With the winter training season upon us in the Northern Hemisphere, many cyclists are moving from riding outside to training indoors. Indoor cycling training is often considered to be much more monotonous and boring than riding outside. But if you want to see improved fitness come the spring, being consistent with off-season training is key. However, whether to invest in a spin bike or an indoor cycling trainer is a valid question.
Read More: The first 4 things you should buy for your home gym.
What is an indoor cycling trainer?
Indoor trainers are equipment that attaches to the rear tire or rear dropouts of a real bike. These two types are called wheel-on and direct-drive trainers, respectively. These indoor trainers allow the cyclist to perform indoor training on his or her own bike.
Wheel-on trainers allow for the rear tire to spin (like it does outside) within the indoor trainer. There is a drum on the trainer that is tightened against the rear tire for resistance. Wheel-on indoor trainers allow for easier initial set-up and switching between bikes using the trainer. However, each time a bike is put on wheel-on trainers a calibration is needed.
The calibration is necessary for power reading (wattage) and rolling resistance measurement accuracy. The trainer calibration can take about 10 minutes. If you want to be super accurate in your watts then you should do this before each ride.
Direct drive trainers, on the other hand, effectively replace your rear wheel. You remove your rear wheel and mount your bike directly on the cassette (gears) mounted on the trainer. This requires a bit of technical knowledge to make the switch over. I have a step-by-step picture guide on how to set up a Wahoo KICKR smart direct drive trainer that can help you out if you’re having difficulty.
Direct drive trainers apply resistance at the cassette. The resistance is transferred directly to the bike’s drivetrain via a motor or a belt. This leads to direct drive trainers reading power more accurately than wheel-on trainers. Direct drive versions are also able to supply a bit more resistance than wheel-on versions.
What is the difference between an indoor trainer and a spin bike?
A spin bike is what you typically find at a commercial gym. It is a step up, in terms of similarity to cycling, compared to regular exercise bikes. But spin bikes are not the same as indoor trainers or riding outside.
Spin bikes come in a variety of formats, from Peloton’s, LeMond and high-priced spin bikes like the KICKR bike from Wahoo Fitness. These bikes have varying degrees of similarity in feel and set up compared to riding on the roads.
Resistance
As mentioned previously, indoor trainers either provide physical resistance (wheel-on versions) or mechanical resistance (direct drive). However, all spin bikes provide resistance against a flywheel. This may be in the form of a strap or magnet that can be tightened/strengthened to provide more resistance.
To change resistance on a spin bike, there is typically a knob to turn. While indoor trainers rely on either a computer, phone app, or change of bike gears.
Indoor trainers are typically used by those that are serious cyclists. These cyclists have their own bikes already and want to train on their own machines. Because trainers use a road bike, the cyclist gets to put hours in on their own saddle.
Alternatively, spin bikes are more typically employed by people looking to use a bike for a workout. You probably won’t find many Tour de France riders putting in hours of work on a spin bike. However, a ton of people love hopping into a spin class and getting a good sweat on.
Workouts on Spin Bikes & Trainers
Both types of bikes can provide the same workouts. If you are looking to improve your aerobic ability, it doesn’t matter what equipment you are doing it with. As long as your volume and intensity are right, you will see gains.
Spin bikes and indoor trainers are both compatible with software programs to do group workouts or rides. Peloton offers virtual group classes on-demand so you can join a spin class any time you’d like. Wattbikes allow you to join group rides on Zwift, where you can ride virtual routes around the world.
Similarly, smart indoor trainers connect to tablets via Bluetooth sensors and are compatible with Zwift and similar technologies. Again, this allows you to ride routes around the world from the comfort of your own home. The coolest part is that you can ride Tour de France stages on your own bike, from your living room.
Read More: How to get started on Zwift
Indoor trainer vs spin bike
Space
Spin bikes can be heavy and hard to transport. Additionally, most are not able to ‘tear-down’ and be stored easily. As a result, spin bikes take up a finite amount of space whether they are being used or not. Therefore, spin bikes are much better suited for dedicated home gym spaced.
If you are looking to get your aerobic work done in your living room or if you have a small gym in your house, then this might cause a problem. For instance, the Peloton trainer bike dimensions are 48” x 24”. Whether you are using the Peloton or not it is still taking up the same amount of space. Similarly, the LeMond RevMaster Pro Indoor Cycle is 42” x 23” and weighs 143 lbs.
Conversely, an indoor trainer can take up much less room. The Wahoo Fitness KICKR smart trainer has dimensions of 20” x 23”. When your bike is attached, its dimensions would expand to be the same size as your bike. Indoor trainers have a distinct size advantage for storage.
It is much easier to store a piece of equipment that is 29” x 26” and 38 lbs vs. 42” x 23” and 143 lbs. This is key for those of you that only cycle indoors during the winter months. An indoor trainer can be stored in a closet without much of a thought in the outdoor riding season. However, a spin bike will always be huge and nearly impossible to store away.
