Non-motoring > Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: L'escargot	Replies: 29

New Wed 3 Mar 10 07:14   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - L'escargot

I need an excercise cycle and I think a recumbent type would be most suitable. I've seen the V-Fit Sydney advertised but I haven't been able to find one which I can actually look at. Does anyone have any experience of this, or of any other recumbent types? My target price is up to £250. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 09:06   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - Dog

Interesting, I'd never heard of a recumbent exercise bike before ~ www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2wAIl9aKcc Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 09:31   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - Dog

This would worth a punt ~ tinyurl.com/yeweetl but its collection only and in the Shire of berks. so nowhere near you. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 09:41   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - Fenlander

Do you need to keep your weight off knees and ankles? If not I find the cross-trainer gives the best overall home workout. Whatever you want, as with so many things, it's worth a good look at ebay. I bought our year old cross-trainer for around £150 from a seller who'd only used it a few times. The new retail price was about £550. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 11:55   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - Iffy

... tinyurl.com/yeweetl ... Trouble with that machine is it's not high enough to hang your clothes on. :) Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 19:32   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - Zero

You'll need a cycle helmet as well, and tight lycra trousers. Dont forget the flourescent armbands. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 20:42   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - Badwolf

On the odd occasion that I can be bothered going to the gym, I use the recumbent exercise bikes there and, whilst I would never profess to enjoy using them, I dislike them less than the rest of the equipment. Those and the treadmill are the only items that I will go on - the rest just look awful, especially the cross trainers. And don't get me started on the weights.... Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 20:48   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - Focusless

>> On the odd occasion that I can be bothered going to the gym Badwolf - obviously it's great that you're making time to go to the gym, but can I ask why you do that, which (presumably) costs money and doesn't sound that enjoyable, instead of going for a quick blast on a real bike in the fresh(?) air? Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 20:54   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - Badwolf

Because, Focus, I don't own a bike! And I intend to keep it that way. Exercise is to me what Christmas is to a turkey. I'm only a gym member as both myself and Mrs B-to-be received six months' free membership to the gym in the hotel where we're having our wedding. Believe me, I certainly wouldn't pay to join a gym! I can't abide it and, whilst I know that it would certainly do me good, I just can't summon up any enthusiasm for it. At all. It doesn't help that the male changing rooms are communal so invariably the first thing that I see when I walk in there is another man's todger. Not my idea of fun. We've not been for quite a while for one reason or another and Mrs B-to-be has been muttering darkly about going back soon. Can't wait.... :-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 21:45   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - Focusless

>> I'm only a gym member as both myself and Mrs B-to-be received six months' free >> membership to the gym in the hotel where we're having our wedding. Ah, I must admit I would be tempted if it was free... >> It doesn't help that the male changing rooms are communal so invariably the first thing >> that I see when I walk in there is another man's todger. ...or maybe not... :-) A perfectly reasonable explanation - thanks. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 21:48   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - Zero

invariably the first thing >> that I see when I walk in there is another man's todger. Only if you are looking for it...... Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 22:17   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - Badwolf

>> invariably the first thing >> >> that I see when I walk in there is another man's todger. >> >> Only if you are looking for it...... What, exactly, are you insinuating AE? :-) I don't wish to dwell on the subject but when one is unused to being confronted by the male member then it does tend to be the first thing that one notices when one enters a communal male changing room. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 22:23   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - Zero

do you have blue lights round the screen of your bus? Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 22:25   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - Focusless

>> I don't wish to dwell on the subject but when one is unused to being >> confronted by the male member then it does tend to be the first thing that >> one notices when one enters a communal male changing room. Having been an 'early bird' swimmer 5 (later 3) days a week for a number of years last century at a pool with no cubicles (Bracknell), I suppose I got used to it. To an extent. It was all worth it though, as one morning it was just me and Sharon Davies in the pool, at least for the first few minutes! anyway Not that I saw much of her - Olympic swimmers are quite quick. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 22:30   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - smokie

Big girl, that Sharon. I remember many years ago having to chaperone her when she opened the Wokingham Carnival. Michael McIntyre does a piece on mens changing rooms in his latest show (can be seen on the Wembley DVD, IIRC). Tres amusant. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Mar 10 22:36   Recumbent excercise cycle advice needed - Iffy

...It doesn't help that the male changing rooms are communal so invariably the first thing that I see when I walk in there is another man's todger... Some of the people I see at court would regard that as a leisure centre in itself. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 4 Mar 10 06:59   Recumbent exercise cycle advice needed - L'escargot

Well, Badwolf admits to begrudgingly using a recumbent exercise (I've corrected my spelling error in the subject as well!) cycle but does anybody know how good a V-Fit Sydney is? ;-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 4 Mar 10 07:26   Recumbent exercise cycle advice needed - Focusless

L'esc - excuse my curiosity, but why a recumbent? Someone mentioned keeping weight off knees and ankles, but if you need to press with force X to turn the pedals at a given rate/resistance, it doesn't matter whether you're sitting upright or lying down - there will still be force X going through your legs. A recumbent would also take up more floor space, and there doesn't seem to be as much choice. However I can see that it might just be more comfortable, if that's what you're after. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 4 Mar 10 07:30   Recumbent exercise cycle advice needed - L'escargot

>> However I can see that it might just be more comfortable if that's what you're >> after. >> That's exactly what I'm after. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 4 Mar 10 07:31   Recumbent exercise cycle advice needed - Focusless

>> >> However I can see that it might just be more comfortable if that's what >> >> you're after. >> >> >> >> That's exactly what I'm after. no pain no gain :-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 4 Mar 10 07:49   Recumbent exercise cycle advice needed - L'escargot

