One of the most common fitness exercise machines is the exercise bike but buying one is not as simple as going to the mall and picking one out. There are various things to reflect on before you do this. You may want to take into account not only the cost, type of bike, whether you want a recumbent or upright exercise bike, and how comfortable and uncomplicated it is to adjust.

How Much Do You Want to Spend?

Naturally this is always the most crucial concern but you don’t want to go for the cheapest exercise bike on sale as it may not be long lasting, be comfortable or give you good exercise. A starting bike at a minimum will cost you roughly $200, and though this will be adequate it may not have any of the features that can be found on more expensive work out bikes. For a small amount more, say between $350 and $600 you’ll get a better quality exercise bike with some features such as heart rate control, magnetic resistance, a comfortable seat and usually quiet and efficient operation.

For approximately $600 you will be able to obtain a high-quality exercise bike with all the features you may need. For this cost you should expect a lot of built-in exercise programs, easy to use display console, and resistance control, handlebars that are effortless to change and a very good warranty.

Comfort of the Exercise Bike

Of course your exercise bike should be easy as you will be spending quite a lot of time on it! You will need a well padded seat and handlebars that adjust without difficulty. Are you going to obtain an upright or recumbent exercise bike? A lot of people think that recumbent exercise bikes are more comfy to use than upright exercise bikes as you sit in a more reclined position so there is less strain on your back. Upright exercise bikes, although not quite as comfortable, do have the advantage that you can effortlessly increase the level of the workout by standing up to pedal just as you would do on a standard bicycle.

Changing the Resistance

Exercise bike resistance is variable in 2 ways. The majority of the lower cost models use tension and a belt, more costly models use magnetic resistance which is quieter and more dependable. Adjusting magnetic resistance is easy and usually done with a pushbutton or knob.

Heart Rate Monitors

It is extremely crucial to be able to observe your heart rate while training as this is the whole aim of riding your exercise bike in the first place! Always purchase an exercise bike with a built-in pulse rate monitor so that you can adjust your training accordingly. Nearly all the exercise bikes do have this though 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 driven by your heart rate so they adjust automatically to keep your heart rate at a level that you set. This is a very good feature but not crucial if you can’t afford it.

Built-In Workout Programs

Many of the cheaper exercise bikes do not have workout included programs. While you may consider this is not too much of a drawback you will find that just sitting on the bike and pedalling will become dull very quickly! With workout programs you can vary your workout and the feedback you get will help with your motivation. Consoles that give you feedback on calories burned, distance covered and tour heart rate etc. actually do improve your motivation and keep you exercising for longer periods. A good number of the exercise bikes in the mid-budget range i.e. between about $300 and $600 will give you a realistic range of integral workouts and a moderately good quality display. More expensive exercise bikes i.e. in the $650 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 buy the cheapest exercise bike you can find as it won’t last very long and you won’t be satisfied with the exercise that you get. It is not necessary to buy a very high-priced bike but we suggest buying one for around $300 which will give you decent exercise and keep you motivated. Read more at Buying a Fitness Exercise Machine