rest on bike

The Complete Recovery Week Guide for Cyclists

At the end of a training block, it’s time to dial it back and take a recovery week. While a week may seem like a long time to focus on recovery, it can be one of the most productive weeks in your training plan when you give it the care and attention it needs.

What is a Recovery Week? 

Recovery weeks , also referred to as rest weeks , are weeks in a structured training plan dedicated to rest and recovery. In most plans, you’ll have a recovery week integrated into your schedule every three to six weeks. The week itself is designed to reduce overall training stress through low-intensity rides. These types of rides put comparatively smaller amounts of stress on your body so that you can recover completely from prior weeks of training. Don’t be fooled by the low-stress or “easy” workouts, though. This week is still a critical training week.

Should I Skip the Recovery Week?

In general, you should never opt out of a recovery week when you need it. Recovery is a necessary part of a periodized training plan and key to becoming a faster cyclist. When you don’t recover sufficiently, you risk shortchanging positive physical adaptations and compromising the productivity of upcoming workouts. When done consistently over time, you’re at risk of non-functional overreaching and overtraining syndrome . 

That’s not to say there aren’t times when you will want to skip the recovery week. For example, if life has forced you to miss a lot of the workouts in your training plan or to take lots of unplanned rest, then you might consider skipping the recovery week. Say you had an unexpectedly busy week at work and had to miss four out of five of the workouts in your plan. This may have turned that training week into an unintentional recovery week. If you did something like this immediately before a planned recovery week, it would make sense to skip that recovery week. 

The Recovery Week: Step by Step

With that said, unless you’ve taken impromptu recovery, you shouldn’t miss your planned recovery. You’ll know that it’s a recovery week because the overall TSS of the week will be lower, all of the workouts will be active restoration rides, and there will be no high intensity. Here is an example of a recovery week from a low-volume training plan. It has four dedicated rest days and three active restoration rides.

How you feel during this week will depend on your recovery rate and how fatigued you are from the last few weeks of training. You might recover more quickly than you anticipated, or you might be so fatigued that you need additional rest. To help you make adjustments during your recovery week, here’s what you can expect, things to watch for, and ways to improve it.

Day One and Two

You’ll probably feel pretty tired on the first and second day of your recovery week. You might notice fatigue in your legs, a higher than usual resting heart rate, and a higher demand for food and sleep. An active recovery ride as mellow as Pettit might even feel challenging. 

During these first few days, all of the scheduled training is optional. If you’re struggling during the active recovery rides, feel free to cut the workout short or move them to a later day in the week. In the example week above, there’s a restoration ride on Monday. If you weren’t feeling up for a 60-minute ride on Monday, you could drag and drop that workout to another day in the week.

Recovery Tip / Adjust as You Go : The recovery week is one of the more flexible weeks in your training plan. Feel free to cut active recovery rides short or swap them for rest days. 

Day Three, Four, and Five

On days three, four, and five, it’s normal to feel tired. You might even be a lot more fatigued than you expected. Remember, you’ve just completed several weeks of hard training—it’s going to take more than two or three days to be completely rested. Now is an excellent time to improve your sleep and nutrition and ensure you’re getting enough of both. Better sleep or nutrition can make a big difference in the recovery process.

Make the most of those mid-week rest days, too, by putting as little stress on your body as possible. Don’t add off-the-bike workouts and if possible, try to limit any strenuous activity you do in your day-to-day. As is the nature of life, it isn’t usually realistic to eliminate all strenuous activity, but it’s good to limit it wherever you can.

Sleep and Nutrition Resources

• Sleep and Endurance Training: Tips for Improving the Quality of Your Sleep  
• Rest Week Nutrition: What to Eat to Recover
• 8 Principles of Healthy Nutrition With Amber Pierce

Recovery Tip / Nourish Yourself : Just because you’re not maintaining the same activity level doesn’t mean you should be eating less. Depending on how demanding your training block was, you might even be eating more. Focus on nourishing yourself this week to ensure that you have enough fuel to assist your body’s physical adaptation. 

