Experts estimate that the global home exercise bike market will reach $2,335.2 million by 2027. The size of this market in 2019 was $1,213.5 million. The reason for the rise of these instruments is their simple using method and effectiveness. In this bunch of sweet beasts, a stationary bike is not harder than a road bike at all, rather these come with a lot of safety features.
Stationary bikes are perfect for those who want to keep fit their body through regular exercise. If you live in a place where there is no bike lane, you can use a stationary bike. These will provide almost the same benefits as a real bike. A stationary bike is also great for the elderly or who have mobility issues.
In this article, I will discuss the unique features of both stationary bikes and road bikes. If you are interested in stationary bikes, then don’t miss the whole article.
Stationary Bikes And Its Type
A stationary bike is an indoor cycling-type exercising instrument. These bikes are safe, easy to use, and a good quality tool for cardiovascular exercises. You can use these bikes to strengthen and tone the buttocks and feet muscles because they will provide you with an impact aerobic workout.
These popular workout instruments have two major types: Upright and Recumbent. Below, I am describing them briefly.
1. Upright Bike
The design of an upright stationary bike is very much like a regular road bike. You can ride these bikes in different positions, such as racing positions, standing, or sitting positions. By changing your riding position, you can ensure the workout of the different muscle groups. For those with osteoarthritis or spinal stenosis, a forward-leaning position can be the most comfortable and effective.
2. Recumbent Bike
A Recumbent bike is more comfortable and safe because they give the rider the opportunity to lean on the seat. These bikes are ideal for patients with back pain or for older people who cannot balance their bodies well. The backrest of recumbent bikes helps them balance perfectly. Although; these bikes are more secure and convenient, they can provide low cardiovascular facilities and encourage less intense exercise.
Advantages Of A Stationary Bike
Stationary bikes come with a lot of benefits, which is the reason for their growing popularity. Below, I’m describing some key benefits of a stationary bike.
- Regular use of a stationary bike can tone your buttocks, thighs, and legs. It also helps improve the stomach and back muscles as well.
- Cycling is an excellent exercise we have no doubt about this. The use of stationary bikes for 30 to 45 minutes a session 2-3 days per week can widely improve your cardiovascular health.
- A stationary bike may play an effective role in reducing your weight. Bikes in medium intensity can burn 412 calories per hour, and 620 calories in high intensity.
- These bikes can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. When riding these bikes, the body’s muscles use a lot of glucose, which reduces the amount of sugar in the blood.
- Hormones, such as endorphin and serotonin, help to feel good. Using stationary bikes enhances the secretion of these hormones.
- Scientific studies show that physical activity, such as cycling, stimulates certain parts of the brain. That is why the use of stationary bikes will keep you away from degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s.
- Stationary bikes encourage good cholesterols in your body and help to balance cholesterol by reducing bad cholesterols.
- The use of a stationary bike increases lung capacity and will improve the symptoms of chronic lung diseases like asthma or COPD.
Difference Between Stationary And Road Bikes
Wherever you are cycling indoors or outdoor, it is extremely beneficial to your body. Many people get hesitant that they will follow which of both, especially those who have two opportunities. Below I am presenting the differences between the two bikes through a chart that will help you decide.
| Criteria | Stationary Bike | Road Bike |
|---|---|---|
| Consistency | Stationery bikes will allow you constant and controlled exercise. | Maintaining constancy is difficult with a road bike. |
| Impact of the Weather | The weather condition has no effect on any indoor biking. | It has a huge impact on road biking. |
| Muscle Group Toning | Works on a fewer muscle group. | Works on more muscle groups than stationary bikes. |
| Maintenance | These bikes require low maintenance. | Due to having a lot of moving parts, these bikes require consistent maintenance. |
| Boredom | You may feel bored with the same type of environment and the same exercise. | The outside environment will relieve boredom. |
| Multi-purpose Use | You can use these bikes only for exercise. | There is an opportunity to use multi-purpose. |
| Difficulty | Stationary bikes are very easy to use. There is a rare chance of an accident. | The use of a road bike is comparatively difficult. There is always a chance of an accident. |
| Accessories Requirement | You do not need to use any accessories to ride a stationary bike. | It is better to use some safety equipment to ride a road bike. |
| Convenience | Convenient than a road bike, and can use an elderly people also who don’t have well body balance. | A bit more inconvenient than the stationary bike. |
| Cost | Cost of a stationary bike range from $300 to $3000. | Cost of a road bike range from $200 to $10,000. |
Are Stationary Bikes Hard To Ride?
