jeff@nwfitnessportland.com

By Jeff Hahn
Sales Director

Shopping for an exercise bike can be a very confusing experience.  In this post, we will talk about finding the right bike to meet your needs.

There are three main types of bikes available on the market right now: Upright, Recumbent, and Spinner.

Vision Fitness E3200 Upright

An upright bike is a typical exercise bike that you would see in a club.  It has a comfortable cushy seat and the pedals are down below the seat.  You sit in an upright position and pedal just like you would on a regular road bike.  Most upright bikes use a magnetic resistance system and offer a multitude of programming options.

Vision Fitness R2250 Recumbent

A recumbent bike is one that has a seat back.  Your feet pedal out in front of you and usually the pedals are slightly closer to the ground than the seat bottom (technically a semi-recumbent). There are a few full recumbent models now available (feet and seat at the same height) and also hybrid recumbent models (where the pedals are at a 45⁰ angle from the seat).  Most recumbent bikes use a magnetic resistance system and offer a multitude of programming options.

LeMond Revmaster Pro

A spin bike is one that is positioned like an upright, but offers a wide range of adjustability for the seat and handlebars to fit like your road bike.  They also typically are a direct drive system which means there is no free-wheel.  They have a very heavy flywheel which creates a lot of momentum and gives that “on the road” feel that cyclists love.  Most spin bikes use a friction resistance system, but some now are coming with a magnetic option.

There are also several “hybrid” options now that combine several of the styles.  The LeMond G-Force UT offers the adjust-ability of a spinner with the programming and magnetic resistance of an upright.  There are others that are coming up with devices like Octane Fitness and their xR-6 seated ellipticals.  With so many options, it may seem difficult to decide which is best for you.

Deciding which type of bike is the best for you really comes down to just a few key factors:

1. Are you recovering from an injury?
People with knee injuries are often recommended by their doctor or physical therapist to rehab on an exercise bike.  While many people think a recumbent is the most comfortable, for rehab an upright is best.  The body position when you are on an upright bike requires slightly less knee bend than the recumbent counterparts and that can be the difference between you being able to pedal all the way around or feeling too much pain to make a full pedal revolution.

2. How much space do you have available?
Most Upright and Spin bikes take up about 2 feet wide by 3-4 feet long.  Recumbent bikes are a bit larger at 2 feet wide by 4-5 feet long.  While this is not usually a deal breaker, if you are putting it in your bedroom or TV room, it may come into play.

3. What is your intended use for the bike?
If you are looking to just get a good workout in while watching TV, either the recumbent or upright will work great.  With built in programs and options like heart rate training, it is easy to start pedaling, get into your show, and let the bike do all the thinking.  If you are someone who is looking to train hard and likes high intensity riding, you are a spin bike rider.  Spin bikes offer a much greater top resistance and also have stronger frames designed to allow the user to stand up and push it to the limit.  Most spinners don’t have programs or electronics, so you have to be the type of person who will crank up the resistance by hand and make yourself work!

4. What are the sizes of the users in the home?
This is important to make sure that the bike will fit everyone that wants to use it.  Most bikes offer some adjustability, but the adjustments are typically easier to use and offer a better range as they go up in price.  If you are an average sized user or don’t really need to adjust your bike much, you may be able to get away spending a little less than a family of users that have drastic height differences.

5. What is your preference for how you would like to sit for 20-40 minutes of exercise?
Yes, if none of the other factors apply, it really does come down to which is the most comfortable for you and what you like to use.  Some people don’t like the feel of a spin bike seat; others can’t stand a seat back.  One of the best things to do is come into a store like ours that offers all of the different styles and put them through the paces.  That is the only way to know for sure what is most comfortable to you!

Well, there you go! Now you are ready to go out and find the best bike for YOU!  Come down to the store and hop on a few of the best bikes available.  Your body will tell you which one is best!

jeff@nwfitnessportland.com

By Jeff Hahn
Sales Director

With fall fast approaching and the kids heading back to school soon, it’s time to go though the great selection of spin bike options available.  The days are getting shorter and the nice weather for riding to work in Portland will be going away.  Don’t let that keep you from maintaining the great shape you have gotten yourself into over the summer!  Keep your momentum with a quality spin bike for home use. If you are a person who is ready to find the perfect spin bike for you, here is a overview of the best spin bikes we carry for Fall 2011.

LeMond Revmaster Pro

At the top of the list is the defending best buy champion, the Revmaster Pro (MSRP $1395) by LeMond Fitness -a solid, durable spin bike with a great feel and tremendous adjust-ability.  Whether you are 4’8″ or 6’8″ the Revmaster Pro has you covered.  It has easy to use levers for height adjustments on the seat and handlebar, along with easy for and aft adjustments for optimizing the setup for your size.  LeMond also offers a unique leather resistance system that gives a quiet smooth ride even under a heavy resistance load.  Optional clip pedals and the “Pilot II” fitness computer outfit this bike with all the bells and whistles.  As a multiple award winner, and the industry standard, the LeMond Revmaster Pro is a must try for any spin bike shopper.

Sportop CB8500

A newcomer to the US, the Sportop CB8500 has come up with a similar design to the Revmaster Pro.  With similar oval tubing and a heavy frame, it offers a similar feel but with a felt pad resistance rather than the leather.  The CB8500 has a slightly shorter range of adjust-ability, fitting users from 5’4″-6’6″, but comes fully equipped with the clip pedals and fitness computer for only $1395.  This bike is a great value if you like the LeMond but don’t need the added adjust-ability and want to save a few hundred dollars.

Waters Tsunami Sport

If you are looking to get yourself into the under $1000 range, the Waters Fitness Tsunami Sport is your best bet.  It offers an extremely heavy flywheel at 50 lbs, and a full commercial frame to take a beating.  With a smooth felt pad resistance system and poly-v drive belt, it is just as comfortable to ride as the higher priced models – you can feel the quality. There is a little less adjust-ability to the Sport, but if you are the only user and don’t require frequent adjustments, the Waters Tsunami Sport is a great value and can be equipped with optional clip pedals and Tsunami fitness computer without breaking the bank.

Waters Tsunami Elite

The most unique option in the category is the new Waters Tsunami Elite.  This bike offers a magnetic resistance system and the ability to run programs.  With nearly all other spin bikes, resistance adjustments are made manually via a turn-knob.  The Elite comes with a fitness computer that includes 17 programs and tracks all of your basic time, distance, and calorie statistics.  The most impressive charactoristic is how quiet the magnetic resistance is.  It gives a tremendously smooth feel and is absolutely silent in operation due to the fact that there is no friction.  Smooth and quiet, the Waters Tsunami Elite is a must try!

Schwinn IC-2 Home Spin Bike

On the horizon (available mid September 2011) is a new offering from Schwinn Fitness – one of the biggest names in bikes.  Schwinn will unveil the new IC-2 home spinner.  This is a scaled down version of the old spin bikes.  It will be a little louder than the rest due to its chain drive, but if you want a bike for $500 or less, this is the one to get.  If you want to pre-order one of these models, they are on sale now at nwfitnessportland.com at the pre-sale price of $399.

As you can see there are a ton of great spin bikes available at Northwest Fitness.  We have only highlighted a few.  The best way to determine which is the bike for you is to come down to our store and try before you buy.  See you soon!