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by Editors of Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports tests nine exercise bikes in this update to their 2006 report, rating each on ease of use, ergonomics, exercise range, construction, heart-rate monitor and safety. Four upright and five… recumbent bikes are tested. Consumer Reports suggests that style is largely a matter of personal preference, but that people with back problems might benefit more from a recumbent model, which has a seatback to lean against.
by Editors of Which? magazine
The editors of the British magazine Which? test six exercise bikes (four upright, two recumbent) in this evaluation of fitness equipment. Ratings are based on suitability for intended use, convenience,… features, performance, construction, durability and safety. Though the models reviewed don't always have U.S. availability, the discussion of features can be helpful to any consumer considering an exercise bike purchase. The York Fitness Anniversary c201 (available only in the U.K.), Tunturi E30R and Roger Black Gold Bike (available only in the U.K.) each win a Best Buy rating.
by Editors of Exercise Equipment Review
Exercise-Equipment-Review.com covers some exercise bikes in addition to other gear. The site is written by Chad Davies, a test engineer, certified personal trainer and certified sports nutritionist. Davies,… along with his team of sport fitness and health experts, provide an overview of the differences between stationary and recumbent exercise bikes, as well as evaluate, review and recommend six models. They compare various features about the bikes but do not indicate if the equipment was actually tested. Several of the recommended exercise bikes have now been discontinued.
by Editors of Fitness-Events.com
Fitness-Events.com tests and reviews several brands of recumbent and upright exercise bikes from Schwinn, Life Cycle, Star Trac, Cybex and True. In addition to testing the bikes, they evaluate construction… and durability, ease of use, price, warranty and value. The overwhelming favorite brand is Schwinn, but their final assessment does not list the different features of the individual Schwinn models, nor do they do a detailed comparison of Schwinn with the other brands of exercise bikes mentioned. And while they specifically mention the Schwinn 230 and Schwinn 231 models, they also say the Schwinn Evolution and IC series line of spinner bikes are a hit, but they don't cite specific model numbers. It's unclear how often this website is updated, however.
by Jennifer L. DeLeo
Jennifer L. DeLeo discusses 10 bike accessories including two high-tech exercise bikes. For users who are searching for a bike with something extra to keep them going when the going gets boring, there's the… Cateye Gamebike (now the Gamebike GB200), which plugs into a PS2, PS3, GameCube or PC and works best with racing or driving games. The other exercise bike featured is the $5,000 Expresso S2u (now the Expresso S3) which includes a 17-inch monitor and built-in TV tuner. In addition, there are 30 virtual courses and resistance pedals. This article doesn't provide any details on how the featured items were chosen.
by Contributors to Amazon.com
Amazon.com features dozens of reviews for a handful of exercise bikes. The comments are detailed and specific in discussing the features users either enjoy or find difficult. Some of the models are… discontinued or in limited supply, but even the comments on those items can be useful, since they bring to light some of the issues that can arise when an exercise bike is either poorly designed or hard to use for some other reason. Among those bikes receiving some of the highest ratings from consumers are the Marcy PL-43211 Upright Magnetic Bike, the Schwinn 230, the Schwinn Airdyne Upright Exercise Bike, and the Schwinn 230 and 231 recumbent bikes.
by Contributors to Buzzillions.com
Buzzillions.com collects reviews from a number of retailers, combines the numeric ratings and pins each product with an average score. Some of the exercise bikes listed here get a large number of reviews,… mainly culled from Wal-Mart and online sporting-goods stores. The Schwinn 230 gets a rating of 4.4 stars out of 5 from nearly 100 owners, for example. However, almost all of the bikes listed here get a very similar average rating, so it's impossible to tell from the rating alone which exercise bikes might be better overall.
by Roy M. Wallack
This article features several bikes but offers no basis for comparison, and doesn't discuss how testing -- if any -- was done for the piece. The article is interesting for its notes on more recent and… unusual bikes to come to the market. The piece focuses mainly on trainers and rollers that allow you to use your own bike in order to bike indoors. One -- the Inside Ride E-Motion Rollers -- is actually hundreds of dollars more (*est. $795) than some modestly priced exercise bikes, and that's even before you buy a conventional bicycle to use with it. A somewhat conventional exercise bike, the Expresso Fitness S2u (now the Expresso S3) features an LCD screen that pits the user against interactive courses and races.
by Melissa Daly
This article doesn't compare cardio equipment in any formal way. Rather, the writer talks to experts (mainly TreadmillDoctor.com's Jon Stevenson) about what features to look for in a treadmill, elliptical… trainer, rowing machine and exercise bike. Daly says you can find a good bike for $300 to $500 and that they don't usually need much service compared to other types of equipment. Recumbent bikes in general are recommended. Stevenson advises getting a model with a heart rate control that automatically shifts resistance to keep you in the fat-burning zone. The Epic 420R is noted as the editor's pick, but no particular reasons are given.
by Contributors to Sears.com
by Contributors to Walmart.com
Walmart.com has a fair selection of exercise bikes. While few have received comments, those models that have, feature detailed user reviews that list both pros and cons. The Marcy PL-43211… Magnetic-Resistance Upright Exercise Bike, Gold's Gym Power Spin 210 Upright Bike, Weslo Pursuit U30 Upright Bike and Marcy PL-43231 Magnetic Resistance Recumbent Bike maintain the highest average scores among users who post their comments here. In particular, the Marcy model is praised for delivering excellent ease of use for a very reasonable price, though many complain the seat is too hard to be comfortable over a long workout.
by Contributors to Exercise Bike Review
by Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
Consumer Guide posts eight reviews of different exercise bikes, but they're just lists of features next to a rating system that's never explained. There's also no information about how testing - if any - is… actually done to determine the ratings. While this site selects five bikes as Best Buys, there's little in the way of supporting evidence to show why a product has been given that award. Most of the reviews of recommended bikes date back to several years ago, and as a result, many of the models chosen are discontinued.
by Contributors to Epinions.com
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