No, riding a stationary bike is not difficult at all, but quite easy. Anyone can use these bikes according to their needs by adjusting different parts. You don’t have to face an accident to ride the stationary bikes and the weather cannot have any effect on your bike riding.
Is A Stationary Bike Harder Than A Road Bike?
Stationary bikes include many features that make them easier to ride than road bikes. Riding a stationary bike is so easy that even the elderly or those with problems like back pain or osteoporosis can ride. Below, I will describe 5 features of these bikes that make them more convenient to ride.
👉 Adjustable Resistant Level
The resistance of a road bike is determined by the weight of the rider, road conditions, the condition of the bike, and many more. In most cases, you have no control over road bike resistance. But a stationary bike includes many levels of resistance. You can set the required resistance and ride accordingly, which makes the bikes quite easy and convenient to ride.
👉 Comfortable Sitting Position
You can never say that the seating position of a road bike is very comfortable. Even if you want to, you cannot change your position while riding the bike. Your sitting position will be determined according to the design of the bike. But upright stationary bikes allow you to ride in different seating positions, which will allow you to work out different muscle groups. In addition, the seating position of a recumbent stationary bike is comfortable and safe.
👉 Do Not Require Safety Gear
A rider should wear a variety of safety gear, including a helmet, to keep him safe when riding a road bike. But you don’t need to use any safety gear to ride stationary bikes. As a result, stationary bikes are easier to ride than road bikes.
👉 Adjustable Saddle Height And Handlebar
Although road bikes feature the opportunity to adjust the saddle or handlebars, there are limitations. You can adjust the saddle or handlebars of a stationary bike more efficiently, which plays a role in making the bikes more convenient.
👉 No Chance of An Accident
Many road bike users get into accidents and go to the hospital. So you need to be very careful while riding the bike on the road. But the chances of an accident on a stationary bike are extremely rare.
Is It Harder To Tone Muscles Using Stationary Bikes?
No, it’s not rather easy to tone muscles using stationary bikes. Upright stationary bikes will allow you to tone the targeted muscles. You can change your riding position to target a specific muscle group. On stationary bikes, you can set different levels of resistance. The muscle toning process will be relatively faster if you choose intense resistance.
Constancy is one of the best features of these bikes, which will give you the most advantage in terms of muscle tone. You can ride continuously or at the same speed, which will provide the necessary workout for that particular muscle group. Considering all, a stationary bike is a better way to tone muscles than a road bike.
Do Pro Cyclists Use Stationary Bikes?
Yes, pro cyclists use stationary bikes to keep themselves fit and to tone their muscles, especially when it is not possible to use road bikes. The weather is unfavorable at different times of the year and road riding is very difficult, many times it is impossible. At that time, pro riders take the help of stationary bikes.
If you also want to use a stationary bike as a pro cyclist, or as a general rider, you may want to know more. Considering this, I am presenting some more information to you.
Is It OK To Ride A Stationary Bike Every Day?
Whether you can ride a stationary bike, every day relies on the kind of workout and how long you use it. Although you can use these bikes every day, most experts recommend using them 5 days a week. This is because daily use can create pressure on your muscles and lead you to injury.
How Long Should You Ride Stationary Bikes?
According to the recommendations of the CDC and NHS, riding 150 minutes a week with moderate resistance or 75 minutes with intense resistance is sufficient for a person. If you divide the time into 5 days a week, then you need to ride 30 minutes with moderate resistance or 15 minutes with intense resistance every day.
However, 15 minutes of daily riding is also beneficial for health and it can improve your memory. One study reveals that 12 weeks of continuous stationary bike rides can increase cardiovascular endurance by up to 20%.
How Many Miles Pace On A Stationary Bike Is Good?
Generally, experienced trainers recommend riding stationary bikes at low to medium resistance at 80 to 100 RPM and medium to high resistance at 60 to 80 RPM.
If I convert it to miles, the speed is 10 to 12 miles per hour at medium to high resistance and 8 to 10 miles per hour at medium to high resistance. Anyway, you need to set the speed and resistance of riding based on your workout goals.
Remember, if you ride a stationary bike at a very high RPM with light resistance, you may feel you are working hard. But in reality, it is not and you will not get your desired result. So, along with pace, you must be mindful of resistance.
