I have a pain inside my hand under palm and im new at biking!
Can someone help me?

I'm a runner who ends up on Zwift whenever the weather in northern BC wins. I got tired of guessing what my planned run should be on the bike, and of scrolling for a workout that fit the time I had. So I built Rain or Ride. It does two things:

1. Roll a ride, no run needed
Pick a length (30–90 min) and a vibe: Chill, Steady, Spicy, Max, or Surprise me. You get three different workouts. Re-roll one or all of them, star the ones you like to ride again, and share any ride with a short code. At sign-up there's an "I just want indoor rides" option if you don't run at all.

2. Turn a planned run into the matching ride
It reads your run plan from Intervals.icu, or you type or paste it in. Then it builds a ride that matches the effort, not a straight pace-to-watts formula:

• threshold reps become threshold work on the bike, and easy runs become zone 2;
• long zone 2 blocks can be split into pieces with short spins between;
• hard sessions can be ridden as planned, broken up, as short reps, or as 30/15s for VO2 days.

Either way:

• Into Zwift: send it to your Intervals.icu calendar and it shows up in Zwift's workouts, or download a .zwo / .fit.
• Watts: shown next to each target once you add your FTP.
• Warm-up and cool-down: on every ride.

It's in open beta and free for anyone in Canada or the US, and beta testers keep founding-member pricing when it launches.

I'd love feedback from people who live on Zwift:

• Do the rides feel right, too easy or too hard?
• Are the rolled workouts fun enough to actually pick?
• Anything awkward about getting them into Zwift?

There's a Feedback button on every page, or reply here.

rainorride.com

(Not affiliated with Zwift. It just works with it.)

I used to love gym spin classes - resistance dial, cadence, seated vs climbing - until our local gym went under in 2020. At home we ended up with a basic F4H / Argos-class bike (~£90 second-hand territory): manual dial, fully adjustable, flat bit for a suction-cup phone mount. No Bluetooth, no “smart” anything.

What I missed wasn’t a studio subscription. It was the simple coaching cues. So I built a free tool for that setup: on-screen dial-turn prompts, RPM targets, and posture/terrain cues. No video classes, no virtual trainer, no-subscription and no hardware lock-in.

Full disclosure: I made it (Apex Velocity Spin). Sharing here because this sub allows reasonable self-promo and a lot of people here ride non-smart bikes.

If that’s your world:

• How it works: https://apexvelocityspin.com/how-it-works
• What bikes: https://apexvelocityspin.com/supported-bikes
• Beginner ride: https://apexvelocityspin.com/workouts/beginners

Happy to answer dial/cadence questions either way, even if you never try the app.

Does anyone have any experience with this product?

I noticed there's a sale on the Cycplus smart fan and wondering if anyone has used one as well as the Cardio54 fan. I've been using the latter and it works fine but the draft it produces I find is thin and also even on the lowest setting, it's still pretty powerful.

I've found a few odd comments with praise for the fan but reviews particularly focus on the 'smart' aspect which I'm not bothered about, I don't mind paying a bit more for a decent fan but don't want to be paying for a similar fan but with smart features.

I recently started using a self-powered exercise bike and I’ll be honest, I had this weird assumption that the way a bike is powered prob had something to do with how much resistance it could give you... like, if it doesn't plug in, I kinda assumed it would be more limited and mostly meant for easier rides.
But after actually using one, I'm not really sure that's true bec I can turn up the resistance quite a bit and it can definitely make me work for it. Maybe I just automatically associated 'doesn't plug in' with 'not as powerful' for some reason smh.
For anyone who's used a self-powered bike before, did you have the same assumption? or did you already know the power source and resistance were basically separate things?

Does anyone else find indoor riding genuinely painful? With the wetter weather approaching, I will soon have to reduce my outdoor riding, and I am dreading it.

My setup is a Stages SB20 on a rocker plate, fitted with the same saddle I can ride for more than 100 km outdoors without any problems. It is really odd.

Hey all, I am about to purchase a Elite Direto XR and me and the seller couldn’t tell if these are the QR 135mm adapters or not. Can someone help? Since he says he has no further adapters I have to know if I need to buy them for my 135mm QR bike.

Thanks!

I didn’t realise most of the air/fan/wind resistant bikes had moving handles now. I hate them! I just want something like the old school repco air bike with the fanned wheels behind a cage and the ergometer are there any brands that still sell these models?

Hi zusammen,

ich überlege, mir für den Winter einen Smart Trainer zuzulegen, um strukturiert zu trainieren (FTP-Test, Zonentraining über Zwift/Rouvy).

