Tonight I went to my first spin class in over four years. I was pretty nervous and joked with Tammy that we should check the status of my life insurance policy before I left. In the end though, I had a good time and got a great workout. I wasn’t able to keep up with the class which I fully expected, but I did a bit better than I expected as well.

The thing that I loved about the spin class though we’re the bikes. I’ve ridden on a number of spin bikes and even have one at home. There has been a lot of improvement in them over the years, but the new LA Fitness has these Keiser M3 spin bikes.

These bikes are hands down the best spin bike I’ve ever been on. Actually, they are the best indoor bike I’ve ever been on period. Here is why they rock:

  1. The flywheel resistance system uses magnets. There are no brake pads causing uneven resistance and squealing noises. I can’t emphasize how awesome this is. Every other spin bike I’ve used makes a ton of noise, and has uneven resistance as the pad and wheel rub. Huge improvement.

  2. The resistance curve is very linear. Most spin bikes give little resistance and then suddenly start increasing a lot. Not here. Plus the resistance is moved with a little lever on the handlebars. You can adjust it without even taking your hands off the bars. Huge win.

  3. I love that the flywheel is in the back. It’s bad karma to a cyclist for the flywheel to be in front. Here the power and motion is where it should be, on your rear wheel.

  4. They have SPD clips on all the pedals which is a must have.

  5. Speaking of the flywheel, it isn’t that heavy. This is a big problem on some spin bikes, including the one I have at home. If you are spinning at 100+ RPM the momentum on the wheel is so strong it takes a few revolutions to stop. I was able to stop the flywheel on the Keiser M3 in one pedal rotation.

I’m a huge fan. If you like to cycle, look for these in your gym or bug them to get some. I would expect that the magnetic resistance system probably results in a lower total cost of ownership too since most gym spin bikes need weekly maintenance. It would seem these would have lower maintenance.