Recumbent Vs Upright Bike: A Guide To Pick The Best Cardio Option

It’s essential to understand the differences in design, features, and functionality between these two bikes and how they align with what you want out of your workout routine. Below, you’ll find a detailed comparison between both exercises so you can make the best decision possible on your next cardio session. Keep reading!

Recumbent Vs Upright Bike: Design and Features

Recumbent bikes are purposely designed with comfort as one of the top priorities. Its seat is large and very spacious, with back support so you can relax the upper body. The pedals are located in front of the user, allowing for a reclined and comfortable stance while pedaling, and the handles are situated on the sides of the seat, providing a very snug grip.

Its display also offers a variety of pre-programmed workouts and resistance levels such as hill climbs, interval training, training based on heart rate, etc.

In contrast, upright bikes have a saddle-like seat with no back support, while the pedals are located directly beneath the user, just like a real bike. This position makes the user sit upright and engage more muscles than the recumbent bike, but more on that later.

The handles are located on the front, allowing for a more engaged grip. On the other hand, the display option is not as advanced, providing fewer options for pre-programmed workouts.

Here’s a summary of the comparison of the features of recumbent vs. upright bikes:

Recumbent Vs Upright Bike: Adjustability and Joint Impact

When choosing between both bikes, factors like adjustability and joint impact are crucial. will guarantee you can complete your cardio session without feeling sore or injuring yourself.

Adjustability

The recumbent bike is a better option than the upright bike regarding adjustability. The seat and handles are highly adjustable, making it a comfortable fit for several body types. The upright bike also offers some level of adjustability but is not as generous as the recumbent bike.

Joint Impact

As you may guess, the recumbent bike is also more forgiving when it comes to joint impact. Its recline position greatly reduces the impact on the knee joints.

Besides, the seat’s back support also alleviates the lumbar region and hips, making it easier to maintain proper posture during your workout. All those factors make the recumbent bike a great option for those with low joint mobility.

Since the pedals of the Upright Bike are positioned beneath the user, it can put more pressure on the knees In addition, the upright position causes a bigger activation of the upper body, putting a bigger strain on the back and hips.

On the other hand, the upright bike is ideal for more intense workouts since it engages more muscles and burns more calories.

Benefits of Recumbent Vs Upright Bike

Now that you know the caveats, it’s time to discuss the benefits of each equipment. Both of them are very similar in execution and general idea, so they’ll have similar benefits. However, some minor differences are important to keep in mind when choosing between the recumbent vs the upright bike.

Cardiovascular Improvement

Several studies have proven the health benefits of indoor cycling. It enhances aerobic capacity, allowing you to endure aerobic exercises like running or hiking for longer periods of time. It has also been shown to reduce blood pressure and improve lipid profile.

Muscle Activation

In case of muscle activation, the upright bike is your main pick. Both bikes activate the lower body since it is the source of the movement. However, due to the nature of the upright bike, the body has to engage its core to stabilize and balance its upper section during the exercise, making you one step closer to that coveted v-line.

Additionally, the upright bike allows some upper body activation, especially during stand-up positions or more intense workouts due to the position of the handles.

Weight Loss

People achieve weight loss when they are in a calorie deficit, meaning they are spending more calories than they intake during their days. To do that, you’ll need a mix of a low-calorie diet and exercise that burns them. Both the recumbent and the upright bikes are good calorie burners; however, as it was mentioned, the upright bike allows for more intense exercises.

With that in mind, a Harvard Medical School study shows that a 30-minute session of vigorous bicycling burns something around 441 calories in a 185-pound person, while the same 30 minutes of moderate bicycling burns 294 calories in a person of the same weight.

If your focus is solely on calorie burn and weight loss, choosing the upright bike where you can do more intensive exercises might be the best option.

Which Is Better For a Home Gym: Recumbent or Upright Bike

We recommend the upright bike for most of the home gyms. It is the best option available if you’re looking for a more complete cardio exercise.

Besides, recumbent bikes are the more expensive of the two since they are a newer model and typically have more features than traditional upright bikes.

Then again, if you specifically have back pains or weak hips, the recumbent bike might be the best option. By the way, mid-back exercises and mid-trap exercises are a great option to help out with that pain.

Recumbent Vs Upright Bike: The Internet’s Opinion

Just like the StairMaster vs. elliptical debate, this dispute between bikes has been around for a while, which allows us to look to the internet to find some opinions of people who have tested both before. Let’s check some of those opinions together.

On a Reddit thread about Recumbent vs Upright bikes, user Silvercumulus says:

“Non-expert advice: Recumbent is way more fun, more comfortable, better for your back and knees. But I feel like I get a better workout on an upright bike because I'm using my core, as somebody already said. It's also better training to ride a bike outdoors “

User Savamizz seems to greatly prefer the recumbent bike for comfort reasons:

“Seconding the recommendation for recumbent if you like to have your hands free to do other stuff (video games, reading) while you exercise. They're much more comfortable than upright bikes on my back, even if they're not as 'efficient' at burning calories (casual pedaling at level 4 is about 300kCal/hr, you can get around 500/hr if you burst between level 6-8). You'll be able to do it more consistently, for longer periods without getting stiff, and it becomes second nature after a while to ride while doing something else. Find a nice long RPG and you can knock off 1000 kCals a night while you play!

I have the 2011 version of this model and it's super quiet and fairly comfortable (throw a pillow on the seat if you plan to pedal beyond an hour)”

In contrast, user Azdak66 highlights the dangers of slacking off on the recumbent bike:

“This is a subjective opinion, but the vast majority of people I have seen on recumbent bike in many years of working in gyms do not do serious workouts. Then tend to sit and watch TV or read and just turn the pedals without much focus.

Now there are many kinds of workouts and someone does not have to go at a high-intensity to get benefits, but you need to work at a minimum threshold to get something out of your workout minutes. I don’t know if the reason is that a recumbent bike encourages a mediocre workout, or if people who don’t really want to exercise self-select that movement, but that’s what I have seen.

That being said, there is no rule of nature that says you can’t work out harder on a recumbent bike. So if that movement appeals to you, then you can make it worthwhile.”

The Takeaway

As you can see, there’s no clear answer when choosing between the recumbent and the upright bike and personal factors such as comfort and desired intensity play a huge role in what is the best pick.

At the end of the day, as long as you’re being active and exercising your heart and lungs, it doesn’t matter which cardio exercise you choose. Of course, some are more efficient than others, but your personal enjoyment of it is as important as efficiency when it comes to a life-long fitness journey.

Finally, if you need some help tracking your fitness progress and want to be part of a community that cheers you on, try the Flex app. It has awesome features like a bodyweight tracker and a plate calculator that make your fitness progress easier and more rewarding. Download now and get fit with Flex!