Alternative to the Exercise Bike

If you enjoy riding an exercise bike and are considering purchasing one, you may wish to consider another option first. Do you currently own a bike? If you do, you should consider looking into a bike trainer instead. This option can save you both storage space and money. A trainer attaches to your bike and uses air, fluid, or magnetism to provide resistance similar to biking. These units take up very little room when compared to an exercise bike.

There are three different types of trainers each with their own qualities. You will have to determine which of them is the best fit for your. Wind trainers use a fan to create resistance with the air. They are the cheapest of the three, however they are very loud when pedaling. They work well for beginners because the resistance can be on the lighters side. Resistance is controlled by how hard you pedal.

Magnet trainers make a great mid level trainer. Similar in price to a wind unit, they work exceptionally well for a beginner to intermediate rider. The magnet trainers are very quiet compared to the wind and the fluid trainers but you do give up some quality in the resistance area.

Fluid trainers are tht top of the line, feeling similar to riding on the road with your bike. These can be expensive and are not without it’s own problems. Using a "fan" encased in liquid to create resistance, it is considerably more complex than it's counterparts which leads to more wear and tear over it's lifetime. Some models have been reported to leak.