Exercise Bikes

About Exercise Bikes

Ntaifitness offers exercise bikes for home and commercial use including spinning classes, cardio rooms as well as home and garage gyms. We offer a number of exercise bike variations with the two most prominent being upright and recumbent. Upright bikes resemble a regular bicycle while recumbent bikes offer lower back support. Both types provide similar cardio and lower body focused workouts with upright bikes. Often those with a history of lower back issues will choose recumbent bikes for comfort.

Exercise bikes remain one of the most popular and affordable types of aerobic training equipment. Their durable build, paired with outstanding technology developments, makes them a great addition to any home gym. They are also a relatively inexpensive entry route for anyone seeking high quality aerobic training gear without breaking the bank. Why are they such a sought after machine? The technology featured on an exercise bike is always so well tried and tested, and the weight-bearing nature of the cycling movement itself requires little co-ordination, making it particularly easy on the hips, knees and ankles. Indoor cycling is therefore an excellent option for almost everyone, including beginners, the elderly or those suffering or recovering from injury. Better still, cycling is a renowned cardiovascular exercise, working large muscle groups and burning calories.

At Ntaifitness we offer a huge variety of exercise bikes for both home and commercial use, manufactured by world renowned brands such as Kettler, Life Fitness, NordicTrack, Pro-Form, BH Fitness, and many more. With hundreds of indoor cycles to choose from, selecting the right one can seem a tricky task. Our handy guidance below will help you find your perfect match. With cycles to suit all budgets and spaces, and with a range of flexible finance options to choose from, you’re sure to find the right one for you.

Exercise Bike Benefits

• Less impact on joints: Cycling on an exercise bike reduces the impact on your joints, compared to cardio exercises such as running.
• Reduced stress: During cardio exercise, endorphins are released into your bloodstream. This release of endorphins produces a natural high, which in turn relieves stress.
• Boosted energy levels: Exercise of any kind will increase your energy levels, and cycling is one of the best forms of exercise to help increase your overall energy.
• Increased lung capacity: Cycling will help improve your lung capacity, making you stronger and healthier.
• Encourages aerobic fitness: Pushing pedals provides an aerobic workout which is great for your heart, brain, and blood vessels.
• Helps to build muscle: In the power phase of pedalling (the down-stroke), you use your quadriceps, gluteus muscles, gastrocnemius muscles and soleus muscles. In the recovery phase (back-stroke, up-stroke, and over-stroke), you use your hamstrings and flexor muscles.

What to Consider When Buying an Exercise Bike

Type of indoor cycle
Upright exercise bikes put you in the conventional upright cycling position. Their consoles and pre-programmed workouts are tailored to fit just about anyone's needs and their comfort levels are high. Upright exercise bikes are a great entry level option for anyone new to exercise. If you are tight on space, an upright bike is also a great option as they tend to have a smaller footprint.
Recumbent exercise bikes place you in a more horizontal position, are easier to mount and dismount and have a more supportive seat (more like a chair than a saddle) with a back/lumbar support. However, recumbent exercise bikes take up more room and are generally more costly for the same standard of bike, as they offer a very similar type of workout. If you are recovering from knee or back injuries, you may be best opting for a recumbent bike rather than upright bike as the exercise tends to be slightly more on the glutes and has slightly more impact on the lower stomach muscles.
Racer bikes (aka studio bikes) are designed slightly differently in terms of their flywheel and resistance, in order to closer resemble the feel of a road bike. They have a weighted flywheel which is connected to the pedals through a transmission system. You can adjust the resistance via a dial, like you would change gears on a road bike. These bikes also allow you to pedal while standing up, which gives you a much more intensive workout and engages different muscle groups. If you are an advanced fitness enthusiast, indoor cycling bikes are a great choice. Not just because they mimic the sensation of real-life cycling, but because their resistance delivery is excellent. They are also much more natural than upright bikes.
Braking system: Most exercise bikes use electronic braking which, although not cheap, is generally smooth in use and enables manufacturers to offer programmes such as hill and heart rate control. Mechanical braking is simple, cheap and offers potentially very high resistance levels, but it needs a heavy flywheel to give a good pedalling feel and requires regular maintenance. Air braking gives you more resistance as you pedal faster, provides a nice, cooling breeze and is a robust system of generating resistance. However, it doesn't allow you to alter resistance without changing your pedalling speed.
Flywheel: All other things being equal, the heavier the flywheel, the smoother and less jerky the pedalling action.
Pedalling feel: Ideally, this should be silky smooth with the same level of resistance throughout the 360 degrees of pedal revolution, even at high resistance levels and out of the saddle. Avoid models with an uneven or jerky pedalling feel.
Maximum workload: This is how much resistance the bike will give when pedalled flat out. Most bikes will provide in excess of 250 watts; experienced cyclists or the very fit will need in excess of 400 watts.
Console feedback and ease of use: How clear and comprehensive is the displayed information? How easy is it to access programmes (if there are any)? Are the buttons clearly visible and easy to use?
Bike programmes: These can offer variety and motivation via simulating various hill courses, allowing you to create your own programmes or by controlling your heart rate and more.
Exercise bike power supply: Is the bike self-powered or does it need mains electricity? You can purchase either option depending on your requirements.
Riding position adjustability: The more adjustable the bike, the more comfortable during longer sessions. All bikes have saddle height adjustment. Check whether the saddle or handlebars can be moved backwards and forwards too.
Standard of construction: Check that the frame is built predominantly from metal, the welds are tidy, the overall finish is good without sharp or rough edges and that the moving parts are adequately shielded from prying fingers. A solidly constructed exercise bike should also be stable and not flex or wobble.

Exercise Bike Accessories and Add ons

Floor mats: Place under your cycle for stability and to protect your floors from wear, as well as perspiration.
Heart rate monitors and belts: some indoor cycles offer wireless heart rate monitoring. Belts can be added for even more accurate readings. Alternatively, you can buy a heart rate monitor.
Advanced programming: modules can be purchased for additional workout programmes (select brands and models).

Why buy your indoor cycle from Ntaifitness?

• You can try before you buy - and get expert advice from our in-store advisors - at any one of our 10 UK showrooms
• We offer a range of payment options, including interest free finance and buy now, pay later schemes. Payments can be spread over 6, 12, 24 or 36 months (depending on the product and finance type. You can find more information on our finance options page.
• Fastest delivery – many of our indoor cycles are available for next day or Saturday delivery, and you can even choose you delivery date
• Delivery is free on all exercise bikes (no delivery costs for purchases over £99) delivered to UK mainland addresses (exclusions apply). For details please see our delivery information.
• Installation service available: All cycles do come with instruction manuals, but we do offer an installation service for selected models. For more information call us on 01604 673000.
  14-day Price Promise: Our 14-day Price Promise guarantees that you purchase an elliptical cross trainer at the lowest price. If you subsequently find the same like-for-like product at a lower price, we will refund 110% of the difference immediately.
• Second hand and ex-display options: As well as brand new, we also have a small selection of second hand and ex-display cycles available to purchase and pick-up from our store locations. For more information see our ex-display exercise bikes or contact us on 01604 673000.