We’ve all seen them—those goofy bicycles with the rider leisurely lounging in a mesh seat as he pedals with his feet out in front of him. Some of these bikes, called recumbent bikes or “bents”, have two wheels, some have three, but it’s safe to say that their appearance is far from ordinary when it comes to the typical cycle. Upright stationary exercise bikes made to mimic road bikes—goes beyond appearances.
Seat
The obvious difference between a bent and an upright bike are the position of the seats. The upright stationary bike is generally designed to simulate riding a road bike with the rider sitting upright and the knee directly above the pedal. In recumbent bikes, which literally translates to mean seated bikes, the seat is low with pedals in front of the body so the legs are horizontal around hip height, and a your feet are in front of the body.
Wheels
A recumbent bike can have as many as three wheels, for those cyclists with balance problems, while an upright bike has a single, weighted flywheel that controls momentum and resistance during the ride, and picks up speed as you pedal. A recumbent bike can have either a short or long wheel base. The short-wheel based bikes usually have the front wheel at the rider’s knees with the cranks out in front for a faster ride. On a long-wheel based bike, the front wheel is in front of the cranks for larger turning radiuses, and smoother rides.
Heart Rate
Riders of bents tend to have lower heart rates than those of upright bikes. This is due in part to the bike’s design. Raising the legs to a horizontal position helps the blood return to the heart and increases the volume of blood that gets pumped with each heart beat, making the recumbent bike slightly easier. You exert more on an upright bike because they’re typically used in a class with an instructor pushing you harder than you would be inclined to ride when riding on your own.
Comfort
Typically recumbent bikes are recommended for people who are less fit, less stable, or who have cardiovascular problems. These bikes include a back rest, so it’s almost like you’re kicking back, sitting on the sofa, and pedaling. They are good for people with balance problems or those in need of back support. Although upright bikes are made with adjustable seats and handlebars so you can customize them to your desired comfort level, they are made to simulate a road bike, hard seats and all, and people with back problems could find them uncomfortable.
Hills
Climbing a hill on a recumbent bike is nothing like climbing on an upright bike, which has a resistance knob that adds tension to the weighted flywheel, so the rider can determine the intensity of the hill, and even stand out of the seat to lessen that intensity. You can’t stand on the pedals of a recumbent bike, and because of the seat’s position, you’re using different muscle groups to climb on a bent.
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