5 ms·

IMO stationary bikes fall into the same category. A major brand of these gizmos, that buys much TV ad time, shows people using their device, while outside the w

IMO stationary bikes fall into the same category. A major brand of these gizmos, that buys much TV ad time, shows people using their device, while outside the window it appears to be a glorious day--the sun is shining, and the trees are all green. Get on a real bike fer Pete's sake; improve your balance, improve your driving, sweat your ass off and have a blast!

chc 8y ago
This assumes that you have enough space to go biking, that the area is safe for biking, that the temperature is comfortable for biking, and several other factors that could all tilt the scale away from "riding a bike would be more enjoyable than a stationary bike." So I think you're much too eager to dismiss the value of stationary bikes.
- always_good 8y ago
  Well, this rebuttal reminds me of "not everyone has the time to exercise, I know someone with three jobs and eight kids." I definitely agree with their characterization of these infomercials.
  - jrq 8y ago
    You know what? Honestly? A person who has made that 3-job and 8-kid decision in their life has deliberately compromised their own health. It's not the fault of the world that they made a bad call and sacrificed the time they could have used to stay healthy. Consumers need to be more responsible and skeptical about the choices advertisers want them to make. Don't have so many kids, stay healthy first and foremost, don't develop bad spending habits, do develop good savings habits, and use your job as a vessel to forward your career, and not your paycheck. If you don't have enough time to maintain your health, you have put your own self in that position, some way, somehow. Not you, obviously, but just in general.
    - aesclepius 8y ago
      > Consumers need to be more responsible and skeptical about the choices advertisers want them to make. Don't have so many kids, stay healthy first and foremost, don't develop bad spending habits, do develop good savings habits, and use your job as a vessel to forward your career, and not your paycheck. You're speaking from a position of privilege in time, money and access. Many people start out life with involuntary handicaps, physical ailments and hell, just shitty luck. It's very easy to criticize people who made one or two bad decisions (or had bad things happen) early on and have to deal with it.
      - scarface74 8y ago
        I've seen people in the gym three or four times a week that couldn't walk and did upper body exercise. I've seen elderly people with arthritis do water aerobics, my own grandfather with diabetes had his leg amputated and was active until in the field taking care of his cows until he passed. Heck, I have cerebral palsy (mostly affects my left hand and to a lesser extent my left foot) but I was a part time fitness instructor for 12 years, ran 5K - 15Ks. and even now I work out 5 - 8 hours a week. In other words do what you can with in your limits. If you have kids that can walk, take them walking with you. Make them part of your activity.
      - jrq 8y ago
        I'm speaking from three years of homelessness after being independent and nearly homeless at 17 and recovering from several years of alcohol abuse. Don't assume, because it only confirms that you don't know what you're talking about. Even through all of that, I found time to exercise. Even when I was a drunk, hell I still jogged now and then. I'm not saying bad things don't happen, I'm saying having three jobs and eight kids isn't "a bad thing happened"
    - groby_b 8y ago
      Right. The lack of good educational resources, poverty, structural imbalances, staggering income inequality, a government that deliberately makes access to contraception hard - all these are clearly deliberate choices to not stay healthy. Maybe that answer is people instead discovering that there's a trait called empathy. That luck and circumstances shape most of our lives. That ignoring that makes you into a horrible human being who's entirely self-centered. Not you, obviously, but just in general.
  - scarface74 8y ago
    My retort is if you put your family before your health and you end up dying young you're no good for your family.
  - chc 8y ago
    I don't think living in an area that's hilly or where it gets uncomfortably hot or cold or has lots of traffic is all that much of an edge case. Those are all pretty common things.
    - auxym 8y ago
      Hilly just means you get your exercise in a shorter amount of time ;) Assuming the point is exercise, of course. Bike commuting and utilitary cycling in hilly areas can be more of a challenge, but I'm assuming that if we are comparing to stationary bikes, commuting isn't the point.
    - always_good 8y ago
