Spinner

I teach at three facilities that use the Spinner® platform. Spinner bikes are easy to setup, easy to maintain, although not as quiet as the ones from Keiser. The Spinner Commercial series is what you will find in studios and gyms. Spinner Performance series is intended for in-home gyms and will not be described here. The Commercial series is manufactured by Star Trac – the models are:

1. Spinner NXT & NXT-SR
2. Spinner Pro
3. Spinner Blade & Blade Ion

Many new studios and those that heavily invest in technology have installed the Spinner Blade Icon. Although more expensive than its predecessors, the Blade Ion is a an upsell for studios where it would justify charging more per rider per class (specially when using a torq board). The NXT, NXT-SR and Pro do not offer an onboard computer. Unlike other platforms, such as Keiser, new riders find it difficult to understand the resistance knob and its relationship to cadence. When no computer display is present, the instructor has to clearly define the resistance parameters early in each class (one full turn clockwise, half turn, gear up, gear down, etc.).

Observations/Issues:

1. Most students who want to move the bike end up dragging it which sometimes crushes the rubberized stabilizers (feet) and in the worst of cases, shears them off. The trick is to tilt the bike forward using the handlebars and then use the roller blade wheels to relocate the bike. Unfortunately, even with proper technique, I noticed cleaning staff at some facilities dragging the bikes. That leads to wobbling when you can no longer adjust the stabilizers (you can screw/unscrew them to adjust position).
2. The seat leather cracks and flakes off in some cases from repeated use and repeated cleaning (with wipes when provided). Again, cleaning crews should not use abrasive chemicals to clean any part of the bike.
3. The pedals tend to rust during winter classes when riders come in using regular athletic shoes that they wear in snow/salt.
4. For riders that do not use cleats, the straps tend to fray and break off after prolonged use.
5. Older Spinner bikes (NXT/Pro) tend to have issues with pin snapping in place for the handlebar elevation and seat height. After prolonged use, the pins start to unscrew, albeit slightly, forcing you to reach down and tighten them several times during a class. I’ve noticed that some students over-tighten the pins and that may cause the holes to expand over time causing some wobbling in the handlebars and seat.

Additional details about these bikes are provided below (you can visit http://www.spinning.com/en/webshop/products/121/commercial_series for further information):

NXT / NXT-SR

NXT

• Overall Dimensions: 20in. w × 60in. l × 57in. h (20 × 152.4 × 144.78 cm)
• Overall Weight: 140 lbs (63.5 kg)
• Flywheel Weight: 38 lbs (20 kg)
• Color: Frame: Star Trac Silver, Shroud: Black, Flywheel: Black
• Standard Features: Sleek steel frame, no-slip grip handlebars with dual water bottle holders, micro-adjustable fore and aft seat slider, dual-sided SPD® compatible platform pedals, one motion emergency stop feature.

NXT-SR

• Overall Dimensions: 21″ w x 54″ l x 40″ h (53.3 x 137 x 102 cm)
• Overall Weight: 133 lbs (60.3 kg)
• Flywheel Weight: 38 lbs (17.2 kg)
• Color: Frame: Star Trac Silver, Shroud: Black, Flywheel: Red

 

 

 

 

 

Pro

• Overall Dimensions: 51.6in. l x 20.1in. w x 40in. h (131.1 x 51.1 x 101.6 cm)
• Overall Weight: 121 lbs (54.9 kg)
• Flywheel Weight: 43 lbs (19.5 kg)
• Color: Silver frame, black shrouding, black flywheel
• Standard Features: Dual water bottle holders, no-slip grip handlebars, micro-adjustable fore and aft seat slider, dual sided SPD®-compatible platform pedals, non-marking transport wheels and leveling feet. one motion emergency stop feature.

 

 

Blade & Blade Ion

Blade

• Overall Dimensions: 21″ w x 56.5″ l x 40″ h (53.3 x 143.5 x 102 cm)
• Overall Weight: 126 lbs (57.1 kg)
• Flywheel Weight: 46 lbs (20.8 kg)
• Color: Frame: Star Trac Metallic Charcoal, Shroud: Black, Flywheel: Black
• YouTube review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMTNi4sK1g8

 

Blade Ion

• Overall Dimensions: 21” width x 56.5” length x 42” height (53.3 x 143.5 x 106.6 cm)
• Overall Weight: 126 lbs. (57.2 kg)
• Flywheel Weight: 46 pound perimeter weighted flywheel
• Color: Frame: Star Trac Silver, Shroud: Black, Flywheel: Blue
• The Spinner Blade ION features strain-gauge technology to accurately measure the rider’s actual power output
• Green, environmentally friendly self-powering flywheel generator reduces consumption and replacement of batteries and allows “always on” backlighting for computer display
• Simple, intuitive computer display with large easy to read data
• Operational display with power, time, cadence, heart rate, distance and kilocalories (ANT+ and Polar® 5Khz compatible HR belts. Data transfer is achieved with ANT+ tracking devices and programs)
• Summary display with peak power, average power, time, average heart rate, average cadence, total distance and total calories
• YouTube review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3o-13SEozA