Exercise Bike Buyer's Guide

Exercise bikes are a great way to get in shape and lose those extra pounds without leaving the comforts of home. They’re not only convenient, but they’re relatively inexpensive compared to other home fitness equipment and most of the cheaper exercise bikes can fit in a closet! Try storing a treadmill or an elliptical trainer in the closet!

One of the biggest challenges of using an exercise bike is staying interested. Exercise bikes can be very boring and many people who buy them end up selling them at Aunt Rosie’s garage sale. To avoid this from happening to you, there are a couple things you can do.

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Place your exercise bike in front of the television so you can watch your favorite shows while exercising. Another idea is to buy an exercise bike with lots of preprogrammed workouts to give you variety and to keep things interesting. If you set an exercise bike in the corner of your bedroom or worse yet in your basement, chances are you’ll get bored fast and it won’t get used. Like all home fitness equipment, the environment around you is just as important as the equipment in keeping your workouts interesting.

Here are some things to look for when shopping for an exercise bike for your home:

Types of Exercise Bikes
There are two types of exercise bikes to choose from – the upright exercise bike and the recumbent exercise bike. An upright exercise bike is more like a traditional bike. The only difference is you don’t go anywhere!

An upright exercise bike is the most beneficial for hardcore cyclists because it replicates real cycling the best. Like a real bike, an upright bike allows for more movement so you can ride while standing or while in a racing position. The biggest drawback of an upright exercise bike is that it can be hard on your back.

Recumbent exercise bikes have bucket seats and the rider is seated with his legs out in front. They offer greater comfort and are easier on your back than upright exercise bikes so they are great for people with bad backs or for people new to exercising. Some argue, however, that recumbent exercise bikes by the nature of their design encourage a slower, less intense workout.

Recumbent exercise bikes are more popular than upright exercise bikes but they are also more expensive. Regardless of which type you choose, select one that gives you the workout and comfort you desire.

Additional Features

Resistance
An exercise bike without resistance would be totally pointless. Take the chain off your regular bike and pedal away - that's what exercise bikes would be without resistance! You need resistance to pedal against. Exercise bikes create resistance by one of the following methods:

Direct Tension - Manually adjust the resistance by turning knobs or adjusting a lever. Commonly found on inexpensive exercise bikes.

Fly Wheels - A heavy wheel regulates resistance and ensures smooth operation. When you pedal, you create the kinetic energy needed to keep the wheel turning which creates resistance. This type of resistance is similar to regular bicycle peddling motion.

Air - Resistance is created by pedaling against the flow of air from a fan built into the wheel.

Magnetic - This is the most sophisticated and the best type of resistance. The magnetic resistance offers friction-free pedaling and allows the exerciser to effortlessly change the difficulty of the workout. Magnetic resistance is found mainly in high-end exercise bikes and is prodaminently used in the exercise bikes in health clubs.

Noise
Be sure to test drive an exercise bike before you buy it. Make sure that the noise level is not going to drive you crazy! Chances are, if the machine is too noisy, you’ll be less likely to use it. If you purchase a machine with magnetic resistance, you should have a fairly quiet machine.

Display Panel
Feedback while you workout can give you that motivational push to keep going. Many exercise bikes offer tools to provide just that. Consider a machine with a speedometer to show revolutions per minute and miles per hour. An odometer to let you know the distance you’ve gone and gauges to show calories burned can be motivational as well.

Pre-Programmed Workouts
Exercise bikes with pre-programmed workouts are a great option to add variety to your workouts and to keep things interesting. In addition, these programs can keep you on task and help you achieve your workout goals. The more preprogrammed workouts the exercise bike has, the more expensive the machine will be so be sure you’ll use them because you’ll pay for them!

Adjustability
This feature is especially important if more than one person will be using the exercise bike. The seat of either a recumbent exercise bike or an upright exercise bike should adjust with little trouble. If you cannot sit comfortably on the bike, you will cause unnecessary stress to your body. You should be able to see your toes when you sit down. Your hips should be square, and your legs should be bent with your feet steadily on the pedal.

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