# Treadmill or recumbent bike? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 30, 2005, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treadmill-or-recumbent-bike/301837 "2005-04-30T05:23:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treadmill-or-recumbent-bike/301837/1 "2005-04-30T05:23:11Z")
I want to get some new excercise equipment by summer. Should I go with a treadmill or recumbent bike? ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treadmill-or-recumbent-bike/301837/2 "2005-04-30T11:06:40Z")
- - - I would get a stair-climbing machine myself. Harder workout, faster. … - Running regularly hurts my knees too much now to regularly do it and you should _really_ be doing your recumbent bike riding **outside**. 😃 ~ ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treadmill-or-recumbent-bike/301837/3 "2005-04-30T16:55:00Z")
I think that the most important thing about an exercise regime is to get something that _you_ enjoy doing. (Or, at least, to choose the least sucky of the available options.) It’s not about getting the machine that is objectively the best workout, it’s about getting a machine that you personally enjoy and will stick with. The “best” machine will be the worst machine for you if you’re not using it. Which do you like better, recumbent biking, or walking/running on the treadmill? Have you done these activities in the past? If not, most gyms will give you a free trial session, and you can try the different machines. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treadmill-or-recumbent-bike/301837/4 "2005-04-30T17:24:44Z")
I like to use the recumbent bike at the gym because I can read while I excercise. Except for traditional stationary bikes, just about every other cardio machine involves too much head movement to be able to read. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treadmill-or-recumbent-bike/301837/5 "2005-04-30T18:37:35Z")
I was taking a spinning class pretty regualrly before the kids were born. Bought a recumbant bike to go along with the weight set for the basement. 2.5 years later I still lift twice a week. The $275 recombant has, maybe, 50 miles on it and now makes a nasty grinding noise. I don’t think the manufacturer expected the purchaser to actually USE the bike past a fortnight. I’m looking for a trainer for my roadbike…they’re the same amount of money as the recumbant for much fewer parts…hopefully that means it’ll last longer. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treadmill-or-recumbent-bike/301837/6 "2005-04-30T20:05:03Z")
I’ve tried both a treadmill and a recumbent bike and liked them equally well. The treadmill is more expensive but very appealing because you can set up a difficult or easy workout by using miles per hour and gradients. OTOH the recumbent bike would allow me to read and would probably be gentler on my back. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treadmill-or-recumbent-bike/301837/7 "2005-05-01T21:29:28Z")
Agree about the reading being a big benefit from the bike. I keep telling myself I would work out more if it was easier to read while I did it. On the other hand, one of the reasons I originally picked a treadmill is because of the benefits of weight-bearing exercise for bone health. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2005, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treadmill-or-recumbent-bike/301837/8 "2005-05-01T21:35:34Z")
Any rule of thumb to how much to spend on excercise equipment to ensure it’ll LAST? (IIRC a Spinning™ bike with zero frills is $1500 at the gym.) ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treadmill-or-recumbent-bike/301837/9 "2005-05-01T22:58:38Z")
> [@Unintentionally Blank](#): > > Any rule of thumb to how much to spend on excercise equipment to ensure it’ll LAST? (IIRC a Spinning™ bike with zero frills is $1500 at the gym.) All I can tell you is that I bought my recumbent bike at Sears three years ago for $100, and I’ve had no problems at all until just this week. I finally wore through the strap that provides resistance. I’m waiting for the $8 replacement strap to be shipped to me. Other than that, it’s been great. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treadmill-or-recumbent-bike/301837/10 "2005-05-01T23:33:40Z")
We have a recumbant bike that we both use. It cost $300 and has had thousands of miles put on it. You can read or watch TV while using it, which I like. The bad? It aggravates the arthritis in my hip something fierce. We are always considering adding a treadmill for variety and for that weight bearing exercise mentioned above. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treadmill-or-recumbent-bike/301837/11 "2005-05-02T21:20:03Z")
Neither. Go with an eliptical trainer. You can always go for a run. You might even have a bike. But the eliptical trainer will focus on similar muscles like a traditional bike and require a similar amount of effort like a good run without the impact on the joints. Do buy a good one. You’ll need to spend about $1200-$1600 but if you use it several times a week for 30 to 60 min each time, you’ll be glad you did. Also, skip the ones with the moving arm things. They offer next to zero benefit to overall fitness and experience.