Day Six and Seven

By the sixth or seventh day of your recovery week, you should be feeling like your usual self. You might be feeling some snappiness coming back into your legs and an eagerness to tackle hard workouts. On the other hand, though rested, you could also notice a stiff or flat feeling in your legs. If this does happen, don’t worry, the flatness will usually disappear once you get back to training. 

Adaptive Training

Get the right workout, every time with training that adapts to you.

When you begin the next training block, you should feel mentally and physically prepared to take on another three to six weeks of challenging activity. If you don’t feel this way, then that’s a sign that you should take a few additional rest days. At this point, you’ll have to use your own discretion and really pay attention to the signals your body is sending you. Depending on how you feel, you may want to extend your recovery by a few days or an additional week.

Recovery Tip / Reflect : Your recovery week is an opportunity to reflect on the past few weeks of training. What worked and what didn’t? If some weeks or days didn’t go to plan, then what could you have done to make them better? Consider choosing one new process goal to focus on during your next block of training. Just one small change can make a huge difference when compounded over time.

Make Your Own Recovery Week 

If you’re not following a structured training plan, consider adding a recovery week to your schedule. The building blocks of the recovery week are simple. All you need is a couple of active recovery days with rest days in between. The trickiest part is setting the time aside to recover and making sure that you stick to your recovery when it’s time. 

The same goes for any athlete who needs additional recovery when they’re following a structured training plan. If you ever feel like you need a recovery week before your next scheduled recovery week, plan your own. You can use the settings in your Calendar to copy an upcoming recovery week and insert it into your current training week.

TrainerRoad Recovery Resources 

• Recovery for Cyclists: Why It’s Important and How to Improve It  
• Recovery: The Elements of Getting Faster  
• Recovery Tips and Hacks For Cyclists  

Meghan Kelley is a writer, MTB racer, and all-around fan of trails, rocks, dirt, and the desert. She's passionate about helping cyclists get faster and finding the best mid-ride snacks.

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Most cyclists are familiar with the basic concepts of training. To improve fitness, the body is put under stress through a process called periodization, which includes cycles of hard work and rest. If the process is done correctly, your body recovers to become stronger or faster than before. While many cyclists understand the hard work portion of periodization, the amount of rest needed to become a fitter cyclist is less understood.

In the offseason, many cyclists will map out a detailed training schedule that includes specific workouts to improve power, endurance, speed and other cycling skills. But what is often missed when these training schedules are made is the inclusion of rest periods. Without it, burnout, lack of energy and decreased motivation can set in, which will affect your training and your performance on race day.

Let's take a look at how a proper rest schedule can benefit your cycling and improve your overall health.

More: Which Recovery Strategy Works Best?

How Much Is Enough

When you consider the details of your own day-to-day training and rest intervals, be sure that each week has one day that is an off day. While this doesn't mean that you need to be a coach potato on Sundays, it does mean you need to rest your body so that you can fully recover and rebuild for the next week of training.

A brisk walk, light swim or other easy activity should be the most that you do. Stay off the bike to rest your physical body and your mind. Mental fatigue plays just as big of a role in training as physical fatigue. A day off to reset the mind from the monotony of hours on the bike is crucial.

Why You Should Schedule Sleep

Just as you should make a detailed schedule to train, schedule rest into your training plan to ensure that you receive the amount needed to recover properly.

For example, if Monday is your rest day, don't let the temptation of an impromptu training ride break your schedule. Your down time is just as important as the time you spend training. Too much training and not enough rest can lead to that downward spiral of decreased performance and lower energy.

More: Rest: A Powerful Four-Letter Word

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Cycling Recovery Ride vs Rest Days: Don’t Sabotage Yourself

Cycling Recovery Ride vs Rest Days – which is better for your long term performance? Read on to see what signs you need to watch out for to avoid overtraining.

Last updated: September 14, 2023

Last year, I reached a point where I was training hard every day. I knew I shouldn’t be. I knew it wasn’t helping my performance, but I couldn’t stop.

I also didn’t know how I should be spending the days I’m not training – are recovery rides or rest days better?

It’s an interesting debate, right?

Let’s find out more…!

