Many fitness enthusiasts who want to do a cardio workout at home prefer exercising with a stationary bike. Stationary bikes come in various types, but one difference people of ask is which is better: standard or magnetic stationary bikes?
As we dive into both standard and magnetic stationary bikes, we will explain what defines each type, the pros and cons of each, and how to determine which is best for you.
If you’re new to cardio workouts and want to learn more, visit our Introduction to Cardio here at Home Gym Masters.
Standard vs. Magnetic Stationary Bike Outline
Standard vs. Magnetic: What's the Difference?
It can be difficult to tell a standard stationary bike and magnetic stationary bike apart if you are not familiar with them. Where the difference comes in is how they apply resistance to the flywheel, the part you pedal against. Let’s explain.
Standard Stationary Bikes
Standard stationary bikes, also known as “friction bikes”, create resistance with brake pads that create friction against the flywheel.
Standard stationary bikes have knob or level that lets you manually adjust the resistance manually so you can set it to your workout.
Magnetic Stationary Bikes
Magnetic stationary bikes, on the other hand, use magnets to apply resistance against the flywheel.
To adjust the resistance on a magnetic stationary bike, you set the resistance level using either a control pad or control knob.
Standard vs. Magnetic: Pros and Cons
Both standard and magnetic stationary bikes can help you get a great cardio workout, but let’s see the good and the bad for each.
Standard Stationary Bike Pros and Cons
For standard stationary bikes, because they can be considered a simpler design, they come with a lower price tag, are simpler to use, and are found to be more durable than other types of stationary bikes.
On the other hand, standard stationary bikes create more noise and have a less smooth resistance due to the physical resistance created by the brake pads.
Also, because of the simple design, standard stationary bikes may not offer as many features and gadgets as more tech-friendly stationary bikes.
Magnetic Stationary Bike Pros and Cons
Because the resistance is created using magnetics and no physical touch, magnetic stationary bikes are much quieter than their counterpart and offer a smooth resistance level through the workout.
Also, although you can adjust the resistance on standard stationary bikes too, magnetic stationary bikes allow you to adjust the resistance much easier using a digital control pad or control knob. Finally, because magnetic bikes avoid the physical contact between the brake pads and flywheel, you get to avoid any extra maintenance that comes with having to replace the brake pads.
The downside, however, is that magnetic stationary bikes come with a higher price tag to cover for the higher tech design. The higher tech design can also be a mental block for some people who may consider it too complex to understand and just want to get a simple workout in. Lastly, the magnetic resistance, although providing a good workout, doesn’t feel like a natural bike, which is something some people may prefer.
Standard vs. Magnetic: Comparison Summary
So, when it comes to answering the question “which is better”, you need to look at the pros and cons for each and see what matters most to you. Let’s summarize what we’ve covered so far:
- Design Complexity: standard stationary bike is simple, magnetic stationary bike is complex.
- Price: standard stationary bike is lower cost, magnetic stationary bike is expensive.
- Ease of Use: standard stationary bike has few features and you manually adjust resistance, magnetic stationary bike may have extra features and can easily adjust resistance with control pad.
- Noise Level: standard stationary bikes are noisy, magnetic stationary bikes are quiet.
- Maintenance: standard stationary bikes require maintenance to replace brake pads, magnetic stationary bikes have less frequent maintenance required.
- Resistance Consistency: standard stationary bikes can vary due to the brake pad wearing or heating up, magnetic stationary bikes are consistent throughout the workout.
- Riding Feel: standard stationary bikes feel more real, magnetic stationary bikes don’t feel as real.
Again, both standard and magnetic stationary bikes have their differences, but it’s up to you to decide what is really a pro or a con. Are you willing to deal with the maintenance of a lower cost standard stationary bike? Is the quiet, low maintenance magnetic stationary bike within your budget? Only you can answer those questions.
Standard and Magnetic Stationary Bike Options
If you’re curious what options are available on the market, you can find these on Amazon.
Standard Stationary Bike
Magnetic Stationary Bike
Both options are near 5 stars and are listed as “Amazon’s Choice”, so either of these could make a great addition to your home gym.
Standard vs. Magnetic Stationary Bikes: Summary
Any stationary bike can help you get a great cardio workout from home, but when it comes to setting up your home gym based on your preferences, it’s important to know what options are out there and what best fits you. We covered the differences between standard and magnetic stationary bikes, their pros and cons, and showed a couple examples of what you can find just online.
The next step is up to you: look through the pros and cons again and be honest with yourself about what’s important to you. From there, check out the two options we mentioned above, or see what other options are available. Always make sure to read the reviews to see how other people enjoyed, or more importantly didn’t enjoy, the stationary bikes they chose.
We hope this guide helps set a good foundation for you if you plan to pursue cardio exercise with a stationary bike. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to Contact Us so we can continue to help!