Exercise Bikes Reviews

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Exercise Bikes Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Exercise Bikes Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Exercise bikes offer a safer ride Editors of Consumer Reports Feb. 2006		Consumer Reports tests eight exercise bikes in this update to their 1996 report, rating each on ease of use, ergonomics, exercise range and build quality. Three upright and five recumbent bikes are tested. The suggestion is made 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.

Exercise Bikes Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Exercise Bikes Ratings Comments on Reviews

2. Which.co.uk >> Details/Subscribe	Exercise Machines Editors of Which.co.uk May 1, 2007		The editors of the British Which? Online test seven upright exercise bikes 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 Horizon Fitness BSC150 and Life Fitness Lifecycle C7i each win a Best Buy rating. Editors say the Nautilus NB 1000 has an uncomfortable, "oddly positioned" seat, and the Tunturi F330's seat and handlebars are too close together.
3. Choice.com.au >> Details/Subscribe	Home Fitness Equipment Editors of Choice.com.au Sept. 2005		While this article doesn't make specific recommendations, it's definitely worth a look for some of the advice it gives about several different kinds of exercise equipment, as well as how to determine if an exercise bike is the right choice for you.
4. Los Angeles Times >> Details/Subscribe	Go ahead, spin your wheels Roy M. Wallack Jan. 14, 2008		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 with them in order to bike indoors. One – the Inside Ride E-Motion Rollers – is actually hundreds more (est. $795) than some more 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 (est. $4,995 and another *est. $225 for installation) – features an LCD screen that pits the user against interactive courses and races.
5. Money Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Burn Calories, Not Cash Melissa Daly Jan. 2008		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.
6. PC Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Bike Tech: 10 Gadgets for the Ultimate Ride Jennifer L. DeLeo July 30, 2007		Though this article doesn't provide any means of comparison or exact details on how the featured items were chosen, presumably a tech-savvy magazine is focused on recommending the latest and most advanced items. 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 (est. $350), which plugs into a PS2, PS3, GameCube or PC and works best with racing or driving games. The article points out that this bike was supposedly designed by orthopedic surgeons who were concerned about the growing number of obese children. The other exercise bike featured is the Expresso S2u (est. $4,995 and another *est. $225 for installation) which is most certainly not priced for most budgets but does have a 17-inch monitor and built-in TV tuner. In addition to that, there are 30 virtual courses and resistance pedals.
7. Entrepreneur Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	From Gamer to Gym Rat Geoff Williams Jan. 3, 2008		This article discusses the trend among some exercise equipment manufacturers to incorporate gaming technologies in order to make exercise less boring. While there isn't much comparison between different exercise bikes here, it may be that this type of bike is so new there aren't many out there to compare to one another. The only model mentioned is the Expresso S2u, which is given some positive remarks from fitness consultants.

Exercise Bikes Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Exercise Bikes Ratings Comments on Reviews

8. Bloomberg.com	Flabby Kids Put Perspiration Into 'Exergaming' Software Niche Vivek Shankar Sept. 26, 2007		This trend piece doesn't recommend individual machines, but it's an excellent source of information about the next wave of home exercise equipment, which will most likely incorporate gaming technologies to keep working out from getting dull. Companies like Expresso and GameRunner Inc. are mentioned, as well as a variety of gaming options for the home exerciser – ranging from the previously mentioned S2u to treadmills and programs that allow the user to feel like they are boxing with an opponent.
9. About.com	Selecting and Effectively Using a Stationary Bicycle Elizabeth Quinn July 19, 2005		This article gives excellent background information for those new to exercise bikes, as well as great refresher information to those who've used them before reading the piece. No specific brands or models are recommended, but the criteria suggested for selection – which include selecting a model that's appropriately stable and that has available replacement parts if needed – are helpful. (Note that ConsumerSearch and About.com are owned by the same parent company.)
10. WebMD.com	Fitness Basics: The Exercise Bike Is Back Barbara Russi Sarnataro Mar. 17, 2006		This article doesn't make specific recommendations about which models to buy, but it does go a long way toward helping a consumer interested in beginning or supplementing a home fitness program decide what kind of exercise bike is right for them – or even if an exercise bike will help them meet their goals. Issues considered are whether to buy an upright or recumbent bike, as well as the practical considerations imposed by available space in one's home or apartment.
11. All Things Digital	Test-Riding a $5,000 Indoor Bike Walter S. Mossberg and Katherine Boehret Feb. 1, 2006		Wall Street Journal writers Walter S. Mossberg and Katherine Boehret describe the newest interactive exercise bike, the Spark (*est. $5,000) made by Expresso Fitness Corp. The Spark has a built-in TV, Internet connection and music channels, along with competitive virtual riding courses complete with opponents and 3-D scenery. The Spark is rated tops for making indoor biking interesting, but the caveat is made that most of the virtual courses are too difficult for average riders.
12. Building Muscle101.com	Exercise bike review for buying and using the best exercise bike Blake Bissaillion Not Dated		Weight lifter Blake Bissaillion maintains this site. He claims that he's not "a doctor of medicine, nutritionist, or certified personal trainer," but just someone "who loves the feeling of a great workout." Reviews here are impressively comprehensive, but they don't appear to be updated regularly. All of the recommended exercise bikes have been discontinued.
13. Amazon.com	Exercise Bikes Contributors to Amazon.com As of Feb. 2008		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 Schwinn 230, the Stamina 15-4600A Magnetic Resistance Recumbent Bike, the Schwinn Airdyne Upright Exercise Bike and the Marcy Recumbent Magnetic Bike.
14. Sears.com	Exercise Bikes Contributors to Sears.com As of Feb. 2008		Sears.com has a fairly small selection of exercise bikes, but several receive more than a few dozen comments from users. While this site isn't significantly better than Target.com – in fact, the number of exercise bikes here is quite a bit smaller – the number of comments that appear here make it a much better source of information for consumers looking for comments from owners. Favorites among users are the Cadence 80 by Weslo, the ProForm XP 110 R and the Schwinn 202 Recumbent Exercise Bike.
15. Walmart.com	Exercise Bikes Contributors to WalMart.com As of Feb. 2008		WalMart.com has a fair selection of bikes. While not many have received comments, those models that have usually feature extensive user comments, detailed in listing both pros and cons. The Marcy Magnetic-Resistance Upright Exercise Bike, the Fitness Quest Edge 482 Upright Bike and Gold's Gym Power Spin 210 Upright 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 longer workout.

Exercise Bikes Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Exercise Bikes Ratings Comments on Reviews

16. Consumer Guide.com >> Details/Subscribe	Exercise Bikes Editors of ConsumerGuide.com As of Feb. 2008		Consumer Guide posts dozens of "reviews" of different exercise bikes, but they're mostly just lists of features next to a rating system that's never explained. There also is no information about how testing – if any – is actually done to determine the ratings. While this site selects several bikes as a Best Buy, there's little in the way of supporting evidence to show why a product has been given that award. Three bikes are highlighted as spotlight reviews (yet another distinction that's never really explained) in addition to being given the inexplicable Best Buy designation.
17. Epinions	Stationary Bikes Contributors to Epinions As of Jan. 2008		Epinions has an astonishing list of exercise bikes of every imaginable make and model. The only thing more surprising than the list of bikes appearing here is the small number of actual reviews presented at the site. Even those models receiving 5 stars as their rating very rarely have more than a handful of short comments. Of those that have a larger number of reviews, almost all are discontinued.