I hope you have a clear idea of the speed of stationary bikes. Now I am going to talk about how much distance you need to set during the workout.
❖ 3 Miles On A Stationary Bike Is Good For Health?
3 miles on a stationary bike means 15 to 20 minutes of riding at a speed of 80 to 100 RPM. I have mentioned earlier that riding this time every day helps you stay healthy, improves your memory, and has many more health benefits. If you are an average rider, then this distance from light to medium resistance will help you stay fit. But If you want to tone your muscles, then increase the resistance.
So, Is 3 miles On A Stationary Bike The Same As Walking 3 Miles?
If you consider calorie burning, riding a 3-mile stationary bike is not the same as walking 3 miles. Walking three miles will allow you to burn about 600 calories. But if you ride a stationary bike three miles with light to moderate resistance, you can burn only 160 calories.
❖ 5 Miles On A Stationary Bike Is Good To Lose Weight?
If you are a sound person, then a 5-mile stationary bike ride will be ideal for you. To ride a 5-mile stationary bike, you need to ride at a speed of 60 to 80 rpm for about 30 to 35 minutes. If you set the resistance of the stationary bike at medium to high, you can burn about 300 to 400 calories in this period, which will help you lose weight.
So, Is 5 Miles On A Stationary Bike The Same As Walking 5 Miles?
No, there is a big difference between walking 5 miles and riding a stationary bike. You can burn about 1000 calories if you walk 5 miles, but a 5-mile ride with moderate to high resistance will help you burn only 300 to 400 calories.
❖ Are 15 Miles On A Stationary Bike Good?
Riding distance on stationary bikes largely depends on your willpower, strength, and body structure. Although there is no fixed range for riding, 15 miles is a long way. You can try to ride this distance with great enthusiasm, but it will not be good for your health. In addition, these efforts can put you at serious health risk.
❖ Are 8 Miles In 30 Minutes On A Stationary Bike Good?
8 miles in 30 minutes on a stationary bike becomes somewhat excessive. Usually, experts recommend riding at 10 to 12 miles per hour with light to moderate resistance. If you are a strong person and want to exercise hard, you can try this. But 5 miles in 30 minutes is enough for a normal exercise.
How Many Miles On A Stationary Bike Equals 10000 Steps?
Usually, 5 miles on a stationary bike is equivalent to 10,000 steps. Although there are different methods of measuring these, this is an average calculation. Your height and walking posture have a greater effect on the amount of this step. Nowadays, there are many smart devices you can connect to your stationary bike to determine the number of steps while riding.
Roles That Stationary Bikes Play On Our Body
In the discussion above, I have mentioned many health benefits of a stationary bike. These bikes help us build muscle, especially in the lower part of the body, and burn calories. Now I would like to explain some common queries related to this.
● Which Bike Can You Use To Burn More Calories, A Real Bike Or A Stationary Bike?
Real bikes are more effective than stationary bikes for burning calories. A person weighing 155 pounds can burn 260 to 391 calories in 30 minutes using a stationary bike. Here, the amount of calorie burn will depend on the intensity of the exercise.
Besides, by riding a real bike, the same person can burn 298 to 614 calories in 30 minutes. In this case, the amount of calorie burn will depend on the speed of the bike.
● Is It Possible To Build Muscle By Using A Stationary Bike?
Yes, a stationary bike can help build your muscles. Using high resistance on bikes allows you to tone the muscles in the legs and lower body. Regular paddling plays a role in strengthening various muscles, such as hamstrings, calves, and quadriceps. In addition, these bikes improve your core muscles as well as your back and gluteus muscles.
● Do Stationary Bikes Make Your Legs Bigger?
No, stationary bikes will never make your legs bigger. These bikes will improve leg muscles, increase muscle endurance, and make them more resistant to fatigue. But stationary bikes do not play a role in making your legs longer.
The Final Sayings
Stationary bikes are a great way to get your exercise. You don’t need to worry about getting on and off the bike, weather conditions, safety equipment, or accidents. Furthermore, any can ride it at a constant pace as his/her wish.
As a stationary bike is not harder than a road bike, your all family members can use it. These can play an important role in keeping all your family fit. Exercise in the morning can start a good day. So you can do this exercise easily with a stationary bike at home. That’s all for now, Dears. See you again with a new topic and pieces of keen information.