Table of Contents

What Is A Cycling Recovery Ride?

A recovery ride is considered a ride you would do after a tough or long day in the saddle. The idea of a recovery ride is to ride at an easy pace for around 60 – 90 minutes.

Stick to Zones 1 and 2 during this ride. However, I lean more towards Zone 1.

It’s essential to give your muscles some gentle exercise . By keeping the heart rate and effort low, you can enhance your recovery without adding additional stress to your body.

The Importance Of A Recovery Ride

A recovery ride can help promote blood flow, help the muscles repair, and aid in removing metabolic waste products.

While rest days have their place, remaining stationary after a challenging ride can cause your muscles to tighten and cramp up.

Not taking a recovery ride can hurt your performance and progress as a rider. It’s one of the reasons why cyclists can experience a plateau in their performance.

Failing to recover after a long ride can also lead to illness and overtraining. Not only does it impact you physically, but it also affects you mentally.

You start to lose your ‘freshness,’ and (believe it or not) you get sick of training.

I know I have woken up feeling unmotivated to return to the bike after taking a day off. Doing enough to keep your body moving but recovering can be critical to your training efforts and motivation levels.

It can also prevent waking up feeling like I have!

When Should You Do A Recovery Ride?

This does depend on how often you’re cycling and the nature of your rides. I’d suggest a recovery ride around twice a week.

Let’s say you do two or three days of big rides (or a single ride if it’s a huge effort), then take a recovery ride. 

Another thing to be mindful of is when you set out on a big ride, and you’re pushing too hard, you’re too tired to keep going at that pace.

Tone it down! Listen to your body. It can prevent you from overtraining. Turn it into a recovery ride. 

At the end of the day, if you push your body too hard, it will resist. Be that an injury or slowing your training progress down, you aren’t going to see a benefit to taking it too hard. 

Want some tips as to how to take a recovery ride? Here you go!

How Long Should A Recovery Ride Be?

I said earlier that a recovery ride should be between 60 – 90 minutes, and that’s a pretty good guide (even if I say so myself!).

However, it does come down to how often you ride and what type of ride you’re recovering from. 

Ideally, you want your legs spinning more than you would normally . This is a point I struggle with, although, over time, I am seeing the benefit, so I recommend it! Hills are where it can be easy to forget you’re supposed to take it easy. Without thinking, you can find your heart rate going up, and bam, you’re in zone 2 or 3, which isn’t where you should be!

Take hills slowly, and focus on spinning as easily as you can .

One way I discipline myself is by keeping myself in the small ring. It forces me to spin when I wouldn’t usually. Try to find flat routes for recovery rides and somewhere with little traffic. 

Personally, I’d highly recommend choosing a route with a good coffee shop on the way round. It is not just for the coffee and cake but also keeps the ride relaxed.

Mental Recovery: It’s All in the Head

Ever had those days when physically, you feel like you could pedal to the moon and back, but mentally, you’re just not “ in the zone “? That’s because your mind, like your body, needs recovery time.

Cycling, while liberating, can also be intense, especially if you’re pushing your limits regularly. It’s crucial to give your grey matter some downtime. Mental fatigue can be just as debilitating as physical exhaustion.

Consider activities that can refresh you mentally. Maybe it’s reading a book, meditating, or watching Netflix on a lazy afternoon. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed and disconnected from the pressures of training.

It’s also okay to step back from cycling now and then. If you start to feel like rides are becoming a chore rather than a joy, it might be a signal from your brain asking for a break. Listen to it!

After a mental breather, you’ll likely feel recharged, re-energized, and ready to return to the saddle with a newfound zeal.

Remember, mental miles matter just as much as physical ones. So, take care of that noggin!

The Importance Of Rest Days For Cyclists

Riding a bike can be addictive. When it becomes a part of your routine, it can be challenging to know when to stop. I know I’ve been guilty of this.

I learned that rest days are just as important and can help improve your performance .

Training super-hard consistently will stress your body and break down your muscles. A rest day can repair all of this and leave your muscles stronger than they were.

