What to Look for When Buying an Exercise Bike

One of the most well-liked fitness exercise machines is the exercise bike but purchasing one is not as straightforward as going to the shop and picking one out. There are various things to take into account before you do this. You may want to think about not only the cost, type of bike, whether you prefer a recumbent or upright exercise bike, and how comfortable and simple it is to adjust.

How Much Do You Want to Spend?

Certainly this is usually the most principal consideration but you don’t want to go for the lowest cost exercise bike on sale as it might not last very long, be comfortable or give you good exercise. A beginner’s bike at the lowest will cost you roughly $200, and although this will be acceptable it won’t have many of the features that can be found on higher quality training bikes. For a small amount more, say between $300 and $650 you will get a higher quality bike with many features such as heart rate control, magnetic resistance, a comfy seat and usually quiet and efficient operation.

For about $550 you will be able to buy a first-rate exercise bike with all the features you may want. For this cost you should expect loads of built-in workout programs, easy to use display console, and resistance control, handlebars that are effortless to adjust and a very good guarantee.

Exercise Bike Comfort

Naturally your exercise bike should be comfy as you will be using it for quite long periods. You will want a well padded seat and handlebars that adjust easily. Are you going to buy an upright or recumbent exercise bike? Many people find that recumbent exercise bikes are more comfy to use than upright exercise bikes as you sit in a more reclined position so there is a reduced amount of strain on your back. Upright exercise bikes, although not nearly as comfy, do have the advantage that you can easily enhance the level of the exercise by standing up to pedal just like you would on a regular bicycle.

Changing the Resistance

Exercise bike resistance is adjustable in two ways. The majority of the lower cost models use a belt and tension, higher-priced models use magnetic resistance which is quieter and more dependable. Exercise bikes that use magnetic resistance usually use a button or knob. A button is easier to use.

Heart Rate Monitors

It is really important to be able to keep an eye on your heart rate while training since the aim of the exercise is to increase the heart rate. Always purchase an exercise bike with an integral heart rate monitor so that you can adjust your training correspondingly. Almost all the exercise bikes do have this although less expensive bikes will often just have a pulse rate monitor built into the handlebars. The more expensive exercise bikes will have workouts that are controlled by your heart rate so they adjust automatically to maintain your heart rate at a level that you set. This is a very nice feature but not essential if you can’t manage to pay for it.

Integrated Workout Programs

Lots of of the less expensive exercise bikes won’t have workout included programs. Even though you may feel this is not too much of a disadvantage you will discover that simply sitting on the bike and pedalling will turn out to be wearisome very rapidly! With exercise programs you can alter your exercising and the feedback you get will help with your motivation. Displays that give you feedback on your heart rate, calories burned, distance covered etc. certainly do improve your enthusiasm and keep you exercising longer. Nearly all of the exercise bikes in the middle range i.e. between about $300 and $600 will give you a reasonable range of incorporated workouts and a reasonably good quality display. More expensive exercise bikes i.e. in the $600 and above range will have a large number of workouts and excellent LED displays with a whole range of feedback information.

Conclusion

Naturally, as with other fitness exercise machines, when buying an exercise bike, you get what you pay for. It is not really a good plan to purchase the lowest cost exercise bike you can find as it might not last very long and you won’t be happy with the training that it gives you. It is not obligatory to buy a very high-priced bike but we suggest buying one for about $300 which will give you excellent exercise and keep you motivated. Read more at Buying a Fitness Exercise Machine