As winter approaches and the weather makes it harder to want to take regular walks or jogs, you generally want to keep up your exercise program on an indoor piece of equipment. Especially since the winter months contain the most holidays, and chances for overindulgence on your favorite seasonal treats, it’s necessary to combat winter weight gain without taking a wasteful sum out of your bank account. In my search for a piece of useful equipment that won’t collect dust in the corner, I came across LifeGear’s Magnetic Recumbent Bike. This model can be found at Target.com or through Amazon.com for $170.00. With free shipping on this 62 lb. item, you can’t do much better. But how does this inexpensive bike measure up? Let me share some of the pros and cons.
Size
This is a small bike that will ‘collapse’ by adjusting the leg length bar on the bottom to an even more compact size. This makes it very convenient to store out of sight if you don’t have an exercise room because it will fit in a closet or a discreet corner. The bottom has ‘wheels’ that hold in place while it is in use, but make it easy to push to another location without worrying about back strain.
While the size is a plus, it can be a disadvantage when it comes to adjusting the leg distance. The bike’s description say that it is good for someone 6′ or less, but they didn’t account for different leg lengths for that height. My husband is 6′ with a 31″ inseam and the farthest rung of adjustment will accommodate this. However, I’m 6′ with a 35″ inseam and my legs don’t fit correctly. Since the seat is not that comfortable, I add a few chair cushions to the seat which provides comfort and makes it a better fit for my legs as they are a farther distance from the pedals to make it about right. If you are over 6′ and/or your inseam exceeds 35″, than I would look for another piece of equipment, as this will be too small lengthwise.
Comfort
A recumbent model exercise bike is easier on your back than an upright, however if you have knee problems than you would not be as comfortable with this model. Instead of the downward movement of pedaling a traditional bike, you pedal outward which strains your knee joints if you aren’t used to this design.
The pedals feature a strap that is designed to keep your feet on the pedals without slipping. This makes it easier to go at higher speeds without losing your footing momentarily if you aren’t that coordinated. But you can remove them if you wish to do it freestyle.
The seat is much wider than an upright bike, and has a back to it. The handles are located near the sides, so you aren’t reaching for them in front of you. Unfortunately, the seat is not well padded for extended use (30+ minutes of exercise) and will likely cause discomfort if you don’t add more padding or don’t have any naturally. But seeing as you buy this to exercise and not to sit around in, it’s still suitable for its purposes.
Design
The display is not very advanced. It does show you how long you’ve been doing it, how fast you are going, and your distance, along with your heart rate. The odd thing about it is that it will not automatically file through to the heart rate measurement like most recumbent bikes you’ve probably used at a fitness center. You have to hit the option button until you come to the little digital heart and then hold the handles of the bike, making sure you press down with your thumbs on the metal triangles. The heart rate is not entirely accurate, as you would expect, and it has a delay of a few seconds before it goes up or down. It’s better to take your own pulse for accuracy.
When it comes to the noise level, this bike takes first prize. There is virtually no noise. You can exercise at night when little family members are sleeping and not worry about waking them up. The area where the spokes are is covered so you can’t slip and get your toes caught and you don’t have to worry about little children getting hurt if they stumble across it on their carpet travels. Although you have to assemble most of the bike, this part comes already assembled. This makes it easy to put together in an hour or less.
If you are looking for something that is compact, easy to move, easy to store, quiet, and calorie burning, at a reasonable price, than the LifeGear Magnetic Recumbent Bike is just the thing for your winter weight management.