A rest day can leave you feeling fitter and more able to produce more sustained power on your bike. It sounds great, doesn’t it?

Should You Take Rest Days From Cycling?

Absolutely! 

Nobody can sustain an effort of giving everything at work all day, every day, can they? You burn out. You become unproductive and less effective, and you don’t get a chance to recover.

It’s precisely the same principle as riding a bike. Your body needs time to repair.

If you think of training as a process. You break your body down, and over time, you rebuild it. The rebuilding part is vital, but that doesn’t happen until your body rests. So without rest, your body can’t rebuild!

Your glycogen levels will be depleted after a tough day in the saddle. Resting gives you a chance to top these up. Getting your energy levels back up to where they started from can take around 36 – 48 hours if you’ve seriously pushed yourself.

The fibers in your muscles will have become damaged and broken down during exercise. Resting and proper nutrition allow them to knit themselves back together and be stronger.

How Many Rest Days Should A Cyclist Take Each Week?

How much time you need to take off will depend on you – your body should tell you what it needs.

A pro athlete can do up to seven days of intensive training and not suffer. Unfortunately, I do not fall into that category and take two days off a week!

This strikes up a good balance for physical and mental recovery . It can also become relatively easy to let cycling dominate your life, and two days off helps it from doing so.

Two days off may seem like a lot to some people, but you will find that those days you train will become more intense and effective. 

Rest days must be just that. Restful. No heading to the gym or running around the block. Feet up and relax!

Signs You Need A Rest Day

Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) is when our body takes on more damage than it can repair. Cyclists often tread a fine line between being at their peak and overtraining. 

It can be easy to fall into overtraining. You are recovering, and finding your form after this can be a long process, so it’s best to be aware of the signs and take preventive action.

Not being able to sleep – Even though you’re tired, you’re not falling asleep, or your sleep pattern is interrupted. You could even wake up feeling more tired than when you went to sleep. 

Changes in your heart rate – A study conducted in 2013 by Wyatt researched the impact OTS had on our heart rates.

The results found that a change in your heart rate, either faster or slower, can be a sign that you need a rest. You should track your heart rate when you’re feeling good and use that as a guide to monitor this. 

You get dropped when you shouldn’t – If you don’t usually get dropped, but you are, then that could be a sign to take a day off. If you have a power meter, you can monitor this more easily.

You are probably aware of how many watts you can usually do at specific points on your ride, but if you’re no longer hitting those watts, think about when you last took a break. You may be overdue!

Cross-Training – Not Just Spinning Wheels

When we talk about recovery, cycling isn’t the only avenue. Enter cross-training. Think of it as the jack-of-all-trades in your training toolbox .

While staying loyal to our bikes is tempting, sometimes giving them a short break while engaging in another low-impact activity can do wonders for our bodies.

Cross-training, be it a light swim, a gentle yoga session, or even walking your dog, can provide many benefits.

These activities give your cycling muscles a breather, allowing them to recover while keeping you active. Plus, diversifying your workouts can help you avoid overuse injuries.

Just remember, the key here is light and gentle .

You’re not aiming for a triathlon; you’re just giving your body a different type of movement to keep things interesting. And who knows? You might discover another sport you love!

Nutrition – Refuel the Right Way

The cycle doesn’t end when you hop off the saddle. What you put in your body post-ride is pivotal in how efficiently your muscles recover. Think of it as premium fuel for your tank!

After a solid workout, your muscles are like hungry little sponges, ready to absorb nutrients. Aim for a balanced mix of proteins, carbs, and fats. Why?

Proteins help repair and build muscle fibers, carbs replenish glycogen stores, and fats (especially omega-3s) can help reduce muscle inflammation. Check out our in-depth cycling nutrition article !

Try a smoothie with berries, Greek yogurt, a scoop of protein powder, and a splash of almond milk for a quick recovery fix.

Or, if you’re feeling something savory, a grilled chicken salad with avocado hits the spot. And hey, while you’re at it, toss in some nuts and seeds – they’re packed with micronutrients that assist in recovery!

