factor too. Still dangerous for your toddler tho.
These days you can buy $200 hd tvs and a mini desktop to run zwift, which is much nicer than using on a mobile device.
These days you can buy $200 hd tvs and a mini desktop to run zwift, which is much nicer than using on a mobile device.
> That’s what I don’t get about this whole peloton thing.
The short answer is that people are idiots. The same people that spend thousands on a Peloton are the ones that previously were spending comparative amounts at “spin classes”, which are nothing more than riding a bike while someone yells at you. At best, it forces them to do the workout so they don’t feel like their money is being wasted.
I’ve long proposed a fitness program where you pay some exorbitant fee, say $500/month, to work out alone and you get a rebate for each workout. I bet it’d have incredible results.
The short answer is that people are idiots. The same people that spend thousands on a Peloton are the ones that previously were spending comparative amounts at “spin classes”, which are nothing more than riding a bike while someone yells at you. At best, it forces them to do the workout so they don’t feel like their money is being wasted.
I’ve long proposed a fitness program where you pay some exorbitant fee, say $500/month, to work out alone and you get a rebate for each workout. I bet it’d have incredible results.
The short answer is that people are idiots.
They can be at times. Often they'll make it obvious by asking questions like, "why don't they do it the way I think it should be done?"
They can be at times. Often they'll make it obvious by asking questions like, "why don't they do it the way I think it should be done?"
Do you think that working out entirely alone vs. with a trainer is the same thing? Do you think there are some people that would derive a differential benefit by going with one vs. the other?
Do you think that working out entirely alone vs. with a group is the same thing? Do you think there are some people that would derive a differential benefit by going with one vs. the other?
Do you think that emulating being with a group would have value for those that would otherwise value working with a group?
Do you think that anyone who falls into the "works out better with a group and a trainer, or an emulation thereof" must be an idiot? Or do you think that category simply doesn't exist?
From my experience in competitive powerlifting, working out by myself, working out with others, working out with a coach, working out with an app yelling at me, are all very different endeavors, with different outcomes. Maybe I'm just an idiot.
Do you think that working out entirely alone vs. with a group is the same thing? Do you think there are some people that would derive a differential benefit by going with one vs. the other?
Do you think that emulating being with a group would have value for those that would otherwise value working with a group?
Do you think that anyone who falls into the "works out better with a group and a trainer, or an emulation thereof" must be an idiot? Or do you think that category simply doesn't exist?
From my experience in competitive powerlifting, working out by myself, working out with others, working out with a coach, working out with an app yelling at me, are all very different endeavors, with different outcomes. Maybe I'm just an idiot.
> Do you think that working out entirely alone vs. with a trainer is the same thing? Do you think there are some people that would derive a differential benefit by going with one vs. the other?
Honestly no. It’s just a symptom of being a weak minded person who can’t commit to self improvement.
> Do you think that working out entirely alone vs. with a group is the same thing? Do you think there are some people that would derive a differential benefit by going with one vs. the other?
If you say ask it twice it doesn’t change the response.
> Do you think that emulating being with a group would have value for those that would otherwise value working with a group?
Of course it has value. But it’s the workout equivalent of hiring a prostitute. Find some real friends to work out with. Or just play some music and pedal.
> Do you think that anyone who falls into the "works out better with a group and a trainer, or an emulation thereof" must be an idiot? Or do you think that category simply doesn't exist?
A group, a trainer, and a spin class instructor that just yells at you on a preset rhythm are three different things.
> From my experience in competitive powerlifting, working out by myself, working out with others, working out with a coach, working out with an app yelling at me, are all very different endeavors, with different outcomes. Maybe I'm just an idiot.
I didn’t insult having a trainer or anything to do with powerlifting with a group. Hell, a spotter is all but mandatory in that situation.
I’m specifically referring to idiots paying someone to yell at them to speed up or slow down while riding a bike. You could record one session and play it back on a speaker and it’d be the same thing.
Honestly no. It’s just a symptom of being a weak minded person who can’t commit to self improvement.
> Do you think that working out entirely alone vs. with a group is the same thing? Do you think there are some people that would derive a differential benefit by going with one vs. the other?
