One of the things that can help with making a buying decision is to weigh up the costs and benefits of the purchase. It helps in working through the decision logically and supports the decision whichever way you go.
It can sometimes be difficult to know what the benefits and costs are when you are new to the product. The listing here I hope will help give you a full list which you can use with our buying guide to everything needed to decide on the right bike for you or if a spin bike for home is the right decision at all.
Many of the costs and benefits do not have a monetary value but can cost or benefit you in time or emptionally.
I’ll be comparing the advantages and disadvantages with going to the gym.
This then leads to the part where you need to decide how much each cost or benefit is worth to you tip the decision scale one way or the other.
Benefits Of A Spin Bike For Home
Time/Travel/Schedule
Getting to the gym can be difficult you have the travel as well as your personal schedule not fitting in with the gym’s if you want to attend a specific spinning or indoor cycling class. They then change their schedule and it no longer fits in with your life.
With a spin bike in your own home you get to train or spin when you want – during the night if you want. You set the time and you save on packing a gym bag and driving to the gym which also saves on petrol money as well as wear and tear on the car.
Gym Fees
If you buy a bike you can save on gym fees per month or the cost of a spinning class. These savings can quickly pay for the bike and more, as the bike is going to be around for many years you will “make on the deal” and especially as the fees can cost $50 or more a month
The Bike You Want And Where You Want
If you don’t get to the gym early enough you don’t always get the chance to use the bike you want and have to make do with the one no one else wants. With a bike at home you can always get the bike you want and you can quickly set it up for yourself and get on with your workout. You can choose the features and get it set exactly as you want. No more getting the bike that no one wants.
You can choose exactly where you want the bike to be placed and what you want around it – including TV and stereo and the view etc.
Crowd
This can be a benefit or cost – so I’ve added it in both sections. You no longer have to do training with large amounts of people and be sure you’re wearing the right things and you can be as grumpy or happy as you want – you can choose your own workout and music too.
Encourage Others
This may or may not happen but there is a chance. Having the spin bike at home can work to encourage others family members to start an exercise program as it helps to reduce the actions needed between decision and taking action.
Cleanliness
The bike at gyms are cleaned down regularly but germs can still be present (See Dust and Dirt) from other riders especially the common cold. With the bike at home you can keep the bike as sanitary as you want without relying on the gym owners. At the gym you could catch something from the bike and other places in the gym.
Costs Of A Spin Bike For Home
Upfront Costs
You are going to need to invest some money upfront to pay for the bike which can put you back anything from $200 to $2000 or more depending on the bike you decide to buy. But you are saving on gym fees.
Assembly
There is assembly involved when you receive a bike as they are large and sending them partially assembled makes them easier and cheaper to ship. Most of the work has been done for you and is not difficult to complete. The time for most bikes is less than 60 minutes.
On Going Costs
There are some ongoing costs and these relate to maintenance and keeping the bike clean. To keep the bike in good working order it is a good idea to clean so there is the time cost of doing this and the cleaning fluid and cloth to do this. It’s not a major cost in terms of time or money and you may have wiped down the bikes at the gym before and afterwards anyway.
Maintenance and repair is going to be at your expense (repairs maybe covered by warranty). On the whole the bikes are reliable and don’t require much in the way of repair but there is the cost of replacing pads and lubricant to keep everything going as it should.
As well as the costs there is the time in doing any of the maintenance and cleaning although it should only take a few minutes each week it is still more time than you would take at the gym.
There is small possibility that the bike may stop working and need to someone to repair it. As well as the cost there is the fact you’ll be without the bike and therefore not be able to exercise.
On Your Own
You’ll probably be working out on your own, so you are going to miss out on building new friendships and the motivation that training with others can bring both in pushing yourself harder and getting to the gym to exercise on a regular basis as the others (friends) in a class can help to keep you accountable.
Workouts
At the gym the instructor or trainer can set up the workouts for you and you can just follow along without giving it a thought. At home you need to either come up with your own workouts or source them either buying workout videos or following along with ones you find on YouTube.
Space
The bike is going to take up some room in your home when being used or stored. The bikes aren’t that big being around 1 1/2 to 2ft wide by 4 ft to 6 ft long so can be stored out of the way. When in use you need around 1 – 2 ft around the bike on all sides to give a good safety margin for use. See more details here on space needed here.
The bikes have wheels on the front that you tip the bikes onto when transporting. These take most of the bikes weight which can weigh from 81 lbs to 160 lbs, so they are heavy, but you still need to be careful to prevent any accidents or damage.
Noise
The bikes do make a noise and it is possible this could disturb others in your home. However, most only make a low level of noise that is unlikely to be annoying to others. In some case your breathing is going to be louder than the bike. For a full discussion of noise see here.
Many of these benefits could be got from an outdoor bike too except you are at mercy of the weather and the traffic whereas inside you don’t have these concerns – you just get on your bike and get on with it.
The main monetary costs with a bike are the upfront cost and benefit is saving the gym fees. Other costs are the space and the small amount of time required for maintenance. The benefits being able to do the workout you want and when you want. There is also the time saved in traveling to and from the gym.