Exercise Bikes

For years now, exercise bikes have been an integral part of any gym machine layout. There would be spin cycles around the outside of the gym for spin classes. There would be top of the range exercise bike machines in a circle in the centre. The bikes in the centre had a variety of built-in programs and variable settings and difficulty.

Exercise bikes have long filtered down from the gym into our homes. We can now buy cheap entry level bikes for less than £50. These bikes are pretty similar to real bikes except they are off their feet on a stand. A basic set of features come with the bike including a mileage indicator and adjustable seat and pedal settings. Many of these cheap bikes work by magnetic, fan wheel or flywheel adjustable resistance.

More expensive exercise bikes can also be bought and come with more features such a selection of programmable routines such as iron-man and marathon-man settings. There are also fitness tests built in to some machines. Many models monitor and show your pulse and heart rate live. These bikes are becoming more and more like those once found solely in the gym.

Designers and fitness gurus are forever trying to enhance the exercise bike machine experience. That is why we now have bikes at the gym that combine a standard exercise bike workout with an upper body workout by pushing and pulling the handlebars as you cycle. Again, different difficulty levels can be set.