An indoor fitness cycle is known as a spinning bike or stationary bike. There are many pros of having a fitness machine but these machines come with some cons too. A spinning bike is a great fit for fitness enthusiasts who can’t use the traditional bike to remain due to many limitations. But this is a fact that your butt will get hurt as the seats of these machines are never comfortable. There are many reasons behind bruising and pain caused by these machines. In this post, we will talk about why are spinning bike seats so uncomfortable.
Stationary bikes can help you to attain fitness and tone your body. We have a specific post regarding achieving fat loss from these machines which you can read below.
Can You Lose Belly Fat by Riding a Stationary Bike: A Comprehensive Guide
Now we will talk about factors that make these bikes’ seats uncomfortable. Most of the time fitness freaks just buy these bikes and don’t evaluate different models and brands. A few brands in the market don’t come heavy on your pocket but they lack quality and, in the end, go into junk because you can’t use them. Cheap bikes will have very uncomfortable seats. We have reviewed an awesome bike in our post which you can read below.
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Factors that make stationary bikes seats uncomfortable
- In traditional biking, a biker moves the bum more frequently than on a stationary bike. So, when the bum remains in the same place as the bike don’t move it causes bruising.
- Most of the biker’s ride fitness bikes in traditional clothing like yoga pants or trousers, which is not recommended at all.
- The size of seats featured in these bikes is so small compared to traditional bikes
- Bikers don’t wear biking shorts while riding on these bikes which bring bruising factors on legs and area around genitals.
- Your bum feels bruised after biking due to many factors. You can read our specific post regarding this issue here.
- The seating cover of these bikes often comes in nylon which makes matters even worse.
- The schedule which you adopt for biking could be one of the reasons for discomfort.
- The quality of seats in a few brands is low.
- Bikers don’t use any lubricant or chamois cream before riding on these bikes
- There can be more distance between saddle and seat which needs to be adjusted
- You can get saddle sores similarly to traditional biking
How you can make your spinning bike comfortable
Make the right purchase decision
Stationary bikes are expensive machines so purchase decisions should be top-notch so you don’t have to regret them later. Always compare the seats, built quality, after-sales service of the brand, reviews of model and brand, and prices before buying one. The size of seats also matters because few companies sell bikes with very low-quality seats.
Try to ride like a conventional bike
These bikes remain stationed so you need to move around while riding because when you don’t move your bum on the seat it can cause saddle soars and bum bruises which you need to avoid for a pleasant experience.
Wear cycling clothes.
Don’t wear yoga pants or gym trousers while riding on the spin bike. Clothes can make a major difference to your comfort so you need to be careful in this regard. You have to wear cycling shorts to avoid chafing. Never wear underwear below your biking shorts
Adjustment of seat
It happens with many bikers that they don’t adjust bike seats according to their height and comfort. As most of the time, stationary bikes in gyms and homes are used by more than one person so seat adjustment is necessary for everyone as one seat profile cannot be used by everyone.
On a few occasions if the bum is bruised to the extreme level, you can use a pillow or cushion too. A gel seat cover can be added to the seat of bikes which will make your ride and workout pleasant.
Application of chamois cream
You need to apply chamois cream before every workout session. Chamois cream will reduce the friction between your skin of inner legs and around your genitals. All professional bikers apply chamois cream before every biking session.
Change your posture
If your current posture is putting you in pain then you need to evaluate it. Changing posture is necessary to avoid back pain. You don’t want to put your back in any danger. Stretching your back is also very vital before and after the biking session. Define your fitness goals and bike accordingly on stationary bikes. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you are forcing your body for a workout.
Improve your technique and take care of your knees
Biking is fun and can bring many benefits to your body but there are a few downsides too. Biking can hurt your knees if you are doing it the wrong way. Keep your knees position balanced as during biking you will not put all pressure on one knee.
Resistance level
In spin bikes, there is an option to select the level of resistance. Never go for extremes at the start and develop the habit of biking with time so you can train your body and muscles can build a memory.
Wash your biking shorts regularly
You need to wash biking shorts after every biking session because absorbed sweat and applied chamois cream can breed so many bacteria in the short. Take a shower immediately after your workout, this will not only make you fresh but will rinse all sweat bacteria, and dirt from your body.
I hope you liked the tips and will apply them before the next biking session. We tried our best to educate you why are spinning bike seats so uncomfortable.