Best Exercise Bikes

Best exercise bikes, budget to luxury

There are two main types of exercise bikes. Upright bikes are pretty much how they sound -- you sit upright in the saddle as you would on a normal bike, and your feet extend down to the pedals. You reach forward to grasp the handlebars. Recumbent bikes, however, don't have a traditional bike seat. Rather, you get a fuller seat pad with a back pad, which gives you some back support. Your legs extend out in front of you to reach the pedals. Experts say it's really a matter of personal preference as to which type you prefer, but because of their back pad, many people find recumbent bikes more comfortable. Recumbent bikes usually cost more.

Compared to other cardio equipment like treadmills and elliptical trainers, exercise bikes in general cost a lot less. We found solid reviews for some very inexpensive bikes. You'd never find a quality treadmill for $150, but you can find a decent exercise bike.

For example, theMarcy PL-43211 Upright Magnetic Resistance Bike (*Est. $145) and the Marcy PL-43231 Recumbent Magnetic Resistance Bike (*Est. $195) are very popular with users at several sites, including Amazon.com and Walmart.com. Amazon.com users say the recumbent model is a great bargain, although a bit difficult to assemble. Some users, however, complain that you get what you pay for and that durability is a problem. At Walmart.com, nearly 300 owners praise the upright model for its low price. Overall, the bike met or exceeded their expectations, even though many found the seat to be uncomfortable. Some owners reported shipping and wear problems that included broken parts, frames with dents or marred paint, loose wires and jammed resistance belts. Given these comments, customers may want to check out these bikes in person, or at least carefully check warranty and exchange policies before they buy.

Two other inexpensive exercise bikes with above-average reviews are the recumbent ProForm GR 80 (*Est. $180) and the upright Phoenix 99605 (*Est. $180). The ProForm bike receives a solid average rating from nearly 25 users at Sears.com, with 80 percent saying they would recommend the bike to a friend. Owners say the ProForm GR 80 is a great basic bike, with four programs, a grip pulse sensor and a target pacer to let you know if you are in your optimal workout heart rate zone. Owners who aren't happy with it report durability issues or noisy rattles.

The Phoenix 99605, an upright bike, receives high marks from Exercise Equipment Review, especially for its price and light weight, which makes it easier to move around. The Phoenix does not, however, fair as well with the three users who post comments at Amazon.com, two of whom said they were dissatisfied due to its poor construction.

For a bit more money, Schwinn exercise bikes are reviewed most often and garner the largest number of consistent positive reviews, with testers and owners saying that Schwinn gives the best value for the money. The manufacturer makes a full line of exercise bikes -- upright, recumbent and "spin" exercise bikes (used mainly in guided health-club classes) -- with prices beginning at about $200 and ranging upwards of $1,300 for their top-end spin exercise bike.

The Schwinn 130 Upright (*Est. $350) is recommended in one large comparison review, where it receives excellent ratings for its ease of use and construction. The Schwinn 130 Upright has 12 programs, a grip heart-rate sensor and an LCD display that includes distance, speed, calories and resistance. The user weight limit is 300 pounds. For about $100 more, you can upgrade to the Schwinn 131 Upright (*Est. $450), which has 23 programs and a blue blacklit LCD display. The warranty for both bikes is 10 years for the frame, one year for mechanical and electric, six months for wear items and 90 days for labor.

Owners at Amazon.com agree with reviewers, and most consider the Schwinn 130 Upright and Schwinn 131 Upright to be good values. The bikes are easy to assemble and quiet, although several users do not consider the bikes to be well suited for heavy training or for people over 6 feet tall. A common complaint among owners of both models was damaged parts due to sub-par packaging and rough handling. Consequently, owners had to return the bikes or request replacement parts.

The Schwinn 230 (*Est. $450) andSchwinn 231 (*Est. $550) recumbent bikes perform well and receive high marks for value from reviewers. Owners also seem very happy with the products. Both models have 16 resistance levels, hand-grip heart-rate sensors and a 300-pound weight capacity. The Schwinn 231 comes equipped with more programs than the Schwinn 230 -- 23 compared to 12 -- and a backlit LCD display. The warranty for these bikes is the same as for the upright models.