But it’s not just about the macros ; post-ride hydration is just as crucial. Make sure you’re sipping water throughout the day. Consider an electrolyte solution to balance things if you’ve had a sweaty ride.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cycling every day bad.

Cycling every day isn’t bad…in theory. You just need to be mindful as to how you’re cycling . 

If you’re in the saddle every day, recovery rides should be playing a part in your week. The critical thing to remember is that every day shouldn’t be a training day.

Also, listen to your body. It will tell you when you’re pushing it too much. 

Can new cyclists benefit from recovery rides or focus solely on rest days?

All cyclists can benefit from recovery rides! Just ensure that the intensity is genuinely low.

It may be equally beneficial for those just starting out to alternate between full rest days and recovery rides until they have a better sense of their body’s recovery needs.

Are there specific stretches or exercises to complement a recovery ride?

Yes, incorporating gentle stretches targeting the major muscle groups used in cycling – like the hamstrings, quadriceps, and hip flexors – can further aid recovery.

Using massage tools like a foam roller can also be beneficial as it can help alleviate muscle tightness and enhance blood flow.

Final Words

That’s my take on recovery rides vs. rest days. Speaking as someone who felt like they were close to overtraining, I don’t think I can over-stress the importance of either a recovery ride or a rest day.

Have you got your cycling training plan sorted for the summer?

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Here’s What Really Happens to Your Body During a Recovery Day

We're deep-diving into why rest days are so important.

By Chrisanne Grise • Updated May 2, 2023

Are Rest Days Important? Yes—Here’s Why Arrow

Your Body Can Repair Itself Arrow

You’ll Prevent Injuries Arrow

You’ll Actually Perform Even Better. Arrow

You’ll Improve Your Sleep. Arrow

Exactly How to Take a Rest Day Arrow

We get it: When you’ve been working hard to reach your fitness goals, it sometimes feels unproductive to take a day off. But recovery day is actually a crucial piece of your training—you need rest to grow stronger and healthier. We talked with Yuri Feito, PhD, associate professor of exercise science at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, to learn about why rest days are just as important as high-intensity workouts—plus, what actually happens to your body during rest days.

Are Rest Days Important? Yes—Here’s Why

“Any exercise is stressful for the body,” says Dr. Feito. As you work out—whether it’s riding a Peloton Bike, running on a Peloton Tread, or lifting heavy weights in a strength class—your muscle fibers are tearing and your heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature all soar. “You provide a stimulus to the body, and the body adapts. You provide a greater stimulus and the body adapts. But if you continue to do that, at some point the body is going to start breaking down,” says Dr. Feito. That’s when you start feeling aches and pains—and you’re at a greater risk of becoming injured.

However, some stress—followed by proper recovery—will ultimately make you stronger. After a workout, torn muscle fibers begin rebuilding, enabling your muscles to get bigger. “Recovery allows those fibers to heal and muscle proteins to synthesize so those muscles can grow and be ready for the next training session,” says Dr. Feito. “Your body’s recovery process is where most of the growth occurs.”

We get it—sometimes it’s hard to slow down. While the influx of daily endorphins can be exhilarating, you need to acknowledge how hard your body and mind are working. “It’s important to give your body that time to rest. I know how hard we work on the Peloton Bike, so you have to take a day to slow things down. You earned it so you deserve it,” says Peloton cycling instructor Alex Toussaint . Famous for his “feel good” ethos, Alex makes rest a priority, and it’s part of his strategy for success. 

Here’s a deeper look at the benefits of rest days within your busy training schedule. 

Your Body Can Repair Itself

A little physiology refresher: When you work out, your muscle fibers get tiny, microscopic tears. Unlike an injury, these tears are nothing to be alarmed by; in fact, your body repairs these tears on its own, and that’s what leads to muscle growth. But if you’re constantly riding, cycling, or lifting, with no breaks, your body can’t take on those repairs. So if you’re training as hard as possible but not seeing the gains you want, try taking a rest day—that just may be the key to improving your mile time or PR. 

