My dad and brother have been riding bicycles for fitness for quite some time now. In fact, in late January, my dad visited my brother and they spent multiple days riding around southern California on bicycles. One day they actually ran into my friend and boss, Jake Harriman while riding along the coast in Orange County.
During the winter, my dad usually rides for 20-30 minutes 2-3 times per week at the local YMCA. During the warmer months, he is out 2-3 times per week and usually rides a minimum of 10 miles but has pushed around 30-35 on some longer rides.
After hearing them share some of the fun they had, it made me feel a little sad that I’ve gotten out of the habit of riding, or almost any form of intense cardio. Although this year I’ve been consistent about going to the gym (to lift), and I typically walk 30-40 minutes per day, I just haven’t been disciplined about stepping up my cardio.
I visited the gym with my seventy year old dad this winter, and after joining him for one of his 3 hour workouts, I felt pretty tired. I decided I needed to do something to step up my fitness beyond weights and walking, so I started looking into bike trainers.
Why acquire a bike trainer instead of just using a stationary bike at a gym? Well, there are a couple of reasons. The first reason is that I really don’t like to spend more than an hour total at the gym—I want to be in and out quickly and early in the day so I can get started with work. Also, having the trainer at home allows me to get a bike workout in whenever it fits my schedule. Lastly, being on a trainer allows me to closely simulate actual riding, and since I want to be able to enjoy riding as the weather gets warmer, what better way to get my back, core, legs and arms prepared than by riding on an actual bike.
And so, after discussions with my dad and brother, I began to dive into researching trainer types, costs, and brands before making the commitment of the purchase. More on that in a future post.
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