Best fitness centers for otr drivers?

Most of the planet fitness are 24/7 as well.

 

I'm constantly driving and looking for gyms to shut down at or stop at for an hour or two. I'm very active so I look for gyms with basketball courts and out in the mid west it's impossible to find that because no one plays ball lol. Or most that do the gym closes at like 7pm. For most part I go to 24 hour fitness or la fitness

 

Ok gotta throwb Averitt a bone. Most Terminals have showers; TV etc A of terminal also have a small gym deal.

 

I'll try to address your questions one by one.

Removing the front wheel is a fairly simple process if you use a quick release. If you use a bolt on, all it takes is an allen wrench. If you don't know how to do this, you might want to hit up a local bike shop and have them show you how.

Important - if you improperly install the front wheel, it can fall off mid ride and next thing you know, you're dealing with a broken collar bone, wrist, or worse.

As for finding nice places to ride, yes it really depends on location and weather. I only ride when conditions are favorable. I ride for fun first and exercise second. So you won't see me riding around Dallas or Houston or Atlanta in August.

You're just not always going to be in an area that's bike friendly. Look at the environment. Are there bike lanes? Do the roads look good?

Remember - if you're in a city where drivers are not used to seeing a cyclist on the road, they won't be on the lookout for them. This is a phenomenon called attention blindness. Because drivers are so busy thinking about other things AND because they do NOT expect see cyclists on the road, their eyes may see you but their brains will NOT register. It's as if you're invisible.

Let me ask you this. How many cyclists do you see on the road in bad weather? Not many. And because of that, your brain just won't be tuned into looking for them. If professional drivers like us are guilty of this, think about how bad it is for the typical four-wheeler moron.

If you haven't ridden in a while, 50+ miles is alot. That's about 25+ out and 25+ back. I'd start more conservatively.

That's another nice thing about joining a gym. Even though stationary bikes aren't nearly as fun, at least you can stop whenever you want - and you don't have to worry about getting run over! This is an important consideration. Even experienced cyclist is no match for an inattentive driver.

I've seen the Planet Fitness gyms around. And I think they have a good monthly deal. But I'm perfectly happy with the one I belong to, 24hr Fitness. Like I said, I got a deal long time ago in which I only pay $50 a year.

I did have a membership at Gold's but they can be funny. Each gym, unless I'm mistaken, is a franchise. So even though the salesman tells you a particular membership is good at all locations, it may not always be true.

The reason I signed up for Gold's is because the annual membership was pretty cheap. And I figured with that and 24hr Fitness, I'd be covered. Well...

I remember, in my first year driving, I was at Kansas City. I dropped my trailer at the company yard and bobtailed to the nearby Gold's. They gave me grief because they really didn't have to accept my membership - even though the salesperson who sold me the deal (in another state) said otherwise. Eventually, the manager agreed to let me workout there just once as a courtesy.

Needless to say, once the Gold's membership ran out, I didn't renew. Who knows? Maybe the idiots got their act together now. This was back in 2010.

So - long story short - you have make sure your membership is good at any location across the country. And get it in writing!

I actually don't go to the midwest often so someone else might be able to help. What you can do is look up each major gym, look up the locations on it's website, and see if there's a good selection near where you'll be taking your re-sets. Then use google earth to get a better idea on parking.

After that, it just boils down to experience. You'll know which locations are tractor/trailer friendly and which ones you can only bobtail to.

 

If you are going to bobtail, it's important you know what your company policy is. Some outfits can be anal.

If it's a loaded trailer never drop it unless it's at a terminal or a company-approved location.

It's just a matter of knowing the score. For example, after I'm empty in Salt Lake, I'll go to Sapp Brothers, fill out the drop-trailer form, park in the designated area for dropped trailers, put a king pin lock on, then bobtail 15 minutes to a mall with a gym, shopping, starbucks.

 

https://www.amazon.com/adult-folding-bikes/b?ie=UTF8&node=3405101

 

Kettlebells.

 

This depends on the carrier. It would help us if you told us whom you think you will be driving for. Many of the posters here may have had experience or have knowledge of the companies facility.

Also are you going a dedicated route? Or are you running a regional route (working several states in one cluster).