We want to assure anyone who loves spinning that we are behind you. It is an excellent way to spend 50 minutes in the gym, and many who do it are amazingly lean with boosted VO2.
But we felt that we needed to clear up a few misconceptions. Despite the obvious similarities, Road Cycling is a vastly different animal. As opposed to air-conditioned Spinning rooms, the discipline of cycling is an outdoor pursuit. A cyclist takes street and road vibration into their joints, maneuvering and pushing up grades and hills, or speeding through flatter courses. The spinner offers a smooth resistant stroke to its riders, while cycling demands the development of cycling tactics, over extended time and miles.
The most crucial difference lies in the 50-pound flywheel that spinners use to keep the rider pedaling. It retards the body’s natural desire to slow down when fatigue sets in. It also makes coasting impossible. For cyclists, these are natural physical reactions to climate and terrain. Anyone who’s ever tried to quickly slow down or stop pedaling on a spinner realizes that with the exception of the overall halt gauge, it is virtually impossible, especially for those weaned on the longer, time consuming rides a road bike offers. Heart rates bounce much more frequently on a bike as opposed to a spinner, which is ideal for cardio. The constant peddling on a stationary machine, even with added sprints and simulated hills, will normally engage the heart to lock on a more consistent rate, holding it steady to generally within ten beats per minute either way. (However it can and will spike on those sprints and simulated hills, just not as much or for as long as for someone on a road bike climbing a mountain, or suffering through a time-trial like ride.)
There are also more than enough good reasons not to road cycle, especially on congested streets. Safety is always at issue, and drivers are getting worse all the time, heads down on their phones and paying little to no attention. Though once bitten, cycling will usually prove a hard mistress to discard. It gives a great deal back on every level.
And if you’re like us, you simply hate to pedal while never moving. Again, just our preference.
Getting up and moving is life-affirming, be it spinning or cycling. As with anything important, make informed decisions and choose wisely when it comes to training. Experiment with various disciplines, to see which offers the better use of available time.