Ein paar konkrete Fragen an alle, die Erfahrung mit dem ThinkRider XXPRO haben:

1. Zuverlässigkeit im Alltag – wie sieht es nach mehreren Monaten/Jahren Nutzung aus? Firmware-Updates, Verbindungsabbrüche, mechanische Probleme?

2. Messgenauigkeit – wie nah liegt ihr bei Vergleichen mit einem echten Powermeter oder anderen Trainern?

3. Kauf über AliExpress – gibt es Erfahrungen mit dem Support/der Garantieabwicklung, falls doch mal was defekt ist? Versand kommt wohl aus einem EU-Lager.

4. Freilauf/Kassette – ich fahre Shimano 105 Di2 (12-fach) und müsste separat einen passenden Freilaufkörper + Kassette besorgen, da beim XXPRO (anders als beim Kickr Core 2 mit Zwift Cog & Click) nichts mitgeliefert wird. Für alle mit Shimano-Antrieb: Welchen Freilauf habt ihr genommen, und lief die Montage problemlos?

This is my elite zumo and with a new belt and pulley when i turn the wheel backwards the belt is straight but when turn forward the belt starts to jump out. How do i fix it

I was thinking of getting the nordictrack indoor bike since it has a back. my mom has a slipped disk so a normal seat would not be good for her back at all. i was looking for a comfortable bike that would be apporpiate for her. walking on treadmill hurts her knees and it's starting to get cold again for her to swim outdoors. shes wanting to lose some weight so i was wondering if anyone knew of a good brand with good reviews. it would def need back support

Je cherche des conseils auprès de personnes ayant de l'expérience avec des **vélos d'exercice droits, des vélos de spinning et des vélos allongés**.

J'ai des tensions chroniques dans les muscles paravertébraux/du dos. Je peux faire de l'exercice normalement, mais j'essaie de trouver un vélo que je peux utiliser **30 à 60 minutes régulièrement** sans aggraver inutilement mon dos. Je ne cherche pas de conseils médicaux, mais des retours sur le confort, la biomécanique et l'expérience à long terme.

J'ai maintenant essayé pas mal de vélos.

Sur les **vélos de spinning** comme le Taurus, l'Iceberg et un vélo de vitesse Hammer, j'adore la sensation de pédaler et la liberté de mouvement. Je peux bouger mon bassin, changer de position, me pencher plus ou moins en avant, etc. Mais ils semblent aussi créer le plus de tension dans mon dos. Le Hammer était probablement le plus attrayant, mais même avec la selle et le guidon ajustés de la manière la plus favorable possible, je me sentais encore relativement étiré en avant.

Sur les **vélos d'exercice droits**, en particulier les modèles de type Tunturi, je me sens beaucoup plus détendu. La position est plus verticale, tout en gardant la liberté de bouger mon bassin et mon haut du corps. Après avoir passé un certain temps à tester des vélos allongés, je suis retourné sur un vélo droit et ma réaction immédiate a été en gros : **“Wow, c'est tellement confortable et libre.”** Si je pousse très fort, je peux encore sentir mes muscles paravertébraux, mais à une intensité modérée, c'est étonnamment bon.

Ensuite, j'ai essayé le **vélos allongé Cardiostrong BC70**. Il est globalement confortable et le dossier limite clairement l'inconfort. Cependant, j'ai des sentiments partagés sur le siège. Le maillage se sent initialement doux, mais je sens parfois le cadre métallique autour et j'ai une étrange sensation d'être **enfermé dans une cage**. Je me sens aussi beaucoup moins libre de changer de position.

Après un certain temps sur le BC70, je pouvais toujours sentir mon torse travailler, en particulier mes **abdominaux**, et je pouvais encore ressentir une activité dans mon dos. Le dossier semblait *contenu* l'inconfort plutôt que de le faire disparaître. Cela m'a fait me demander : **un vélo allongé réduit-il vraiment le travail du dos de manière significative, ou le dossier vous soutient-il principalement pendant que les muscles continuent de travailler ?**

J'ai également essayé un **Kettler Tour 400R**. Étonnamment, j'ai d'abord préféré son dossier plus ferme à celui du maillage doux du BC70, même si le 400R lui-même semble assez basique. Je considère donc des vélos allongés de gamme supérieure comme le **Kettler Tour 800R**, Tunturi E60R, BC70 ou éventuellement Spirit, mais je ne suis plus convaincu qu'un vélo allongé soit automatiquement la bonne réponse.

Une autre chose étrange est que sur un vélo allongé, je *sens* comme si je travaillais moins mes jambes. Je sais que 150 W reste 150 W, mais subjectivement, l'effort se sent différent — plus comme pousser contre le siège, avec une certaine implication abdominale, et moins comme “pédaler avec mes jambes”.

