Exercise Bikes vs Treadmills: Which is Better for a Cardio Workout?

Are you torn between getting an exercise bike or a treadmill for your workout space? 

Well, you’re not alone. Many fitness enthusiasts have trouble comparing exercise bikes vs treadmills and deciding between the two as well. 

But in truth, there’s no single straightforward answer to the question of which offers the best cardio workout? It all depends on your lifestyle, fitness level, and goals. If you just want to get fit without putting too much impact on your knees and back, then an exercise bike is better for you. However, if you’re fit to handle strenuous workouts, go for a treadmill. 

So, considering these factors, exercise bikes may suit you better than treadmills. Or maybe the other way around.

In this article, we break down everything you need to know when comparing exercise bikes vs treadmills, so you could choose a piece of equipment that suits your needs the best.

Both exercise bikes and treadmills are great additions to your home gym, but we understand that they can be costly. So, we’ve put together an ultimate comparison so that you can make the right choice when it comes to exercise bikes vs treadmills.

What are Exercise Bikes?

Exercise bikes, also known as stationary bikes, or gym bikes, are mainly designed to recreate a standard biking experience. They have a saddle, pedals, and handlebars that are positioned to offer the same feel as road bikes, however, exercise bikes don’t require steering. 

While road bikes travel while you pedal, exercise bikes remain in place, spinning a weighted metal disc (flywheel) that supplies a smooth and steady cycling action.

The primary types of exercise bikes include recumbent and upright.

Recumbent exercise bikes offer maximum comfort, letting you sit as you would in your office chair. This exercise position ensures that your back will be supported as you exercise.

On the other hand, upright exercise bikes offer no back support, just like road bikes. You have to lean forward to reach the handlebars and maintain this position throughout your workout. But here’s the interesting thing – upright exercise bikes allow you to stand while cycling to activate more muscles.

What are Treadmills?

Treadmills are stationary cardio machines that allow you to walk or run on a moving belt. They usually feature inclines and adjustable speeds to vary your workout. 

Those who are apprehensive about outdoor routes can enjoy the benefit of being able to control the duration and intensity of their workout on a treadmill. Or even better keeping an accurate count of their miles.

While most treadmills are motorized, non-motorized models are becoming increasingly popular nowadays. This may be due to the fact that running on a non-motorized treadmill results in a harder cardio workout than keeping up with the same speed on a motorized one.

Pros and Cons of Using Exercise Bikes

Pros and Cons of Using Treadmills

Exercise Bikes vs Treadmills: Which One Is Better for Losing Weight?

This is one that everyone wants to know – will you lose more weight by using exercise bikes or treadmills?

There is a simple formula to follow when it comes to weight loss: “calories burned > calories consumed = weight loss”. As a good rule of thumb, the more calories you burn than you consume, the more weight you lose.

However, we can’t just look at calories burned in analyzing whether an exercise bike or a treadmill is better for losing weight.

For overall weight loss results, it’s essential to take the following factors into consideration:

Training Duration

The longer the training session, the more calories you burn. Therefore, the training method you can sustain at a higher intensity for a longer duration will ultimately result in significant weight loss. 

If you compare the average workout times of riding an exercise bike and running on a treadmill, you will see that riding an exercise bike has a slight edge here.

• Cycling workouts tend to be higher intensity overall, as they mostly last for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• On the contrary, most running workouts last 20 minutes, though some would aim for another 10 minutes at a hard pace if they have more time. 

This doesn’t mean that you can’t run on a treadmill for longer, but the average workout time tends to be slightly shorter than riding an exercise bike.

Muscles Activated 

This factor determines how many calories you burn during and after the workout. Generally, the workout that activates more muscles will lead to longer-term metabolic and calorie-burning gains. 

We will discuss the muscles activated when using an exercise bike and treadmill in detail below.

Which One is Better for Building Muscles?

When it comes to exercise bikes vs treadmills and building muscles, both machines will help you out. However, bear in mind that each machine targets different muscles.

Riding an exercise bike targets your upper body, back, core, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.

Walking on a treadmill engages your hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps, calves, and hip flexors, whereas running on a treadmill target your hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps, calves, hips flexors, biceps, and lower and upper abs.

Exercise Bike or Treadmills: Which is Better for People with Knee and Lower Back Pains?

Walking on a treadmill is incredibly low-impact, while running on a treadmill will have a higher impact on certain body parts. Due to the nature of running, you may be exposed to more risks such as knee pain. So, if you have bad knees or you’re still recovering from an injury, choosing a treadmill may not be the best choice.

Compared to treadmills, using the exercise bike for your workouts tends to be safer. It is a low-impact exercise, so you don’t have to worry about putting a strain on your knees or making your injuries worse. The only downside is that exercise bikes encourage improper posture, which can be a complete turnoff if you have existing lower back pains.

To ensure a more comfortable workout position, it’s actually just a matter of choosing the right exercise bike. For example, with an upright exercise bike, it’s impossible to alleviate the discomfort on your lower back muscles and joints. Therefore, you may want to consider buying a recumbent exercise bike instead.

If you want to compare upright with a recumbent exercise bike, check out our Recumbent vs Upright Exercise Bike guide.

Which is Better for Boredom: Exercise Bikes or Treadmills?

The real danger in every workout is getting bored with it.

The more you perform the same workout over and over, the more you’ll feel demotivated and stuck in a rut. The next possible thing that could happen is you start making excuses not to work out or quit the workout before it’s done. 

Fortunately, treadmills now have built-in speakers, so you can listen to podcasts or stream music while doing your workout. Exercise bikes don’t disappoint either, as there are models in the market that have built-in screens. So you can watch your favourite TV show at the same time you can get your workout done.

With a plethora of options for smart exercise bikes and treadmills in the market, there’s no way you can’t overcome your workout boredom!

Exercise Bikes vs Treadmills – Which One is Better for Your Budget?

Treadmills can be pricey, depending on certain features, as with other bigger exercise machines. Expect to spend a little over your budget if you want the equipment that allows you to do a lot while exercising. You can find treadmills with excellent screen browsers, automated inclines, speakers, and pre-programmed workouts. 

However, if budget is a deciding factor in getting an exercise bike or treadmill, choose the exercise bike. Unlike treadmills, most exercise bikes are reasonably priced. You don’t have to break your budget to get something worth exercising on! 

Exercise Bikes vs Treadmills: Final Verdict

As you can see, both exercise bikes and treadmills will provide great workouts. But if you’re trying to achieve specific results, choose one that offers the maximum benefits.

You should get an exercise bike if:

• You want to lose more weight
• You’re going for the safest option
• You’re on a budget

You should get a treadmill if:

• You want to build more muscles
• You want to combat boredom while exercising

We hope that this ultimate comparison of exercise bikes and treadmills has helped you make the right decision.