Did you see this new Indoor Cycle from Pro-Form during the tour this year? I'm not sure if it will qualify as a potential replacement for the bikes cycles in your club, but it is fascinating… at least it is to me. So I called the company and we are planning a future interview to learn more about it.
The Pro Form Le Tour de France Indoor Cycling Bike uses the same Magnetic resistance found on the Keiser M3, Schwinn AC and the new FreeMotion s11.9. As I've stated here on multiple occasions, I see Magnetic Resistance as superior in every respect as compared to a friction system; quieter, zero maintenance and most importantly the amount of resistance increases with cadence… just like a real bicycle on the road.
So how about adding pitch into our classes? Realryder has students rocking from side to side, but wouldn't it be cool if we could replicate the up and down of a real road as part of our class profiles?
The Pro-Form TDF can adjust the amount of Incline or Decline so you feel like you are actually climbing or descending.
I can envision having a control knob where I could control everyone's cycle; “going up!”
I'm guessing that with a selling price of only $1,300, the Pro Form uses calculated power to arrive at the wattage displayed. That may not be optimal for the hard core Power fanatic, but for the 99% of us who just need a consistant indication of the work we create it's perfect.
Here's the link to the Pro-Form TDF information page.
Gene Nacey tipped me off about this new Freemotion S11.0 Indoor Cycle
with power from a company called Foundation Fitness. What's interesting about this Indoor Cycle is that it uses magnetic resistance (the best system in my opinion) and it's wattage readings are based on measured power, through a strain gauge in the left crank. This may prove to be an improvement if it reduces or eliminates the need for frequent calibration. Why is this important? Because some question the accuracy and repeatability (consistency between one bike to the next) from a system based on calculated power; i.e. the Keiser M3 and the Schwinn AC performance.
I'll be digging in further and will report more soon. I find all of these new bikes with power to be simply fascinating. We all have a front row seat to watch Indoor Cycling 2.0 unfold and blossom right before our eyes 🙂
I was alerted to a picture of the new Spinner® Indoor Cycle (it's not a bike) with power in the WSSC catalog. No other information is included but I see that Mark Tickner has sessions scheduled called Introduction to Power and Riding With Ultimate Power. I'm sending an email to Mark to see if he will divulge any additional information.
Based on what appears to be a conventional steel flywheel shown in this picture, I'm going to guess that the new Spinner® with power does not use Magnetic Resistance like the Schwinn AC Performance and Keiser M3. Eddy Current (Magnetic) resistance systems in the Schwinn and Keiser cycles require Aluminum flywheels. There is also a curious cover on the right hand side that houses something related to what they are referring to as their patent-pending drive train.
From the catalog:
We are letting our competition see the front of our new 2011 Spinner® because once it’s unleashed the only view they will ever have will be from behind… Twenty years ago, Spinning® started the group cycling revolution and the competition has been trying to catch up ever since. Six years ago, we changed group cycling design forever with the Spinner® NXT. In 2011 the new family of Spinner® bikes will explode out of the pack and leave the competition behind…again. Improved biomechanics, patent-pending drive train and user features never seen before will redefine the group cycling experience for all Spinning® enthusiasts. Come experience the ride at WSSC.
If you know more please let us know by commenting below.
11.24.2010— COTTAGE GROVE, Wis. — In January, LIVESTRONG® Fitness by Johnson Health Tech will release the LS28IC, a special-edition indoor training cycle honoring the 28 million people living with cancer today (MSRP: $1699). LIVESTRONG Fitness plans to release a total of 500, individually-numbered cycles. With each purchase, $1,000 will be donated to LIVESTRONG, the organization founded by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, to serve people affected by cancer and empower them to take action. Here's more info on the LIVESTRONG Limited Edition LS28IC Indoor Cycle
“This cycle honors those who courageously live with cancer on a daily basis,” said Mike Olson, Executive Vice President of Retail for Johnson Health Tech NA. “We are honored and humbled to support such an important foundation, whose mission is not only to inspire and empower cancer survivors, but to take preventative steps through education and an active lifestyle. We’ve put the same passion and excellence into our line of LIVESTRONG Fitness equipment, allowing people to take responsibility for their own health and join the fight against a disease that is sometimes preventable.”
I always enjoy talking to Jeff because he takes enormous pride in the quality in his Indoor Cycling maintenance business and the refurbished Spinner NXTs they build are a great example. He was explaining to me that these cycles are completely torn down and rebuilt from the inside out + are sandblasted and powder-coated in your choice of 5 colors. The end result is a bike that looks great and has a better warranty than new.
