Why are flywheel exercise bikes so popular at the moment? The reason that I like them is that a heavy weight flywheel makes the bike ride a lot smoother, and the smoother the exercise bike feels when you use it, the more often you are going to climb on and actually ride it.
So why are flywheel exercise bikes something to consider? The reason is becauase a flywheel stores the energy that you put in as you are pedaling. This energy, then, is used to rotate the wheels further. It stores the energy from your effort and releases it again to make your cycling smoother and easier.
Flywheels are very popular on spinning bikes.
The heavier the flywheel, the better the bike will feel to ride.
A lighter flywheel will make your exercise motions seem jerky and this can decrease the enjoyment of your excercise cycling routine. But note that your workout intensity mainly depends on the resistance you use rather than the flywheel weight. No matter what weight your flywheel is, you are guaranteed to get the cardio benefits from using a spinning bike.
A flywheel on an exercise bike can be compared to riding an outdoor bike. If you were on an outdoor bike, when you first start riding it does require some effort to get going, but after you have built up some momentum, pedaling becomes much easier and you even start picking up speed. This is actually your own body weight that you are pushing against that ultimately causes that momentum. Once you have gathered some speed and you stop pedaling, often your bike will keep moving regardless.
This is what spinning bikes are aiming to replicate when they use heavier weighted flywheels. If the flywheel is too light you won’t be able to build up enougn momentum to keep the wheel spinning.
Spin bikes usually come with a flywheel that is a minimum of 11 kgs in weight and it can go up to 22 kgs. Just keep in mind that the heavier the flywheel, the smoother your ride is going to be, but it is also more difficult to stop, so make sure that there is a safety brake feature on the bike before you purchase or take a ride on it.
Over time a light flywheel can cause joint problems in your knees, hips and ankles. If you do have issues, it is a better option to purchase a recumbent stationary bike, as they are designed to let you exercise without the extra pressure on your joints.
What Is Better, A Front Or Rear Flywheel?
I think a rear flywheel is better as it will last longer. The reason being that if the flywheel is in front it will be more prone to getting wet with sweat from the rider more often, and this in time will cause corrosion on the metallic surfaces of spin bikes.
However, heavy flywheels have to be positioned in the front or beneath the seat so that the pedals can be moved smoothly and without any problems. On the other hand, light flywheels should be positioned at the rear, just like most modern bikes.
For an overall great exercise routine with the best results, go for an 8kg flywheel or more than that. And don’t go below 8kg because then there will be many bumps and it is just downright uncomfortable.
I hope you have learned a little more about the flywheel on flywheel exercise bikes today.