Exercise Bike Buyer’s Guide
If you want the convenience of an open road workout in the comfort of your own home, then an exercise bike may be the perfect choice for you. The cardio-intensive, low-impact workout offered by an exercise bike will leave you looking and feeling better than ever.
While exercise bikes are welcome in almost any home, there are still many factors you should consider before bringing them home. From features to safety and more, let’s review some of the things to consider when buying a new exercise bike.
Types of bikes
There are 3 main types of exercise bikes, each offering slightly different benefits. The upright bike is the most popular bike in everyday life. It is very similar in design to a regular road bike with the pedals located directly under your body. Upright bikes provide the same cardio-focused workout as other types of exercise bikes, but can also strengthen your core and leg muscles. The downside to an upright back is that it puts extra strain on your hands and wrists due to its upright position. Many of them also come with a smaller seat, which can be uncomfortable for longer workouts.
Another option is a recumbent exercise bike. These bikes allow you to sit in a comfortable reclined position. The seat is usually larger and located behind the pedals to provide maximum comfort. The positioning supports your entire body and reduces the intensity of your workout, making it ideal for anyone with physical health issues such as joint or back injuries. Because recumbent bikes focus on comfort and support, you may burn fewer calories and not get the same leg and core strength as other types of exercise bikes.
Last but not least is the versatile dual action bike. These bikes have handlebars that move back and forth, allowing you to work your upper body muscles as you ride. This makes possible an intensive full body workout that can provide head to toe results.
Bike Features
Thanks to modern technological advances, your exercise bike can become much more than just an exercise bike. Many modern exercise bikes are equipped with full touch screen displays and Bluetooth connectivity, helping to add some much needed entertainment to your workout routine. Most of these bikes will also track your heart rate, calories burned, distance and other such statistics.
The ability to adjust resistance is also a great feature on some bikes. This allows you to accurately determine how challenging your ride is and can be very useful when multiple riders are using the bike.
Another feature to look for is the ability to fold the bike for storage, especially if space is limited. Today, many exercise bikes are aimed at being lightweight and easy to store while still maintaining durability and safety standards.
Weight Capacity
Each exercise bike has its own weight capacity, and you should confirm this before you buy. Usually, the weight limit should be provided in the product description. Exceeding this weight limit may result in the equipment not working properly and in some cases may even cause injury. No one likes to weigh themselves, but if you have not recently confirmed your weight and are concerned that you may be approaching your limit, it is wise to weigh yourself at home or see your doctor for the most accurate results.
Bicycle Safety
Thousands of people are injured each year due to improper handling of exercise equipment, so you need to make sure you choose an exercise bike that can easily meet your safety needs. Many units encase the parts of the bike that can cause injury in a plastic or metal housing. This is ideal for families with young children who can use the bike straight away.
You also want to make sure you can comfortably operate the bike without causing yourself injury. For example, if you have back problems, you need to make sure that the seat and the overall position of the pedals and handlebars are appropriate for your body’s needs.
Noise
The friction of exercise bike components will definitely create noise from small to large. The way your bike adds resistance has a big impact on its noise, so if you have family or roommates, you may want to consider this.
Magnetic resistance bikes are quieter than air, flywheel or directional tension resistance bikes. The amount of resistance these types of bikes can produce is very similar, but the audible footprint may be different between them.
