Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/04/16/managing-fitness-and-pain-with.html
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Thank you for the update. I was just telling a coworker about your set up two days ago. Now I can show her this.
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Glad to answer questions or help. It has really been a great tool. I was worried I’d be hanging clothes on it.
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My experience with having an exercise bike parked in front of the TV is that the dumber the viewing material, the better the ride. Maybe part of me thinks I can escape by pedaling faster.
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An old Schwinn Airdyne (available everywhere for cheap, and durable as a bucket of rocks) + heart rate monitor + old android tablet has been the trick for me. I prefer the upright posture and the arm exercise, and very much prefer the natural resistance (air resistance increases with speed naturally).
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I am surprised that you can ride a bike with a damaged back. Doesn’t bending over like that hurt? I can only ride a Dutch bike now. Are some exercise bikes better on the lumbars?
I found swimming to be the right exercise for my back. Six miles a week seems to cover it.
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This is a great setup to share, thanks!
I am also going to add, not to be a snob, but because I am an extremely satisfied customer, that the actual ($2000) Peloton bike (and accompanying $39/month subscription – not for everyone) is an absolutely fantastic product and service. I think their instructors are top-notch. So whether you’re looking at their bike, or a DIY setup, I really just can’t endorse them enough.
I will also add that in many places, $39 at a decent spin studio is like… two classes. If you’re doing drop-in, it might even be $25 per class. So $39/month is actually a great deal, if you use it even once a week, by way of comparison.
Edit: To add, Peloton has said publicly for a while now, and I lean toward mostly believing them, that they sell the bike at cost, because their business model is really to sell subscriptions. I appreciate them being open about this, and it is specifically why they allow people to use their app just like this.
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Holy cow! What makes it a $2000 machine?
Also, I had a “get off my lawn” moment when reading the previous post about the DIY setup. Cages. Clips. Ugh.
Is there a Peloton android app? I found a “Club Peloton” in the google play store but i see that it only has 2 reviews and i’m not sure if its even the same thing. If i have to use iOS that’s going to be a hard pass for me.
Multiple physicians told me I had osteoarthritis and would never be free of pain. Ever. At the time, my joints hurt all the time, particularly my back and my hands, and my feet had no flexibility at all, they were like a couple of boards. The doctors did all sort of tests and discoursed quite learnedly on the subject with many big words of vague meaning.
But then I got rolfed, which was extremely unpleasant, and the “incurable arthritis” went away and never came back. And my feet now flex quite normally, with the exception of a bunion or two that I need to get ground off.
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I would reckon it’s a combo of:
• Good build quality (I haven’t had any issues)
• Built-in Android tablet as the main display and interface
I can’t remember if delivery and in-home setup were included in the $2K or not, or if they were extra. I also got an accessories pack that included clipless shoes (which I like), mat, and a few other items.
As I said, I “mostly” believe they sell it at “cost.” I assume this could also potentially bundle in some costs that they attribute to things like R&D and other background “costs.”
More importantly, I think it’s useful to consider the price versus gym fees (amortized over, say, five years), spin class fees, etc. I also have zero travel time, can use it in the comfort of my own home, and all of those conveniences (no parking or transit fees to get to gym, etc.)
I would call it a not-inexpensive item, but an excellent overall value. If it helps a person get and/or stay fit, in my book that is priceless. That doesn’t make it something everyone can afford, which again, is why I love their openness about letting people use their app with subscription with other bike setups, because at the end of the day their business model is based around the $39/month subscription fee revenues.
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My best friend’s partner is a rolfer, and I’ve had her do it to me once, kind of an intro session. I didn’t have any serious pre-existing pain issues, so maybe that was a factor, but I liked it a lot, maybe even loved it – but I’ve always liked deep, intense massages. It’s great to hear how effective it was for you!
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Beware of Stevia. It was just a rumor, but I heard a rumor that it exacerbates joint inflammation. I can’t taste it, anyway. I think it’s a sugarpill of a fake sugarpill, placebo piled on placebo.
I have osteoarthritis (mildly) from carrying around 15 worthless extra pounds on a skeleton that wasn’t built for that. Gotta go do something besides eat, now…
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I believe that eating carbs also has an inflammatory effect, and a number of other foods that are quite common in our diet.
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Hadn’t heard that. But I don’t generally eat sweets, I had a bad dentist as a child. And I avoid fake sugar even more than real sugar, fake sugar just seems pointless.
In general, the more you need it, the more it’ll hurt. I smashed all the bones in my feet a couple of times, and didn’t get them treated professionally, so everything was all calcified together. When she cracked the bones apart it was excruciating but quite effective.
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Ouch! Skateboarding?
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Thanks for sharing that. it helps me keep on track with my bad back and pain. Off for a walk!
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Well, mostly racketball and medieval sport combat. But I’m kind of a mass of scar tissue, really, which is why rolfing was so effective on me.
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you just need to combine both sports together.
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I’m a certified Spin instructor. Club quality bikes often run near $2500 per bike. Spinner brand bikes may be cheaper but Mad Dogg Athletics requires licensing fees to offer Spin branded classes, which is why many clubs offer indoor cycling or Les Mills RPM or something like “The Ride.” With multiple streams of income, Mad Dogg may be able to sell bikes for less than other manufacturers. In short, 2K may not be “at cost” but it may be pretty close.
Your Sunny bike looks very much like the old, old school Schwinn indoor bike.
Thank you for this: “Peloton lets us run their software on an IOS device, so AWAY I WENT (or not, cause actually I stayed in place.)” I didn’t know this and am intrigued. And thank you for explaining how you put the bike together. I’m on hiatus from professional residence in a gym and am thinking about how I can get a little of that energy without joining a gym or losing my anonymous by trying to work out in a gym where I’ve taught and trained.
It depends on the cause of back pain. To your point, an aggressive forward lean can stretch the low back and put pressure on the lumbar spine. Cycling also can tighten hip flexors, which can affect your lumbar alignment. But regular exercise has been proven repeatedly to decrease arthritic pain and cycling isn’t really weight bearing and it’s non-impact so for some with back pain, it is the perfect exercise but others might need a different exercise.
Hail, hail Airdyne! I have yet to find someone who dislikes those bikes.
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