There are a bunch of advantages that you expect when you choose a recumbent over many other machine. If you had asked to some previous users, they would have described the easiness and effectiveness of using a stationary fitness bike, especially the recumbent bikes. Because of these reasons, there have been quite a huge rise of choice in the world of recumbent fitness bikes. It’s common too, you know. People ask for more features and options when effectiveness is assured. With great choice comes some great confusion too; that is why it has become a tough task to purchase the best recumbent bike for you.
If you think it’s about the number of machines in the market, you’re wrong. The actual problem comes when you take into account the versatility. Just think about this: even if you restrict your options to a certain range of budget, there are a few things to be considered. It’s a fact that you don’t have to make the pick between the different types of recumbent bikes, because it’s one particular type of stationary fitness bikes. Even then, you have the greater chance of stumbling upon something that you may not really like in the long run. So, in this article, we have the complete solution on how you can purchase the best recumbent bike for you.
We have a step-by-step guide here. Just follow this structure before you choose a recumbent bike from the current market, so that you’ll at least have the one suitable for your own fitness goals.
Step #1 — Decide Why You Are Buying a Recumbent Bike
Some of you might find this question stupid, won’t you? It’s natural, as you have an obvious answer — that you’re purchasing the recumbent bike for your fitness. That is, however, a general purpose; and there might be some specific needs too. Despite having not many sub-categories, recumbent bikes belong to classes. It means that some machines are made for high-intensity workouts while others can handle only the not-that-heavy type of recumbent bike workouts. This is important because you don’t want your recumbent bike to have some issues when you use it for a long period of time. So, try to be as specific as possible when you’ve to choose the reason of buying a recumbent bike.
Step #2 — Estimate How Much You Can Spend on a Recumbent Bike
Rigid budgets aren’t really good when it comes to purchasing fitness equipment. As we said earlier, you may be compelled to purchase a particular kind of recumbent bike, according to your need. The best example is when you need high-intensity workouts on a day-to-day basis. You should also consider the investment that you are making. That is, you should know how long you’ll be using the equipment for. If you are expecting its life-span to be somewhere around multiple years, it’s better to invest a bit more. It should also be taken into the consideration the place you’re buying the machine for. It’s essential to get something of premium quality if you need the recumbent bike for a fitness community or gym.
Step #3 — What Kind of Workouts Do You Need in a Recumbent Bike?
This is an important question to be answered, because different recumbent bikes come with different set of workout capabilities. Before you check out, it’s important to make sure that the machine gives you a suitable mode of workout. It’s your choice to go for pre-set workout programs. You can spot different pre-set work-out modes, according to the machine. Some programs are called Profile Programs that adjust resistance to offer the best-level intensity of workouts. Second, there may be heart-rate programs, whose idea is to keep your heart rate in a particular range throughout the workout period. In some machines, you would find more too.
Step #4 — Get an Idea about The Design and Size of the Bike
If you’re purchasing the recumbent bike for a gymnasium or a community space, it may not be an issue. That having said, as long as you plan to keep it at home, you must have a clear idea about the space and design. As we said earlier, there aren’t many radically-different designs in the category. It means you can focus more on the size and space consumption. Generally speaking, recumbent bikes are bigger than upright bikes; still, you have an option to go for one of the best choices. Obviously, there are some folding exercise bikes too. In this case, you can simply fold the equipment and store it in your closet or someplace else. This won’t be an issue if you have dedicated place for exercise; then, you can go for the best option, without worrying.
Step #5 — Think About the Comfort and Safety Features You Want
Here, we’d give importance to the comfort-oriented features, including the main padding and cushions. For those who don’t understand yet, the main point of purchasing a recumbent bike is to get rid of unnecessary health issues and muscle damages. So, while working out, you should have the best support for your back & other joints. Before you cling onto a particular product, please make sure that it has all the comfort features you are looking for. Then comes the aspect of safety, where you can be subjective. The idea is to prevent the children from possible hazards, which can be accomplished by keeping the machine somewhere not-so-inaccessible by the kids. By the way, as for the comfort, it’s great to have adjustable seat heights too.
Step #6 — Decide Whether You need a High-End Display and Heart-Rate Monitoring
This can be a completely optional choice, depending on the fitness goals you have. It also matters whether you are someone who likes to analyze the workout results in quick interval. If that’s so, you should get a bike with the proper set of display. This way, you can always check the resistance that you’re working out at. In addition, if the machine has a heart-rate monitor, you can understand the actual intensity of the workout. It’s also great if you can know how many calories have you burnt during the previous work-out, right? That’s the main point of having these accessories.
We hope that you’re educated enough to give prime importance to factors like quality, sturdiness and tough design of the machine. After all, if not the best, you should have a machine that’s worth the money you pay, right?