upright bike v recumbent bike

[grayfox91]

im looking to buy a piece of equipment that gives good
cardio exercise and helps strengthen the legs (im takin up muay thai)

i know about the different types of exercise bikes on the market

is the recumbent bike much better for strengthen the legs than
an upright?

and does it give beta cardio?

or is it the other way around, the upright giving the better workout?

any answers will be appreciated :) x

[adouglasmhor]

recumbents are for people with bad backs, they suck.

[Jamesm]

Don't forget that if you buy a recumbent bike it's impossible to not look like a total bell-end.
Get a mountain bike, which you can ride off-road and also fit slick tyres to and hammer it on-road too.

[Iam]

There's also some concern about cycling reducing flexibility for MAs .. just about the only thing I understood from that Kurtz book on stretching (much referenced ont he stretching forums) is that cycling is bad for flexibility, something to do with repeated movement at a reduced leg extension.

So, you might be better off jogging for cardio ... personally I stick to treadmills when I can find them, easier on the knees, & the shins, & the ankles, woe is me.

Anyway, gl.

[Su lin]

I find running harder on the joints and muscles than cycling though,so it's a balance between the cross training.

Plus yeah, those recumbant ones look stupid :D

[Vimtoforblood]

How easy is it for you to look around you for other road users on a recumbant?
Probably not very compared to an upright.

[Doublejab]

im looking to buy a piece of equipment that gives good
cardio exercise and helps strengthen the legs (im takin up muay thai)

i know about the different types of exercise bikes on the market

is the recumbent bike much better for strengthen the legs than
an upright?

and does it give beta cardio?

or is it the other way around, the upright giving the better workout?

any answers will be appreciated :) x

Read his post a little more carefully peeps:rolleyes:

Personally I like reclining exercise bikes because I find my back is better supported for when I'm doing high intensity intervels. I do 20 secs gentle peddling, 30 secs all out for 5 minutes and find it works extremely well for that.

Best thing is to go to a gym(do a free intro session if you're feeling naughty :)) and try both pieces of equipment, neithers 'better', people prefer different things.

[DEATHskull]

You should get a recumbent bike. I need somebody to laugh at when I drive by.

[righty]

I take it when you say 'exercise bike' it means stationary bike, not real bike.

It depends on what type of exercise you are doing on them and what style you end up getting, which is normally related to how much money you spend.

A basic recumbent will put you back more than a basic upright.
Yes, recumbents are often sold as being good for your back, and they are.

I would say that for leg strength and cardio, go for an upright. Why? Because if you get a decent one, you can actually get your butt out of the saddle and increase the intensity. This is especially the case if you go for the more expensive spin style bike.

Another option is to buy a real bike (you know, one that actually moves). With this you can do all sort of practical things like ride around plus you can also get what is called a trainer or rollers so you can ride inside. The trainer will turn your bike into a stationary bike, holding the bike upright and lifting the wheels. The rollers will lift your wheels and roll against the bike wheels keeping you still but because the rollers are flat you have the keep the bike upright using your own balance, so good for balance.

To the comments about recumbent bikes on the road. The visibility can be higher due to the fact you arne't bending over. People who ride them do usually because they love cycling but have a bad back or other than prevents them from riding an upright or do just because they are a whole load of fun. I've tried, and it really is fun. But they are less efficient for a number of reasons and more expensive to boot.

[adouglasmhor]

Stationary bike, rollers or a spin type one, try your local freecycle, that's where I got mine, and where it went as I go to the gym more and use theirs now.

Road riding you need one of these, really, I want one too. Balance and core!

http://www.qu-ax.de/en/products/fun1/Penny-farthing
http://www.qu-ax.de/assets/images/artikel/sp_gentlemen_mid.jpg