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First Fitness Exercise Bike

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As hard as it is to admit at times, getting a little more exercise is something we could all use, and an exercise bike is a perfect way to do it.It's usually around the New Year that I begin noticing how fat I’ve become. The holiday season goes very well for me, in fact so well, that towards the draw of the New Year, I often have to deal with a spare tire around my midriff. It is at times like these that I am tempted to buy an exercise bike.I got my first exercise bike over a decade ago. It was a fairly simple piece of machinery. It looked like one half of a regular bike. And it was mechanically operated, with a simple belted-up gear contraption that you tightened by hand as you went along. I spent more time staring at that first exercise bike than actually using it for what it was meant and it slowly but steadily faded away from my memory. Until this New Year came about and I decided to get myself another exercise bike.There’s a health and fitness store just around the corner from where I live and I went there to seek out my exercise bike. Upon entering and asking the manager where the exercise bike section was, I was guided to the second floor of the store, where – I’m not kidding – the entire floor area was devoted to exercise bikes! Boy had I missed out on the exercise bike trend or what! But what I discovered next convinced me that I was not too far removed from the exercise bike culture to ever hope to stage a comeback.You see the exercise bike I used to own was an antique now, doomed to a musty life in some fitness museum. The new age exercise bikes were radically different beings. For one thing, the word ‘simplicity’ or the phrase ‘ease of use’ seemed to have been thrown out of the window when these new age exercise bikes were designed. None, I repeat, none of them were simple to understand, much less operate. There were exercise bikes with motorized resistance, bikes with magnetic resistance, even more exercise bikes with wind load resistance and even friction-free resistance! What ever happened to the plain old resistance belt? Anyways, that was just the tip of the iceberg.Seems most of the new age exercise bikes needed to be plugged up to the power source as they came with in-built computers which monitored everything from your heart rate to the rate of your toe-nail eroding on the tread (I’m kidding!). Anyways, they needed a power source to run the array of sensors that the exercise bike employed to monitor various bodily functions and rates. Most of them had a digital display LCD, electronic monitor charts for time, speed, distance and calories, pulse monitors, heart-rate monitors and a whole range of allied equipment.The new exercise bikes makes staying in shape a much more enjoyable experience. I think it's time to hop back on one of these newer model exercise bikes and start pedaling those extra pounds away!

First Fitness Exercise Bike

The advantages of Exercise Bikes include:

? Low impact exercise, which is gentle on backs, knees, hips and joints.

? Suitable for a large range of training needs.

? Low maintenance, keeping costs down.

? Relatively small in size.

I have outlined a few essential tips to bear in mind when purchasing an Exercise bike.

What is your budget?

Exercise bikes vary in price enormously depending on the features and design. A high end exercise bike can cost upwards of ?1500, although not everyone can or wants to spend ?1500 on a exercise bike! As with most exercise equipment you get what you pay for, basic exercise bikes start from ?199. Many of the exercise bikes sold nowadays have features found on commercial models and will last you years.

As you spend more on an exercise bike, you will find features such as more in depth programmes, better stability, materials, adjustability and design.

How much space do you have?

When purchasing an exercise bike it is always best to measure the space in which you intend the exercise bike to live, you do not want to find that it does not fit in your desired space once it has been delivered. Mot websites display all the dimensions of the equipment they sell on the product details page. Most exercise bikes will require a power socket nearby.

Always check what warranty comes with the exercise bike?

Most of the exercise bikes sold nowadays come with a minimum 1 year parts and labour warranty. When looking for an exercise bike I would recommend looking for a branded model which has an on-site warranty. You do not want to have an exercise bike which you are liable to send back to the supplier if it has a fault. Manufacturers such as Tunturi provide a 15 year frame warranty and two year warranties on the other components.

What are programmes and how do they benefit me?

It is often difficult to motivate yourself when you're using the same routine! Purchasing an exercise bike with programmes maybe the answer. Having pre-set or even customisable workout programmes is a great way to provide some extra variety and motivation. Some of the more expensive exercise bikes now offer heart rate controlled programmes which using your heart rate, increase or decrease the resistance of the exercise bike keeping your heart rate as close as possible to the pre-set rate. This is a safe way to exercise and can help with weight loss.

Many exercise bikes now also offer Watt (energy) Control programmes. Similar to heart rate programmes, the bike will adjust the resistance to a pre-set Watt output.

How is the resistance level adjustable?

Cheaper Exercise bikes resistance is adjusted manually.. With most of the exercise bikes sold nowadays the resistance is changed by a electromagnet. Magnetic resistance exercise bikes are generally smoother in operation and have fewer moving parts and so are less likely to break down.

What difference does the flywheel make?

Generally speaking, a heavier flywheel will give the exercise bike better performance. The more you spend generally the heavier the flywheel and the heavier the flywheel the smoother the motion.

What difference does the stance of the bike make?

As you spend more on an exercise bike, you are likely to find more adjustability of the stance, as well as a generally more aggressive, or racing stance.

Whilst almost all exercise bikes sold nowadays will be adjustable to some degree, it may be worth taking into account if you are very tall or short?

If you also cycle a race bike, it may help you to look for a machine which can more closely replicate the stance, with an exercise bike with a similar stance and racing or tri handlebars. Tunturi produce the E45 and E85 which both have more aggressive race style stances.

If you think you may want to use your exercise bike for extended periods, it may be worth considering a recumbent exercise bike. Not only do many people find the stance more comfortable, they are better for people who from suffer back pain.

Can I use my SPD shoes?

You are able to change the pedals on the majority of exercise bikes. This is useful if you use SPDs on your race bike and wish to replicate the feeling on your exercise bike.

I hope this exercise bike purchase guide has been helpful and if you're looking for an exercise bike then please visit http://www.ExerciseEquipment.co.uk

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About Author

Both Ricky Hussey & Mde are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Ricky Hussey has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Diet Pills and Japan Car. Read more on . Check out for

A Line Style Dresses
That time back is your asset to draw attention towards you. So never neglect it. But it can happen that after looking from front he can be disappointed. Its just a fun. Dont take it to heart!