3 “Little” Things Most Buyers Don’t Think About – Until It’s Too Late
Buying a recumbent bike is a great decision – you’ll get a low impact, ultra-comfortable workout in the privacy of your own home.
But chances are that when you go to shop, you may be overwhelmed with choices. There are so many recumbent options out there these days it can be confusing.
That’s why you want to go with a good name, strong construction and high expert ratings (my personal favorite in this category is the Nordictrack Commercial VR Pro, for example).
However beyond these things, you also want to look at some of the little details that will contribute to your workout comfort. These are details that most buyers miss – until it’s too late. And they can make a major difference to your workout time.
So to save you that frustration, here are 3 of the “little things” to look for when you go shopping that most buyers usually miss:
#1 The Seat Back
Seats come in all shapes and sizes. You want a seat to be extremely comfortable – because the comfort of the seat is one of the main things that will determine how much you enjoy your workout (and how long you stay on the bike.)
You want to look for a seat that is well padded and offers lumbar support in the back.
Another thing to consider is the seat back material. Most recumbent bikes have a solid back. And some people like that.
However you’ll notice that some of the higher end bikes have mesh-back type seats that let air circulate through to your back as you cycle.
The advantage to this is that you stay cooler during your workouts.
So if you tend to sweat a lot during workouts, this is something you might want to consider getting on your bike.
#2 Footpedal Straps
This may seem obvious but surprisingly, many people miss it. A lot of cheaper bikes do not come with straps to anchor your feet to the pedals.
A cheap, poorly made bike without straps may cause your feet to slip off the pedals in the heat of the workout (especially since many cheaper bikes don’t have great ergonomics to begin with).
While straps aren’t essential – and you may be ok without them, if you’re planning to really pick up the pace, you’ll probably want them on.
#3 Backlit Console
Again, this is something that many people miss. Schwinn used to be famous for having non-backlit consoles (although their newer models are getting better).
People would get these bikes home, start to use them, and then complain they couldn’t read the workout stats on the consoles because it was too hard to see.
Make sure you buy a bike with a bright, backlit console. Even starter bikes (like the Proform 320 CX seen below) are now coming with backlit consoles so it really won’t cost you any extra to go with a backlit console.
So those are 3 things to make sure you consider when buying a recumbent bike. The good news is that there a lot of great, well made bikes out there. And unlike other equipment like treadmills or elliptical trainers, bikes don’t cost as much (plus there’s not as much that can go wrong!)
If you want to get started shopping online – check out the Where To Shop page with a list of online discount recumbent bike stores.
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The Nordictrack Commercial VR Pro comes with both a hand-grip heart rate sensor and a wireless heart rate monitor (included with the bike).
Nordictrack has some of the most sophisticated consoles at this price point with graphics, racetrack displays and quick, intuitive buttons (you don’t need a manual to figure out how to use them).
So it’s a great way to try it out first to see if you like it. You don’t have to have iFit to use this bike – you still get a whopping 32 workout programs and 26 resistance levels – which should keep you challenged for quite a while.