If you say ask it twice it doesn’t change the response.
> Do you think that emulating being with a group would have value for those that would otherwise value working with a group?
Of course it has value. But it’s the workout equivalent of hiring a prostitute. Find some real friends to work out with. Or just play some music and pedal.
> Do you think that anyone who falls into the "works out better with a group and a trainer, or an emulation thereof" must be an idiot? Or do you think that category simply doesn't exist?
A group, a trainer, and a spin class instructor that just yells at you on a preset rhythm are three different things.
> From my experience in competitive powerlifting, working out by myself, working out with others, working out with a coach, working out with an app yelling at me, are all very different endeavors, with different outcomes. Maybe I'm just an idiot.
I didn’t insult having a trainer or anything to do with powerlifting with a group. Hell, a spotter is all but mandatory in that situation.
I’m specifically referring to idiots paying someone to yell at them to speed up or slow down while riding a bike. You could record one session and play it back on a speaker and it’d be the same thing.
> Honestly no. It’s just a symptom of being a weak minded person who can’t commit to self improvement
Are you saying these “weak minded” people don’t deserve to be fit, or what?
Are you saying these “weak minded” people don’t deserve to be fit, or what?
Not at all. I’m saying that they’re being preyed upon by an industry that’s taking advantage of their weak wills.
Teaching them to focus their will power would pay off much more than a “class” where there’s no actual lesson. To be clear, I’m not taking about actual instruction like a sport like tennis or a lifting program, I’m specifically referring to group cardio programs that are nothing more than loud music and an instructor feeding the participants a series of “Simon says” instructions.
Teaching them to focus their will power would pay off much more than a “class” where there’s no actual lesson. To be clear, I’m not taking about actual instruction like a sport like tennis or a lifting program, I’m specifically referring to group cardio programs that are nothing more than loud music and an instructor feeding the participants a series of “Simon says” instructions.
What you say, man, to make yourself feel better about yourself. Is your arm sore from patting yourself on the back?
Exercise is one of those discipline things, that are more emotional than physical or logical (along with food and sex). Sure its 'easy' to just to the right thing. But there are emotional hurdles, and a mentor/trainer/group is the way social animals like man-apes deal with that.
I bought one and I don't consider myself an idiot... pal. Thank you very much.
I have a pretty big background in fitness (studied/taught martial arts for 15 years, coached(L1) Crossfit, was a powerlifter and also an amateur olympic lifter for a few years). I like fighting, lifting heavy, and I personally hate cardio. I live in a city that gets cold, and the Peloton sits in my room and I constantly jump on it and get my heart rate up daily. I've lost 20 pounds in the last 4 months.
Before this purchase I had never been to a spin class in my life. I'd rather bike than run, because I'm lazy and I appreciate sitting down. The Peloton classes are great and they have HIIT, EMOM's, long distance rides, and their "Power Zone" stuff guides you through hitting your VO2max, Lactate Threshold, etc.
I already have a home gym, and the bike cost + $40/mo for classes makes it so I don't have get a gym membership and drive to a gym since I can do everything at home. Plus, there are gorgeous women motivating me to work.
You may not be the ideal customer for this product, but don't call those that are idiots.
I have a pretty big background in fitness (studied/taught martial arts for 15 years, coached(L1) Crossfit, was a powerlifter and also an amateur olympic lifter for a few years). I like fighting, lifting heavy, and I personally hate cardio. I live in a city that gets cold, and the Peloton sits in my room and I constantly jump on it and get my heart rate up daily. I've lost 20 pounds in the last 4 months.
Before this purchase I had never been to a spin class in my life. I'd rather bike than run, because I'm lazy and I appreciate sitting down. The Peloton classes are great and they have HIIT, EMOM's, long distance rides, and their "Power Zone" stuff guides you through hitting your VO2max, Lactate Threshold, etc.
I already have a home gym, and the bike cost + $40/mo for classes makes it so I don't have get a gym membership and drive to a gym since I can do everything at home. Plus, there are gorgeous women motivating me to work.
You may not be the ideal customer for this product, but don't call those that are idiots.
