Please note however that I'm not recommending you buy a cheap exercise bike. In the exercise equipment industry, you generally get what you pay for. Resistance controls break, consoles don't work, foot straps aren't included or you may get a high-pitched squeaking noise right around the time the warranty runs out. So when shopping, try to find a highly rated brand that was built with quality parts.

But when you do have an idea of what you want in an exercise bike, here are 3 ways to get a big discount and save money:

#1) Buy From An Online Store

There are several online fitness stores that sell a large variety of high quality, brand name bikes directly to the consumer.

Because they are not paying the overhead costs of a store, these savings get passed on to you and you can often save hundreds of dollars on a brand name stationary bike.

Plus, some of these stores will give you a discount on shipping (which can save you up to $150). And you can even save on sales tax in some areas.

#2) Buy Directly From The Manufacturer

Some stationary bike manufacturers will sell their bikes directly to the consumer. By skipping the middleman (the store) you also save on the mark up price that the store has to add to make a profit.

This can, again, save you hundreds of dollars and get you a brand name exercise bike for a discount price. Like online stores, when you buy directly online from the manufacturer, you also can usually get a discount on shipping and save on sales tax.

#3) Buy a Remanufactured or Used Exercise Bike

If you want a solid, commercial-quality exercise bike without paying the commercial pricetag, a remanufactured bike can save you thousands of dollars. Remanufactured exercise bikes are not just left-overs discarded from health clubs.

They are taken, stripped down and basically rebuilt from the ground up. They're only resold to the general public after passing certain quality standards. This basically means that you can buy a health club bike for 1/2 to 1/3 of the price (and even get a pretty decent warranty included).

For example, the list price of a new Life Fitness Recumbent bike may be around $3500, but you can get it for around $1200 remanufactured. And because these bikes were built to withstand rigorous health club use, they'll be more than adequate for one or two person home use.

While buying remanufactured may not be for everyone, it's becoming extremely popular with buyers who want that commercial quality feel for less.

So those are 3 ways to buy a discount exercise bike.

Here's another savings tip: At certain parts of the year, you can get huge discounts on exercise bikes as manufacturers try to clear out old models.

Best time of year to buy? End of the Year (i.e. Christmas), Start of the Year (i.e. New Years) and middle of the year (Summer).

Whatever you choose to do, make sure you choose a bike that's comfortable, well-made and gets you excited about exercising.