<p>Kids have expressed interest in one.</p>
<p>Should we buy new or try to get one “previously owned”?</p>
<p>Upright or recumbent?</p>
<p>Any models that you would/wouldn’t recommend?</p>
<p>Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>I’d definitely go used if you can find one. Would not get many bells and whistles. We bought Lifestyle stationary bike and treadmill 6-7 years ago from the pretty nice exercise equipment store in town. They’ve held up really well.</p>
<p>Upright bike will be a better workout than the recumbent.</p>
<p>For old school hard core conditioning, the king of interval training in top athletic gyms:</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Schwinn Airdyne Upright Exercise Bike: Sports & Outdoors](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Airdyne-Upright-Exercise-Bike/dp/B000E158CK]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Airdyne-Upright-Exercise-Bike/dp/B000E158CK)</p>
<p>It’s been in continuous production since the 1970s. Requires no electricity, doesn’t even have a power cord. Resistance comes from fan blade on the front wheel, so resistance increases with the speed squared. Easy at low speeds, gets insanely, panting, sweating difficult at high speeds. Works both the arms and legs.</p>
<p>An article from Coach Mike Boyle on interval cardio training and the Airdyne:</p>
<p>[S</a> B Coaches College - Interval Training, HITT or Miss](<a href=“http://www.sbcoachescollege.com/articles/IntervalTraining_HITTorMiss.html]S”>http://www.sbcoachescollege.com/articles/IntervalTraining_HITTorMiss.html)</p>
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<p>Here’s a video of one of the strongest most fit guys on YouTube and recent Columbia grad, Ben Bruno, doing a “Tabata Protocol” on an Airdyne. Pedal hard for 20 seconds, pedal easy for 10 seconds. Repeat for a total of eight times for a 4 minute set.</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Tabata Airdyne Bike Intervals](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCl9Z2Q_cvs]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCl9Z2Q_cvs)</p>
<p>I would recommend getting a spin bike (used) and setting up a DVD/TV to watch spin videos. I think it is the most likely thing to keep being used. Very few people stick with indoor cardio equipment. Elliptical is the most likely to keep being used. Bikes can really vary in quality. It is worth spending some $$$ if you really think this will be more than a clothes receptacle.</p>
<p>I just got a recumbent bike because of a knee injury - currently can’t ride an upright. However, I find it much more usable than a stationary upright. It’s a Diamondback 510SR I bought online - it and the Schwin are the top recommendations. It was on sale $250 off through Amazon. </p>
<p>Why not let your child try out the different models at gyms or retail stores?</p>
<p>MOWC:</p>
<p>Yep. I would either go Airdyne for two extremes: easy rehab for ol’ geezers (like me) or all-out interval coniditioning for hard core fitness. Another hard core fitness option would be the Concept 2 rower.</p>
<p>Or, for a cycling workout, a spin bike.</p>
<p>A recumbent would be a good choice if knee injuries are in the picture, but otherwise, I don’t see standard exercise bikes (recumbent or upright) as being optimum choices for younger people.</p>
<p>My DH loved the Airdyne, but decided to get a recumbent bike (also made by Schwinn) because it was silent and easier on his knee. Airdyne is great, but it is noisy, so it may not be compatible with watching TV without noise cancelling earphones. H decided that it would be too much trouble to design a wireless headset out of his Bose and just got a different bike so he could watch CNBC.</p>
<p>Use a regular bicycle on a trainer stand or rollers.</p>
<p>Advantages:</p>
<ol>
<li> You can use the bicycle outdoors.</li>
<li> Much lighter and easier to move around than a stationary bicycle.</li>
<li> Less expensive, especially if you already have a regular bicycle.</li>
</ol>
<p>However, trainer stands tend to consume tires quickly. If a bicycle is exclusively for use on a trainer stand, use inexpensive smooth tires (no need for puncture resistance or other special features of expensive tires).</p>
<p>When I started working with a personal trainer 6 months ago, he had me doing my warm-ups on a recumbent bike which doesn’t put much strain on my 61 year old knees. After 6 months of steady exercising, I have difficulty getting my heart rate elevated using the recumbent. I still use it for warm-up but use the elliptical for cardio. I am going to try the regular bikes next week to see how my knees hold up.</p>
<p>I second the indoor bike trainer. My husband and daughter both use their road bikes on Kurt Kinetic Road Machines. You can get DVDs with different workouts on them. Our favorites are the Spinervals series.</p>
<p>Totally agree about the tires!</p>
<p>I don’t know how old the kids are but if it hasn’t already been done, I suggest skipping the purchase altogether and have them join a fitness club where they can try lots of different equipment.</p>
<p>I used to use an exercise bike a lot but never really liked it very much and switched that timeslot to using an elliptical which I like better.</p>
<p>If you do go for a purchase and unless they know exactly what they want and have regularly used an exercise bike then go with used if you can because statistically they’ll use it a little bit up front and then not use it anymore and that way you can cut your losses.</p>
<p>If, OTOH, they’ve regularly used exercise bikes and know they like them then ask them what they prefer since they’ll probably be pretty picky as to what they like and many of the less expensive department store type bikes won’t appeal to them.</p>
<p>I use the upright bike at the gym- it seems alot easier on my knees than the others. ( I have loose ligaments and hyperextend my knees)</p>
<p>( I also alternate between that, the elliptical & the rowing machine- if I had to pick one, I would pick the rowing machine as my favorite)</p>
<p>I agree with getting a very basic one/trying out gym membership to try equipment first</p>