Treadmill vs. Stationary bike

I would say treadmill as well, mainly due to the fact that with a bike you sit - which is not gonna help the butt. Walking/running works many more muscles than cycling (unless you cycle on a real bike outside, that is).

Hope you find something good! I have a cheap treadmill (a Weslo Cadence), it was about $100 and it works great - have had it 5 years.

If you plan to use the treadmill, it has to be a nice one. Cheap treadmills cause injuries and will only frustrate you. A gym membership will be payed for for years before making up the cost and maintenance of a treadmill worth running on.
You have to get a Precor, Life fitness or similar high end home or basic commercial to make it worth it.
A treadmill is a far better workout then the bike but only on a nice one. A good treadmill will cost no less then about $3,000. Most gym memberships run about 25 to 35 a month, so you can see that is far more economical.

I don't own a treadmill but I do a considerable amount of walking as the main source of my exercise. My back up exercise for cold and or inclement weather is my stationary bike. I can tell you that per the MFP exercise database, I burn more calories on the stationary bike than I do with an equal amount of time spent walking. For example: 30 minutes on the bike I burn 230 calories. 30 minutes of walking I burn 164 calories. So it seems you can burn more calories in less time on the bike, that is if you plan on using the treadmill for walking.

I've done a little research on the topic and it looks like a treadmill would be a better workout. Problem is most of the cheap treadmills cannot hold up to a runners pace. They're mostly made for walking or slow jogging. Sole is a good brand for runners but usually over the $1000 mark.

I burn more calories on the stationary bike than I do with an equal amount of time spent walking. For example: 30 minutes on the bike I burn 230 calories. 30 minutes of walking I burn 164 calories. So it seems you can burn more calories in less time on the bike, that is if you plan on using the treadmill for walking.

This is incredibly variable. I only walk on my treadmill (set on an incline) and I can burn 300 calories in 30 minutes (3.5 mph on an incline). The faster I walk, the better the burn. It depends on the intensity of your workout and your weight.

It's definitely a personal preference though. If you can, try them both out first, and see which one you can see yourself committing to long term. There are places that will rent you equipment for a couple of months. This has an advantage of you actually coming face to face with the machine in your home on a daily basis, giving you a chance to find out whether it will become your favourite piece of fitness equipment or your favourite coatrack!

as someone who is inclined to impulsively buy anything that I think will make me lose weight (notice i didn't say 'that i think will HELP me to lose weight), I have all of the above equipment. I have never found the bike to be particularly helpful because I am always willing to take the easy way out and it is too easy for me to sit on the bike and keep it on the lowest setting- once I have to push, i give up. The treadmill at least forces me to work up a bit of a sweat and get my heartrate up. I am NOT a runner but I do jog on the treadmill and I have found that even the cheaper (Gold's Gym, etc... around $350) hold up pretty well with 2-3 mile jogs several times per week. The greatest bang for my buck, though, has been the bowflex treadclimber- the cheapest model (which is still really expensive), but for lazy people like me even a short 30 minute workout on it has me feeling the burn. If you are like me and you quickly give up on something that doesn't hold your interest, consider joining a gym for just one month. go frequently during that month and try out the different machines. After 4 weeks, the equipment that you find yourself gravitating toward at the gym will likely be the one you use at home.

I've got a Reebok iRun+, which retail's for approx. £500 (approx. $700 - $750) in the UK. It's an entry-level treadmill, with only one manual incline setting... but I love it!

I started out power-walking on the incline, and since I was wearing my HRM - I know I was burning similar calories as if I was on a crosstrainer. But nowhere near as if I was on a bike...!

If you stick to power walking, I can't see how your joints would be affected. In fact, I think walking on a treadmill is actually better than walking outside - because the impact is slightly cushioned.


So, I say go for the treadmill....

I have a treadmill, an elliptical and I can use my own bike as a stationary bike.

I did use my treadmill and my parents stationary bike both right after each other. Both equipment gave me a different form of work out. The treadmill was an overall body work out. I felt it in my arms, my abs and my legs. The stationary bike, I felt it in my abs and my thighs. For me I get bored on treadmills, I need to watch TV to keep my mind off it. The bike I can just pedal, but it's still better if I watch tv.

Now I rather be outside riding my bike or walking/hiking.

An elliptical gives me a better workout than the bike or treadmill.

I also had a Weslo Cadence, now I have the Nordic Track its a much better "mill". I hurt my back a few yrs ago, so I am off and on the treadmill. I was thinking about buying an eliptical as well, any1 know of a good burning eliptical?