Exercise Bikes Reviewed and Rated
Considered by many to be one of the very first pieces of personal exercise equipment, exercise bikes are still a favorite of fitness junkies, despite the mostly constant stream of new -- and sometimes worthless as home fitness machines. If you are looking to purchase an effective piece of exercise equipment that provides a low impact, lower body workout, stationary bikes are definitely something to consider.
Why Consider An Exercise Bike?
Truth be told, some of the most effective workouts are weight bearing, high impact activities like running, jogging and playing sports, however high impact workouts are often detrimental to the body and cause damage to the joints and back. Cycling offers you a lower impact workout to help you burn calories without causing the unnecessary stress. While using exercise bikes will not allow you to burn as many calories in one session, having this equipment at home means that you can do than more than one session a day as you will likely not be in terrible pain or fatigue after your workout.
Shopping for an Exercise Bike
If you are heavily considering purchasing an exercise bike for your home, it is important that you take notice of several factors and features that will make your cycling experience that much more satisfactory. While shopping keep these features in mind and try to find a machine that features as many as possible.
Comfortable Saddle
When it comes to exercise bikes, having a comfortable saddle is probably one of the most important features to be included. If the seat of your bike is painful and uncomfortable, the bike will likely end up in the corner of a room covered in coats and drying clothes. If you are worried that your chronic low back pain might be an issue, fitness experts recommend trying a recumbent bike which is not only lower to the ground but also features a full seat, with back for exceptional ease and comfort.
Adjustable Resistance
Most exercise bicycles do include a feature that will allow to you raise or lower the resistance dependent on your needs and preferences. New model electronic bikes will allow you to make adjustments by simply pushing a button, while older and cheaper models use a manual dial that adjusts a tension strap, typically attached to the wheel. If you want something easy to use, definitely invest in an electronic model with this feature, as it is a much smoother transition from one resistance to another.
Quiet Operation
Many cheaper and older model exercise bikes can be quite loud when you are pedaling at full speed, which can be distracting for not only you but also for others who may be in your immediate area. If this is something that concerns you, be sure that the bike you choose ensures a 'quiet operation' during use.
Warranty and Servicing
One of the best ways to measure the quality of a product is to examine the service warranty it comes with. A warranty is important because it ensures that if something goes wrong with the product that you can have it fixed without having to pay for repairs out of pocket.
As a general rule, manufacturers who believe in their product will provide a lengthier warranty on it -- sometimes up to five years, while cheaper made products will have a very short warranty or none at all. It's important that if you are going to invest your money a machine of this nature that you try and find one that offers a decent service agreement as machines that do not come with them are much more likely to break.
Price
As with most other types and styles of personal at-home fitness equipment, exercise bikes will greatly vary in price dependent on brand and quality. On average, a low-end bike will cost you between $150 and $200, while higher quality bikes can range anywhere from $300 to $500. In most cases, there should not be any need to spend more than $500 as you can find a plethora of bikes that come with all of the above features for that much or less.
If you are looking to add a personal fitness machine that will provide you with an effective low-impact workout, exercise bikes are definitely something to consider. Regardless of your age, fitness level or price range, you can easily find a bike to meet your needs and preferences. If you are looking for more guidance on models and features, check out our list below for more information and reviews.
Recumbent Models ReviewedRecumbent bikes are so comfortable they make you feel guilty! If you suffer from low back pain or find saddles particularly sore, these are for you. This article reviews some of the best value for money recumbent bikes...
Upright Models Reviewed
When most people think of an exercise bike this is what springs to mind. There are literally thousands of upright bikes on the market. This article examines a few we feel offer excellent value for your money...
Mini Exercise Cycle
Not exactly what we think of when we hear the words exercise bike, but I have not personally seen this on TV so it doesn't fit there either. Regardless of whether this exercise equipment belongs here or not, lets have a look at how it holds up to our review.
