Exercise Bike Guide

Stationary bicycles are the third most popular type of home gym equipment sold today (the two most popular are, of course, the treadmill and the elliptical trainer). People are drawn to stationary bicycles for a variety of reasons to include the fact that you’re getting a pretty good workout while you’re sitting down!

Some people like to read while their doing their cardiovascular training and a stationary bike lends itself nicely to this.

Bikes are also a great way to tone your legs, burn fat and improve your cardiovascular conditioning all without any impact on your joints.

There are four main categories of stationary bikes; upright, recumbent, spin bikes and dual action air bikes. Below is a quick summary of what makes each unique.

1. Types of Exercise Bikes

  • Upright Bikes

An upright bike is what comes to mind when most people think of a stationary bike. It looks similar to a regular road bike, but it has a console built into the handlebar area.

This bike option provides a seat that does not have a back on it. The pedals on an upright bike are located below the user and slightly in front. The hip angle on the upright bike is about 45 degrees.

The biggest benefit of this type of stationary bike is that is forces the user to engage their core muscles while pedaling. The biggest drawback of the upright bike is that the seats tend to be extremely uncomfortable.

  • Recumbent Bikes

These bikes are the most comfortable out of all of the bike options available today. They usually have a comfortable seat that has a back on it, which allows the user to lean back slightly while pedaling. The actual pedals on the recumbent bikes are located in front of the user and slightly lower than the user. The user’s hip angle on the recumbent bike is about 90 degrees.

While the attraction of this type of bike is the comfort it provides, make sure you “try it on” before you buy one since some of the consoles sit too low for taller users causing them to hit their knees while pedaling.

  • Spin Bikes

Spin bikes are the closest thing you can get to a regular road bike. They are similar to upright bikes in design, but they are usually a higher quality and have lower consoles. Spin bikes don’t usually have the standard consoles that are found on upright and recumbent bikes.

Their basic design is geared towards serious users who aren’t interested in bells and whistles, but are looking for a serious workout from their stationary bike.

  • Dual Action Air Bikes

These bikes have an upright design with the added benefit of movable handlebars similar to those found on many elliptical trainers. These are the least common type of stationary bike and offer the fewest options. They are called air bikes because the front “wheel” is actually a fan that cools you as you pedal.

This type of bike is fine for a casual user, but it’s not recommended for anyone looking for an advanced workout.

With all of the types of stationary bikes available, there are a variety of standard features that should be looked at prior to purchasing any type of stationary bike. Unlike treadmills and elliptical trainers, the price of a stationary bike doesn’t necessarily indicate its quality and you can get a quality machine for less than $1,000.

Some of the things you should look at when researching stationary bikes include; resistance, adjustability, console features, weight limits and warranty.

2. Exercise Bike Resistance

There are two main types of resistance found in all types of stationary bikes, belt tension and magnetic resistance.

  • Belt Tension

Belt tension or manually-adjustable bikes have basically been phased out by the magnetic resistance models. However, I’m still including them here because you may run across a “great deal” on a bike that offers belt tension – that’s why you’re being offered a lower price.

Belt tension resistance is far inferior to magnetic resistance because it relies on friction to make it more challenging to pedal. As a result, the motion isn’t smooth and the more tension you use, the louder the bike becomes.

If the stationary bike is simply an every now and then workout choice for you, the belt tension “deal” may be a good way to save some money and still have some added variety to your workout options.

  • Magnetic Resistance

As the title infers, the resistance on these bikes is increased electronically by increasing opposing magnetic forces. You can find magnetic resistance options on the most expensive bikes, as well as some of the more inexpensive bikes. If faced with the decision, magnetic resistance bikes are the better choice because they’re quiet and versatile and can be very affordable.

3. Adjustability

Adjustability on a stationary bike is particularly important since, in a seated position, a tall person will hit their knees on the handlebars if the bike doesn’t adjust correctly and a short person may not be able to reach the pedals at full extension. If a bike is being purchased for family use and there are height discrepancies, you’ll need to pay very close attention to the adjustability options on your bike.

  • Seat Adjustments

Ideally, you’ll be able to move your seat up and down and forward and backward. Most spin bikes offer both options, which is one of the many reasons these bikes tend to be more expensive than others. Most upright bikes only offer the height adjustment and most recumbent bikes only offer adjustments forward and backward.

Since this is the case, it’s important that you know what height of user is suitable for the particular bike.

  • Handlebar Adjustments

Most bikes offer adjustable consoles or handlebars. The height of the handlebars is important for the all important knee clearance, as well as for comfort in posture. If the handlebars don’t adjust high enough, you’ll find your lower back is aching after a very short workout. Conversely, if the bars are too high, you’ll probably find that your upper back and shoulders begin to cramp up.

“The bottom line to adjustability is, the more the better.”

Particularly if your bike will have multiple users, it’s important to have a variety of adjustability options. After all, it does no good to have a well equipped home gym if your equipment doesn’t “fit you” correctly and you never want to use it.

4. Console Features

This is where a lot of extra money is often spent on a stationary bike. On one end of the spectrum there are basic models, which offer minimum adjustability options and minimum resistance options and have no bells and whistles.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are bikes that have LCD screens that provide virtual bike races and off road trails, pre-programmed workout features, heart rate monitors, fans, book stands and the list goes on.

Here is what you should think about when you’re pondering the wisdom of the built-in air freshener console option – what is it going to take for you to get motivated and for you to get a quality workout?

If you hate being uncomfortable or sweaty you may want to opt for the console with the fan and the air freshener. If you get bored easily and need some extra motivation, look for a bike that has a wide variety of pre-programmed workouts.

If you know that you’ll use your bike with or without the bells and whistles and you’re capable of pushing yourself without using a virtual racing option or a virtual trainer, save yourself some money and go with the basic package.

Console options are all about finding ways to keep you motivated to use the equipment on a regular basis; however, in the end a bike is a bike is a bike no matter what you put on the console.

5. Weight Capacity

The weight capacity consideration when purchasing a stationary bike isn’t as important as when you’re buying an elliptical trainer or a treadmill. The user’s weight on a treadmill or elliptical increases wear on the equipment’s motor and frame; whereas, the user’s weight on a stationary bike increases stress on the frame without directly impacting the motor.

However, any piece of exercise equipment that identifies a maximum weight capacity does so for the safety of the user and should be heeded. Most exercise bikes have a weight capacity in the 300 pound range and some more expensive models are even higher than that.

6. Warranty

One area the stationary bikes don’t really differ too much from other home fitness equipment is the warranty. Regardless of what type of equipment your planning to buy, if the warranty is weak, chances are pretty good it’s because the equipment is weak.

A short warranty usually indicates that the manufacturer doesn’t want to go out of business paying for repairs on poorly constructed equipment.

So, before you make a purchase, make sure you check out the warranty. No matter how expensive the equipment may be sold for, if it only comes with a 90-day warranty you should be wary of the quality of product you’re really getting.

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