At some point in their life most people have tried riding a bike so we're all aware of the effort required and the feel of cycling. An exercise bike is therefore an excellent item of fitness equipment because almost everyone can use one and it's something that most people can relate to before buying one.
The fact is that choosing the right exercise bike for your needs is much easier than choosing a treadmill, cross trainer or some other item of fitness equipment. Our guide will explain what to look out for to make sure that you get the best bike for your needs.
Choosing the Features that You Need Let's face facts - you're going to sit there and pedal so there can't be that many features can there? Well, if you look at a typical specification of an exercise bike you'd think that you're buying a spaceship. So let's get back to basics and highlight what really matters.
A Good Console We recommend that you pick an exercise bike that's easy to use and primarily that means a bike with a clear, intuitive console. You're trying to get fit, not fly to the moon, so avoid anything that looks too complicated. A nice, clear display showing how far you've cycled and how long you've been cycling for will do nicely. Quick keys, allowing you to select a resistance level with a single button press are also excellent features. Nearly all exercise bikes show the profile of your training program which is a great motivational tool - it shows how far you've travelled in a graphical format which is quick and easy to understand.
No Wobble You'll be putting a lot of effort into your cycling and this results in a lot of natural side to side movement. You need an exercise bike that will feel stable during your training so that you have the confidence to keep working to your potential. If you look at the exercise bikes on our site you'll see that they have long front and rear stabiliser bars to combat wobbling. The frames are also welded to a very high standard which prevents cracking and twisting of the frame.
Flywheel Size The flywheel spins around when you pedal the exercise bike. If this is too small (in weight) then the ride will feel very jerky and not at all smooth which is what you want. Look for a bike that has a flywheel weight of 8kg or higher and this will result in a smooth cycling action.
Heart Rate Control Heart rate control programs allow you to train to your target heart rate. To make use of these programs you need a compatible chest strap that will automatically tell the exercise bike your heart rate. The bike will then automatically increase or decrease the resistance so that you don't exceed your target heart rate. This is really useful for anyone with a cardiac condition but also for everyone else it ensures that you're training safely and that you work harder only when your fitness allows.
Seat Padding Make sure that your exercise bike has a nice, comfortable padded seat. Do we really need to explain why??!!
Brand We promote the BH Fitness brand of exercise bikes on this site - they've been around as a company for over 100 years, have excellent after sales here in the UK, offer a great warranty on their products and have an excellent range of products.
Your Budget There is a huge price differential between the cheapest and most expensive exercise bikes on the market. Of course, the majority of expensive bikes will be made with stronger materials but don't ignore those bikes at a lower price. In fact it's really hard to justify why you'd need to spend more than about £600 to get a fantastic exercise bike. We'd avoid those bikes that are less than about £250 because the quality is often variable, the pedalling action is jerky and overall they're not great value for money.
