Bikes That Go Nowhere

Bikes That Go Nowhere

Home-exercise bikes are uniting fitness with the cocooning craze. As more people seek entertainment and leisure activities in the comfort of their homes, these bikes allow them to stay trim and healthy while avoiding overcrowded gyms and the familiar hazards of sharing the roads with motorists.

Depending on the features you need or desire, a bike will typically cost between $150 and $700. Although all exercise bikes help you tone the buttocks, upper legs, and to a lesser extent, the calves, certain bikes do even more:

Dual-action models allow you to pump the handle bars back and forth, toning the arms and shoulders.

Recumbent bikes, which have you sit and pedal with your legs stretched out in front of you, target the lower abdominals, and provide a workout less stressful on the knees and back.

Electronic bikes allow you to program resistance levels and various interval workouts.

Training stands let you transform your traditional bike into an indoor exerciser.

The Tufts Health Plan Health Journal notes some features of a safe, comfortable bike:

o Stability when you're seated on it.

o Covers over flywheels, chains, and other moving parts.

o Handlebars that adjust to a position comfortable throughout your workout.

o Smooth and consistent motion.

o A seat that's well-padded and easy to adjust.

Biking

Time To Bike

Whether you bicycle for competition or just to stay in shape, one of your goals should be to maximize your results while minimizing the time you spend on the workout. According to Bicycling magazine, there are a few things you can do to get the most out of your time in the saddle.

One is to keep an eye on your heart rate. When you're not in your target training zone, you're not working as effectively as you could be. Check your heart rate frequently, either by feeling for your pulse at your wrist or neck, or by using one of the new wristband heart monitors.

Remember also that your heart has no idea how much ground you're covering—only how hard you're working. Leave the 150-mile workouts to the pros, and concentrate on quality, not quantity.

Sometimes, though, the longer ride is the better ride. If you use your bike as transportation, as many do, plan ahead to find the route with the least stop-and-start traffic, even if it's half again as long. After all, if you're going to sit still at traffic lights, what kind of workout is that?

Come rainy and icy days, cyclists have one big advantage over other athletes: They can get their workout indoors almost as easily as outdoors, and much more safely. Set up a stationary bike routine that simulates your usual outdoor ride: 10 minutes of warm-up, 20 to 30 minutes of hard riding, and five minutes spent cooling down.

I prefer mountain bikes to road bikes because they give you greater options, such as riding on the grass, a greater work load and thus a greater exercise. The most important factor in the price of the bike is the weight of the components. Go for the heavier bike! You are doing this to get in or stay in shape, and the harder you work the better. Make sure you wear a helmet, and stay away from traffic!