Most exercise bikes measure how much energy you expend while pedaling in terms of watts, calories burned and METs. But some bikes also harness that energy, using it instead of electricity from the wall socket power the resistance mechanism and keep the console lit up.
Plug-in
Some exercise bikes are designed to plug into a standard electrical socket. Note that a bike designed for sale in European markets will run on the 220V European standard market, and a bike intended for sale in the United States will run on the 110V U.S. standard current. So if you take your plug-in exercise bike with you on an overseas move, you’ll need an electrical adapter to use it.
Self Powered
Other exercise bikes are self-powered. The electricity generated by your pedaling powers the bike’s resistance system, plus the electrical console that controls that resistance and displays your workout information.
Battery Powered
You may also encounter exercise bikes that don’t need to be plugged in to work, but do require several batteries to power the console. “AA” and “D” batteries are the most common types required.
Purely Mechanical
You may occasionally encounter an older exercise bicycle with either air or direct tension resistance and no electronics console or readout. This type of bike is the simplest of all, because it requires no power to operate; the resistance is provided solely from the physical tension of the belt against the flywheel, or the fan blades moving against the air. And with no console to power, no batteries are required.
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