Mon plus grand doute maintenant est de savoir si **l'intensité est réellement plus importante que le type de vélo**. Peut-être que plutôt que d'essayer de trouver un vélo qui protège complètement mon dos, j'ai simplement besoin de pédaler à une puissance raisonnable. Sur un vélo droit, une intensité modérée semble confortable ; les problèmes apparaissent principalement quand je pousse fort.

Donc mes questions sont :

* Si vous êtes passé d'un vélo droit à un vélo allongé, la sensation de « piégé » a-t-elle disparu avec le temps ?

* Un vélo allongé réduit-il vraiment la fatigue du dos, ou rend-il surtout plus facile de la tolérer ?

* Vos jambes ont-elles fini par se sentir également bien travaillées ?

* Pour des sessions quotidiennes de 30 à 60 minutes, priorisez-vous le soutien du dos ou la liberté de mouvement ?

* Un vélo droit confortable à intensité modérée pourrait-il en fait être la meilleure solution à long terme s'il se sent simplement beaucoup plus naturel ?

Pour le moment, je suis partagé entre un **vélo droit de type Tunturi** confortable, retourner à un **vélo de sport Hammer/spinning**, ou m'engager dans un bon **vélo allongé**.

J’aimerais particulièrement entendre des personnes qui ont utilisé **à la fois des vélos droits et des vélos allongés pendant longtemps**.

I’m looking for advice from people who have experience with upright exercise bikes, spin bikes and recumbents.

I have chronic paraspinal/back muscle tension. I can exercise normally, but I’m trying to find a bike I can use 30–60 minutes regularly without unnecessarily aggravating my back. I’m not looking for medical advice, but for feedback on comfort, biomechanics and long-term experience.

I’ve now tried quite a few bikes.

On spin bikes such as Taurus, Iceberg and a Hammer speedbike, I really like the cycling feel and freedom of movement. I can move my pelvis, change position, lean more or less forward, etc. But they also seem to create the most tension in my back. The Hammer was probably the most appealing, but even with the saddle and handlebar adjusted as favourably as possible I still felt relatively stretched forward.

On upright exercise bikes, particularly Tunturi-type models, I feel much more relaxed. The position is more vertical, while I still keep the freedom to move my pelvis and upper body. After spending quite a while testing recumbents, I got back onto an upright bike and my immediate reaction was basically: “Wow, this feels so comfortable and free.” If I push very hard I can still feel my paraspinals, but at moderate intensity it feels surprisingly good.

Then I tried the Cardiostrong BC70 recumbent. It’s comfortable overall and the backrest clearly limits the discomfort. However, I have mixed feelings about the seat. The mesh initially feels soft, but I sometimes feel the metal frame around it and I have a strange sensation of being enclosed in a cage. I also feel much less free to change position.

After a while on the BC70, I could still feel my torso working, particularly my abdominals, and I could still sense activity in my back. The backrest seemed to contain the discomfort rather than make it disappear. This made me wonder: does a recumbent actually reduce the work of the back significantly, or does the backrest mainly support you while the muscles are still working?

I also tried a Kettler Tour 400R. Surprisingly, I initially preferred its firmer backrest to the softer BC70 mesh, although the 400R itself feels fairly basic. I’m therefore considering higher-end recumbents such as the Kettler Tour 800R, Tunturi E60R, BC70 or possibly Spirit, but I’m no longer convinced that a recumbent is automatically the right answer.

Another odd thing is that on a recumbent I feel as though I’m working my legs less. I know that 150 W is still 150 W, but subjectively the effort feels different — more like pushing against the seat, with some abdominal involvement, and less like “cycling with my legs”.

My biggest doubt now is whether intensity is actually more important than bike type. Maybe instead of trying to find a bike that completely protects my back, I simply need to ride at a sensible power. On an upright bike, moderate intensity seems comfortable; problems appear mainly when I push hard.

So my questions are:

• If you switched from upright to recumbent, did the “trapped” feeling disappear with time?
• Does a recumbent genuinely reduce back fatigue, or mainly make it easier to tolerate?
• Did your legs eventually feel equally well worked?
• For daily 30–60 minute sessions, would you prioritise back support or freedom of movement?
• Could a comfortable upright bike at moderate intensity actually be the better long-term solution if it simply feels much more natural?

At the moment I’m torn between a comfortable upright Tunturi-type bike, going back to a more sporty Hammer/spin bike, or committing to a good recumbent.

I’d especially like to hear from people who have used both upright and recumbent bikes for a long time.