If you are looking for a great way to tone up, slim down and get in shape without straining your joints, an exercise bike is a great piece of fitness equipment. Exercise bikes are one of the most popular selling pieces of home fitness equipment. Exercise bikes are designed to burn calories by raising your heart rate and limiting the impact on your knees and leg joints. Exercise bikes are commonly known as exercise cycles, indoor bikes, studio cycles, or stationary bikes.

Exercise bikes provide an excellent aerobic workout in the comfort of your own home. When you begin shopping for an exercise bike, you need to assess the following:

•   Determine if you want an upright bike or a recumbent bike
•    How much space do you have available?
•    Should you buy a new or used exercise bike?
•   How much can you afford to spend?

Before you even hit up the fitness store, determine what your current workout regime is. Determine what you will use the bike for; will it be your main exercise source? You should always do your research before you go to the fitness store. Ask your physician, friends, or family members for recommendations. Perhaps some one has the bike you are considering purchasing, if they do, ask them if you can come over and use it. Check with Consumer Reports on the particular model you are considering. The internet is always a great place to find information on several exercise bikes. If you do go to the fitness store, talk with the associate about your fitness needs and have them help you pick out the bike that will fit your needs.

Try to avoid overspending on an exercise bike. Most exercise bikes are cost effective and provide you with a great workout. You should look for an exercise bike in your price range that offers convenience, stability, tension, and control. If you currently have a hard time exercising, don't purchase an expensive exercise bike, as you might not stick with the program. A good exercise bike should cost about $700. An exercise bike in this price range will have all the features you need and will allow you to expand upon your fitness level. As you begin working harder and getting better, you can move up to a more expensive exercise bike.

If you are on a budget, look around for a used bike. Usually health clubs will tell their members when they are getting exercise equipment upgrades. Most health clubs will sell their stationary bikes to their members at a small cost. Classified ads are another great place to look for a used bike. Usually what happens is someone buys a bike, uses it two or three times and then decides they don't want it anymore. This usually means they are willing to sell it for a great price.

If you have an outdoor bicycle, you can easily convert it to an indoor bike. You can purchase a cycle trainer or set of rollers and convert your outdoor bike into an indoor one. Cycle trainers basically allow you to mount the back wheel and elevate it. Typically you will remove the front wheel and then pedal as you would if you were outside.

There are 3 basic models of exercise bikes; the upright bike, the recumbent bike, and the spinner. The differences between the bikes are the different ways they sit. The upright bike looks like a traditional road bike. The upright bike has a small seat with foot pedals that are directly below you. You do not have a back support with an upright bike. Some upright bikes provide different handle bars that you can use for gripping when you are pedaling.

Because of back pain, many people are purchasing recumbent bikes. Recumbent exercise bikes have a nice lounge chair-style seat that provides support to your entire back. The pedals are directly in front of you instead of directly below your feet. It is basically described as driving a car. You sit with the pedals and the "wheel" in front of you. The "wheel" of this bike is actually the handle bars or hand grips.

The last bike is called a spinner. Spinner bikes are not commonly found for sale as home exercise equipment. Many gyms purchase spinner bikes and offer spinning classes. Spinner bikes are designed to exercise your butt, hips, thighs and calves. Many people who use spinner bikes burn up to 1,000 calories in an hour. Spinner bikes allow you to sit or to stand. If you stand, you actually exercise your abs, back and arms. This is why so many people enroll in spinner classes.

Many people prefer recumbent bikes because they are comfortable and some say they provide a harder workout. Before you decide on the style of bike, try using all three in the store with the shoes you plan to wear each time you exercise. Your shoes will make different impacts on the pedals and could cause different muscle groups to become strengthened.

Having an exercise bike in your home will help you stay motivated. Place the bike in an area where you know you will see it and use it on a daily basis. Never stick a piece of exercise equipment in the corner where it is out of site. An exercise bike is convenient and allows you to jump on when you are watching television or listening to music. Many people even read a magazine when they are pedaling to help them keep distracted. If you can stay distracted, you may be able to get through your workout quicker.

When you purchase your exercise bike, you need to stay motivated and track your results. It is always great to have a support group such as a partner to help you stay motivated and on track. Purchase a calendar and write down your workouts in advance, then when you complete the exercise for that day you can cross it off the calendar. If something happens and you miss one of your workouts, place it on the schedule again. Your workout program should consist of different things. You can focus on different things with each workout, for example, one day you can focus on speed while the next day you focus on strength training. You can even use your exercise bike as your warm up and cool down session for a harder workout where you lift weights or do other activities.

You need to plan goals that you can achieve. Everyone wants to look like a supermodel, but it won't come from overdoing it on an exercise bike. Start with a small goal, such as 10 minutes a day on the exercise bike, and then gradually increase your goal to 20 minutes, 30 minutes, and so on. Remember you are new at the exercise bike so give your body time to adjust.

So how do you select the right exercise bike? Here are some simple tips to help you get started:

• Make sure the bike feels good. The seat should be easy to adjust and the height should be perfect for your height.
• Relax your upper body and just focus on using your legs when you are pedaling.
• Allow your abdominal muscles to support your back instead of sitting against the back or hunching over.
• Find out how the bike works. Each bike has different intensity levels, learn how to adjust it and learn how to program the workouts.

Now which bike should you purchase? If you have back pain, you may find it hard to lean forward to grab the handlebars. Upright bikes generally do not have comfortable seats and force you to sit in a hunched over position. Recumbent bikes have a back support and have handle bars that are in front of your, or they have handles that are attached to the seat of the bike, allowing you to put your arms straight down and grab the bars while you pedal.

When you are evaluating the bike, pay close attention to the seat. An adjustable seat is very important because it will "make it or break it" when it comes to using the bike. If the seat is uncomfortable or hard to adjust, it will make it harder for the user to enjoy using the bike. The foot pedals need to be easy to reach and wide enough for your feet. They should also have a strap that keeps your foot in place when you are pedaling. There have been several injuries to back, legs and shoulders due to feet slipping off the pedals.

During your workout the monitor should be easy to read and to easy to use so you can make adjustments. Most monitors will provide you with your speed, time, calories burned, distance, and even heart rate monitors. Look for an exercise bike that comes with a one year warranty on labor. A labor warranty means that the bike will be set up for you in your home, so you don't have to worry about missing a bolt when you try to assemble it.