      I live in Guadalajara where I'd be hard-pressed to find a jogging route free of diesel fumes. But I find it sheepish to invoke it in these discussions because I know why I have a treadmill and don't need to defend it. While I think OP is misdirected, I knew all sorts of people when I lived in the suburbs who had exercise equipment they bought for the idea yet it was left unused year round. And the idea of taking a walk outside through the clear air of suburban Texas seemed lost on most of my neighbors who, of those I knew personally, did not have the excuses we like to make up for them in these threads. Though I'm not so sure guilting them in these threads is the most effective way to change behavior -- we probably both agree there.
- Finnucane 8y ago
  Given that there are few places where people live where there aren't people riding bikes, it's probably reasonable to assume that most stationary bikes are installed where riding outside is perfectly feasible. Which may in part be why so many of them end up as coat racks. You could get a trainer--a device that allows using a regular bike indoors, which takes up less space and only needs to come out when you don't feel like going outside.
scarface74 8y ago
I don't use bikes but I do have a home gym with weights a treadmill and an elliptical. I never liked running outside. I don't have to worry about the weather, I can do it while catching up on TV or watching a technical video. My exercise induced asthma has gotten worse over the years. I can do strength based workouts for hours with out breathing problems like brisk walking at the maximum incline and high resistance and incline on the elliptical. But my running days seem to be over.
- r00fus 8y ago
  You might want to try a bit of outdoor biking. I have exercise induced asthma as well and I've been riding for the past couple of years instead of running (knees). While I still think running is the easiest way to lose weight, riding a bike regularly has greatly improved my lung capacity and for some reason isn't as big an allergy load for me.
  - jstarfish 8y ago
    Running draws pollutants and allergens deeper into your lungs. You dont aspirate as hard when biking so you're breathing less of either in.
    - scarface74 8y ago
      "Not aspirating as hard" probably explains why I can work harder (ie calories per minute) with resistance based exercising than hard cardio these days.
always_good 8y ago
I wouldn't be surprised if the modern westerner has issues related to never being alone with their own thoughts instead of always needing the mother's tit of music or Netflix while they do anything. Though it's not something I discovered the value of until I was halfway through my 20s.
- icebraining 8y ago
  That may have been a reason once, but I think it's unlikely ever since the Walkman was invented.
dragonwriter 8y ago
> IMO stationary bikes fall into the same category. Stationary bikes alone suck, but as part of a gym (home or otherwise) they are pretty useful for exercises that are rotated through fairly quickly. Regular bikes are quite awkward for that.
- scarface74 8y ago
  I hate stationary bikes. Out of all of the classes I taught when I was a fitness instructor, indoor cycling was the one I liked least. There is only so much variety you can do safely on a stationary bike. I also don't like biking outdoors I can't imagine biking in the streets with all of the distracted drivers. At least you can legally jog on the sidewalk. Besides if you want something that gives you a good cardio workout without the stress on your body of running and you want to work out in doors, you might as well get an elliptical.
  - icebraining 8y ago
    I think ellipticals are quite a bit pricier.
    - scarface74 8y ago
      It looks like you can get the same caliber of exercise bike as elliptical - about $700. I wouldn't recommend that most people spend money on at home exercise equipment though. Most people don't use it unless they are already in the habit of going to the gym.
daveFNbuck 8y ago
Most of the advertisements I get for real bikes are e-mails from my coworkers explaining why they're in the hospital and won't be coming in today. An exercise bike avoids these hazards as well as sunburns, seasonal allergies, weather, and temperature. You also get more control over what kind of exercise you're getting and can easily scale it as needed.
skookum 8y ago
Have you considered that the glorious day featured in the ad is for aesthetics and mental association, and not actually representative of when most people use their stationary bikes? I try to get out on the trail when I can, but not all of us live in locations where regularly getting on a real bike is compatible with having a full-time job. Between sunrise/sunset times and weather, in the Seattle area you're going to have to be quite dedicated to get on a real bike 3-4 times a week year round.
dang 8y ago
Please don't post flamebait to HN. There's an interesting historical article here. We don't need to start provoking one another about whose lifestyles are better. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

chc 8y ago

This assumes that you have enough space to go biking, that the area is safe for biking, that the temperature is comfortable for biking, and several other factors that could all tilt the scale away from "riding a bike would be more enjoyable than a stationary bike." So I think you're much too eager to dismiss the value of stationary bikes.

