STATIONARY BIKE

Outdoor Cycling
Start an indoor cycling program
Rollers
Spin Classes
Recumbent bike
Airdyne Bike

The stationary bike is perhaps the easiest and safest forms of exercise in the gym. For many athletes, it is simply a way to warm-up. For others, it can be a primary means of exercise. For regular cyclists, this can be one of the more boring activities. The stationary bike will generally be more challenging from the standpoint of getting fewer rests (such as coasting down a hill). A general rule of thumb is that one hour of training on a cycle is equal to two hours of outdoor cycling.

CORRECT FORM

Use good equipment Stability of your cycle is key if you plan on sprinting or standing to add variety.

Speaking of equipment, you probably know that stationary cycles come in various forms, shapes and sizes. Your choice of stationary bike is probably a matter of choice and preference, rather than superiority. Beyond a traditional "Life Cycle", here are some other alternatives:

Rollers are an interesting alternative to a fixed, stationary bike. They allow you to place a regular cycle in a stationary position in order to ride indoors. Rollers have an additional challenge - balance. Here are a few tips if you decide you want to use rollers:

First, set the rollers correctly. Put the bike on the rollers and set the height of the front wheel the same as the rear one with adjusters or blocks of wood. If this is not done you will be riding up hill and the ballance will be wrong causing untold damage to the perineum etc.

Second, set the length the same as your bike. A plumb bob from the front axle of your bike should pass as close as possible to the centre of the front roller. A centimetre either way is OK. After you do this, check the level again. It helps to place the rollers in a doorway so you can hold onto the door frame to get started (an alternative is to have a buddy standing by to give you a hand).

Last, place the bike in the middle of the rollers and start by holding the left of center of the handlebars. Put your right foot in the clips. Keep your head up to keep a focus straight ahead. Practice riding smoothly without bouncing. Try 15 second spurts until you are steady on the bike. Cadences above 140 rpm or so can easily be maintained, reaching over 180 rpm in a sprint.

Spinning is one of the newest and hottest exercise classes. Instead of simply cycling along on your stationary bicycle as you thumb through a magazine or watch the latest headline news, you burn up the imaginary road with a roomful of other exercisers, with the lights turned off and the music loud.

Like other exercise classes, spinning is led by an instructor, who yells out commands throughout the 40- to 60-minute session. And like most other exercise classes, spinning starts out with a warm-up and stretching. Then comes the ride, alternating intervals of "hill climbing" (increased tension on the bike) and "sprinting" (less tension). The classes conclude with a cool-down and stretching.

What people most seem to enjoy about spinning classes (besides the atmosphere) is that the amount of tension on the bike is determined by each rider. You can make it as tough or easy a ride as you want to -- only you know for sure.

And to help the riders concentrate and set the mood, the lights are usually switched off. So when it's raining or you get home late and the sun is setting, there are no more excuses. It's either time to head for the basement or the garage where you can catch the evening news, or take an hour at the gym to join in the cameraderie of a spin class. Whichever choice you make, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are going to get that edge on the rest of your cycling buds.

The Schwinn Airdyne bike is one of the more ingenious little inventions you will find in the gym. They offer a number of changes from most indoor bikes:

• They are very sturdy and fairly indestructable.
  
• They allow you to use all 4 limbs which is excellent for developing cardiovascular endurance throughout your total body.
  
• Last, the come with a fan which not only cools you off, it also attempts to simulate wind resistance. This also means that the harder your pedal, the greater the resistance will be. No special computer chips to simulate this. It's that simple.

There may be only a few drawbacks with the Airdyne bike. One is that the bike pretty loud due to the revolutions of the fan inside the front wheel. And for some, they may actually want LESS resistance with sprinting in order to work on speed and not power.

Nevertheless, the Airdyne bike is an excellent alternative to the traditional stationary bike.

Recumbent bikes are very popular forms of indoor cycling, but unfortunately this is probably for the wrong reason.

In many ways, recumbent bikes allow to relax a great deal. You are almost lying down in fact, and your body is almost entirely supported. Is this a good thing?

If you are going to use a recumbent bike, make sure you monitor your heart rate. Try to exercise within your target heart range. You may find it is difficult to get your heart rate to to 70 or 75% of your maximal heart rate. If so, you will likely need to use an upright indoor bike.

For beginners, the recumbent bike is a nice way to acclimate yourself to exercise for the first time. After about 2-3 months though, you may feel that it is time to graduate to an upright bike.

Start an Indoor Cycling Program

For beginners, try the following cycling program:

This represents a good start. After about 3 weeks, you can begin to add 2-3 minutes to the WORKOUT portion every other week up to a maximum of 45 minutes.

To find your maximal and target heart rate range, click HERE.

To learn how to monitor your heart rate, click HERE.