Exercise Bikes -- Why They Still Make Good Sense

Exercise bikes remain popular as other machines come and fade away. Not a fad, the bikes endure for reasons. Much highly advertised equipment really doesn't do what is suggested or at least not as easily as suggested... In fact, many special purpose exercise machines really do very little of what seems to be promised. What's more, no exercise equipment will work if it's too much of a hassle or too inconvenient to use on a regular basis. The key to the continued use of stationary bikes is about burning calories but there's more.

Many activities burn calories just about like riding an exercise bike. That makes for value of the exercise bike about like other machines but there's more... Here's how some machines compare for burning calories.

Vigorous pedaling on an exercise bike burns about 10 calories in a minute. More leisurely working burns 7 or so per minute.

you burn about 300 calories in a 30 minute workout and that's really going at it. That's some serious effort for that return. Thirty minutes of moderate to hard pedaling is quite the workout. Pedaling hard for a few minutes in one thing... Extended, strenuous work is where the benefit really lies though. Work is the operative word sadly enough. Low level effort means low level rewards.

Row a rowing machine, step aerobics, running, elliptical, treadmills... They're all about alike.

So why pick a stationary bike over other options? Why are bikes still the choice of many instead of something more flashy or more highly promoted. Following are a few possible reasons.

An exercise bicycle works rain or shine, snow or sleet, winter or summer, day or night.

Work out right at home and you work more often and at less cost too.

Eliminate joint pounding and the pains associated with that.

Works even when you're sporting minor hurts. That means the bikes work for rehabilitation.

Anybody can do it. Very little to no skill is needed and there is little danger of injury due to inexperience.

It's an easy-on-the-back effort.

Work the large muscle groups and increase metabolism for the best long-term results.

Uses the major muscles of the back and legs so the work you can do is at a maximum.

See exercise bikes do many things well and even high quality machines aren't very expensive. The metabolism boosting from bikes appears particularly important. Use the major muscles and turn your body into a better fat burner. That's key to fat burning and key to why exercise bikes still sell.

See our article about the Schwinn Airdyne, a classic machine that is worth a closer look.


Popular, and a deluxe choice, is a LifeCycle exercise bike.