SKIP TO: What are the benefits of exercise bikes? | What’s the difference between a stationary bike and an exercise bike? | What kind of console do exercise bikes use? | Are the seat and handlebars adjustable? | Should I get an exercise bike or treadmill? | What extras should I look out for? | What’s the difference between a spin bike and an exercise bike? | Is it okay to use an exercise bike every day? | Which exercise bike is good for losing belly fat
What are the benefits of exercise bikes?
To take you back to school briefly: the benefits of cardio are manifold. Just like anything else that raises your heart rate — going for a run in your favourite running trainers, doing yoga on a stand-up paddle board — working out on an exercise bike gets the blood pumping, contributing to heart health as well as improving posture, lifting mood and burning calories. Regular use will see your fitness improve, especially if you’re rotating slower recovery rides with high-intensity sessions or hill climbs. We recommend weaving your new bike routine into a different form of exercise — dumbbell lifting, for example — for even more noticeable results.
What’s the difference between a stationary bike and an exercise bike?
You might have previously thought of the two as interchangeable, but there are in fact some small differences between stationary bikes and exercise bikes. While both are certainly stationary, the former (also sometimes known as an upright exercise bike) encourages an upright position reminiscent of a cruiser bike. It often has wider, padded seating and encourages a chair-like posture. An exercise bike, on the other hand, is what you might also call a spin bike. Mimicking the feel and position of a racing road bike, these are the kind you find in your local Soul Cycle or Psycle studio.
What kind of console do exercise bikes use?
A simple LCD screen will come with any exercise bike you choose, no matter how wallet-friendly. These are the kind that you see in cheaper commercial gyms: the ones that have simple programmes to follow and which track time and distance elapsed and calories burned. At higher budgets, you will find something altogether more swish: HD touchscreens are becoming increasingly common among some of our favourite exercise bike brands, plenty of which come with their own apps filled with virtual training sessions. Most also include media hubs for streaming Netflix or scrolling Instagram while you pedal. Look for Bluetooth or ANT+ connectivity for connecting to other fitness trackers/apps too.
Are the seat and handlebars adjustable?
Most exercise bikes — and indeed, every one on this list — will allow for seat and handlebar adjustment. It’s a feature that not only makes your ride a more comfortable and safe one, but allows for all members of your family to have a go.
Should I get an exercise bike or treadmill?
The question of which piece of exercise equipment to go for really depends on which you think you will engage with the most. While running’s high impact to knees and ankles can lead some to favour exercise bikes, there is little to differentiate the two when it comes to fundamentals: keeping fit, burning calories and feeling energised. The answer? If you’re more likely to persist with workouts on the exercise bike than the treadmill, it’s certainly the preferable option.
A built-in water bottle holder is a must, while tablet holders are a nice-to-have – especially for those looking at models without their own touchscreens. For ease of moving around your space, we also recommend looking out for wheels and foldable functionality.
What’s the difference between a spin bike and an exercise bike?
Spin bikes — the kind that you find in cycle studios in gyms around the world — are built to replicate the feeling and challenge of riding on a real road bike. Heavier flywheels mean that forward momentum gathers with speed and dropped handlebars allow you to pedal as the professionals do. Often, these high intensity machines also come with clip-in pedals so that cycling shoes can be worn while training. Many serious cycling enthusiasts use spin bikes to supplement their road training. Exercise bikes, on the other hand, are generally more comfortable affairs, though opportunity for calorie burning is still more than ripe. It’s up to you which you think will suit your fitness needs best.
Is it okay to use an exercise bike every day?
While you might suffer sore unmentionables if you go hard on your new exercise bike every single day, there’s no harm in daily workouts so long as you’re measured about it. It’s always best to give yourself rest days, but if you’re supplementing tough hill climbs and intense HIIT sessions with gentle recovery rides, you should be A-ok.
Which exercise bike is good for losing belly fat?
If only it were that easy. You will certainly lose belly fat if you combine your exercise bike sessions with sensible eating and a largely healthy lifestyle, but there is no piece of gym equipment on earth that will target certain areas specifically. Instead, regular exercise and a mostly healthy diet (helped along by healthy meal delivery services, perhaps?) should result in fat loss, which will inevitably include your stomach. Genetics, diet, stress levels, sleep schedule and other factors all have something to do with it, but stick to a sensible calorie deficit in conjunction with your bike workouts and you should eventually see a difference.
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