Dimensions and Weight of Spin Bikes and Indoor Trainers
Fit
| Spin Bike & Trainer Name | Dimensions (length x width) | Weight |
| Peloton Spin Bike | 48″ x 24″ | 135 lbs |
| LeMond RevMaster Pro | 42″ x 23″ | 143 lbs |
| Bowflex C6 | 48.7″ x 21.2″ | 106 lbs |
| Yosuda Indoor Bike | 40″ x 22″ | Unknown |
| Tacx Flux S Smart Trainer | 24″ x 11″ | 54.3 lbs |
| Kinetic by Kurt T-6100 Road Machine | 23.8″ x 23.8″ | 37.8 lbs |
| Saris CycleOps Fluid2 Indoor Trainer | 17.9″ x 13.4″ | 17.6 lbs |
| Wahoo KICKR Core Smart Trainer (or on Amazon) | 20″ x 23″ | 40 lbs |
The geometry of a spin bike means that you will not be in the same position on a spin bike as you would be on your road bike. One of the best things about your bike, whether it be a road bike or gravel bike is that you have it fit to your body’s dimensions. This means that your bike is set up for maximum performance.
However, a spin bike does not have that same ability. Most commercial spin bikes do not allow for as thorough customization as you can have on your road bike, although the seat and handlebars can be adjusted.
The obvious counter to this is that when using an indoor cycling trainer, you are using your own bike. This means that your bike is already set up for your body dimensions. After hours in the saddle, the fit is dialed for your body.
Overall, I feel that work done on the indoor trainer carries over to outdoor cycling better than the spin bike because of the fit and body positioning. Therefore, based on fit I would suggest using an indoor trainer compared to a spin bike if it will only be one person using the equipment.
Cycling isn’t necessarily the most comfortable endeavor. Find out here if you should stretch before or after training.
Feel
Spin bike flywheels and pedals are fixed. As the flywheel spins the pedals also spin. So, if you stop pedaling on a spin bike, the flywheel continues to spin, and the pedals do as well. Unless you are a track cyclist or ride a fixie, this is different than what happens when you are riding outside.
Typically, bikes have a free hub. This means that you can stop pedaling on your bike and the wheels continue to spin, allowing you to coast.
Some people have remarked that the fixed flywheel can affect your pedal strokes. Because the pedals move without the rider providing power, the pedal strokes can become choppy. This alters the feel of the ride and can impact the carry over to road riding.
On an indoor trainer, the resistance provided is static. This means that you can’t really coast. As a result, you may find your legs burn out much quicker. This is especially true if you only use harder gears to increase your power. On an indoor trainer, you have to use a combination of increased cadence and gearing to increase power. (this is good advice for outdoor riding too).
Noise
One of the big knocks against indoor trainers is the noise that they make. Many trainers produce resistance via fans. As you power up your cycling, the noise increases. This can easily lead to loud noises and whining of the trainer.
Some options to dampen the sound include indoor training specific tires, like these from Tacx. These tires are only for use with indoor trainers and should be able to get about 3000km of use before needing to be switched out.
On the other hand, spin bikes are all but silent. Either a magnet or a band produces resistance against the flywheel leading to nearly silent training. However, at the highest of resistances, there can be a whine from the flywheel as it spins.
Having the right music during training can make all the difference. Check out my article on what to consider when buying a speaker for your home gym here.
Ease of Use
One consideration to keep in mind is how many people will be using the equipment. If you are the only person using the equipment there is no switch over time. However, if multiple people are using the indoor trainer or spin bike, keep in mind switching set ups for each person.
Although spin bikes aren’t built to be the exact same as road bikes, they offer the ability to change configurations quickly. The fit of a spin bike can be changed quickly with just a few turns of a knob. Therefore, the spin bike can easily be adjusted if multiple people are using it.
When a different person uses an indoor trainer, the current bike must be removed. The second bike will have to have its tire switched over (or removed) and then be set up on the trainer. This could easily become a hassle if two people are constantly switching between the indoor trainer on a regular basis. 15-30 minutes of your workout could conceivably be spent switching out bikes.
Final Consideration
I think the number one consideration when determining if you should buy an indoor trainer or a spin bike is whether or not you already have a bike.
This may be obvious, but if you don’t have a bike then an indoor trainer won’t do you much good. In that case, getting a spin bike or some other type of aerobic machine is your best bet.
The cost of getting a bike plus an indoor trainer is much more than just a spin bike (even if it is the top of the line version).
The big key with an indoor trainer is that you are using your own bike that you are comfortable with. The dimensions are right, you know the gears, the seat is good.
However, if you don’t already have a bike that you’re used to the above doesn’t really matter. You can set your spin bike up and get used to it. And then you only have to buy one piece of equipment rather than a bike and a trainer.
Read More: What to eat (and when) to recover from aerobic workouts
At the end of the day…
The bottom line is if you are consistently doing training rides on either a spin bike or an indoor trainer you will improve your fitness. Whether the set-up is the exact same as your road bike doesn’t matter. As long as you hit your training zones and attack your weakness, you will seem gains once you get back on the bike.
If you are wondering what your training zones are, or why heart rate matters when working out, check out my article on the topic here.
The key is to pick a piece of equipment that you will use consistently. Factors like size, ease of use, ability to be used by multiple people and feel can be weighed. But at the end of the day, you need to spend time in the saddle, whether it is a spin bike saddle or your road bike’s.