What Exercise Bike To Buy ((EXCLUSIVE))
Exercise bikes are a great alternative to the gym. They can give you an effective cardio workout that is suitable for any level of fitness. However, there are so many types and brands available that selecting one that suits you, can be a daunting task. The most obvious advantage of this is that it allows you to exercise even when you would not want to go out due to weather conditions. When deciding what the best exercise bike is for you, you will want to consider a number of factors such as affordability, fitness goals and features.
what exercise bike to buy
These bikes are styled after road bikes, with a slim seat, a forward leaning body position and handlebars that allow you to place your hands in multiple positions. Instead of a front wheel indoor cycling bikes have a weighted flywheel, usually between 30 and 50 pounds, at the front of the bike. This is linked to the pedals, adding momentum and providing a fluid, smooth feel as you pedal.
The bikes in Schwinn's popular recumbent series all have a wide, contoured seat that provides coverage for the lower and middle back. Over 9,000 Amazon reviewers give these bikes an average of 4.5 stars for being quiet and comfortable.
Pedals: Where you place your feet and what you move to get your workout. Some pedals may be bare, while others may have a loop or cage to keep your feet in place. On some bikes, the pedals will have a clip-in mechanism, requiring special cycling shoes.
Resistance: Resistance is what you work against when you pedal the bike. This may be controlled with a knob or a console with buttons. Bikes have three different resistance mechanisms, which usually correspond with their price.
Display: A screen on the bike shows things that may include your pedaling speed, workout time, estimated calorie burn, and heart rate. Some displays are analog and show just the basics. Some are hi-def digital touchscreens that include much more information. And some bikes, like the ones you might ride in some spin studios, lack any display.
An expensive bike should have a good warranty, or a written guarantee from the manufacturer to the consumer that they will repair or replace an item if it breaks down within a specific timeframe. But what makes a warranty good?
Each model and brand differs slightly, so before buying a bike, look at the warranty to see what exactly it covers and for how long. You may also want to see if the brand offers an extended protection program where you pay extra for a longer warranty.
Stationary bikes are also not one-size-fits all. As such, the one you buy needs to have adjustable features. Ideally, you should be able to move the seat and handlebars up, down, fore, and aft to reach an accurate fit.
The exact positioning of the bike depends on the type you get and the exact instructions that go along with it. But in general, upright and indoor cycling bikes should be set so that, when you sit on it, your spine is straight, your knee is slightly bent when you extend your feet, and your forearms are at a 90-degree angle when holding the handlebars. Usually, you can achieve this by setting the saddle at your standing hip height and the handlebars about the length of your elbow to your fist in distance from your body. For a recumbent bike, adjust your seat so there is a slight bend in the knee when you extend your leg.
Like a lot of exercise equipment, you often get what you pay for. The more you're willing to spend, the more features you're likely to score. Case in point: This flagship exercise bike from Schwinn Fitness.
"The Schwinn AD7 Aidryne is one of the best exercise bikes you can buy, and it's got the features and results to back that up. The wind-resistance nature of the bike helps to give you a full-body cardio workout, and with an extra-padded, oversized seat, this will be a comfortable ride (if you choose to remain seated)," says Mitchell.
"The BikeErg was designed with traditional cyclists in mind. Now if you're wondering if the BikeErg still delivers a killer workout, the answer is a resounding, YES!" says Mitchell. "Concept 2 builds very durable and effective equipment like Model D Rower (which is by far my favorite) and now the company has applied those principles to a bike. The BikeErg isn't the most aesthetically pleasing design, but it is made to take a beating and keep on going."
"Looking for the Peloton experience without the Peloton price? Look no further than the NordicTrack Commercial Studio Cycle (the NordicTrack is still pricey, just not Peloton pricey)," says Mitchell. In fact, it's actually $1,000 less than Peloton's flagship Bike+ exercise bike, while loaded with many of the same features, including a 22-inch HD touchscreen display and a rich library of on-demand studio classes.
The one downside is that this exercise bike is heavy. At more than 200 pounds, it's a bear to move in and out of place. If you're someone without the space to keep it setup permanently, this might be an issue.
"The YOSUDA. Haven't you heard of it? That's probably because the company only makes exercise bikes. This is a super quiet, belt-driven bike that won't drown out the TV while you're getting in your afternoon workout," says Mitchell.
