What Is A Stationary Exercise Bike?

This may sound like a silly question, but for the sake of clarity, I think we should define what a “stationary” exercise bike is. This is a very broad term and technically encompasses several different types of exercise machine.

For the sake of this article, when I talk about stationary exercise bikes, I’m really talking about theupright variety.

Stationary exercise bikes really include upright bikes, recumbent bikes, and spin cycles. I’m not going to go into too much detail here with regards to the differences between them all, but if you are interested in a more detailed comparison, click here.

Each type of exercise bike has its benefits. Recumbent bikes are great because they are more comfortable to sit on and they put less stress through your hips and knees.

Spin cycles are great because they closely mimic the feel of riding a road bike and they can really provide an intense workout.

Upright bikes are a nice combination of the two. They are more comfortable to use than spin cycles, but they still keep you in the traditional biking posture (upright).

Upright stationary bikes can provide a great workout too. The good ones offer plenty of workout options and plenty of resistance to get the job done.

Fan (or air) bikes are another category of stationary bike I don’t want to neglect. I love fan bikes because they can really provide an intense cardiovascular workout while working your arms and legs at the same time.

The Crossfit folks use them a lot…enough said. To me though, they belong in their own category and won’t be included with these upright bikes (look for a comparison of fan bikes to come in the future).

One thing all stationary exercise bikes have in common is that they can be a wonderful addition to any home gym. Generally speaking, they offer a low-impact form of cardiovascular exercise that can be done indoors.