Home cycles are effective and popular workout machines that are often the
preferred choice of many exercisers, from beginners to fitness fanatics. They
are very easy to use and can effectively work your heart, lungs and lower body
muscles. You can workout in comfort whilst watching TV or listening to music
with the comfortable and adjustable seats and handlebars found on most exercise
bikes.
Whatever your shape or size, most exercise bikes are adjustable for comfort.
However, some exercise bikes have a weight capacity. Please check this in the
product descriptions before buying, or if you are not sure just give us a call
and we will be very happy to help.
Choosing an Exercise Bike
There are 3 main types of Exercise Bikes available:
Upright: Upright cycles are most like traditional
bikes. They have normal bike seats and you sit upright whilst pedalling. Many
features are available on the standard upright bikes, such as exercise
programmes and heart rate control, which are all covered below.
Recumbent: Recumbent cycles can be a great choice if
you suffer from back or knee problems, or simply want to take advantage of the
comfortable training sessions they offer. The seat is at a low level and the
pedals are placed in front of you so your legs don't bend too much. This can
offer excellent forms of cross training for athletes such as runners because
very little impact is placed on your joints. Your back is also supported
throughout the workout which is a great advantage over many other exercise
machines.
Dual Action: Dual action cycles are designed for a
high intensity, full body workout that uses moveable handlebars to work both
your legs and arms in one session.
Programs
Home exercise bikes often come with a wide array of programs in the console.
Over 4 programs are usually enough. Programs are predefined settings that vary
the resistance during the session. This provides a specific workout such as fat
burning or endurance. Many models will also have a manual program feature for
you to create your own.
Resistance
Exercise bikes have adjustable resistance levels for you to increase or
decrease the intensity of your workout, depending on your condition and fitness
goals. The main types of resistance found in our Exercise Bikes are:
Magnetic: This lets you pedal quietly without
friction. You can increase or decrease the resistance easily by turning a dial
on the bike.
Electro Magnetic: This super smooth resistance is
controlled in the exercise bikes console and is usually found in top of the
range models.
Flywheel: Resistance is regulated by a heavy wheel and
maintained by kinetic energy built up by your pedalling.
Resistance Control
There are two methods of controlling the resistance found in exercise bikes;
Manual (by turning a dial) such as the Gold's Gym K-Bike and electronic (by using a button) such as the Bremshey Cardio Pacer. Controlling the
resistance can have an effect on your heart rate. If you increase the
resistance the pedal movement will become harder and therefore your heart rate
will increase, along with the intensity of the workout. If you don't want to
worry about adjusting resistance to keep your heart rate where it needs to be
for optimum results, you might want to consider a machine with electronic
resistance control and heart rate control programs.
Heart Rate Control
Heart rate control means your heart rate is monitored, often by pulse sensors
in the handlebars or a wireless chest strap. Some of the exercise programs in
the console will often include heart rate control. This adjusts the resistance
to increase your heart rate, in line with your chosen goal. This is an
invaluable feature if you are trying to lose weight and don't want to worry
about your heart rate, which needs to be in a specific target zone for the best
results. This all depends on your gender, age, and body type which can be
entered into the computer program of some models, or found in the product
manuals. Heart rate control on exercise bikes is normally a little more
expensive, but definitely worth it if you want to see fast results and enjoy
safe training sessions. It eliminates the guesswork and the need to increase
speed while you are working out. If you don't require it, you can save money
and every model will have a pulse monitoring system as standard. No heart rate
control simply means that resistance and speed won't be automatically changed
to move your heart rate to the desired level for your chosen workout.
Overview
Exercise bikes have always been a very popular piece of home gym equipment.
Cycling provides a fun cardiovascular workout and an effective lower body
toning session in one. There are many models available for you to choose from,
suiting all budgets and needs. We hope the information in this guide helps you
make a more informed decision. If you require any more assistance please don't
hesitate to contact us, we are very happy to help.