I'm a cyclist for more reasons than just to keep fit. I simply love riding bikes, there's a great deal of joy associated with the activity for me and I derive considerable pleasure from tooling around, puttering over the different moving parts, and generally getting better at biking. The problem with cycling in my part of the country is that it's really, really hard to keep warm and stay safe in the winter time while riding a bike outdoors.
While I don't know if I could recommend it to everyone, especially those that live in warm regions, have walkable commutes, and/or are wholly dependent on cycling for their transportation needs, I decided to purchase a used car ( my current vehicle cost 800 dollars or so) and continue my cycling indoors for the winter.
I can maintain my cardiovascular health, simulate road conditions as desired, and even work on different aspects of my cycling technique so that I can be prepared to ride even faster and farther when weather permits. I have access to multiple styles of bicycle trainers, including stationary cycles and spinning trainers. I use the stationary bikes to improve my distance, with a target of approximately 20 miles daily within one hour of biking, and the spinning machines to work on balance, cadence, and endurance. Balance comes from reducing my dependence on the handlebars to keep me straight in the saddle. Cadence improvements help me to chain the down stroke of one toe with the up stroke of my other (clipped in) toe, to allow me to maximize the efficiency of my work. Endurance work allows me to continue at higher RPMs with low resistance for longer periods of time, with the goal of ultimately allowing me to ride farther, faster, and without becoming as tired.
I still feel like I'm too poor to afford a mag trainer, but if you have the budget for it, you can use one of those instead of an exer-cycle and save that gym membership.
I won't say that it's for everyone, and it's honestly somewhat perverse to me to drive to a place where I ride my bike, but that's the solution that I've found for now.
I'm open to suggestions if you have any!
Hopefully I can sell this commuter box once spring rolls around.