always_good 8y ago
Well, this rebuttal reminds me of "not everyone has the time to exercise, I know someone with three jobs and eight kids." I definitely agree with their characterization of these infomercials.
- jrq 8y ago
  You know what? Honestly? A person who has made that 3-job and 8-kid decision in their life has deliberately compromised their own health. It's not the fault of the world that they made a bad call and sacrificed the time they could have used to stay healthy. Consumers need to be more responsible and skeptical about the choices advertisers want them to make. Don't have so many kids, stay healthy first and foremost, don't develop bad spending habits, do develop good savings habits, and use your job as a vessel to forward your career, and not your paycheck. If you don't have enough time to maintain your health, you have put your own self in that position, some way, somehow. Not you, obviously, but just in general.
  - aesclepius 8y ago
    > Consumers need to be more responsible and skeptical about the choices advertisers want them to make. Don't have so many kids, stay healthy first and foremost, don't develop bad spending habits, do develop good savings habits, and use your job as a vessel to forward your career, and not your paycheck. You're speaking from a position of privilege in time, money and access. Many people start out life with involuntary handicaps, physical ailments and hell, just shitty luck. It's very easy to criticize people who made one or two bad decisions (or had bad things happen) early on and have to deal with it.
    - scarface74 8y ago
      I've seen people in the gym three or four times a week that couldn't walk and did upper body exercise. I've seen elderly people with arthritis do water aerobics, my own grandfather with diabetes had his leg amputated and was active until in the field taking care of his cows until he passed. Heck, I have cerebral palsy (mostly affects my left hand and to a lesser extent my left foot) but I was a part time fitness instructor for 12 years, ran 5K - 15Ks. and even now I work out 5 - 8 hours a week. In other words do what you can with in your limits. If you have kids that can walk, take them walking with you. Make them part of your activity.
    - jrq 8y ago
      I'm speaking from three years of homelessness after being independent and nearly homeless at 17 and recovering from several years of alcohol abuse. Don't assume, because it only confirms that you don't know what you're talking about. Even through all of that, I found time to exercise. Even when I was a drunk, hell I still jogged now and then. I'm not saying bad things don't happen, I'm saying having three jobs and eight kids isn't "a bad thing happened"
  - groby_b 8y ago
    Right. The lack of good educational resources, poverty, structural imbalances, staggering income inequality, a government that deliberately makes access to contraception hard - all these are clearly deliberate choices to not stay healthy. Maybe that answer is people instead discovering that there's a trait called empathy. That luck and circumstances shape most of our lives. That ignoring that makes you into a horrible human being who's entirely self-centered. Not you, obviously, but just in general.
- scarface74 8y ago
  My retort is if you put your family before your health and you end up dying young you're no good for your family.
- chc 8y ago
  I don't think living in an area that's hilly or where it gets uncomfortably hot or cold or has lots of traffic is all that much of an edge case. Those are all pretty common things.
  - auxym 8y ago
    Hilly just means you get your exercise in a shorter amount of time ;) Assuming the point is exercise, of course. Bike commuting and utilitary cycling in hilly areas can be more of a challenge, but I'm assuming that if we are comparing to stationary bikes, commuting isn't the point.
  - always_good 8y ago
    I live in Guadalajara where I'd be hard-pressed to find a jogging route free of diesel fumes. But I find it sheepish to invoke it in these discussions because I know why I have a treadmill and don't need to defend it. While I think OP is misdirected, I knew all sorts of people when I lived in the suburbs who had exercise equipment they bought for the idea yet it was left unused year round. And the idea of taking a walk outside through the clear air of suburban Texas seemed lost on most of my neighbors who, of those I knew personally, did not have the excuses we like to make up for them in these threads. Though I'm not so sure guilting them in these threads is the most effective way to change behavior -- we probably both agree there.
Finnucane 8y ago
Given that there are few places where people live where there aren't people riding bikes, it's probably reasonable to assume that most stationary bikes are installed where riding outside is perfectly feasible. Which may in part be why so many of them end up as coat racks. You could get a trainer--a device that allows using a regular bike indoors, which takes up less space and only needs to come out when you don't feel like going outside.

