Cycling is widely regarded as one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise and a great substitute for running. In fact, if done with high enough intensity, it can burn more calories than running. These days when people are so caught up in their busy schedule, only fitness freaks take time out to actually go running or cycling outside for real, and lazy runners like you and me find alternate ways to keep up with that. Which is why indoor cycling machine is a popular gym equipment used in home workouts too.
Most gyms have cycling machines but if you’re the type of person who would prefer not to go to the gym for whatever reason, then purchasing an indoor cycling machine would be the way to go. I’ve personally seen many great cycling machines. I’ve seen very expensive ones and I’ve seen normally priced ones as well, and the average user will likely not need a super-expensive cycling machine. With that said, here are some of the best cycling machines you can get without putting a big strain on your wallet:
Marcy Recumbent Exercise Bike
The Marcy Recumbent can be bought for under $150 but it’s a top-notch bike nonetheless. It offers its users eight different levels of magnetic resistance so you can adjust the resistance to give yourself a challenge according to your fitness level. It’s easy to change the resistance levels while you’re exercising too through the knobs, so if you feel like giving yourself a challenge towards the end of your workout, the knobs make it really simple to do so.
There’s a standard LCD monitor on the bike that gives you the standard info such as the current speed, time, distance and calories burned. What I like in a good cycling machine is comfortable seating because I’ll be sitting on it for quite a while for a workout and I don’t want any stiff seats to ruin it for me. The Marcy Recumbent has a seat manufactured with high-density foam so it takes care of any comfort concerns one would have.
The bike is also equipped with adjustable foot straps so you can adjust to the level of your choosing and it can also accommodate people who weigh up to 300 pounds. Overall, it’s a pretty decent indoor bike which can be bought just under $150. You can buy it from Amazon here only in $139.
FitDesk FDX 2.0 Desk Exercise Bike
As I’ve already mentioned, comfort is one of the most important things for me when it comes to an exercise cycle. The FitDesk also fulfills the comfort requirement. It also comes with 8 magnetic resistance levels that can be changed with the turn of a knob and the bike also comes with upper body resistance bands that let you get a full body workout in alongside your cardiovascular one.
If you’re someone like me, whose job is to sit for hours behind a screen, you’ll know that it’s very hard to make time for a workout. This is where FitDesk’s sliding desk platform comes into play. If you can’t make time, the exercise bike also serves as a workstation. You can keep active as well as use your laptop at the same time, thus meeting your fitness goals without having to change your work routine. It’s a handy little feature for those who are extremely busy and even if you would rather not use the feature, you can just slide the desk away and use the upper body resistance bands.
The bike also comes with a small storage drawer keeping in mind that people who will be using things such as their laptops while using the bike might need a few things while working which they can easily keep in the drawer. As already mentioned, the bike is extremely comfortable too and it also comes with massage rollers for your forearms too. Overall, it’s a pretty decent pick that’ll only set you back around $220.
ProGear Foldable Magnetic Upright Bike
This exercise bike is not only cheap, but it also takes up very less space. It’s small size plus its folding capability makes it portable too and makes it perhaps the best purchase option if you’re short on space. It also comes with a three-piece cranking system that uses magnetic tension to provide a nice and smooth pedaling motion.
The only thing the bike may lack in is the amount of weight it can handle. The maximum weight it can handle is 220 pounds due to its small size but if you’re below the maximum weight threshold, then the bike has all the essentials you will need. It doesn’t make any noise during a workout which can always be an issue with many exercise machines and it comes with an LCD display that clearly all the essential statistics like time elapsed, distance traveled, speed and calories burned.
Alongside the standard 8 levels of magnetic resistance, the ProGear also comes with a dual-transmission flywheel that allows for higher resistance and hence more challenging workouts. Challenging yourself in every workout is key to increasing your fitness level and despite being a small and cheap exercise bike, the ProGear has all the things one would want from an exercise cycle. It’s available for only $115 on Amazon.