5 Types of Stationary Bikes

Whether you want to lose weight, get fit, cross train, or train for competitive cycling, a stationary bike can help you achieve your goal. Stationary bikes are a perfect exercise machine for your home or office because they are quiet, compact, relatively inexpensive, and they give you an excellent workout.

Before going out and buying a stationary bike, it helps to know what types of stationary bikes are available on the market today. As with many industries, the stationary bike industry is progressing with new types of bikes to select.

There are 5 main types of stationary bikes to buy. They are:

1. Recumbent Stationary Bikes
If you need back support or like to recline and read your favorite magazine, a
recumbent stationary bike is an excellent choice.
The Schwinn 240 Recumbent Bike



Recumbent bikes offer a backrest and you're seated so that you partially recline. Your feet are situated in front rather than below you. Your seated position is ideal for reading and the backrest gives you back support. If you're a competitive cyclist, a recumbent stationary bike also works out different leg muscles than a tradional bicycle which will vary your training. I'm a huge fan of cross training because I believe varied workouts deliver the best results and stave off boredom.

2. Upright Stationary Bikes
Upright stationary bikes are the tradional exercise bike where you sit similarly to how you would sit riding a regular bicycle. The objective of an
upright stationary bike is to simulate riding a bicycle. You usually can sit upright or in a forward-leaning position with your hands on handlebars down in front of you.
The Schwinn 140 Upright Bike



3. Indoor Cycles

Indoor cycles are a newcomer to the stationary bike market. If you belong to a gym, you may have noticed classes called "spinning classes" which is a fancy way of titling a stationary bike workout class.

Most indoor cycles take simulating a road bike one step further by using a chain-driven pedaling system so you get more of the feel and motion of pedaling a road bike. Most spinning bikes don't come with a computer console. They are bare bones stationary bikes - often not even offering a time-keeping clock. The seat is akin to a road bike - so if you're looking for comfort with an oversized seat, either look for an upright bike or recumbent bike.

4. Dual Action Stationary Bikes

Dual action stationary bikes are the elliptical trainer-style bikes. The have handlebars that move back and forth in sync with your pedaling. You can adjust the resistance level of both your pedaling and the handlebars. The objective of a dual action stationary bike is give you both a lower body and upper body workout. I'm a big fan of all fitness equipment that offers total body workouts.
Schwinn Airdyne Dual Action Stationary Bike

That said, if you opt for a non-dual action stationary bike, you can use wrist weights to give you an upper body workout while biking.

5. Interactive Stationary Bikes
We are firmly esconced in the digital age and the fitness equipment industry has embraced technology heartily. This, in my view, is an excellent development because I find using workout programs to be an excellent way to train or lose weight. Why? Because rather than design your own workout, let the pros who programmed the computer do it for you. You simply choose the workout that meets your objective. You can find many stationary bikes that offer weight loss programs, interval training, endurance training, and of course manual training.

An exceptional technology on the market today is iFit Technology which is on select exercise bikes. Stationary bikes
outfitted with iFit technology means the bike computer has an iFit port in which you inser the iFit wireless card (purchased separately).



The iFit wireless card essentially hooks your bike computer to the Internet. You can than choose any road or trail course mapped by Google and your stationary bike will take you through the course. As you go up hills, your bike's computer will automatically adjust the resistance. If you have a monitor, you can even watch the real-life scenery on your screen as you go through the course. The possibilities are endless with iFit - whether you're a casual cyclist or are training for specific races (which you can program).

All stationary bikes offer resistance levels so that you can vary your workout. The higher the intensity, the slower you pedal. High intensity biking can give your legs a serious workout. Lower intensity allows you to do high-speed cycling.

Now that you know the 5 main types of stationary bikes, the next step is to read stationary bike reviews so you can find the perfect stationary bike for you.



treadmillrunner is the publisher of Treadmill Reviews HQ