Exercise Bikes

Upright vs. recumbent exercise bikes

There are two main types of exercise bikes: upright and recumbent. An upright exercise bike looks like a regular road bike, with a vertical orientation. On a recumbent bike the rider is seated against a backrest, with legs out in front. Experts differ about the comparative health benefits of upright vs. recumbent exercise bikes. Most like recumbent bikes for their comfort and ease of use, especially for people with back pain or those who are new to exercise, but some fitness experts also point out that recumbent bikes encourage a slower, less intense workout.

Upright bikes allow for more movement, such as riding while standing or in a racing position, which can be harder on your back. Overall, most reviewers agree that the upright vs. recumbent choice is more a matter of personal comfort than health benefit. Most exercise bike manufacturers will offer both styles of bike in any one series, with the recumbent models fetching a higher price. It's a good idea to try out a bike in a store to ascertain whether an upright bike or a recumbent is most comfortable for you. You may also want to consult with a fitness and/or medical professional about your goals and the machines you're considering for purchase.

The biggest news in stationary bikes is the attempt of manufacturers to fuse biking technology with video gaming technology to keep workouts exciting for users. Many bikes have preprogrammed workouts for variety, and the bike-based option of spinning (where you go on a virtual ride with an instructor and a room full of classmates) has become popular at gyms. The Cateye Gamebike (*est. $350) plugs into a PS2, PS3, GameCube or PC and works best with racing or driving games. It can be used with over 40 different racing games, but instead of sitting on the couch with a hand controller, the player controls on-screen action by riding the bike. The Gamebike is even being used in some school physical education classes to help combat childhood obesity.

The Spark (*est. $5,000) by Expresso Fitness Corp. was a bike with the same idea. The Spark (now discontinued) had a built-in TV, Internet connection and music channels, along with competitive virtual riding courses complete with opponents and scenery. Walter S. Mossberg and Katherine Boehret of The Wall Street Journal said the Spark makes indoor biking interesting and challenging, but they also offered the caveat that most of the virtual courses are too difficult for "the average, out-of-shape users who need it the most." The successor to the Spark is the Expresso S2u (*est. $5,000 and another *est. $225 for installation), which has a 17-inch monitor and built-in TV tuner. In addition to that, there are 30 virtual courses and resistance levels.

Best exercise bikes

Life Fitness exercise bikes are rated highly in reviews, especially the Life Fitness C3-5 upright (*est. $1,700) and its recumbent equivalent, the Life Fitness R3-5 (*est. $2,000). Both club-quality exercise bikes are packed with features, including 20 levels of resistance, ten preprogrammed workouts, and a Polar heart rate monitor with included wireless chest strap. Both Life Fitness exercise bikes are powered by pedaling, so you don't have to plug them in, and both bikes have the highest weight capacity we found among stationary bikes (400 pounds). 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 Which? magazine rate the higher-end Life Fitness C7i as a Best Buy, saying this exercise bike is good for everyone "from unfit beginners to serious exercisers." The body position is described as "so comfortable that it's like sitting in an armchair. The C7i has since been upgraded to the Life Fitness C9i (*est. $2,400) , and its new recumbent equivalent is the Life Fitness R9i (*est. $2,900) . If you're serious about sticking with an exercise-bike-based fitness regimen, these two exercise bikes are worth a test spin, but we also found good reviews for much less expensive exercise bikes.

Fitness experts say that recumbent bikes are especially suitable for people with back pain or for those new to exercising. The Nautilus NR 2000 (*est. $1,300) has a height of 44 inches, ten inches lower than the Life Fitness R3-5 exercise bike above, making it easier to step over for mounting and dismounting. Another plus for new exercisers (and an option that's becoming more common on other bikes) is the heart rate control feature that automatically adjusts intensity to keep you in your target heart rate zone. The Nautilus exercise bike has 16 resistance levels and ten preprogrammed workouts. This Nautilus bike has a 300-pound weight capacity. Like Life Fitness above, Nautilus offers a lifetime frame warranty, ten years for parts, and one year for labor. You'll have to position the Nautilus NR 2000 exercise bike near a standard outlet, though, since it needs to be plugged in to power the display.

Schwinn has been making bicycles since the late 1800s, and it comes as no surprise that they're such a prominent player in the stationary exercise bike field. According to reviews, the Schwinn 230 recumbent (*est. $450) performs well, but for much less than the Life Fitness bikes. The Schwinn 230 has a 300-pound weight capacity, 16 resistance levels, ten programs and hand-grip heart rate sensors, which reviews say aren't as accurate as a chest strap, like that on the Life Fitness above. Schwinn's warranty is also much shorter: ten years on the frame, one-year mechanical/electrical, six-month wear items and only 90 days labor. Reviewers say warranties indicate how long you can expect your exercise equipment to last. If you're planning to give your bike heavy use, you're better off choosing a more durable model. Still, this bike gets high marks for the money, and owners seem very happy with it.

