Upright Bikes, Spin Bikes, & Spin Cycles

Riding a bike is a fun and exciting way to improve cardiovascular exercise while in the comfort of your own home or within the comradery of a gym. Indoor upright exercise bikes have become very popular because of the reduced strain on the body like you would experience with an elliptical or treadmill. There are two types of indoor cycles: the upright exercise bike and the spin bike. Both types of bikes will provide overall benefits such as:

• Boost cardiovascular health to get your heart pumping.
• Maintain weight loss. Depending on the intensity of your workout and your body weight, you can burn more than 600 calories an hour with a stationary bike workout.
• Low-impact workout with smooth movements to strengthen bones and joints without putting much pressure on them.
• High-intensity calorie burning and body fat loss.
• Interval training with alternate short bursts of intense exercise or longer intervals of less intense exercise.
• Strengthens legs and lower body muscles, especially if you use a higher resistance.
• Safer than road cycling because there aren’t cars or people competing for road space on slick road surfaces.

What is an Upright Exercise Bike?

An upright exercise bike keeps you in a conventional riding position similar to sitting in a chair. Upright bikes are well-suited for individuals who want a gentle workout on a comfortable bike seat but don’t need continuous high-intensity training. Also, upright bikes tend to have a variety of accessories and easy-to-use displays that can track resistance, speed, time, distance and calories burned. Some models may include built-in programs to keep your workouts fresh and ever-changing.

One such example is the space-saving X-Bike Stationary Indoor Exercise Bike that offers multiple resistance levels, an LCD screen providing real-time exercise feedback and a very comfortable foam padding seat.

Another example is the CU900ENT Commercial Upright Exercise Bike by Spirit Fitness with 40 adjustable resistance levels and 10 preset programs, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, a TV tuner with an HDMI input, a headphone jack and it also supports WiFi 

What is a Spin Bike?

A spin bike offers fewer features than an upright exercise bike but does provide a closer experience to actual outdoor cycling. Spin cycles are designed for the user to sit or stand to mimic vertical climbing and other cycling maneuvers that are good for high-intensity interval training and fat-burning workouts. This type of spin bike is found in gym exercise groups or spinning classes. Spin bikes come with adjustable seating and handlebars to adjust to individual height and body type. Some spin cycles offer displays that track RPM, Kcal, time, distance, and speed but they are without built-in workout programs. Spin cycles use either a highly durable, quiet magnetic resistance system or a belt-and-chain-drive mechanism to alter resistance levels.

An example of a spin bike is the high-quality and durable Best Fitness Chain Spin Style Bike with a challenging 40-pound flywheel with a chain drive system and several custom adjustments.

The Endurance Spin Style Bike is another example of an extremely sturdy spin bike for the most extreme workouts.

What is the Difference Between a Spin Bike and an Upright Exercise Bike?

Both upright bikes and spin bikes engage the lower muscle groups with similar pedal motions. The key differences are found in the seated position.

• Cycling Position - Spin cycles position the user in an aerodynamic cycling position, while upright bikes keep the user seated like in an office chair.
• Seat Position - The spin bike has an elevated seat position for enhanced aerodynamics, while an upright bike has a lower padded regular style bike seat.
• Pedal Position - Spin cycles have pedals located closer to the core of the machine to provide a high-intensity workout similar to racing a bike. Upright bikes have pedals located near the base of the machine for a more casual exercise.
• Comfort - Spin bikes tend to have narrower and less padded seats compared to upright bikes.
• Resistance - Spin bikes operate more like road bikes with the added weight of the flywheel friction system to provide resistance. In contrast, an upright bike will use either a manually chosen magnetic or electromagnetic resistance system to create a determined resistance level.
• Muscles Targeted - With a spin bike, only the lower muscles are targeted because no spin bike has movable handles and the user’s arms will be used for support. In contrast, upright bikes, especially those with movable handles, will allow the user to target more muscles in both the upper and lower body.
• Safety - Both the upright and spin bikes take the rider off of busy streets and away from distracted drivers.