Marcy PL-43211 Upright Mag Cycle

I bought this bike after reading many positive reviews. It's a very well built basic bike. I found it at the website of America's major retailer that we all love to hate. They have it at a great price, but don't stock it in their local stores - use their Site-to-Store shipping and you don't pay shipping costs - just your local tax. You just have to wait a week or two for whenever they have a shipment coming from the warehouse, where they keep this item, to your local store. That Smiley face dropped the price by $38 after I ordered, but I still felt like I got a good value. At the current price it's an even better deal.

Confidence Foldable Stow Away Exercise Bike

If you are looking for a small, ultra quiet, foldable exercise bike, this one is for you. I found out through much search that foldable bikes are not very easy to come by anymore. I like that this bike can be ridden while watching tv, reading, or playing a video game and you don't have to turn the volume up. Those things distract me so I'll exercise even more. It is sturdy and I've even been purposely off balance and it doesn't tip which I have seen with small exercise bikes.

The only reason I gave it only 4 stars is because of the shipping charge of over 40 dollars which I frankly think is high. Also the outer box came quite banged up and I thought it might be damaged but it was well packaged with Styrofoam so it wasn't banged up inside the box. I also was disappointed in the instructions which were very confusing. After reading them multiple times and shaking my head I looked at the pieces I had and realized all I had to do is put it together by the picture and it fit together easily and quickly with the tool provided. The instructions are completely incomprehensible, but since the nuts and bolts were together, I made sense of the parts without them.

Portable Stationary Mini Exercise Cycle Bike W/level Resistances

Product Description
FlyWheel Portable Mini Exercise Bike Transparent Model /w 6 Functions Digital Easy Read LCD tightens and tones legs and arms with Adjustable resistance. A great way to muscle Toning & Aerobic Exercise. Pedal this FlyWheel stationary Bike while seated upright to strengthen and tone your legs; sit in a reclined position to exercise your legs and stomach muscles simultaneously. Place the mini cycle on a desk or tabletop and give your arms a workout using the smaller hand grips. Turn the dial to adjust the resistance from a light workout to rigorous exercise. Features: Color : Transparent Blue New 2007 Model Slim Design Cycle Exercise Non-slip Front & Rear Stabilizer Base 6 Functions Easy Read LCD displays Scan, Timer, Distance, Reps, Total Reps and Calories. Monitor Auto powered & shut off Adjustable Level Resistance from a light Workout to a rigorous one. Flywheel Instruction Manual Battery for Monitor is included

 

 

 

 

Schwinn Airdyne Upright Exercise Bike

The Schwinn Airdyne Upright is a classic - virtually unchanged for at least 20 years (I used them at Columbia University's gym back in college in the early 80s in essentially their current form). The lack of evolution speaks to their excellent functionality. The Airdyne differs from most exercise bikes in having a large air-resistance flywheel instead of a smaller heavier flywheel with mechanical friction. The advantages are fourfold: 1) the larger flywheel is exceptionally smooth, 2) the air resistance is naturally graduated (i.e. the faster you pedal, the greater the wind resistance and the harder it gets to pedal). This resistance approach means you organically find your level by pacing - with no need to ever set resistance manually. 3) The air resistance flywheel kicks up wind that cools you as you work out. 4) Mechanical resistance devices tend to wear out first - becoming bumpy or uneven. The air resistance scheme is simpler and is built with tremendous durability. I've owned my Airdyne for 12 years and it has been perfectly reliable the whole time - and it has been moved 3 times and has taken a real beating. The Airdyne's handles are linked to the pedals, encouraging you to work out your arms at the same time. The upper body workout gets most of the arm and a good involvement of the chest and shoulders too. The unit is battleship built of stamped and welded steel - just like a Schwinn bike. The chain is enclosed for safety - and a safety lock lets you prevent things from moving when you move the unit (it moves on small integrated wheels in front). You need those wheels because the Airdyne is big and heavy. This translates to excellent stability when in use.

Is the Airdyne the perfect workout machine? There are some drawbacks: The air flow is nice - but it's noisy too. This makes it hard to watch TV or work out with others in the room. The big wind can send papers flying. The upperbody workout can be distracting from the biking rhythm. I wish there were an alternate set of handlebars that didn't move for when you just want to bear down and spin. The handlebars only allow an overhanded and underhanded grip. I wish the handles curved up at the ends so you could hold them vertically like ski poles. This would result in a more natural arm motion. The big padded seat is comfortable as bikes go - but that's not saying much. Bike exercise has the disadvantage of not being weight bearing - but this is a quibble. My heart monitor confirms you can definitely get your cardio rate up on a bike. Did I mention this unit is big and heavy? The little wheels help - but moving this bike isn't a casual exercise. Finally, despite the clear efforts at safety, ther are still places where cat's tails and children's fingers can be pinched when in use(notably where the handlebars link to the pedals with long metal bars near the bottom of the unit).

If you like to use an exercise bike to work out, and don't mind some noise and wind, the Airdyne will give you a great workout - keep you cool - and last basically for ever.