If you don't have nearly $2,500 to splash out on Peloton's flagship Bike+, you're not alone. But, if you're still keen to get most of the same features in a premium indoor cycle, Peloton's OG Bike exercise bike is your man.
"The bike that needs no introduction, the Peloton! Yes, we've all seen the commercials... it's not just hype, this bike is revolutionary and has changed the industry," says Mitchell. "Is it pricey? Yes. Do you get what you pay for? Yes. Is it one of the most immersive training experiences you'll find from the comfort of your home? Yes. Yes. Yes."
What do buyer say? "I've had my bike for nearly 3 weeks and I can say that I'm falling in love! I'm really enjoying the experience and starting to find myself ... trying to figure out when I can wedge in a ride for 30 minutes," said one OnePeloton.com reviewer.
"Looking for a bike that is the most likely to survive the apocalypse? Rogue has definitely made an end-times exerciser with this one," says Mitchell. "The Rogue Echo Bike is a well-built machine that is basically a deconstructed version of a Rogue Squat Rack. With its combined rock-solid foundation and smooth ride, it's at the top of the game. The bike uses a belt drive system that requires virtually no maintenance and a monitor that tracks useful metrics."
MYX Fitness issued a voluntary product recall on November 3, 2022, for their MYX I, MYX II, and MYX II Plus bikes due to potential injury risk if the bike's pedals are not properly installed or tightened. For your safety when using MYX indoor cycling bikes, MYX Fitness advises customers to tighten the pedals on their bike before their next ride and every time they ride the bike for the following six weeks. If the pedals of your bike have previously detached from the crank and you have not yet set them in to get repaired by the MYX team, MYX urges you to contact the team and schedule a free in-home repair using the information provided on their website.
"Generally speaking, all exercise bikes will work the same muscles. While some bikes come with light dumbells used for upper body exercises during your ride, the act of cycling will primarily target your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves," explains Karp.
Upright and indoor cycling bikes also require a posture that engages your back and core muscles effectively. And any time you alternate between standing up and sitting in the saddle, you engage your glutes as well.
Both machines are effective tools for at-home aerobic exercise. They can be used for high-intensity and highly effective workouts, as well as more casual cardiovascular fitness sessions. But generally speaking, exercise bikes are better for people with joint pain, injuries, or other problems, as the seated pedaling motion places far less impact on the hips, knees, and ankles.
The best way to ensure a comfortable ride is to make sure your bike is adjusted as precisely as possible to your body measurements. The seat height should be set so that when your front leg is fully extended on the pedal, there is a slight bend in your knee, and the seat angle should be level. The handlebars should be adjusted so that you can hold a comfortable bent-elbow position and still use all the handle positions easily. This will help you avoid neck, shoulder, and wrist pain.
Magnetic-resistance exercise bikes slow the flywheel through the magic of magnetism. This is quieter than direct contact brakes, requires less maintenance, and allows you to set an exact level of resistance.
This sturdy upright bike offers an impressively smooth and quiet ride at a bargain price. It also comes with a one-year warranty for peace of mind, which is always welcome when opting for a budget pick. Maxing out the resistance might not result in a tough enough ride to satisfy keen outdoor cyclists, but the JF100 ticks all the boxes for beginners keen on doing some cardio workouts at home without having to splash out.
The Wattbike looks hugely expensive next to the other bikes on this list, but it represents a correspondingly huge jump in quality. This elite-standard trainer measures over 37 different cycling metrics, from basic power, heart rate and cadence info to sophisticated insight into your pedalling efficiency and left-right leg balance. This in-depth data can be monitored live during your ride on the Wattbike console, so you can easily train to improve your pedalling technique.
Exercise bikes provide a great cardio workout with many fitness benefits. They increase muscle tone, strengthen your legs and can be great for burning calories too. Choosing the best bike is no small task. Thankfully, our handy buying guide will help you choose between the types of exercise bikes, and help you pick out which features are worth paying for.Choose one of these buying guide topics:Types Of Exercise BikeExercise Bike BenefitsBest Buys For Your GoalsExercise Bike FAQRead JTX Exercise Bike ReviewsShop All Exercise BikesTYPES OF EXERCISE BIKENeed help understanding the differences between each type of exercise bike? Click the image to find out more about the benefits of each bike style: 041b061a72