Regularly cycling on a recumbent bike is an effective way to lose weight and get in better shape. Using one of these machines is safe, comfortable, and doesn't put undue back stress on your knees, hips, or bottom.
So what is a recumbent?
The recumbent lives up to its name. In contrast to conventional bicycles, you don't sit on a saddle, but rather you sit or lie on a mesh or bucket seat. In such a seat, of course, it is not possible to pedal in their classic position. That's why they're located right in front of the seat, along with the bottom bracket.
As complicated as the construction of a recumbent may seem at first, it is actually that easy to ride the bike. However, if you have only ridden conventional bicycles in your life so far, you will need a short adjustment phase - depending on the type of recumbent bike and the shape of the handlebars.
A recumbent bike is a welcome balance, as there is usually far too little movement in everyday life today. In order to make the day more active, many people are looking for the right fitness equipment as a counterweight. Endurance equipment such as recumbent bikes and recumbent ergometers are a great option. Recumbent bikes have long since found their way into the professional fitness sector. But ergometers of all kinds can also be accommodated wonderfully at home. Most devices do not take up much space and do not have to be set up separately, and they also offer a variety of advantages. Recumbent ergometers are ideal fitness equipment for healthy cardiovascular training, on which you can train comfortably and continuously. Recumbent bicycles can also be used with great success to improve the condition of recreational or high-performance athletes. They enable training that can be optimally adapted to the individual level of performance. Integrated computers make it possible to measure the calorie consumption and the distance covered, as well as to control the speed and the training resistance and adjust them if necessary.
A recumbent bicycle is based on the drive mechanism of a classic bicycle in terms of construction. In principle, it is a classic ergometer with the difference that you sit comfortably on a seat for training instead of on a classic saddle. This seating option alone is perceived by many people as very pleasant. In addition, the backward-leaning sitting position is much more relaxed than sitting on a conventional bicycle or on the usual bicycle ergometer. Especially people who suffer from spinal problems appreciate this possibility. The driver sits half upright, half reclining in a seat shell and operates the pedals with his legs stretched out in front. During strenuous training, your hands can either grip the sides of the seat to support your posture or, as usual, grip the handlebars of the recumbent bike. In contrast to the conventional fitness bike, the seating position of the recumbent bikes is very favorable for a back-friendly posture and provides relief for the spine. In addition, the load on the sensitive knee joints is very low on a recumbent bike. The leverage of the legs is also enormous, so that more power can be applied to the pedals. Furthermore, the devices are ideal for use in the rehabilitation of illnesses, because handling them is usually easy and safe. The person exercising has more support than on the saddle of a conventional bicycle ergometer and training on a recumbent bike is generally felt to be easier.
With a recumbent ergometer, you have to pay close attention to the quality. Inferior recumbent bikes can rust quickly because you start sweating quickly when you train at home due to the lack of headwind. That is why we only offer selected products from well-known manufacturers in all price categories in our range - whether for at-home or for professional studio equipment. To protect the floor from perspiration and pressure points from the equipment, most recumbent trainers are shipped with special protective mats. For special training needs, we have also included technically very high-quality recumbent ergometers in our range, which allow special settings and options, such as simulating hill stretches. Depending on the incline, the resistance also increases, so the ambition of the athletes is additionally spurred on.
We want you to be well and comprehensively informed about all our products. We have therefore answered your most frequently asked questions about our recumbent bikes and recumbent ergometers below:
What is a recumbent ergometer or a recumbent bike?
Recumbent ergometers or recumbent bikes are particularly comfortable and joint-friendly fitness equipment to increase endurance. Recumbent bikes and recumbent bikes are ideal for beginners because they are very easy to use and the special posture that is adopted when training with recumbent bikes greatly reduces the strain on joints and the spine.
Training with the recumbent bike: How do you ride a recumbent bike?
Before training on a recumbent ergometer, all necessary adjustments for the seat and backrest should be made so that a pleasantly comfortable, almost lying posture can be assumed for the training. The posture of the spine should be comfortably straight, but not strained. Recumbent bikes allow for a very comfortable position during exercise. Depending on the model, various settings can be made to increase or reduce the training load. As a result, some models offer the combination of a very gentle training device that can also be used for rehabilitating and mobilizing exercises, but also offers challenging units for athletes due to the strong increase in stress.
Reasons for training: Why recumbent bikes?
Recumbent bikes and recumbent ergometers allow all trainees the same opportunity for back-relieving endurance training. Because unlike training with ordinary ergometers in a sitting upright position, the spine and also the supporting muscles of the lower back are relaxed, relieved and protected by lying down. As a result, after consultation with doctors and trainers, recumbent bikes can be used by people suffering from back pain, for example. But the devices are also suitable for advanced users, e.g. for isolation training of the leg muscles.
Recumbent bike - this should be considered when buying:
If you want to buy a recumbent bike for private or commercial use, you should pay attention to a few important points when buying. Above all, attention should be paid to quality. A wobbly and noisy training device is not only less effective, but also spoils the fun of training.
The ergonomics of the seat play a major role when buying a recumbent bike. To ensure that the person exercising does not suffer from back pain after just 5 minutes and can hardly sit any longer, care should be taken to ensure that the back section is ergonomically shaped and sufficiently high. The seat and backrest should be padded and ensure a comfortable fit.
In addition, the seat must be adjustable. The entire seat must be able to slide horizontally backwards or forwards so that both people with longer and shorter legs can train comfortably.
Some recumbent bikes also offer the possibility to adjust the inclination of the back part. This is not absolutely necessary, but ensures individual comfort. Some people may prefer to sit a little more upright than others when exercising.
Clear operation and intuitive handling should be a prerequisite for a good recumbent bike. The control panel (display) should be large and illuminated. The buttons on the display should be well and clearly labeled, and large enough to be able to press them during training. A clear menu navigation and self-explanatory options for setting the resistance make training a lot easier.
A variety of programs is not necessary. It is important to have a pulse-controlled program and, if necessary, the option to put together an individual program.
The recumbent bike should be built according to the assembly instructions. All parts should fit together tightly and leave little room for wobbling. Those who focus on price instead of quality may be in for a big surprise here. Cheap training equipment with lower-quality materials is often light and rickety.
The flywheel mass ensures that the pedals of all ergometers and exercise bikes run optimally. If the flywheel mass is too low, the pedalling movement cannot be carried out properly and repeatedly falters. With a recumbent bike, a flywheel mass of around 9 kg is recommended in order to get a clean pedal movement.
If you compare the calorie consumption between a recumbent bike and a stationary bike, the difference is not particularly noticeable at first. An hour on a stationary bike consumes about 780 calories, whereas you get 750 calories on a recumbent bike. That's only about 4% less. However, if you look at fat burning, the difference becomes clearer. An hour on the stationary ergometer burns around 55 grams of body fat. With the recumbent ergometer, it is only 49 grams of body fat and therefore about 11% less.
Keeping these things in mind, choose the best recumbent bike for you from our range of collections.
If you are looking to buy other fitness machines or accessories, look no further! Explore our range of fitness products like treadmills, elliptical cross trainers, exercise bikes, rowing machines, climb mill & steppers, home gym, functional trainer, multi station, power tower, smith machine, dumbbells, table tennis and pool table.
