An Overview Of Recumbent Bikes

Bicycling has always been an effective way to get in shape and tone the body because it places stress and demand on every muscle in the body. This is why upright exercise bikes have been so popular for in-home fitness. Today, you have the option of an upright bike or recumbent bikes which have a more relaxed, gentle seating position. Recumbent bikes still burn a lot of calories, but they are gentler on the joints so you are less likely to come away with an injury.

When recumbent bikes were first designed it was use in physical therapy. Therapy patients often cannot balance themselves on a regular bike seat and many have difficulty getting up on an upright bike because of the center bar. That is why many recumbent bikes are designed with a step-through design that doesn't require lifting the leg to mount. As the general public placed more demand for access to these bikes the market for residential models took off.

Today, every major home fitness manufacturer has at least a small line of recumbent exercise bikes and many are sold at very affordable price points. To give you an idea of what to expect from a recumbent bike today, we will use the popular Schwinn 240 Recumbent Exercise Bike as an example.

The Schwinn 240 Recumbent Exercise Bike sells far less than $1,000, so it is considered a low to mid priced recumbent bike. While it is very affordable, it still offers all the features that you would expect from a nicely designed, durable piece of home fitness equipment. It is a great example of what you will find at the lower and mid price points of the market.

The Schwinn 240 Recumbent Bike is designed with a heavy 20 pound flywheel and a roomy seat so users of all sizes can get comfortable. Users can adjust the console and the seat to ensure a comfortable position and the legs stretch out easily in front of the body to the pedals. The console is a nice size as well so it isn't difficult to see workout feedback.

The frame on this recumbent bike is open so users can step through and sit down without stepping over the center bar that upright bikes usually include. There are some recumbent bikes on the market that do not have the step through design, but they are by far less popular than this design.

If your goal is to lose weight or get in shape, you will enjoy the wide range of workouts that are possible with this one bike. The bike has 16 levels of resistance and a variety of preprogrammed workouts in the console. This is fairly standard for recumbent bikes selling in this price range. The console can be used with wireless heart rate monitoring devices as well, but you don't get the wireless strap when you purchase the bike.

You don't get all the bells and whistles on this bike, but you get all the expected features plus a bit more for a nice price.

If you want to pay more, you can purchase exercise bikes packed with amazing technology. What about a connection port or docking station for your iPod? How about a computer or television screen that flips up on your console? All of this and more is possible in the higher ends of the recumbent bike market today.

Yahya Yusuf writes and educates his readers about theSchwinn 240 Recumbent Exercise Bike. Visit his site to learn more about Schwinn 240 Recumbent Bike