At the gym, the difference between recumbent and upright exercise bikes seems pretty obvious. After all, one resembles a traditional bike on which you sit upright with the pedals directly beneath your knees, and the other has a silly-looking reclined seat with the pedals directly in front. Despite these differences, recumbent exercise bikes and upright bikes also have several similarities--both are stationary bikes, both are gentle on the joints, and both provide good workouts. The exercise differences between these two bikes, however, aren't always so obvious.
Workout
Due to the position of the seat on a recumbent bike, and due to the fact that you can’t stand on the pedals, you’re working fewer muscle groups on a recumbent bike than on a stationary upright bike. Recumbent bikes strengthen and tone your calves, thighs, glutes and lower abdomen, and they help to build long, lean leg muscles, whereas stationary upright bikes strengthen and tone your entire lower body and core.
Intensity
On a stationary upright bike, you have complete control of the intensity of the workout, which makes climbing a hill on a this type of bike nothing like climbing on a recumbent bike. A stationary upright bike has a resistance knob that adds tension to the weighted flywheel, so that you can determine your own intensity. On most recumbent exercise bikes you're following a built-in electronic program that simulates different terrain and thus determines the intensity of the workout for you.
Position
Riders of recumbent bikes tend to have lower heart rates, and, thus, receive a slightly easier workout than than those of stationary upright bikes. This is partly due to the bike’s design. By raising your legs to a horizontal position on a recumbent bike, you're helping the blood return to the heart and increasing the volume of blood that gets pumped with each heart beat. The reclined position of these bikes is why they are generally recommended for people who are less fit. This also makes them more comfortable than a stationary upright bike, which is designed to mimic a traditional road bike.
On a stationary upright bike you expend greater effort because you can stand and sit on the bike, providing an anaerobic workout that increases your heart rate considerably. And when stationary upright bikes are used in a class with an instructor pushing you harder than you would be inclined to ride on your own, you also expend greater effort.
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