About Spinning Bikes
In many American gyms, you can find dozens of panting, sweating individuals who are mimicking bicycling through steep hills and fast declines a la the Tour De France. Within a half hour, they've dropped hundreds of calories. This is entirely possible when riding on one of the most popular exercise machines today: the spinning bike.
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History
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The spinning bike first rode its way into gymnasiums in the 1987. It was introduced as indoor cycling by Jonathan Goldberg, who trademarked his equipment as a spinning bike. The concept of a spinning class was created to serve as a winter training session for regular cyclists. He and partner John Baudhuin created the Spinner brand for the bike. They formed their own company, Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc. in 1992. It became the parent company for Spinner, as well as a training ground for spinning instructors. Other companies such as Star Trac and Keiser soon created their own spinning-type bicycles and classes.
Construction
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The basic spinning bike is housed in a heavily constructed frame. The frame, although very sturdy, is also designed to be mobile so that bikes can be stored side by side or spread throughout a gym floor. There is a large wheel in the front that houses a flywheel that is adjustable to create or release tension. An adjustable knob on the frame controls that action. The flywheel is connected to the pedals, which have straps to keep the cyclist's feet in place. The spinning bike bar is usually "W" shaped so that cyclists can re-position their arms during the class.
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Spin Class
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A spin class is designed to push the heart rate to high levels by constantly varying speeds and positions on the bike. Spin classes can involve rapid cycling sessions wherein participants will pedal extremely fast for minutes at a time. At other points in the class, bikers may adjust the tension knob to force their legs to cycle as if climbing up a steep mountain hill. Some spin classes also incorporate arm exercises while spinning, standing cycling positions and "hovering" positions where the cyclist crouches lightly over the seat while pedaling fast.
Advantages
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According to the Science of Cycling website, there are definite advantages of using a spinning bike. It is a low-impact workout, so the joints do not take a lot of damage while cycling. The spinning bike's sturdy construction supports the body very well to ensure this. There are several muscle groups that are worked at the same time, so a spinning bike can provide a total body workout in one session. In fact, a spinning bike can help you burn up to 500 calories an hour if you exercise at a high level.
Considerations
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Spinning bikes don't come with a lot of "comfort" features such as soft seating and loose pedal straps. Although cycling works many body parts, the upper body isn't used very much. Spinning classes can become tedious if you're not into the instructor's music selection or you've learned all the basics of spinning quickly.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Matt Williams
