How to Choose a New Exercise Bike for Your Home Gym
With the increase in popularity of Peloton bikes in the past couple of years, individuals are looking for cheaper alternatives to add to their home gym. If you enjoy cycling but hate working out outdoors in the winter months, an exercise bike can help you to keep fit throughout the year. For anyone who is still working at home, an exercise bike is a great tool to use on your lunch break or to keep fit as you find yourself on endless Zoom meetings. When choosing an exercise bike for your home gym, you may find your options to be quite overwhelming. Let’s take a look at everything you need to consider when selecting your new ex ercisebike.
How Much Space Do You Have in Your Home?
One of the first considerations before you can start to compare exercise bikes is thinking about where you are going to place your bike in your home. If you already have a home gym set up, you may find that you have plenty of space and don’t need to worry about where you will place it. If you live in a smaller apartment and are wondering if you’ll have the space to add a bike, consider a folding exercise bike. There are plenty of folding exercise equipment options today, such as folding treadmills and rowing machines. Regardless of how much space you have available, you’ll have no issues finding somewhere to place a foldable exercise bike.
Upright vs Recumbent Exercise Bikes
An upright exercise bike will require much less space than a recumbent exercise bike, but they have different benefits. If you are looking for a more intense workout, you’ll want to always opt for an upright bike. These need about 0.5 meters in width and 1 meter in length of space in your room, and you’ll probably want to add on a little extra space so you can spread your arms or add on weights if you prefer. Recumbent exercise bikes are reclined, so you’ll need more space as they are about 1.6 to 2 meters in length.
How Much Does an Exercise Bike Cost?
If you think you are going to have to spend a fortune to invest in a home exercise bike, you’ll be surprised how affordable they are today. You’ll find plenty of options on the market for under $100, but of course, you could also choose to invest in a high-end model like a Peloton. Most cheaper exercise bikes are manually powered, which most people don’t really want to use nowadays. However, if you are just looking for a basic tool to keep you fit temporarily, this may be a good value for money option.
For anyone who is willing to spend thousands of dollars on an exercise bike, you’ll be happy to invest in one of the premium models on the market. You can pair these exercise bikes with your smartphone via Bluetooth, which offers you tracking for your workout. You’ll also find the top of the range models have large displays which allow you to join real-life classes with individuals from around the world. These can add a new element to your fitness classes and make for a more interactive experience when working out alone.
Key Features to Look for on an Exercise Bike
When you are trying to compare the top exercise bikes on the market, you’ll notice that they have a wide selection of features on offer. The more you pay for a bike, the more features you can expect to receive, which can help to make your workouts more effective and enjoyable. A foldable bike is a good option for anyone who doesn’t want a bike cluttering up your space but may have fewer features attached to it. They are a good option for beginners and those on a budget. If you need to work, you could even find a bike with a desk.
Non-slip feet are something that everyone should look for on a new exercise bike. You want to ensure you have a safe workout every time, and this can ensure that your bike won’t move around even if you are trying to pedal at the highest speed on the bike. A good exercise bike will also have a heart rate monitor, which will include pulse sensors on the handlebar. When you grip them for a few seconds, you’ll be able to see your pulse, which can help you to track your workouts and the calories you are burning. Finally, when it comes to resistance, you’ll find magnetic and brake-based resistance. Try to look for a bike that offers a good range of resistance levels so that you will still be able to challenge yourself as your fitness improves in the future.
An exercise bike is one of the most popular pieces of home gym equipment on the market today. They never go out of style and will offer you a home-based workout that will get your heart rate up and get you sweating in no time at all. The thing we love about exercise bikes is that they are suitable for all fitness levels and don’t put as much pressure on your joints as a treadmill or walking on the pavement may do. You’ll find that by tracking your progress on the included monitor on the bike, you’ll be able to work to become the fittest version of yourself this year.