Recumbent Exercise Bicycles

On an exercise bike, what's the difference between exercising on a recumbent bike vs. a sitting up bike?

There must be benefits of one over the other.

Public Comments

1. I think the main benefit is comfort.
2. a recumbant bike is better for your back and doesnt give you the 'NUMB BUM" '' but they both do great for a work out..
3. A common issue with recumbent bikes is their seats lack the necessary adjustment to distribute the pedaling force over a wide range of muscles. Many people find that recumbent bikes rapidly fatigue the quads. This may not be a problem for some body types and possibly some recumbent bikes do offer enough adjustment, I've not seen them all. Regular upright bike seats can be adjusted up and down, as well as fore and aft. This adjustment is critical to distributing the pedaling effort over more muscles. Therefore the pedaling force can be distributed between the quads, as well as the hamstrings and butt. This allows for more powerful pedaling with less fatigue.