We've highlighted Tunturi exercise bikes in past reports, and this company is still popular among some reviewers. The upright Tunturi F330 (*est. $600) is smooth and quiet, according to Which? magazine, although testers here note that the seat and handlebars are too close together. The F330 exercise bike has a hand-grip heart rate monitor and manually adjusted magnetic resistance. The Tunturi exercise bike doesn't have any programs, and at 245 pounds, the weight capacity is lower than any of the above models. Interestingly, Tunturi has upgraded their warranty since our last report. Where they used to offer a two-year warranty, which could be extended to three years with registration, they now offer 15 years on the frame plus one year of additional coverage on parts with online registration.

Scott Bissaillion of BuildingMuscle101.com recommends the ProForm CrossTrainer 55 recumbent bike (*est. $450) as the best bike in its price range because of two unique features: the seat converts to a weightlifting bench with a small weight rack underneath, and this bike has iFit technology, like the NordicTrack above, which allows you to download workouts from the Internet. Unfortunately this popular bike has been discontinued.

Although it's not mentioned in many other reviews, a recent article on cardio equipment at Money magazine highlights the Epic 420R recumbent bike (*est. $500) , which also has a heart rate control feature to keep you in your target heart rate zone.

For those looking for a bargain in an exercise bike, the Marcy Recumbent Magnetic Bike (*est. $155) and the Marcy PL-43211 Upright Exercise Bike (*est. $100) are popular with users at several sites including Amazon.com. Amazon.com users say the recumbent model is easy to assemble and a great bargain for the price. Some users, however, complain that you get what you pay for and that durability is a problem. WalMart.com users compliment the upright model for its low price, but some complain it didn't work reliably after several months of use. 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.

Important Features: Exercise bikes

Experts say to look for the following features in an exercise bike:

• Upright and recumbent bikes should adjust to the height of any user easily and quickly. The seat should be comfortable, and on a recumbent model, the back should feel fully supported. Pedals should be wide, with a strap to keep your feet in place.

• If you have small children in the house, you should look for a shrouded wheel and chain so tiny fingers can't get pinched. Enclosed mechanics will cut down on dust and noise as well.

• You should be able to reach and read the monitor easily, since you'll want to be able to adjust resistance as you ride. Even the least expensive models should display distance, speed, time, calories burned and resistance level. There should still be enough space between the seat and handles to easily get on and off.

• The heavier the bike, the more stable the bike, but it should have casters so you can move it easily.

• A heart rate monitor is a nice option, as it allows you to pace yourself for optimal fat burning or cardio levels. On more expensive machines, look for a cordless chest strap, which is more accurate than a hand-grip monitor. Less expensive exercise bikes may have an optional chest strap or simple, hand-grip sensors.

• Look for at least a one-year warranty that includes labor. Most offer longer warranties on parts and frame, but the labor warranty is important since a technician will generally need to come to your home for service.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model (with Retailer Links)
3	Expresso S2u (*est. $5,000 and another *est. $225 for installation)
2	Lifecycle C3-5 (*est. $1,700)
2	Schwinn 213(*est. $450)
1 each	Schwinn 113 (discontinued), Lifecycle R3-5, Fitness C7i (discontinued), Horizon Fitness BSC150 Upright (UK only), NordicTrack SL728 (discontinued), Cateye Gamebike , Schwinn DX900 Upright (discontinued), Expresso Spark (discontinued), CardioTrainer 55 (discontinued), Nautilus NR2000 Recumbent , Schwinn 230 Recumbent Exercise Bike , Stamina 15-4600A Magnetic Resistance Recumbent Bike , Schwinn Airdyne Upright Exercise Bike , Marcy Recumbent Magnetic Bike , Cadence 80 by Weslo, ProForm XP 110 R, Schwinn 202 Recumbent Exercise Bike, Marcy Magnetic-Resistance Upright Exercise Bike , Fitness Quest Edge 482 Upright Bike , Gold's Gym Power Spin 210 Upright Bike, Epic 420R

Recommendations for exercise bikes are all over the map, mostly because Consumer Reports and Which? magazine don't test the same models. But reviewers do agree that club-quality bikes like Life Fitness offer the best stability and features. The Life Fitness C3-5 and R3-5 are upright and recumbent versions of the same bike. Even so, we found lots of owner recommendations and expert reviews for the Schwinn series of exercise bikes, which are much less expensive.

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