The most important features
All exercise bikes will improve your fitness, but there’s a huge range of features to add to your enjoyment. Use this list of features to decide what’s best for your lifestyle.
There are two main types – uprights and recumbents. Upright exercise bikes are like a normal bicycle: you sit on a saddle and lean forward as you pedal. On recumbent fitness bikes you lean back and ‘put your back into it’. (You may also hear about ‘semi-recumbents’, with the rider’s position halfway between an upright and a recumbent, and ‘combination’ bikes which can convert into rowing machines.) Here's a guide to the different parts of an exercise bike.
Defining the parts
An upright exercise bike (the most common kind) has the same riding position as a normal bike. You sit in a raised position with your legs slightly in front, and lean forward to grip the handlebars.
A recumbent exercise bike has a lean-back riding position with a padded backrest, which is more comfortable if you’re pedalling for a long time or recovering from knee/back injuries.
A heart rate monitor detects your pulse, usually through touching the grips of the exercise bike, so you can see how hard your heart’s working. Remember, the most effective heart rate for most people while exercising is about 70-80% of maximum.
Magnetic resistance pedalling motion uses magnets to create ‘drag’ as you pedal, giving you a harder workout. Most exercise bikes come with several levels of resistance and can combine them in programmes.
The display is an LCD digital readout giving you useful information – your cycling speed, total distance travelled, time and so on. The console controls, usually surrounding the display, let you switch the display to the numbers you’re most interested in and enter or change the programme.
Programmes/progs
Programmes give you a planned workout based on total distance you want to reach or total time you want to work out for. Different programmes may include varying speeds or hills to add variety. Example programmes include Alpine Pass, Time Trial, and Hill Climb.
What's on the display?
Some of the numbers on an exercise bike’s display are confusing. Here’s a key.
| WHAT THE DISPLAY SAYS | WHAT IT MEANS |
|---|---|
| Speed | The speed you’d be moving at if you were putting in the same effort on a real bike |
| Time | The time since your workout started, or your time per lap, or your target time – most machines give you a choice |
| Calories | Estimated amount of calories you’ve burnt off since starting |
| Distance | Total distance travelled or distance left to go on a programme |
| Pulse/heartrate | Your current heartrate, measured through hand grips, a chest strap, or earlobe clip |
| Motivation | Encouraging messages displayed to keep you going strong |
| Elevation | Estimated ‘height’ you’ve reached on a hill-climbing programme, simulated by greater resistance to your pedalling |
| Cadence | The number of times a minute you’re spinning the pedals. This measure is very important for cyclists – a steady 80rpm is a good target to aim for. |
A note on riding position
A good riding position is really important, so look for adjustable seat height and position, and adjustable handlebars if your arms are a bit shorter or longer than average.
When you’re sitting on the exercise bike with a pedal at its lowest point, your leg should point almost straight down with a slight bend at the knee. The handlebars should be within easy reach without having to strain forward. Ideally, while pedalling at speed you should feel your weight is evenly distributed between saddle, pedals, and bars.
When pedalling, try to pedal in smooth circles rather than ‘pushing’ when your foot’s ahead then letting the other foot take over. This is the best way to tone your muscles without injury, and also the best way to ride a real bike.
All exercise bikes are different, so check you know which features
you need. With that done, let's choose your machine: Choosing the right exercise bike
Argos guide to exercise bikes
- Know your exercise bikes
- Features to look for in an exercise bike
- Choosing the right exercise bike
- Confused? Try the Jargon Buster