Exercise bikes provide cardiovascular exercise that has very little impact on your joints. However, if you really want to work up a sweat on a stationary bicycle, you need to have a quality resistance system on the flywheel to challenge you. While manually-adjusted magnetic resistance systems provide you with an effective and quiet workout, electromagnetic systems are superior for their ease of use.
Eddy Current Resistance
Magnetic and electromagnetic exercise bikes both employ eddy current resistance to make workouts more or less challenging. In the “Instrumentation Reference Book,” Walt Boyes explains that the magnets used in exercise equipment are placed on either side of the flywheel, which is made from a conductive material. As you turn the flywheel with the pedals, electrons spin in eddy currents around the magnets in the opposite direction. When the magnets are brought close to the flywheel, the electrons push against the flow of the wheel to create resistance.
Ease of Use
The main advantage of a stationary bicycle with electromagnetic brakes is that you can change the resistance level at the touch of a button. This allows you to keep exercising at your desired intensity without distraction, a particularly beneficial feature for burning calories through interval training. Manually-adjustable magnets require you to turn a knob or crank to move them, which can be tricky to do while keeping your pedaling cadence.
Workout Programs
The styles of workout programs offered on bicycles with electromagnetic resistance systems are more complex because the computer can change the resistance level automatically for you. This allows you to simulate real-life riding conditions, such as hill climbing. Bikes with manual magnetic brakes typically only have workouts for time, distance or calories burned at a fixed resistance level.
Cost
The additional luxury of an electromagnetic braking system will add to the cost of the bike. You should expect to spend at least $300 to get a magnetic resistance bike of good quality. If you want a bike with electromagnetic resistance that you can change at the touch of a button, expect to pay $600 or more as of January 2011.
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