3 ms·
Peloton is fine if you want a spin class experience. It has nothing to do with road cycling, except that there are pedals. Zwift, Rouvy, RGT, and similar apps
by chihuahua 4y ago
Peloton is fine if you want a spin class experience. It has nothing to do with road cycling, except that there are pedals.
Zwift, Rouvy, RGT, and similar apps combined with a direct-drive smart trainer (Wahoo Kickr, etc) are closer. They attempt to simulate road cycling. There are routes, hills, group rides, races, workouts.
But I find the indoor cycling experience to be unpleasant. I am constantly reminded that I'm doing a pointless activity indoors. It's not a VR experience where you think you're somewhere else. You're working hard but not going anywhere. Most of the things that make cycling pleasant are missing: fresh air, nice weather, a sense of exploration, the satisfaction of going somewhere and making it back to where you started. I frequently ask myself "why should I keep going, I can just stop now and I'm already home" and there is no good answer.
If you can't go road biking, and your choices are mountain biking or indoor cycling, it seems bizarre to go with indoor cycling.
You don't have to risk life and limb riding difficult trails on a MTB. You can just ride on logging roads in the forest. Or ride easy trails.
- pard68 4y agoI actually don't mind mtb, at least from a danger issue. I'm even sort of decent at the sport, did it a lot in high school before I got into road. What I don't like about mtb is that it's not meditative. I can spin on a road bike for hours and a small part of me is managing the ride, the rest of me is free to think deeply. With mtb it requires a lot more mental capacity and I am unable to achieve the same meditative state I love.
- chihuahua 4y agoInteresting perspective, I had not thought about it that way. Peloton classes involve a lot of music and shouting by the instructor. It remains to be seen whether that would work for you.
- dd82 4y agoyeah, if you zone out on a trail ride, you're getting dumped off the bike very quickly. For me, its the opposite, I find that just focusing on the trail (now and next) has the same mental effect.