Buzz
Although cycling outside remains relatively low-risk in terms of coronavirus exposure, the option of owning an indoor exercise bike has certainly gained a lot of appeal over the past few months. In the video above, I opted to build my own exercise bike instead of spending over $2,000 on a Peloton.
Bike trainer to the rescue
I borrowed a bike from a friend and already had a smartphone, so all I needed was a bike trainer. I decided on this $116 model from ProRide because it had great reviews, included a phone holder, and the color was Mytour green.
Setting up the bike trainer took just 10 minutes. After securing my phone on the handlebars and launching the Peloton app, I was ready to go.
In comparison to a Peloton
Was my homemade exercise bike going to replicate the $2,000 Peloton experience? Definitely not. But at a fraction of the cost, it exceeded my expectations.
The trainer kept the bike steady, and I only noticed a bit of wobbling when I was pedaling at maximum speed. The resistance knob offered settings from 1 to 6, though I didn’t feel a significant difference between the highest and lowest. I suspect tightening the screw that controls how close the trainer presses against the back wheel might have fixed this.
There were a few minor drawbacks with my setup, like the absence of a water bottle holder, but at the end of the day, I didn’t expect a luxury experience from my $120 solution.
If you already have a good bike and a favorite cycling app, a budget-friendly bike trainer might be just what you need to exercise safely and conveniently at home. I can’t promise a gym-like experience, but I can guarantee you’ll work up a good sweat.
