One of the most prevalent fitness exercise machines is the exercise bike but buying one is not as clear-cut as going to the mall and choosing one. There are lots of things to consider before you do this. You may want to take into account not only the outlay, type of bike, whether you want a recumbent or upright exercise bike, and how comfortable and uncomplicated it is to adjust.
What is Your Budget?
Evidently this is always the most significant consideration but you don’t want to go for the cheapest bike on sale as it might not last very long, be easy to use or give you a good workout. A beginner’s bike at the lowest will set you back on the order of $200, and even though this will be adequate it may not have many of the features that can be found on more expensive exercise bikes. For not much more, say between $350 and $650 you will get a higher quality bike with many features such as magnetic resistance, heart rate control, a comfortable seat and generally quiet and efficient operation.
For approximately $600 you will be able to obtain a high-quality exercise bike with all the features you may want. For this cost you should expect lots of built-in exercise programs, simple to use resistance control and LED display console, handlebars that are easy to modify and a good guarantee.
Exercise Bike Comfort
Evidently your exercise bike should be comfy as you will be spending quite a lot of time on it! You will need a well padded seat and handlebars that adjust effortlessly. Are you going to buy an upright or recumbent exercise bike? A lot of people find that recumbent exercise bikes are more comfortable to use than upright exercise bikes as you sit in a more reclined position so there is not as much of strain on your back. Upright exercise bikes, although not quite as comfy, do have the advantage that you can simply boost the level of the exercise by standing up to pedal just as you would on a standard bicycle.
Adjusting the Resistance
Resistance on exercise bikes is changeable in 2 ways. Nearly all of the lower cost models use a belt and tension, higher-priced models use magnetic resistance which is quieter and more dependable. For those using magnetic resistance it is adjusted either by a knob or a pushbutton, which most people find easier to use.
Monitoring Your Heart Rate
It is particularly crucial to be able to keep an eye on your heart rate while training as increasing your heart rate is why you are exercising. Always buy an exercise bike with an integrated heart rate monitor so that you can alter your training correspondingly. Almost all the exercise bikes do have this though less expensive ones will frequently merely have a pulse rate monitor built into the handlebars. The high-priced exercise bikes will have workouts that are driven by your heart rate so they adjust automatically to keep your pulse rate at a level that you set. This is a very good aspect but not vital if you can’t manage to pay for it.
Integral Workout Programs
Many of the cheaper exercise bikes do not have workout included programs. While you may believe this is not too much of a drawback you will find that just sitting on the bike and riding will become dull very quickly! With exercise programs you can change your training and the feedback you get will assist with your enthusiasm. Display consoles that give you feedback on calories burned, distance covered and tour heart rate etc. certainly do help your motivation and keep you exercising for longer periods. Nearly all of the exercise bikes in the mid-budget range i.e. between roughly $300 and $600 will give you a realistic collection of included workouts and a moderately good display. More high-priced exercise bikes i.e. in the $650 and over range will have a much higher range of workouts and excellent console displays with a complete range of feedback information.
Conclusion
Needless to say, as with other fitness exercise machines, when buying an exercise bike, you get what you pay for. It isn’t a good plan to purchase the cheapest exercise bike you can find as it won’t last very long and you won’t be pleased with the training that you get. It is not essential to buy a very expensive bike but we endorse buying one for about $300 which will give you good exercise and keep you motivated. Read more at Buying a Fitness Exercise Machine
