Recumbent Exercise Bike

A recumbent exercise bike is a bike in which the user is in a laid back or reclined position. What this does is distributes the users weight more comfortably over a larger area and is more ergonomically correct thus making it much more comfortable. A recumbent exercise bike can be used by just about anyone, young or old, any fitness level, or any skill level. Unlike recumbent bikes you see on the road with a stationary recumbent exercise bike you won’t have to be concerned about balance, turning radius, weather or traffic conditions. It simply provides a good low impact workout.

With a normal upright exercise bike your entire body weight rests on one spot of your body, and you help to support your body by holding on to the machines handles, thus many people experience shoulder, arm, neck and back pain. A recumbent bike has lumbar support and you put less strain on your body. With a normal bike the tendency is to use it kind of scrunched over like a normal road bike. The bottom line is you get the same workout, but in a much more comfortable position.

What To Look For In a Recumbent Exercise Bike

One thing to watch for is the maximum weight that’s allowed, make sure it’s around the norm for industry standards. The maximum weight is a pretty good indication how sturdy it was designed. Also try to stick with known brands in the industry, one that’s been around for a while. There’s nothing worse than not being able to find replacement parts if anything should break because the company is no longer in business and instead having to go out and buy an entire new bike.

A heavy flywheel for smoother riding is also a big plus. Having plenty of different resistance levels is also critical, if there’s only a few or the jump in levels is to severe it can make it more difficult. Having a lot of pre-set programs is nice, but being able to make your own custom programs allows you to simulate an upcoming race or event.

Also having a LCD console that displays calories burned, heart rate, distance, etc. is good to have, but not absolutely necessary to have. Another thing you may want to consider is automatic controls where you can change resistance levels on the fly. The machines with LCD monitors should already have them, but some of the bare bones units might have to be changes manually.

Keep your budget in mind when looking for a machine, and consider your usage. If you plan on using it only occasionally like when the weather is to nasty to go outdoors a less sturdy model may be sufficient. If however, you plan to use your recumbent exercise bike like the heavy duty machines at your local gym and abuse it day in and day out you may want to invest in a more durable model that will last.