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Spin® Life Blog

Meet the NEW Chrono®

Meet the NEW Chrono®

Posted by Spinning® on Mar 2nd 2023

Our best Spinner® bike ever for riders, instructors and facilities

You may have heard the word on the street – we’re unveiling a new line of commercial Spinner® bikes, and once again they are the best bikes available in the market today—true to our commitment and heritage. At the top of the line is the all-new Chrono® with design and technology improvements that make it a true standout, even when compared to the much-loved previous Chrono® model.

The first thing you’ll notice about the new Chrono® is its fast, sleek and sexy aesthetic. You’ll be drawn to its stunning look whether you ride it, teach on it or equip your studio with it. And its beauty runs deep. Beyond the graceful lines, sophisticated glossy black finish and refined gold accents, this bike is loaded with technical details and design elements engineered for all its users:

  • Riders can crush their workouts with rhythm-based classes or hard-core performance training. The drivetrain on this bike has been designed for versatility in riding style.
  • Instructors can lead classes with the “power” of the integrated power console that’s easy to see and simple to use, now with an improved interval function that allows for time trials, power tests, and creative class challenges.
  • Facility owners and managers can rest assured that these bikes are ultra-reliable and easy on maintenance.

Creating a bike this good doesn’t happen easily or overnight. It’s our legacy of design innovation and obsession that began when we created Spinning® and a worldwide indoor cycling phenomenon. It began with a vision and passion to create an indoor stationary bike unlike anything the world had ever seen. The new Chrono® is the latest manifestation of the Spinning® legacy.

The Spinning® Legacy

When Mad Dogg Athletics founders created the Spinning® program 30 years ago they set out to design an indoor bike with the same feel of an outdoor road bike. Cyclists themselves, their vision was a stationary bike with the same geometry and an authentic cycling pedal stroke. A bike they could ride seated or standing, with different hand positions, in the same biomechanically optimal positioning for putting force into the pedals. They wanted to simulate conquering hills and headwinds, surging on flat roads and sprinting to the finish line. A bike like this didn’t exist, but after much trial and error, the first Spinner® bike was designed in a garage in Santa Monica, California. The bike, as well as the origins of the Spinning® program were born.

Spinner® Bike Signature Features

From the original Spinner® bikes built by hand in the founders’ garage, to where we are today, the innovation has never ceased. But our bikes still maintain the same key design elements that made the first bikes so groundbreaking, namely a frame that matches the geometry of a road bike and a high level of adjustability for every rider. This winning combo enhances the experience, making riding more efficient, comfortable, dynamic and powerful. And big power means a big calorie output—who doesn’t want that?! The heavy perimeter-weighted flywheel is another key element that has been carried through since the beginning. This means exactly what you might think – the flywheel is weighted around the perimeter. (Most bikes on the market are not.) This is to allow the rider to generate forward-flowing energy throughout the drivetrain that feels more like a road bike. And of course, our bikes are also strong and rigid, and built to withstand heavy use over many years. Newer features introduced throughout the Spinner® bike history include an umbrella design that sheds sweat, making cleaning easier and protecting against rust and corrosion.

For 30 years Spinner® bikes have evolved to respond to new technologies like cadence sensors and power meters, and to continually iterate with improvements that make the bikes easier to maintain. The signature features have been the foundation for innovation, creating better bikes year after year. The first Chrono® introduced in 2017 became the gold standard, leaving its competitors miles behind. However, like all brands obsessed with being the best in a highly competitive marketspace, the allure and appeal to innovate got the best of the design team.

Enter the NEW Spinner Chrono®

The all-new Chrono® takes the best ideas and engineering details that customers loved about its predecessor, but it doesn’t stop there. As lead industrial designer John Cook and lead engineer Ron Gibson noted, “It took some time, but we are ready to deliver the newest Chrono® bike that is still true to the Spinning® legacy, but with an enhanced riding experience that needs to be experienced to be believed.” Here’s what the engineers and designers have done to ensure all your riders will get the best bike on the market:

A Bike Designed for “Powerful-Yet-Fluid Motion”

Foremost, we have retained all the original legacy of our design DNA noted above; but the key to this new machine lies in an even heavier flywheel in concert with a newly designed powerful magnetic resistance system that creates a powerful-yet-fluid motion for all riders alike.

Let’s break this down a bit:

Heaviest Perimeter-Weighted Flywheel To-Date

The new cast-iron flywheel with an aluminum disc band attached to its outer edge, creates more weight at the perimeter, which results in greater momentum and a better ride experience overall.

