We’ve all used regular stationary bikes and are familiar with them. There’a now a lot of attention about recumbent exercise bikes. The way they are different from the traditional exercise bike is that the rider is situated against a backrest with their legs in front of them. The advantage of this position is that many people find this to be more comfortable for a longer workout than the upright position.

Features to assess when selecting a model to suit your needs and expectations are weight capacity, stability, a variety of settings for levels of resistance, pre-programmed workouts and heart rate monitor. When shopping for a recumbent exercise bike, try it out, get on it and actually do some of your fitness routine. Make sure it is comfortable for you and nothing impedes the pedalling motion of your legs and feet.

When looking to purchase, price, as always, is a factor. However, it is true that you will get what you pay for. The higher the price tag, generally, the heavier the construction and stability of the recumbent exercise bike.

People who have problems with their backs often find the recumbent bike more comfortable than the upright style. Consumer Reports are a good source for reviews of recumbent bikes and other home exercise equipment reviews as they test items such as exercise bikes for ease of use, ergonomics of design, exercise range and safety of use.

The Nautilus NR2000 features 10 pre-programmed workouts, a heart rate monitor and a 300 lb. capacity. It comes with a lifetime warranty on the frame and10 years for labor and 1 year for parts. Approximate cost on this model is $1300. A weight lifter, Blake Bissailon has recommended the Cardio Trainer55 as one of the best for his use because it converts into a weightlifting bench and you can download workouts from the internet on this model.

Think of which options are of importance to you and what you’ll really use on a regular basis to decide what style you want to choose.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 9th, 2007 at 6:26 pm and is filed under Recumbent Bike Reviews, Fitness Equipment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.