How to choose an Exercise Bike
Exercise bikes are the most familiar pieces of fitness equipment to people and for good reason. Being compact & very simple to use, exercise bikes are a convenient means of performing your daily exercise from the comfort & safety of your home.
When you are choosing an exercise bike, it's important to look out for these features to ensure you purchase one that feels smooth & comfortable.
Flywheel
The flywheel is a large metal gear that the pedals are connected to via the Crank. You'll often see this as being described as a `One Piece Crank' or `Three Piece Crank'. A Three Piece Crank will feel more smoother as you cycle. Like the wheels on a push bike, the flywheel is what generates the momentum as you pedal.
The weight of the flywheel is what you need to look out for when comparing different exercise bikes. For example, the Bodyworx AC270M features a "5kg" flywheel while the Horizon Paros Pro has a "7kg" flywheel. As a rule of thumb the heavier the flywheel is the more smoother the bike will feel.
Resistance
This is what makes it harder or easier as you pedal along. The variability of the resistance will either be provided manually or by a computer. Generally, you will have less variability on a manual exercise bike (typically 1-8 levels) whereas anything up to 32 with a computer controlled bike.
When deciding on which type to go for, you really need to think about what you want out of using an exercise bike. For example, if you've been prescribed by a physiotherapist to strengthen your knees pre/post surgery, a manually controlled exercise bike may be sufficient. However if your wanting a little more out of it, then a computer controlled bike might be a better option.
When you choose a computer controlled exercise bike like the York C420, not only do you get 32 levels of resistance, but also programs too. The programs will automatically adjust the tension on the bike to make it harder or easier depending on the program selected. More on them next.
Programs
As mentioned above, programs are only provided by exercise bikes which feature computer controlled resistance.
Programs are a useful feature to consider especially if your goal is to lose weight or maintain fitness.
We've got a good selection of exercise bikes in our showroom available for your demonstration.
When you are choosing an exercise bike, it's important to look out for these features to ensure you purchase one that feels smooth & comfortable.
Flywheel
The flywheel is a large metal gear that the pedals are connected to via the Crank. You'll often see this as being described as a `One Piece Crank' or `Three Piece Crank'. A Three Piece Crank will feel more smoother as you cycle. Like the wheels on a push bike, the flywheel is what generates the momentum as you pedal.
The weight of the flywheel is what you need to look out for when comparing different exercise bikes. For example, the Bodyworx AC270M features a "5kg" flywheel while the Horizon Paros Pro has a "7kg" flywheel. As a rule of thumb the heavier the flywheel is the more smoother the bike will feel.
Resistance
This is what makes it harder or easier as you pedal along. The variability of the resistance will either be provided manually or by a computer. Generally, you will have less variability on a manual exercise bike (typically 1-8 levels) whereas anything up to 32 with a computer controlled bike.
When deciding on which type to go for, you really need to think about what you want out of using an exercise bike. For example, if you've been prescribed by a physiotherapist to strengthen your knees pre/post surgery, a manually controlled exercise bike may be sufficient. However if your wanting a little more out of it, then a computer controlled bike might be a better option.
When you choose a computer controlled exercise bike like the York C420, not only do you get 32 levels of resistance, but also programs too. The programs will automatically adjust the tension on the bike to make it harder or easier depending on the program selected. More on them next.
Programs
As mentioned above, programs are only provided by exercise bikes which feature computer controlled resistance.
Programs are a useful feature to consider especially if your goal is to lose weight or maintain fitness.
We've got a good selection of exercise bikes in our showroom available for your demonstration.