scarface74 8y ago

I don't use bikes but I do have a home gym with weights a treadmill and an elliptical. I never liked running outside. I don't have to worry about the weather, I can do it while catching up on TV or watching a technical video. My exercise induced asthma has gotten worse over the years. I can do strength based workouts for hours with out breathing problems like brisk walking at the maximum incline and high resistance and incline on the elliptical. But my running days seem to be over.

r00fus 8y ago
You might want to try a bit of outdoor biking. I have exercise induced asthma as well and I've been riding for the past couple of years instead of running (knees). While I still think running is the easiest way to lose weight, riding a bike regularly has greatly improved my lung capacity and for some reason isn't as big an allergy load for me.
- jstarfish 8y ago
  Running draws pollutants and allergens deeper into your lungs. You dont aspirate as hard when biking so you're breathing less of either in.
  - scarface74 8y ago
    "Not aspirating as hard" probably explains why I can work harder (ie calories per minute) with resistance based exercising than hard cardio these days.

always_good 8y ago

I wouldn't be surprised if the modern westerner has issues related to never being alone with their own thoughts instead of always needing the mother's tit of music or Netflix while they do anything. Though it's not something I discovered the value of until I was halfway through my 20s.

icebraining 8y ago
That may have been a reason once, but I think it's unlikely ever since the Walkman was invented.

dragonwriter 8y ago

> IMO stationary bikes fall into the same category. Stationary bikes alone suck, but as part of a gym (home or otherwise) they are pretty useful for exercises that are rotated through fairly quickly. Regular bikes are quite awkward for that.

scarface74 8y ago
I hate stationary bikes. Out of all of the classes I taught when I was a fitness instructor, indoor cycling was the one I liked least. There is only so much variety you can do safely on a stationary bike. I also don't like biking outdoors I can't imagine biking in the streets with all of the distracted drivers. At least you can legally jog on the sidewalk. Besides if you want something that gives you a good cardio workout without the stress on your body of running and you want to work out in doors, you might as well get an elliptical.
- icebraining 8y ago
  I think ellipticals are quite a bit pricier.
  - scarface74 8y ago
    It looks like you can get the same caliber of exercise bike as elliptical - about $700. I wouldn't recommend that most people spend money on at home exercise equipment though. Most people don't use it unless they are already in the habit of going to the gym.

daveFNbuck 8y ago

Most of the advertisements I get for real bikes are e-mails from my coworkers explaining why they're in the hospital and won't be coming in today. An exercise bike avoids these hazards as well as sunburns, seasonal allergies, weather, and temperature. You also get more control over what kind of exercise you're getting and can easily scale it as needed.

skookum 8y ago

Have you considered that the glorious day featured in the ad is for aesthetics and mental association, and not actually representative of when most people use their stationary bikes? I try to get out on the trail when I can, but not all of us live in locations where regularly getting on a real bike is compatible with having a full-time job. Between sunrise/sunset times and weather, in the Seattle area you're going to have to be quite dedicated to get on a real bike 3-4 times a week year round.

dang 8y ago

Please don't post flamebait to HN. There's an interesting historical article here. We don't need to start provoking one another about whose lifestyles are better. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html