Buying Guide For Exercise Bikes - article by MOREinfo-About.com

Buying Guide For Exercise Bikes

Price: Before going on to purchase an exercise bike, you have to think about your budget. It is obvious that you can’t get the bike with all bells and whistles for only $100. A good bike costs for about $200.

Mid level exercise bikes comes between $300 and $600. If you are ready for extra cash, you can expect silent operation, a more comfort seat, heart rate control and built-in workout programs.

Top exercise bikes are at $600 and up. You should get following things for such a big investment: push button resistance control, longer warranty, a hi-tech LED display console, pulse driven workouts, adjustable handlebars and lots of built-in workout programs.

Comfort and Adjustability: You have to insist on buying a bike that has easily adjustable seat and handlebars for good comfort. There are basically 2 choices for exercise bikes, Recumbent and Upright. If you are not a bike enthusiast, recumbent bike will be comfortable for you as they give support to your back and butt. The only disadvantage is that it is difficult to crank the workout intensity as you can't stand up.

Resistance and Operation: They offer adjustable resistance in one of two manners. The cheap models use a tension belt, and mid and high-priced exercise bikes have magnetic resistance. Magnetic resistance is better option for consistency and quiet operation. Either knobs or pushbuttons are provided to regulate the magnetic resistance intensity and usually pushbuttons are preferred.

Heart Rate Monitor: Not all the bikes are equipped with this feature. Most bikes offer at least a pulse grip point on the handlebars to test your heart rate. Higher end bikes have standard pulse driven workouts. Here, the exercise bike regulates the workout intensity according to readings from the heart rate monitor.

Display Console and Built-in Workouts: This feature changes from bike to bike. The cheaper bikes have a poor display and no built-in workouts. For $300-$600 range, there are many choices. You can have 5 built-in workouts and a display console that shows you feedback on heart rate, distance, time and calories burned.

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