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cycle trainer recommendations?

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by galaxee, Jan 15, 2006.

  1. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    can't get out on the road enough with my bike down here in the south and i really want to get back in biking shape! i've decided to pick up a trainer for my 05 diamondback response sport trail bike, i was looking at the blackburn fluid model for about $170.

    anyone have any experience with these? good? bad?

    i wanted to get something with progressive resistance that didn't cost too much, really don't want a wind resistance unit though.

    thanks for any input :)
     
    #1 galaxee, Jan 15, 2006
  2. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    it sucks that you cant do the real thing. makes the exercise not seem like exercise. i am lucky in that we have abandoned railroad track that was removed and paved over to make a bike/hiking trail. it is less than a half mile from my house.
     
    #2 DaveinOlyWA, Jan 15, 2006
  3. ralphh

    ralphh New Member

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    My brother had one of those...it worked well enough. Still sitting in the basement of my mom's house. I guess in my winters here in the midwest, I head to the gym until it warms up.
     
    #3 ralphh, Jan 15, 2006
  4. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    i would head to the university gym facility, but it's a pain to work 10 hours, go home, eat, change, now it's near 9pm, go back to the uni, work out, go home, shower, etc.

    would be so much simpler and very time saving to just stay here and work out.
     
    #4 galaxee, Jan 15, 2006
  5. ralphh

    ralphh New Member

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    "Never enough time".

    May I suggest you cut back on your Prius Chat time? :) As I doctor, I'm often helping patients think of ways to work excercise in their life.
     
    #5 ralphh, Jan 15, 2006
  6. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    yeah i should. should cut back on computer time overall. right now i'm kinda unemployed, and most of my priuschat time while i've got work to do is between reaction incubations and over lunch.

    my feeling is that if i get the trainer i could hop on the bike whenever and it would be more appealing than sitting in front of the computer. i always loved to bike.
     
    #6 galaxee, Jan 15, 2006
  7. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    i should add i'm not in bad shape or anything, just losing that muscle tone i once had. i want it back. i'm 5 foot 9 and about 145 lbs. when i work out long term i usually hit about 150 with the added muscle mass.
     
    #7 galaxee, Jan 15, 2006
  8. ralphh

    ralphh New Member

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    I always tell my patients not to use weight as their end point for excercise. I excercise 3-4 times per week, but I didn't start losing weight until I started eating better...and less of it.

    I'm down 25lbs and now working on getting of 15 more so that when we go to Florida in June, I can pig out!
     
    #8 ralphh, Jan 15, 2006
  9. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    i was just saying i'm not really overweight or anything and i'm not out to buy this thing so i can drop 10 lbs or something. i just want the conditioning back and something to do. i actually gain weight in muscle mass when i exercise. i eat pretty well, but do let myself indulge a bit from time to time. 4 small meals a day, trying to snack less, don't eat out of boredom, only eat when hungry, eat slowly, stop eating when full.
     
    #9 galaxee, Jan 15, 2006
  10. ralphh

    ralphh New Member

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    I wasn't implying you're overweight. In fact, my point is that the cardiac conditioning is such a benefit of excercise, weight shouldn't even be a factor in a decision to excercise. It's just that once I cut out the Taco Bell & BK, and started eating....uggh...bran & fruit, and less of it, I started losing weight. I'm 6'2", 235lbs. I was once 170, but that was right out of Basic Training.

    I remember running up four flights of steps to get to a delivery and I was so short of breath and my chest hurt...I feel so much better now that I excercise regularly. And on that note, I'm off to the gym.
     
    #10 ralphh, Jan 15, 2006
  11. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    reducing PriusChat time to increase your phyical activity will do no good when the mental anguish brought on my withdrawals makes this non solution.
     
    #11 DaveinOlyWA, Jan 15, 2006
  12. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
     
    #12 galaxee, Jan 15, 2006
  13. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    i just picked up a 5-resistance setting mag trainer from cycleops over at dick's sporting goods. i think 5 settings should be okay in lieu of the (rare in this area) fluid trainer.

    now to set the thing up and try it out! :)
     
    #13 galaxee, Jan 15, 2006
  14. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    wtg girl!!

    now be mindful of eyestrain resulting from reading Priuschat on your new cycle :blink:
     
    #14 DaveinOlyWA, Jan 15, 2006
  15. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    it's kinda noisy actually- didn't take into account that i have some hardcore trail tires on it. but hey. it's not that big a deal.

    think i'll be concentrating on my cycling while i'm on the trainer- i really need to work on some things, i'm so out of practice!!! guess you can't have 2 good things at once.
     
    #15 galaxee, Jan 15, 2006
  16. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    I've used Tacx rollers for years. I'd recommend them highly. It's a great cardio workout, and gives you an improved sense of balance that yields more speed on the road. Pick your spots, though. I usually train outside under cover in nasty weather, and people seem to find 100rpm on a bicycle going nowhere highly amusing. <_<
     
    #16 hyo silver, Jan 16, 2006
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