Consumer ratings and reviews of recumbent exercise bikes seem to vary wildly. But how can one person’s view be the total opposite of another’s? I believe it’s because people forget to contrast before they compare. By this I mean they don’t compare like for like; instead, they compare a very expensive recumbent like the LifeCycle to a cheap model such as the Stamina. With this in mind I have selected what I believe to be some of the best models in the low, mid to high-price category.
A review of the best cheap recumbent exercise bikes
I’ve selected two models; the Stamina Resistance Magnetic bike and the Weslo 4.5R. They retail for around $250 and $200 resp. Both of these machines share similar features. They both have a smallish LCD monitor that provides basic feedback readings such as speed, time elapsed, distance, heart rate etc. They both provide heart rate monitors in the hand grip (beside the chair) and the user weight capacity of both machines is 250 lbs.
When buying a machine for under $350 you’re going to find a lot of shortcomings. Many would say that it’s pointless buying a machine for under this amount as it won’t give you a good workout and will fall apart sooner rather than later. I disagree. For people doing exercise for the first time, or for the occasional user, both the Stamina and the Weslo recumbent exercise bike are more than adequate.
Of the two bikes, I prefer the Weslo 4.5R recumbent. The only reason being the placement of the LCD display. On the Stamina, the display is immediately above the fly-wheel so it’s some distance away and with its smallish size it can be somewhat difficult to read. Also, there is no hand grip in front of the cyclist. With the Weslo, the display is mounted in a hand grip arrangement that is directly in front of the cyclist making it much easier to read.
The biggest negative point about both bikes is that for people over 6 feet tall or who weigh over 250 lbs, these bikes aren’t going to be suitable; you have little option but to upgrade to a mid-priced machine.
A review of an affordable, quality recumbent exercise bike
The mid-priced machine is by far the most competitive sector and it’s difficult to pull out a few models that are better than all the rest. However, I have chosen the NordicTrack AudioRider 400 and the Schwinn 231 recumbent. They retail for around $500 and $650 resp. The Nordic track comes with an acceptable 10 levels of resistance. It also comes with heart rate monitor and 10 Personal Trainer workout programs that will automatically adjust the resistance to keep your heart rate at the optimum rate. The console is large and fun to use and you can plug in your mp3 player into it. Overall, it’s a nicely designed, quite, robust machine that is perfectly suitable for all but the most serious of cyclists.
The Schwinn 231 bike comes with more resistance levels; 16 to be precise. There are 10 preset and 10 profile workout programs and you also get a fan. Like the NordicTrack, its weight capacity is 300 lbs.
Of the two, I would recommend that you buy the Schwinn exercise bike if you can afford the extra $150.
A review of the best recumbent exercise bike
Top-end machines come with every feature you’d ever want. You can expect wireless heart rate monitors and user programmable workouts and a very large selection of preset workouts. The build quality will also be excellent, with very generous warranties and user weight capacities.
I have selected the Lifecycle R1 and Tunturi E60R bike retailing at $1,500 and $1,000 resp. The Lifecycle comes with 20 resistance levels, hand grip and wireless heart rate monitors, 10 workout programs, 3 goal workouts, 2 user profiles, 2 custom workouts and a race mode. The Tunturi exercise bike comes with 8 scalable workout profiles and 8 user profiles. There’s a T-Scale function that allows configuring and adjustment of the preset profiles even when exercising. You also get hand grip and Polar wireless heart rate monitors.
Some might argue that the Lifecycle is slightly the better bike, but I would buy the Tunturi exercise bike. Not only is it cheaper, but I prefer the console and the overall styling of the machine is very aesthetically pleasing.
The above are my personal choices but there are plenty of other good machines. The secret in finding the perfect one for you is to first decide on budget and feature-list. Then read as many consumer reviews of recumbent exercise bikes as you can; but remember, contrast before you compare.
