Riding in My Basement with Greg LeMond

LeMond RevMaster Pro Spin Bicycle

For some bizarre reason, our local gym (a YMCA) decided that the membership isn’t interested in spin classes, which resulted in the removal of about half the spin classes from their schedule. Oh, sure, the ones with cycling “in the dark” are still on the schedule, but of the four that we regularly attended, three are now gone… What’s a dedicated road cyclist to do during the winter?

We bought a LeMond RevMaster Pro, that’s that we did. The LBS that sells then (Bicycle Garage Indy) carries both the Pro and Sport models, but we decided on the Pro for two reasons:first, dual-sided pedals (SPD on one side, toe clips on the other) are a $100 option and second, a cyclocomputer isn’t available. The construction of the Pro is sturdier, including aluminum friction cam handles for adjustment of the seat post and head tube, and an overall heavier frame – 31 pounds heavier than the Sport model. BGI set the bike up for us, which included installation of a Pilot II Cadence meter (a $199 option). In reality, it’s a matter of minutes to set up, but since setup was free, we figured it was well worth it. The machine is sleek-looking and clearly “built for speed.”

The bike has four-way adjustments: the seat post and head tube (all aluminum) slide in and out of the frame and clamp in place. The saddle and aero-like handlebars slide forward and backward to fine-tune for the rider’s body length and preferred riding position. The pedals also have the usual tension adjustment found on most SPD pedals and the clips have a nylon strap to cinch them in place. There’s also a mount for a bottle cage (a nylon model is included) that can be placed anywhere on the handlebars; it’s threaded the same as a bike frame so you can replace the cage. The saddle can also be replaced if you have a preference other than the stock seat.

A high-quality feature of the RevMaster Pro is its heavy-duty bottom bracket based on a BMX design, since spin bikes tend to take more of a beating than the average road bike. The crank width (so-called Q factor) is comparable to that of a road bike. The flywheel is belt-driven with a Kevlar belt, which has proven surprisingly quiet, especially compared to the rattling, ill-maintained Keiser and Matrix models at the gym.

As a rider, you adjust resistance by turning a knob on the down tube, similar to a Matrix bike and many stationary models. The emergency brake function can be engaged by pushing on the same knob. That forces a brake against the flywheel, which is hidden from view by a fender. The same fender protects the flywheel from dripping sweat.

Setting the bike up is easy, since all four adjustments require loosening a cam lock and sliding the part into position. We have ours on a heavy-duty rubber floor mat, but the bike has adjustable feet to keep it stable on hard floors. There are also wheels on the front of the frame to allow rapid movement on a hard floor.

You wanna know how it is to ride, right? The keys to note are

• Easy adjustment of the seat and handlebars
• Stable even with a 180-pound rider out of the saddle
• Micro-adjustment of tension is easy, though it does take a lot of twisting to really increase/decrease a lot
• Super quiet

About the only thing that I’m not terribly pleased about is that the Pilot II computer is an add-on for $200, and you can’t just slap on a CatEye without some extreme jury-rigging. I’m not certain what good a spin bike is without a speedometer/cadence meter. On the other hand, the bike is gonna last decades, so the extra money's worth it.

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