Chad Davies of Exercise Equipment Review says the comfort and convenience of the Schwinn 230 set it apart from its competitors. He says its operation is "unusually quiet," allowing you to watch TV while exercising. Both the 230 and 231 are the top choices of bodybuilders and fitness experts at Fitness-Events.com, who praise Schwinn bikes for price, reliability and customer service. Even though the Schwinn 231 ranked last among the recumbent bikes in a major comparison test, it nonetheless received very good or excellent ratings for comfort and ease of use.

Owners are big fans of the Schwinn 231, which receives 85 reviews at Amazon, while the Schwinn 230 receives twice as many. Both exercise bikes get above-average reviews, with many owners saying these are great products for the money. Still, both bikes receive a few complaints, mostly about breakable plastic parts, poor packing in shipping and repair warranty issues.

Although it's not mentioned in many other reviews, an article on cardio equipment at Money magazine highlights the Epic 420R recumbent bike (*Est. $500), which also has a heart-rate monitor to keep you in your target heart rate zone. Chad Davies of Exercise Equipment Review recommends the upright Reebok RT 245 (*Est. $700), which he says comes closest to what you would find in a commercial gym bike. The RT 245 has eight preprogrammed workouts, a heart-rate pulse grip and target-pacing coach. Most notably, it is iFit compatible, which allows you to design and download custom workouts from software programs and the Internet.

Among high-end bikes, there are a number of reviews but little duplication of the models tested. As a result, there's not a clear cut favorite as with the budget and mid-priced models. Owners in general seem so happy with bikes costing less than $1,000 that it might not make sense to pay more. If you're heavier than 250 pounds or so, you might appreciate the extra stability of a heavier, more expensive bike. And if you plan to use it as part of a serious training plan, you might appreciate the extra programs and controls. You'll also get a longer warranty.

The recumbent Spirit XBR25 (*Est. $1,200) is well-reviewed by one major testing organization. It has 20 resistance levels, eight programs, a backlit LCD console, a 16-position adjustable seat and a 350-pound weight limit. The bike has a low step-through design that fits a wide range of users, and a chest-strap heart-rate monitor is included. The warranty for the Spirit XBR25 is also a bit more generous than other manufacturers' warranties: lifetime for the frame and resistance brake, five years for parts and one year for labor.

Life Fitness, maker of the Lifecycle line of exercise bikes, has several models that rate highly in reviews. The Lifecycle R3 recumbent (*Est. $2,000) ranks high in a major comparison test, and the Lifecycle R9i recumbent (*Est. $3,000) is among the highest ranked at Exercise Bike Review.

The Lifecycle products are club-quality exercise bikes and packed with features. The R1 and R3 are the most basic models and can be customized with your choice of workout console. The basic console has 20 levels of resistance and five preprogrammed workouts. For a few hundred dollars more, you can invest in the advanced console that has 10 preprogrammed workouts and a Polar heart rate monitor with included wireless chest strap (which reviewers agree is more accurate than hand grip pulse monitors). The R9i bike and console are based on the Lifecycle health club model, with 19 workout programs and the Polar chest strap heart rate monitor. The R1 must be plugged in, but the R3 and R9i are powered by pedaling so they don't require cords or outlets. The bikes have some of the highest weight capacities among stationary bikes (300 pounds for the R1, 400 pounds for R3 and R9i). Life Fitness offers a lifetime warranty on the frame, five years on the alternator, three years on parts and one year for labor.

Testers at U.K.'s Which? magazine chose the Tunturi E30R (*Est. $1,000) recumbent exercise bike as their Best Buy. It scores near the top in almost all categories ranging from ease of programming, ease of assembly and ease of use, to comfort, display accuracy and durability. The E30R exercise bike has 23 programs (12 preset), tilting handlebars, a soft, ergonomic two-part seat and a heart-rate monitor. Which? magazine likes the E30R for its comfort, especially the ability to easily adjust the seat and handlebars. The 15-year warranty for the frame and three-year warranty for parts (with one year labor) are also praised by the magazine's editors. The testers did, however, say that assembly instructions could be a bit clearer.

We did not find many user reviews for the Lifecycle or Tunturi bikes tested by Exercise Bike Review or Which? magazine, respectively. However, two owners of the Tunturi E60R (*Est. $1,700) recumbent model posted comments at Buzzillions.com. The E60R is a step up from the E30R, with 32 resistance levels, 120 programs (10 preset), a software-compatible monitor and a 300-pound weight capacity. The bike also comes with the same warranty as the E30R. Both owners are pleased with the E60R for its ease of use, comfort and especially its quietness, although one mentioned some difficulties with assembly.