When last we spoke on the topic of exercise bikes, I mentioned that we have been very happy with this one, which I see we ordered four years ago this month.
(image from Amazon.com)
I like how quiet it is, how little space it takes up, and also that it was only $150 (it is now around $200-225, but I’ll bet the $150 was a sale price). My one issue is that the highest-resistance setting is not very resistant at all. Commenter Kelly mentioned that she has that same bike and so does her brother, and the highest-resistance setting is VERY RESISTANT INDEED. So I asked Paul to take a look at it, and without casting any blame or telling any unkind stories, I am going to skip ahead to the part where I ask for recommendations for an exercise bike, because mine now has no resistance on any setting. I tried to use it anyway last night and felt like a right fool, my legs flailing in fast silly circles. Some of the options:
1. Get the exact same bike again. We’ve been happy with it! It’s quiet and small! It’s only $200ish! Most likely the replacement would have a working resistance dial! I wouldn’t have to think any more about this rather boring purchase! I am leaning toward this option.
2. Get a recumbent bike instead. My friend P has one, and I am looking for the way to say “and she loves it” without implying she actually enjoys riding it, because whomst among us. But she has been satisfied with its performance, and she says it is comfier on the buns than a regular bike. Downsides: she got it from a physical store; a recumbent takes up more floor space. Upsides: a recumbent is what the physical therapist had William use before and after his knee surgery (an injury, not a knee replacement), so it feels PT-recommended/approved.
I would be very happy to hear your opinions and/or recommendations. Particularly if you have a one-click-order recommendation for a recumbent bike that I can lean against a wall or something and don’t have to find permanent floor space for.
Throughout this post, I have CONSISTENTLY spelled resistance “resistence” and recumbent “recumbant.” Every single time. “Resistence” doesn’t even look right to me when I type it, and it just now occurred to me that I’m getting it wrong because my name is Kristen and I am accustomed to typing “isten.” “Recumbant” DOES look right to me, while recumbent looks like cucumbers.
I do not have an exercise bike so I feel like I am not qualified to speak to this matter. However, if it were me, I would just order the exact same one because I wouldn’t want to have to find the floor space/home for a bigger bike.
Huh. I had actually kind of forgotten that your real name isn’t Swistle.
Same here! Part of my brain was reading „my name is Kristen“ and thinking „that’s not right, isn’t your name Swistle?! 🤭😊😉
I thought I could be helpful, but no, the bike I actually do like (but: my life is very small at present, and recumbent biking is also my Take Care of the Houseplants time, and I really *like* checking on the houseplants) and which I have put over 5000 miles on is 1. out of stock and 2. the amazon page for it doesn’t picture the same model I have ( which one *can* find at https://web.archive.org/web/20150302011359/http://www.amazon.com/Exerpeutic-900XL-Extended-Capacity-Recumbent/dp/B005OU4E1M ). SIGH. I will say that I would normally lean strongly towards Get The Exact Same Thing, but that mounting/dismounting from the item you pictured does seem a bit potentially-dicey after knee surgery, so a recumbent sounds clever?
The other thing I will say is that I know people who have a floor elliptical and appreciate them (one has the specific recommendation: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MBQ19Z2 ) and that *can* be moved out of the way, or moved to wherever you want to exercise. (she reports that it does not move around too much on carpet)
Okay. The other, *other* thing is that rental companies in your area may give you options for, say, having a nu-step for three months (they’re really good and also really easy to get into and also comfy to sit on, I used them in cardiac rehab; they are also *ludicrously* expensive and very large), after which you could send it back and decide what you want at that point. And if you want a temp recumbent bike, also there is craigslist; definitely get one with magnetic tension, but otherwise, for a 3-4 month bike (unless you love it so much that you end up wanting it more than its floor space) you can set it free again via craigslist, and you can probably get whatever; although some seats are more comfortable than others, they will probably all be more comfortable than the bike you pictured?
(the other factor is that it does feel more “I’m moving forward and working out!” for me when I am leaning forward on a regular, not-recumbent exercise bike, which can be valuable for motivation. This is *EASILY* not worth it for me, however, vs. the “not falling off, even when having a bad day” aspect, and also recumbents make it smoother to do things like read a regular book while also biking (you generally can have both your hands!), but, mileage may vary, and it’s likely worthwhile going into a gym to try out their recumbent bike and see what you think.)
(I have spelling things like that as well. Sigh. And then if you write a word too many times, it looks wrong even if it is right, so you can’t always go by it looking right *even if you normally spell it correctly* but spell-check has saved me much flip-flopping on that front…)
Good luck!
This is only a HALF of a recommendation (as this is the ONLY piece of exercise equipment we have ever owned so I don’t have a comparison!), but commenting in case you didn’t know this product existed:
We have a combo recumbent bike/rower that is FOLDABLE, and TUCKS AWAY into our furnace room! It takes a bit of energy to do so (to me), if I am honest – kind of a big push to fold it together, and a awkward lift to then roll it away on its wheels – but I too really value floor space, and didn’t want this as a permanent fixture in our family room!
We purchased it second-hand and it seems like they don’t make it anymore, but it is similiar to this one: https://www.amazon.ca/Stamina-Conversion-Recumbent-Exercise-Rower/dp/B000TK4GYW?th=1
This is way more of a setup than you want, but: I use a bike trainer with an actual bike connected to it, and I ride it in virtual training environments. (So: computer+virtual environment app+monitor set up in front of the bike). It isn’t quiet and is collectively more expensive than what you had–I only have it all because everything except the bike is a hand-me-down from my husband. It’s all set up in what used to be a basement storage space, so it’s also not compact and easily put away. That said, I like it quite a lot and use it almost daily–the only exceptions are illness and travel. I generally ride 45-60 min/day before my kid gets out of bed and I would quickly spend the money to replace or repair anything that broke. I never thought I would be a likes-to-exercise person, but I have become a likes-to-exercise person.
So that was the not-useful-to-you part of the comment, but here is the more-useful opinion:
If the sort of riding you do is supported by the indoor bike you have and you can afford it, I would say to spend the money it takes to get the new one. And if this is an opportunity for you to upgrade to something you can afford that think you’d like more, then I would say to go for whatever that is. If you’re not really into indoor cycling and think there’s something else you would rather do instead, I would also say to go for whatever you need to do whatever that is.
I did a bunch of research after reading your last post about your exercise bike, and I ended up getting this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BDRFMZK?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
I’ve always thought under-desk exercise bikes would be ridiculous, but it was highly recommended in all my research – and I actually really like it so far! I’m pleasantly surprised!