>> no pain no gain :-) >> I'm not after anything too strenuous. I just want to exercise to help to combat my recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes. At the moment it's only borderline but I want to help to delay the onset of a more serious stage. I certainly don't want any pain resulting from sitting on an excruciating saddle! Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 4 Mar 10 07:59   Recumbent exercise cycle advice needed - Focusless

>> I'm not after anything too strenuous. Sorry L'esc, just being facetious. I think generally the hardest thing about exercising on an exercise bike is the boredom, which is why many are bought, used once or twice then left to rust in a garage. I guess it's easier to do other things (read a book, watch TV?) on a recumbent, so hopefully that will make the experience more bearable. Good luck. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 4 Mar 10 09:09   Recumbent exercise cycle advice needed - Fenlander

To expand on my brief post earlier I hope some of my research last year on the net and asking friends who exercise might help. I wanted modest exercise as advised by the doctor to keep myself a bit more tuned up (heart, weight, joints etc) as I headed closer to mid 50s and beyond. Too much hassle to drive to a gym from our rural location and cycling or pounding the roads in the cold/dark/wet of winter didn’t appeal. So looked at all types of home machines. Didn’t fancy a treadmill and also they’re said to be harder on the knees… as SWMBO has issues in this area already and may want to use machine they were discounted. Exercise bike was my first thought but I have a back prone to problems and the way they make you bend over may not have suited. Also the way they concentrate the workout to the legs wasn’t what I wanted. I didn’t consider the recumbent machines as I couldn’t get to grips with exercising sitting down but they are said to be kind to ankles, knees and back. So it was the cross-trainer for me. Regarding makes and price level I found many folks unhappy with the light feel, lack of stability and frequently squeaky/noisy operation of the cheaper brands like the V-Fit. Anyone who’d used pro gym machines seemed to think most sub £400 machines felt like this. Hence I went to EBay and paid under £200 for a cross-trainer that was £550 new. So many folks give up after a few weeks (or days!) the used ones for sale are often virtually new…. as mentioned above they then clutter the hallway or spare room with clothes hanging on them. Another advantage to buying used is they will be pre-built (check they will fit in the car though if collecting). There is a significant amount of work to make one up out of its box from Argos. Bear in mind these machines have a fair amount of electronics to control the resistance levels from the screen/controls. The better ones have more extensive workout routines and informative displays… also when asking around I did hear grumbles about failed screen/control units on the V-fit range. I have my cross-trainer in a converted outbuilding so I can go in there with some music on and not interfere with the family. Because I like music and rarely get the chance to listen to my own unmolested in the house this is my motivation to get out on the trainer. Depending on your home circumstance where to use it can be an issue…. they do take up a fair bit of floor space. HTH Last edited by: Fenlander on Thu 4 Mar 10 at 09:12 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 4 Mar 10 13:17   Recumbent exercise cycle advice needed - L'escargot

>> Sorry L'esc ............. No probs. I'm not the sort that takes umbrage readily. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 4 Mar 10 14:49   Recumbent exercise cycle advice needed - Fursty Ferret

Hi L'escargot, If you can, try one for a week. Or even once. I've been cycling competitively for 5 years now and the only time I've had back problems was after I used a recumbent bike to exercise on regularly when I was stuck in Phoenix for 4 months. I think there's actually very little benefit to using them if you're not going to go flat out (you burn more calories and stretch muscles more by walking or swimming), and you get a REALLY sweaty back. The only real advantage of using the gym was that I found my Polar HRM linked to the machines so I could work consistently at 85% max heart rate. But that has the disadvantage of really confusing the poor sod next to you who is strolling along and whose machine is receiving data from your HRM. Ahem. Sorry, whoever you are, since you looked a bit concerned when the machine told you to "stop immediately". Dave. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 6 Mar 10 07:21   Recumbent exercise cycle advice needed - L'escargot

>> .............. a recumbent bike ........... >> I think there's actually very little benefit to using them........ The benefit to me would be being able to sit on a reasonably comfortable seat rather than on an excruciating saddle. It's the saddle of ordinary exercise cycles that I want to avoid. I have no other reason for deciding that a recumbent type would be more suitable. Space isn't a problem. Last edited by: L'escargot on Sat 6 Mar 10 at 07:23 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 5 Mar 10 15:49   Recumbent exercise cycle advice needed - teabelly

If you don't have much space then there are stepper things that only take up a few square feet. Tesco do them for about £25. You do need a reasonable sense of balance though. There are also the 'air walker' style things which are less hard on the knees. They do take up more room and take a little coordination at first. I just use the stepper when I remember. I have it in front of the window so I can stare out at the view as excercise is kind of boring really. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 5 Mar 10 16:19   Recumbent exercise cycle advice needed - Dog

One of the best exercises for the ole cardio vasc is jogging, trouble is though - most joggers that I see 'run', but running is not jogging, and vice versa. Walking is a good exercise Snaily, have you ever considered getting a Dog. Dog. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 6 Mar 10 07:16   Recumbent exercise cycle advice needed - L'escargot

>> Walking is a good exercise Snaily ............. Unfortunately it's about a mile from our house before we get to a pavement, and walking on our narrow semi-rural road is just asking to be knocked down. Hence the need for an exercise cycle. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 6 Mar 10 08:39   Recumbent exercise cycle advice needed - Dog

>>> and walking on our narrow semi-rural road is just asking to be knocked down <<< Same in Cornwall - some literally fly down the (single track) lanes (mostly locals) shame though - not like 'the old days'. Reply to this message | Report message