Exercise Bike- success stories?

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I just purchased a simple, upright exercise bike. I am hoping to use it every day to tone up. Does anyone have any success stories with this?

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  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,862 Member
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    I'm a runner but now have a bad foot. I reluctantly bought an upright stationary bike last month. I'm much happier with it that I thought I'd be. I prefer jogging but since this is what I can do, it gives me a good burn, I'm drenched with sweat, and my HRM shows that it is giving me a great cardio workout. The best thing is that I can watch TV at the same time, which I couldn't do jogging.

    I'm so happy with it that I signed up for 2 years of iFit, which allows me to design my own maps and speed/resistance. It synchs in the cloud from my computer to my bike. I'm just starting to play with that.
  • shaunroberts
    shaunroberts Posts: 94 Member
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    Hey,
    I lost a few pounds on an excercise bike. Before I was serious about weight loss and training i bought one and used it daily with training videos in front of my TV. It was a great workout and following the videos kept me motivated and interested. If you look for ride fit you'll find them....

    Unfortunately I worn the bike out and my workouts stopped....until I got serious.

    Shaun
  • jarelary4
    jarelary4 Posts: 141 Member
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    I just purchased an elliptical trainer/stationary bike in one, very basic machine but we love it. I am currently doing 30 minutes twice a day at about 16-18mph and it gives me a good workout. We'll see what the results are in a week or so
  • stillwatters
    stillwatters Posts: 3 Member
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    Thanks!!
  • tristramtrent
    tristramtrent Posts: 257 Member
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    i just got a cheap one too and I like using it - I like to sit there and think how long it will be before I dare join a real gym - and that in the summer a real bike won't feel too strange. In fact I realise I now wish I had bought a better , heavier and more comfy /ergonomic bike, I like it so much. Also whilst watching video of people riding bikes up the mountains - it's like a fantasy - the people who make such footage are usually really fit and overtake other cyclists, which of course I never manage to do in real life.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    edited February 2016
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    I just purchased a simple, upright exercise bike. I am hoping to use it every day to tone up. Does anyone have any success stories with this?

    Are you totally new to cycling, or have you been riding outside in the warmer months?

    Yes you can use the cardio to "tone up" your aerobic fitness. You can use a variety of duration, heart rate zones, and power (resistance) to ride yourself into shape.

    I just cut 12 pounds in the past two months riding my excerise bike - along with diet, weights, core work, and a structured training plan.

    How to make it successful? Use some big floor fans blowing on you. I use one in front and one behind, plus a ceiling fan to keep me cool. Cycling shorts! Yup - make sure you are wearing a good quality pair of cycling shorts to protect the nether regions. I also have a big screen TV I can watch while pedaling. Or music to listen to while riding. My sessions range from 30 minutes to a full 3 hours (but I'm pretty serious about it as I am training for bike races). And I know that it is only a few months in the basement on the exercise bike before I'm back outside once the snow and ice are gone.

    It takes time to build up your stamina, but as I mentioned start out with some easy spin sessions (say 30 minutes per day) and then build your self by adding time, pedaling faster, using intervals, and adjust the resistance so it is harder for some rides and don't forget to work up a sweat!

    Speaking of sweat, it doesn't hurt to get an exercise floor mat to put under your exercise bike to protect your floor...

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  • sventheviking
    sventheviking Posts: 45 Member
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    I plop mime in front of the tv and work up a good sweat while watching an episode of a show.
    I've also heard of people doing this with video games but I'm not coordinated enough and would likely fall off the bike