Am I the only one with a room in my house devoted to exercise gear, and yet,haven’t stepped foot in it in an embarrassing amount of time?
To be fair, that is the same room where I’ve keep my second-grade participation trophy for bowling. So, the room is quite filled.
It’s time to clean out that room and make some space. You’ve thought about it, looking here and there, to find the next piece of workout machinery to baptizein your sweaty hard work.
Looking for something practical, something fun, maybe easy on the joints, a bit more compact than a treadmill. Then it hits you…
BOOM…Exercise bike.
We all just got flashback toall the infomercials, newspaper ads, and internet pop-ups.
But, how will you know what you want? Or what to look for?
That’s where I come in.
I’m here to help. I’ve done some research to help you narrow your search down.
Use these factors as a guide to find your perfect match.
Price/Quality
You’ve probably heard dozens of time in your life, “you get what pay for”.Referring to, the cheaper the goods(product) the lesser the quality.
The goal here is to balance the two.
Have a “ball-park” range in mind when searching. By eliminating the non-contenders, it clears up the more suitable options that fit into your price range.
Finding an exercise bike that not only fits into your budget, yet will be durable enough to last, is the dream.
These bikes can range on the low side, as little as $200 USD, and on the higher side, over $1,500 USD.
Type
Think about the style of bike you’d prefer.
The two major types of exercise bikes you’ll come across are, upright (stationary), and recumbent (paddle-boat style).
They’re both an entirely different experience, but will produce about the same results. The only difference you’ll come across is pricing.
There are plenty of great sites out there, one in particular, https://bikeindoor.com/, gives great reviews, even detailed pros and cons lists with many popular choices from both ends of the spectrum.
It boils down to comfort, more than anything. It’s a matter of what will you will continually want to ride.
Weight
Weight is important in more than one regard when talking exercise bikes.
On one hand, make sure you know the actual weight of the bike itself. These bikes, ranging in a multitude of sizes and lengths, will all have varying weights. Be attentive before you buy.
You wouldn’t want to buy a bike and be happy and excited for it, then when it gets delivered you realize its 300 pounds and you can’t even manage to move it, right?
It’s a silly oversight, that many do make.
The second, is accounting for the bikes weight limit. The number of measured weight the bike can support of its rider.
Although most bikes have weight limits of 275 pounds or more, there are some that should will need to find a more stable bike suitable to their starting needs.
Features
It’s important to be comfortable when you’re working out. Nobody wants to feel pain, or awkward. Which can in fact happen if your bike doesn’t have the right features.
“Key features you should strongly look for are,” adds Recreation Program Leader Piyush Shah:
- Adjustable height, taller and short people will appreciate this.
- Pedals, whether it’s a click in, or strap, assures your feet don’t slip.
- Seat, comfort for lengthy action is crucial. Nothing will make you want to quit faster, then an uncomfortable seat.
- Excessive noise, preferring a stealthier to loud bike is up solely to the rider, but music or television fans may prefer stealth here.
- Heart Rate Monitor, keeping track of healthy ranges of your heart goes a long way in finding you zone for peak performance and weight loss.
Warranties
Personally, I wouldn’t be attracted to a product that had a short warranty, no matter its price. I would want to know I’m buying a product the company has good faith in, that will last years, not days.
When looking at the best exercise bikes for you, keep in mind of the company’s warranty.
Always prefer lengthier warranties, even though lengthier warranties are more common with higher priced products.
At the very least, when warranty hunting, look to capitalize on minimal warranties, that factor in labor, or replacement parts as part of the warranty.
Safety
Where you choose to keep your exercise, bike is even more important than you may think.
It’s very easy for a curious pet, or a brazen child to have an accident on or around your bike. It’s something nobody wants to have happen.
But, it’s preventable.
All bikes are unique in their design, but options like an enclosed base, that houses all its components, make accidents with gears, chains, fans, preventable.
Be careful on selecting a design that can account for decreased accidents.
Here are the tools to guide you on your search for your soulmate of exercise bikes. They’re not hard to follow, and through each step, more and more unfit choices will be slashed away.
You will go from thousands of options to possibly a dozen or so.
You’ve got to admit, it’s much easier to choose from a dozen, than a couple of thousand, isn’t it?
You just smiled a bit. You know I’m right.
Searching shouldn’t be hassle, or battle. It’s about you finding what you want. Not settling, or buying something you’ll end up hating.
Keep these tips in mind in your search and I promise you, you will find exactly what you’re looking for.
