r/SpinClass

Hi! I was able to find a good condition Spinning brand NXT bike for $200. It did not come with a distance or RPM meter, and has manual resistance adjustment. I have a smart watch that measures my heart rate, but obviously could only measure distance on an actual bike. My question is, is it worth it to invest in a meter for the other metrics? Will that make a difference in my progress monitoring? the Spinning after market meter is 180, which would stretch my budget, and a simply search did not show me another cheaper option. If you think I need one, do you have a recommendation for which one to get?

Hi everyone,

I tried indoor cycling for the first time this week, and I'm wondering whether what I experienced is typical for beginners or whether it was related to the bike and the setup.

Before the class, the instructor only adjusted the saddle height.

During the ride, I felt like I had to reach quite far to the handlebars, which made my upper body feel stretched. I don't think the saddle could be moved closer to the handlebars (or at least it wasn't adjusted).

I also have occasional neck discomfort, and I noticed that when I was seated, I actually felt more comfortable riding with my hands off the handlebars whenever it was safe to do so, because reaching forward felt uncomfortable. This made me wonder whether the bike simply wasn't fitted properly for me.

The bike didn't have a display, and the resistance was controlled by a simple knob with no numbers or markings, so I had no idea how much resistance I was actually using.

The pedals had toe cages, and I found them surprisingly awkward to use. I was wearing Mizuno Wave Sky 9 running shoes, so I'm wondering whether the thick, cushioned sole made it harder to get my feet into the cages and pedal comfortably.

I also have occasional knee discomfort, so getting the bike fit right is important to me.

I'm thinking of trying another gym that uses Keiser bikes because I've heard they offer more adjustability and a better riding position.

I also realized that I wasn't sure how hard I should be working. Since there was no display showing cadence, power, or anything similar, I had no reference point and wasn't sure whether I was pushing too hard or not hard enough.

For those of you with more experience:

• Is it normal to feel like you're reaching too far if the bike isn't fitted properly?
• Do Keiser bikes offer noticeably better adjustability and ergonomics than standard spin bikes?
• Can a poor bike fit contribute to neck or knee discomfort?
• Are thick, cushioned running shoes a poor choice for indoor cycling with toe cages?
• As a beginner, how do you know how hard you should be working? Do you go by heart rate, perceived effort, cadence, or something else?
• Does my experience sound like a beginner issue, a bike fit issue, or simply a lower-quality bike?

I'd really appreciate any advice or insights. Thanks!

Which is a better spin class work out. Higher rpm less watts or more watts lower rpm. I have a friend that goes with me. We’re alway comparing mileage after class. And he has more miles every time. Anywhere from a mile or two. Am much stronger and about 25 lb heavier and pedal at a low rpm and higher watt. I feel like am riding faster, standing longer.

Am pretty sure he is lying on his body weight on the bike. Is that one way to cheat the miles on the bike?

I’m really struggling to decide which is better option because in country spin bikes are ofc cheapest but I heard watching tv an hour could strain many body parts?! So been thinking of upright bikes but they are so expensive so in between I see foldable bikes that can be turned into recumbent like

Hey everyone, I am a new spin instructor and I teach a couple classes a week. 1 hour of class literally takes me 2-3 hours to plan. I know I am new but I am hearing even from some experienced friends that this is similar for them.
The most time consuming part is mapping the timestamps in songs and I tried using chatgpt but it’s not very good at it. I am wondering if anyone has any tips to make it easier to plan classes?

Well It's been almost a month since I got my spin bike to start my at home fitness experience.

So yesterday ride I think I hurt my wirst. I must have been leaning too much in the handlebar on the right side.

I noticed all my push down power is my right side. and I sometimes wonder if my left side is getting work out.

All my muscle aches are my right side.

Big reward is I live with relapsing remitting MS and my notes in the past said that my GAIT is off with my walking and I use to walk leaning to the right a lot it is almost like I could walk in a circle turning right all the time.

I'm working wtih the SunnyFit App - it's awesome my bike is not yet connected to the SunnyFit app with thier equipment scale, cadence/speed sensor but the app is connected to my apple fitness then I enter in manually all my fitness data into my Bodi app account and it is nice to get all the badges for each milestone set.

I've been wanting a spin bike in my tiny apartment since 2019 I watched an old youtube video of mine saying it. and finally June 2026 I got one.

Up coming in 2027 is my stress test with the cardiologist. holter monitor for 72 hours and probably another CT scan and EKG during the pandemic my feel were pretty swollen and the tests at the time couldn't figure out why.

Swelling went down when I had the CPAP then had to stop using the CPAP machine when I got the erogonomic pillow, then now with the spin bike and my month so far has 14 workouts I'm not losing my breath walking to the store and talking on the phone.

I document my fitness journey on my youtube channel that has been interesting of recording my cycling workout then editing and uploading them in a short turn around. it is one way I keep myself motivated and remind myself that my exercise is working for me.