Upright Exercise
Exercise Bike Buying Guide
Buying an exercise bike? An exercise bike is an excellent way to build fitness, lose weight and get fit. Plus they’re convenient and one of the most comfortable to burn calories in the comfort of your own home.
But how do you choose the best one? This buying guide will show you what to look for when shopping so you can find the best exercise bike for your needs – while avoiding the lemons!
First, ask yourself which class of exercise bike you would like. There are 2 general classes of exercise bikes:
1) Recumbent Bikes
Recumbent bikes are the newer exercise bikes on the market with the chair-like or bucket seats. Your body is placed in a semi reclining position and your legs angle out in front of you to reach the pedals instead of hanging down as on an upright bike.
2) Upright Bikes
These are also called “Stationary bikes” although this term is now becoming a catch all term for both upright and recumbent bikes. These are the traditional exercise bikes that have been around for years and are similar in form to traditional outdoor bikes.
An offshoot of the standard upright bike is the ‘Dual Action’ Stationary bike. These bikes have movable bars or levers on arm handles to incorporate your upper body into the workout.
Know what you want before you start comparing different exercise bikes. Personally I’ve owned both and after a while upright exercise bike seats just don’t feel too comfortable if you know what I mean. But the choice is yours.
The next thing you need to decide on is your budget. How much are you willing to pay for your exercise bike?
There are really 3 price categories:
1) Under $500
2) Between $500 – 1000
3) $1000 +
Under $500: While there are some above average exercise bikes under $500, don’t expect to get a top quality machine for this price. If you don’t plan on using your exercise cycle much or if you’re on a budget, this may be a good price point for you.
Between $500 – $1000: Unlike treadmills or elliptical trainers, you can usually get a very solid, higher quality exercise bike for your home in this category.
Most exercise bikes in this category offer magnetic resistance and high grade consoles that give you feedback on your workout. You should also expect several built-in workout programs, foot straps and heart rate monitors.
$1000 +: These exercise bikes are either the cream of the crop for the advanced home exerciser or they are commercial grade for the health club. Examples of bikes in this category include spinners and commercial bikes like Life Cycle, Kettler and Star Trac.
Always remember that with exercise bikes – in general – you do get what you pay for so try to spend the most that you can and get a high quality machine that will last you.
These are really the 2 most important features to decide on: the type of bike and the price you can afford. Here are a few more features you should know about when choosing an exercise bike.
Resistance
There are several different types of resistance you’ll find in your exercise bike
1) Direct Tension – offers you a manual adjustment of resistance
2) Air – resistance is provided by pedaling against the airflow of a fan blade
3) Magnetic Resistance – this is the most sophisticated type of resistance allowing magnetic currents to create and track the resistance. It generally allows for a greater variety of workout levels.
Magnetic resistance is generally viewed as the best option since it tends to be quieter and provides a more even feel when pedalling.
Workout Options
Most exercise bikes give you information on speed, distance traveled, and time of the workout. The more sophisticated you go, you’ll also find things like total calories and fat burned, resistance level, heart rate and program mode.
You can also get exercise bikes with numerous preprogrammed workouts and information storage as well as iFit compatibility and Interactive Disc players.
It really depends on your personal preferences whether you choose a bike with 10 preset programs and an ultra high tech computer display or one with just a simple display.
However, keep in mind that in general, the higher priced bikes have more sophisticated options and are built with higher quality materials.
Warranty
Exercise Bikes come with a variety of warranties from 90 days to lifetime warranties on different parts of the bike. For example, parts and labor may be covered for 6 months, electronics for 1 year and the frame for a lifetime. In general a longer warranty is indicative of a higher quality machine.
Final Note: It is also important that you decide how much you are planning to use your exercise bike. For example, if you are new to exercising and not sure you’ll use your exercise bike much, you might want to save some money and go with a more economical model.
If however you plan on using the bike a lot and/or are a regular exerciser, invest a bit more and get a machine that will last. Look for a high quality brand that is highly rated and gives you good value for your money.
By keeping these tips in mind when buying your exercise bike, you’re much more likely to find one that best fits your workout needs.
About the Author
K O’Neill writes for
Exercise Bike Review
a consumer oriented website focusing on the home exercise bike market.
