An exercise bike can give you a very good cardiovascular workout with much less impact on your joints than you’d get from running. In the 10 years since we last tested these machines, they’ve become easier and safer to use. Gone are the exposed moving parts that represented a threat to curious children and pets. Gone, too, are the straps and brake-type pads that supplied the resistance for many bikes. The models here use magnetic or electronic resistance, both of which are smoother and easier to adjust.

The best bikes, at $1,600 or more, rival health-club versions. Like their professional counterparts, most of the tested models now have a heart-rate monitor and often adjust resistance automatically to keep your pulse within the optimal range for cardiovascular conditioning. Best are those with a heart-rate monitor and a chest-strap sensor, found on the expensive Lifecycle models. Others use sensors on the bike’s handgrips, a type we’ve found to be less accurate.


How to choose

First decide whether you want an upright, conventional-bike configuration or the comfort of a recumbent. With a recumbent, you essentially sit in the exercise machine rather than over it. That can be easier to use for someone with back problems.


Other considerations

Match your bike to your body. Exercise bikes can be adjusted for different-sized users by moving the seat away from or closer to the pedals. Not all machines fit very short or very tall people; see the Ratings. Some have weight limits as low as 250 pounds.

Give the pedals a spin. Some of our testers’ feet hit the floor while pedaling the Stamina recumbent. The seat on the Edge 491 interfered with leg motion. When you try the machine in the store, make sure you don’t have those problems.

Check the adjustments. Models that come with electronic resistance adjustment are easier to use than those with a knob, as found on the low-priced Stamina recumbent.

Take a close look at the display. Most stationary bikes have a display that shows calories burned (consider that a rough guide only), current heart rate, resistance level, and elapsed time. Some displays can be hard to read because they lack sufficient contrast or have small characters.

Go for a test sit. Stationary bikers who dread sitting on a skinny bicycle saddle now have roomier alternatives. Try a few seats on for size at the store.

Forgo the fan. The NordicTrack and both Schwinns have a built-in fan, a nice idea but of little practical value, in our view. A room fan works much better.

Bicycle trainer. If you're not ready to invest in an exercise bike, consider a bicycle trainer. You mount your conventional bike on a device so that the bike stays stationary while you pedal.