I sort of consider it two different types of workouts. Trainers for sure are great if you are comfortable putting it on and off. For me this was an at home spin bike with a nice heavy flywheel for resistance. You can totally accomplish a lot of it with a trainer, but they can range in price, sometimes much more than just a indoor cycling bike like I put together.
You also put additional miles on your bike with a trainer. Kind of depends on what you are looking for. Totally viable.
You also put additional miles on your bike with a trainer. Kind of depends on what you are looking for. Totally viable.
Because the customer for Peloton has very little overlap with the customer for indoor cycling trainer.
There are tens of millions of people in USA alone with zero desire to bike outside, who nonetheless desire some exercise experience that requires minimal knowledge or planning outside of class time.
There are tens of millions of people in USA alone with zero desire to bike outside, who nonetheless desire some exercise experience that requires minimal knowledge or planning outside of class time.
Exaggeration? There are 2 million Peloton users.
> Why aren’t people just getting bikes and then putting them on trainers?
Maybe for single people, or households where only one person is interested in it.
Have you ever tried sharing the same bike with someone else who is an entirely different size than you?
A dedicated indoor bike comes with so many quick-and-easy adjustments for my wife and I that it is just so much easier to share. It's also crazy quiet, for what that's worth.
My $400 purchase, plus $10/mo for the Peloton app has been well worth it while we're waiting for gyms to open back up (or even for dumbbells to just come back in stock).
Maybe for single people, or households where only one person is interested in it.
Have you ever tried sharing the same bike with someone else who is an entirely different size than you?
A dedicated indoor bike comes with so many quick-and-easy adjustments for my wife and I that it is just so much easier to share. It's also crazy quiet, for what that's worth.
My $400 purchase, plus $10/mo for the Peloton app has been well worth it while we're waiting for gyms to open back up (or even for dumbbells to just come back in stock).
Good question! I have in the past put a trainer on my road bike. They are a bit pricey for decent ones and when I tried them in the past I just really didn't like it as much. I also didn't like putting on and off trainer.
That said I really bought this setup as a spin bike for spin classes. Which to me I don't want to put stress on my road bike and I want that resistance in the fly wheel.
That said I really bought this setup as a spin bike for spin classes. Which to me I don't want to put stress on my road bike and I want that resistance in the fly wheel.
Rollers are slightly more mentally engaging and don't require bike mods unless you want to swap in a different set of tires.
In the winter, I permanently attach one of my bikes to my wahoo kickr which you can get for ~$500 used from ebay. They're built like tanks. [1] If I need to ride outdoors, I'll grab another bike and ride that (the correct number of bikes that any cyclist has is N+1).
I use my iPhone to connect to Trainer Road, which is a fantastic structured training app. [2] Power measurements come directly from the wahoo kickr and cadence measurements comes from the power meter that I already have on the bike. I highly recommend folks watch their YouTube channel if you want to get a feel for what they can do for you. [3]
This year I splurged for a table [4] after using a box bungy-corded to my bars before that. It's great to prop up a laptop or an iPad to pass the time/distract from the pain during a ride.
[1] https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m... [2] https://www.trainerroad.com/ [3] https://www.youtube.com/user/TrainerRoad [4] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BQZY9RL/
I use my iPhone to connect to Trainer Road, which is a fantastic structured training app. [2] Power measurements come directly from the wahoo kickr and cadence measurements comes from the power meter that I already have on the bike. I highly recommend folks watch their YouTube channel if you want to get a feel for what they can do for you. [3]
This year I splurged for a table [4] after using a box bungy-corded to my bars before that. It's great to prop up a laptop or an iPad to pass the time/distract from the pain during a ride.
[1] https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m... [2] https://www.trainerroad.com/ [3] https://www.youtube.com/user/TrainerRoad [4] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BQZY9RL/
It's tough to know if your aerobic training program is working without being able to track average watts keeping heart rate consistent, or vice versa. Tracking average cadence can work, but resistance needs to be chosen carefully and held constant
About 20 years ago. My university gym had a bike with a screen. You would paddle in a virtual 3D world terrain. It wasn't that immersive, kind of blocky.