For more buying tips, brand reviews, & best buys visit
http://www.Exercise-Bike-Review.com
|
|
CONFIDENCE FITNESS NEW EXERCISE BIKE UPRIGHT STATIONARY FOLDING BICYCLE TRAINER $124.54 |
|
|
CONFIDENCE PRO MAGNETIC EXERCISE FITNESS UPRIGHT BIKE IDEAL FOR CARDIO WORKOUT $168.54 |
|
|
Stamina Magnetic Upright 1300 Exercise Bike 15-1300 $173.00 |
|
|
Stamina Magnetic Upright 5325 Exercise Bike 15-5325 $199.00 |
|
|
*NEW* Achieve Fitness 100M Upright EXERCISE BIKE Cycle Bicycle Weight Loss $299.95 |
|
|
Stamina CPS 1305 Indoor Upright Exercise Bike $152.99 |
|
|
Stamina® Magnetic Upright 1300 Exercise Bike $159.00 |
|
|
Stamina® Indoor Cycle 1305 Upright Flywheel Exercise Bike $149.00 |
|
|
ProForm XP 185 U Upright Exercise Bike CONSOLE EBSP29908 iFit Display $39.99 |
|
|
Expresso Fitness S3U Upright Exercise Bike Virtual Reality w/ 19″ Monitor $1,695.00 |
|
|
Total Body Exercise Stationary Upright Fan Bike w/ Calorie Counter Monitor NEW $175.96 |
|
|
Life Fitness 95Ci Upright Bike Used Exercise Bike $1,899.00 |
|
|
2011 Upright Exercise Bike Silent Workout Machine Gym $149.99 |
|
|
UPRIGHT FITNESS 43 LB FLYWHEEL EXERCISE BIKE BICYCLE $265.00 |
|
|
CONFIDENCE FITNESS NEW EXERCISE BIKE UPRIGHT STATIONARY FOLDING BICYCLE TRAINER $124.54 |
|
|
Gear Up Grand Stand Single Bike Floor Stand $16.74 The Gear Up™ Grand Stand™ single bike floor stand offers portable, lightweight storage for storing a bike at home, at the office or in a garage. The engineering-grade ABS molded construction is rugged and waterproof and is adjustable to fit most tires up to 2.25″…. |
|
|
The Art of Staying Upright – Senior exercise; Balance and Strength for Fall Prevention for Senior $15.00 Senior exercise/fitness DVD. Great exercises for older adults; balance, strength, flexibility…. |
|
|
BetaFlex Total-Body Mini Exercise Bike Work Out for Arms and Legs $59.95 The Total-Body Mini Exercise Bike provides a complete body workout with the convenience of a portable fitness cycle! This upright bike lets you work out arms and legs and yet is small enough to fold and hide away in seconds. Patented step-less tension control mechanism for both upper body and lower body exercising Adjust the resistance to increase calorie burning or to comply with your worko… |
|
|
Extended Uprights , Size: For use with Wenzelite Model CE OBESE XL Only $142.99 Extended Uprights , Size: For use with Wenzelite Model CE OBESE XL OnlyFor use with: CE OBESE XL. Extends Safety Roller height up to 47â . For proper sizing, measure floor to wrist for handlebar height. Unit of Measure: 1/csProduct photo may not exactly match the product offered for sale. Please refer to the product description…. |
|
|
Extended uprights , Size: For use with Wenzelite Model”s CE 1000 B, CE 1000 BK and CE 1000 XL Only $62.80 Extended uprights , Size: For use with Wenzelite Model”s CE 1000 B, CE 1000 BK and CE 1000 XL OnlyFor use with Wenzelite Item #”s, CE 1000, CE 1000 N, CE 1000 XL, CE 1200, PE 1000, CO 2000, SR 3000, LT 3000 & LT2000. Extends Safety Roller height up to 47â . For proper sizing, measure floor to wrist for handlebar height. Unit of Measure: 1/csProduct photo may not exactly match the product of… |
|
|
Padded Platform Extender $175.00 Accomodate upright exercises and extend the wooden platform with the Padded Platform Extender. It fits easily into place on all STOTT PILATES* Reformers, ensuring stability and comfort in upright exercises…. |
|
|
Schwinn A10, A20 and A40 Power Supply / AC Adapter $22.95 This energy efficient switching AC Adapter fits the Schwinn A10, A20 and A40 using the built-in input jack on the device/console and is a high quality name brand adapter with a 6 foot long cable (extension cables available, sold separately). Features a new adapter design with a space-saving compact plug and an in-line EMI/RFI filter Meets/Exceeds OEM minimum requirements for these devices. UL List… |
|
|
Pwr+® Ac Adapter for Golds Gym Powerspin 210u 230 230r 290 290u 300u 385 CSX 385csx 390r 490 590r 590r ; Transformer Icon 248512 Power Supply $19.90 Will fit GOLDS GYM PowerSpin 210U 230 230R 290 290U 300U 385 CSX 385CSX 390R 490 590R 590R ; CROSSTRAINER Plus 500 510 595 ; Transformer ICON 248512… |
|
|
Gold’s Gym Power Spin 390R, 490, 590R ‘Wall Plug’ Power Supply / AC Adapter $26.95 This energy efficient switching AC Adapter fits the Gold’s Gym Power Spin 390R, 490 & 590R Stationary Bikes using the built-in input jack on the device/console and is a high quality black adapter over 5 feet in length (Extension cables available, sold seperately). Features a new compact space-saving design. Meets OEM minimum requirements for these devices. UL Listed, RoHS Compliant, FCC Registered… |
|
|
Vitesse Triple Gel Bicycle Seat Cover $28.99 “KENT INTERNATIONAL” BICYCLE SEAT COVER * Triple gel |
Check out these sites for related information
- eBay Android App Review by AndroidTapp.com | Android Tapp. Android App Reviews
- Ebay, Amazon dominate 70 percent of m-commerce market: Panelist – Mobile Commerce Daily – Web site development
- Option Players Construct Conflicting Strategies on EBAY | Phil’s Stock World
- ICC “battle fixes” from the mage perspective « Spell Rotation
- CDune Dragon Age Walkthrough – Mage 5
- Adobe releases Photoshop.com Mobile editor for Android developers
- In Mobile, Fragmentation is Forever. Deal With It.
- HTC Incredible Pictures Reveal Red Buttons, Delayed Until May? | Android Phone Fans