Are you looking for an effective indoor cardiovascular workout? How about an ideal workout solution that improves stamina and conditions your lower body without straining your back, knees and leg joints? If so, look no further than an exercise bike.

There are three main types of exercise bikes.

1) Upright-designed to look and ride like traditional outdoor bicycles allowing for riding while standing or in a racing position;

2) Recumbent- the rider is seated on a backrest with legs out in front, which offers greater comfort for users suffering from knee or back problems, and;

3) Semi-recumbent-a cross between an upright and recumbent, to allow easier mount and dismount (best for elderly or disabled users).

While some fitness experts recommend an upright or a recumbent models based on certain fitness goals, or physical limitations, most agree the decision is more of a matter of personal comfort than health benefit.

Exercise bikes cost within a range of $100 to $4000 for the bikes you’ll find at the health club. It is not necessary to spend this amount for a home-use bike. Rather, you should make a decision solely based on your personal needs. The following is a few criteria to keep in mind when looking for an exercise bike.

Resistance

Another option is a belt-driven fly-wheel, which essentially works like a traditional bicycle, except the wheel is made out of solid metal and weighs over 10 lbs. to provide a very smooth, stable ride. The Monark Energy 736 from Sweden features large flywheel controlled by a patented braking system that allows for both gradual resistance changes, but can also be used to stop immediately for the rider's convenience and safety.

Once you have begun pedaling, you can increase or decrease the resistance depending on you workout preferences. Most trainers recommend beginning with light resistance and then slowly increasing the resistance once your body has begun to warm up.

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Feedback

Monitor speed, distance, resistance level, heart rate, time, and calories burned at a glance with a model that comes with a heart-rate measurement device like the EKG grip pulse that comes with the Ironman 220u, and a computerized workout display. At the very least make sure to choose a unit that comes with a display that provides feedback on energy output, distance traveled, or strides per minute. Advanced models provide the user with a variety of preprogrammed workouts and the functionality to store data about past workouts. Note: The 220u from Ironman also comes with an impressive LED console, which displays speed, distance and calories burned, as well as 12 different workout profiles and 4 heart rate programs.

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Space

Bikes with many features are more likely to take up a lot of space. Make sure you have sufficient space for a comfortable, effective workout before you buy.

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Riding Tips

• Before starting, make sure your exercise bike is positioned so that all its moving parts are given safe clearance. This includes adequate room to safely mount and dismount the machine.
• Adjusting the bike to suit your body is critical to an effective workout. First, adjust the saddle keeping it parallel to the floor. If it’s pointed upwards, you risk putting pressure on your groin area, while if it’s pointed down, you could be placing too much weight on your arms and shoulders.
• When adjusting the saddle height, allow for a slight bend in your knee when the pedal is at the bottom of the stroke. Make sure your hips aren’t rocking back and forth when you pedal, which is caused by a ‘too-high’ saddle and leads to excess pressure in the groin region causing soreness or numbness.
• Adjust handlebars to allow for a comfortable forward-leaning position. Handlebars that are too high place too much pressure on your seat, while handlebars that are too low may result in lower back pain and upper torso fatigue.
• Be patient. Allow yourself several sessions and multiple readjustments before finding that perfect position. Avoid being one of the many people who stop cycling because of discomfort. Once you do, you can be assured many years of comfortable and challenging exercise.

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Buying Tips

The exercise bike you decide to buy should have a high build quality, a very stable construction and it's performance should be good as compared to the others in its price range.

When making your decision, be sure the weight limit is above the weight of the heaviest individual who may be using the elliptical and that the machine has the features you are looking for and the warranty and price are comfortable for you. If all those are true, you have found a good bike for yourself.

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