But I used to have a 100 inch projector in my home theater, and a recumbent exercise bike. Totally immersive, and awesome playing games and working out in such a setup.
Great DIY project. It's definitely missing some of the Peloton features like Wattage metering and he didn't include the tablet in the price.
With the 6-8 weeks delivery estimates for Peloton, it's definitely worth the build.
With the 6-8 weeks delivery estimates for Peloton, it's definitely worth the build.
DIY project? He purchased a brand new, off the shelf spin bike and put a cadence sensor on it.
I'm not sure when it happened, but the bar for saying things like "built" has become so low that we get titles and "projects" like these.
I'm not sure when it happened, but the bar for saying things like "built" has become so low that we get titles and "projects" like these.
I guess I consider it DIY as it is combining the Bike, Tablet, and Sensor together instead of buying an all in 1 package that restricts you to a specific service.
At least it was not a ‘life hack.’
Yeah, I don't consider my post a hack or constructing the bike from scratch at all. That would be super impressive IMHO. I just did a bunch of research, found the lowest minimal requirements in what I was looking for in a spin bike and wrote about it :)
I was recently thinking what it would take to do an open source, reasonable priced version of https://www.tonal.com/
[deleted]
I read the last paragraph and felt disappointed:
> Links to third party sites may contain affiliate links that allow you to find the items mentioned on this site.
> Links to third party sites may contain affiliate links that allow you to find the items mentioned on this site.
300fy time :)
The author conveniently left out the cost of the tablet, which is included in the Peloton price. Adding the tablet pretty much doubles the cost of this "DIY build".
Not if you already have a tablet or smartphone. Which, you know... probably most people in the "looking for an indoor cycling bike" market do.
Never mind that even if they didn't, purchasing an ipad that you occasionally stick on your bike is still a far, far higher utility than a tablet affixed to your bike that only works for biking. Those are not of equal value.
Never mind that even if they didn't, purchasing an ipad that you occasionally stick on your bike is still a far, far higher utility than a tablet affixed to your bike that only works for biking. Those are not of equal value.
Hey there! Yeah, that is a good point for sure. I would say though that while I already owned the tablet it would also work just fine with any smart phone. That is a good cost and could be considered.
Peloton has 0% financing and now you can own the old version of the bike (which is more than adequate) for only $49 a month, which is similar to the price of a decent gym. Most software devs make more than that per hour.
There’s really no reason to be this cheap if you want to invest in your health.
There’s really no reason to be this cheap if you want to invest in your health.
Well sure there is. Theres like 1500 reasons up front and 30 reasons per month after that.
I went the DIY route for my wife (though used a slightly nicer sunny bike - the B1805) and its a great setup (or at least she says so). The only thing you miss out on is leaderboards and 1-to-1 resistance settings.
I went the DIY route for my wife (though used a slightly nicer sunny bike - the B1805) and its a great setup (or at least she says so). The only thing you miss out on is leaderboards and 1-to-1 resistance settings.
>Most software devs make more than that per hour.
if your definition of software dev ends at the borders of California, then yes. Otherwise, not so much.
And even then, although I could afford it I'm not paying 50 bucks per month for a bike for the same reason I don't buy 7 bucks bottled water, because I don't want to flush my money down the drain
if your definition of software dev ends at the borders of California, then yes. Otherwise, not so much.
And even then, although I could afford it I'm not paying 50 bucks per month for a bike for the same reason I don't buy 7 bucks bottled water, because I don't want to flush my money down the drain
> > Most software devs make more than that [$49] per hour
> if your definition of software dev ends at the borders of California, then yes. Otherwise, not so much.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics disagrees:
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/...
”Quick Facts: Software Developers
“2019 Median Pay: $107,510 per year / $51.69 per hour”
> if your definition of software dev ends at the borders of California, then yes. Otherwise, not so much.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics disagrees:
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/...
”Quick Facts: Software Developers
“2019 Median Pay: $107,510 per year / $51.69 per hour”
You might also consider that outside of California doesn't mean that software development ends at the American border. Here in the UK, the average salary is somewhere between 30k-40k a year.
If you want a trainer hack, this is a trainer hack:
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/how-you-can-u...