Exercise bike fitness depends on time spent actually using a machine. Oh if it were as easy as just plunking down the money for a bike and fitness was the result of the purchase decision. Sadly, you must use a bike to benefit. Here are 5 tips to consider when choosing an exercise bike. Each of these tips could encourage more time on the bike saddle which is of course the only way a bike will do you any good.

Solid Construction

Cheap, lightweight bikes self destruct. Don't waste money on an inexpensive, cheapy machine. Riding a stationary bike involves a lot of motion and a lot of forces applied to the bike frame and running gear. Cheapo bikes start moving around as you ride and that starts loosening things and it's a short path to destruction. Don't waste money on cheapy bikes. They will not last and they will become increasingly frustrating to use too.

Electronics For Boredom Prevention

Some of the better bikes have very little electronics, but here's what electronics does. An on-board computer coupled with magnetic drive puts you on simulated real-world rides. Who cares? That's a perfect way to make riding interesting and that's how to fight boredom. I have no data to support this idea, but I suspect most bikes sit unused simply because mindlessly pedaling exercise bikes can almost bore one to tears. Computer power means more riding and better fitness.

Quiet Counts

Some bikes are loud. Some are quiet. Quiet has advantages. You get that quiet with electronic resistance drives. Look for it. Quiet lets you read while you ride. It lets you listen to music or even watch movies. That's another way to fight boredom and stay on the bike. On the other hand, dual action bikes like the Schwinn Airdyne bikes offer several distinct advantages, but quiet is not one of them. These bikes use air resistance from turning a fan to generate the load that makes you work. The fans make for a lot of noise.

Heavy For Fun

Stable riding means more fun too. Rocking and swaying on a poorly designed bike platform makes it harder to enjoy workouts. Club quality bikes usually weigh a lot so they just sit there and take the hardest pedaling with no rocking swaying. That encourages real hammering on the pedals for more fat burning and more fitness.

Warranty Ways

Electronics on many bikes is as important a feature as the mechanical construction of the bike itself. But electronics that fails cripples the bike or makes it worthless even. Make sure with electronics heavy bikes that the warranty covers the parts of the bike that will cost a small fortune to fix. Otherwise an exercise bike can become an expensive yard ornament.

Exercise bike fitness only comes as a result of time in the saddle. Cheap lightweight bikes will not and cannot stand the strain. That means buying a quality bike is a must to really get anything from a machine. Boredom stops many exercise programs. Electronics on exercise bikes adds interest to workouts and helps keep you riding.