Maximum Resistance for Sensational Climbs

Want steep hills? The all-new Chrono® delivers big on resistance, even at low RPM. Crank that resistance knob to the right and create the toughest Standing Climb. Resistance like this has never been possible on previous mag bikes. Why now? A newly designed magnetic resistance system is yet another innovation our engineers pulled off in this latest design.

You may know that magnetic resistance bikes require the flywheel to be moving to create an eddy current that provides the resistance. The problem with most mag bikes is that at a slower cadence, the bike simply won’t generate enough eddy current to give you a substantial amount of resistance at a low RPM. Meaning: You can’t simulate a big hill where you’re climbing with all your power at a slower cadence. With the all-new Chrono®, that problem is solved. Even uber powerful, former pro cyclist Josh Taylor was amazed at the amount of resistance the bike provided at low RPMs.

“Hell yeah! Now that’s a ton of resistance!”

The secret to this feature is ten high-quality, very strong rare earth magnets (most other mag bikes use six), in specialized locations in relation to the flywheel. Unlike other mag brake designs, which have magnets on both sides of the flywheel, our magnets approach the outer band of the flywheel from above, not the sides. The result is that every rider, regardless of their size or power can dial in just the right amount of resistance to simulate headwinds, rolling terrain, and those big monster hills.

According to Spinning® Senior Advisor, Josh Taylor, this combination of a heavier flywheel with the magnetic resistance creates the best of both worlds for all riders. “It allows rhythm-based riders the chance to stay on beat and have fun in the pedal stroke, while it also gives performance-based cyclists a feel like they get on their road bike.” We think this is a VBD (very big deal).

What’s the difference between friction and magnetic resistance?

Friction bikes use a leather pad to apply physical pressure to the flywheel. It's a very simple and straightforward design, but there are a few things to know. While a very quiet ride, there can still be some rubbing noise on a friction bike. There’s also some routine maintenance required to keep the leather pad lubricated and replaced when worn down. On the other hand, a magnetic resistance unit on the bike relies upon magnets to create an eddy-current resistance at the flywheel. Because the magnets never actually contact the flywheel, mag bikes are extremely quiet and require little upkeep.


Now let’s talk about some of the other design elements that make catapult this new Chrono® to all-star status:

An Integrated Power System for the Metrics You Want 

This integrated system has everything you need to get the metrics that are so vital for a great ride – riders can monitor their power, average power, heart rate, cadence, time, distance and calories and/or kJs burned. The Spinning® Integrated Power System includes a new state-of-the-art integrated console that wirelessly connects with our SPINPower® Studio Crank, manufactured by 4iiii. It provides the power and cadence metrics that the computer needs to give you all the cycling metrics stated above. As Josh Taylor shares, “The computer is wired to the bike’s generator – so as you power the generator, the generator powers the console – and there’s no need to replace batteries. Low maintenance to boot.”

Spinning® Integrated Power Console

The “self-powered” console has an integrated generator located inside the drivetrain. The display has an integrated battery that is charged through regular use and will keep the display powered during a ride and for a limited time when not pedaling.

We’re also stoked that you as a club and/or bike owner can manually set your bikes' Sample Rate. This is defined by how many times the console measures the power output in a given timeframe. Our new console allows you to select between 3, 4, or 5 second sample rates to help provide a smooth and reliable reading, depending upon the type of class you run. By the way, we're the only bike on the market that offers this feature.


SPINPower® Studio Crank 

A highly accurate (+/- 1%) power measurement crank is pre-installed that is easy to maintain and wirelessly connected to Bluetooth and ANT+ compatibility. This enables the rider to connect to popular apps and leaderboard systems.

Fusion Drive® Belt System 

Fusion Drive not only offers the world's best belt-drive riding experience, but also the most reliable; virtually no maintenance or adjustments are required for the Poly-V belt. It's a ride that’s smooth and silent as can be – and its industrial strength makes it virtually maintenance-free in the most demanding of studio environments. (The belt doesn’t need to be cleaned, tightened, or lubricated – great news for you!)

Low Maintenance 

The umbrella design protects against moisture and corrosion with little to no entry points for sweat -- helping the Chrono® last longer through heavy use, while requiring less overall cleaning and maintenance.

What’s More...While your instructor-led classes are sure to be next-level with these bikes, with the soon-to-be released Spinning® Studio Connect™, your riders can also enjoy the live workout loved by millions at studios and gyms worldwide in digital form. Just hop on and ride with the best indoor cycling coaches in the world.

If you’re now wondering what your next step should be:

Explore all the specs on the Chrono® or check out the two other bikes in the lineup!

Then get excited because it’s time to:

Get Your New Spinner® Bike Quote Today!