You’ll Prevent Injuries

You might joke that you’re addicted to chasing new PRs on your Peloton or otherwise, but the truth is, training as hard as possible every single day has a cumulative wearing effect on your body. You’re risking two different types of injuries by ignoring rest days: overuse injuries and acute injuries. Let’s break it down.

Overuse injuries stem from training nonstop, without any time for recovery. You’ll experience an overuse injury in the muscle group that’s doing most of the work in your fitness activity of choice. Runners, for example, may be prone to shin splints, plantar fasciitis, or stress fractures, while cyclists could include cyclists’ knee or tendinitis. The only prevention? More rest. 

Acute injuries , meanwhile, happen suddenly (rather than overuse injuries, which build up over time). An acute injury would most likely be tied to muscle fatigue and an inability to maintain good form. Translation: You’ve exhausted your muscles and they’re no longer able to perform the way you want them to, and poor form leads to injuries, such as tearing a muscle, spraining an ankle from landing improperly, or worse. Taking a few rest days regularly helps your body reset so you can tackle the next workout with full strength.

“Remember, a recovery day does not mean weakness,” says Peloton instructor Emma Lovewell , ”it means you’re taking care of yourself and connecting to how you feel. You have to be able to listen to your body in order to know when and how to push or rest it.” She equates this to interval training. “You can’t push to your max effort for a full 45 minutes. You need a few seconds, or minutes, to recover so you can hit that max effort again and again!” Don’t frame taking it slow as a sign of weakness–see it as part of the process of getting stronger and pushing your limits over time.

You’ll Actually Perform Even Better.

You know that feeling when you’ve had a great night of sleep and you bound out of bed, ready to take on the world? Rest days are like that, but for your muscles. After a legit rest day, you’ll feel the benefits of being fully recovered (think: more energy, slower to fatigue, and optimized fast-twitch muscles)—which may be the key to unlocking a new level of performance.

And just as important as physical performance, your mental performance improves after a rest day too. You’ll avoid burnout by taking a break from your usual workout schedule, and you’ll find yourself more excited to hit the Bike or Tread when it’s time to work out again. “I think an important part of recovery days is deliberately taking time to reflect on what you’ve already achieved,” says Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby . “When you can clearly see your progress, I believe it motivates you even more to get back at it the next day.”

You’ll Improve Your Sleep.

You might be thinking “Wait, I thought wearing myself out through exercise was key to sleeping well.” While singular sessions of physical activity can have a small impact on sleep, the real benefit comes from regular, moderate-intensity exercise over long periods of time. 

So how do rest days fit in? When you’re exercising, you’re increasing the levels of cortisol—a stress hormone—and adrenaline in your body. If you’re exercising regularly (which is great!), you may be at risk of overproducing these hormones, which can lead to restlessness, agitation, or feeling higher stress levels than normal-—all of which can make it harder to get those quality zzz’s at night. A rest day, meanwhile, lets your hormones return to homeostasis (aka their balanced levels) so you can get that sweet, sweet shut-eye.

Exactly How to Take a Rest Day

So now that you know exactly why rest days are important, it’s time to learn how to take a rest day, how many rest days a week you should aim for, and more. Let’s break it down.

Learn the Signs That You Need a Rest Day

Trust us, it’s better not to wait until your body is so totally tired or injured that you’re forced to take a rest day. Learn to recognize the signs that your body is approaching overwork or burnout, and schedule rest days accordingly. Some examples may be an old injury flaring up, your recovery tracker showing a higher resting heart rate than normal, or you simply feeling tired and uninspired when it’s time to work out.

Determine How Many Rest Days a Week You Need

There’s no hard-and-fast rule for how many rest days a week your body needs, but in general, one to three is appropriate. Your perfect amount of rest days will vary based on your goals, your workout preferences, and your capabilities. For example, someone who loves high-impact activities like HIIT or boxing may need more active rest days. Meanwhile, a low-impact Pilates regular or someone who strength trains different muscle groups each day can probably get away with fewer rest days. 

Of course, if you feel yourself approaching injury or feeling burnt out from your workouts, take as much time as you need to recover.

Learn What to Do on Rest Days

While you may enjoy the occasional day of fully vegging out on the couch, the best way to enjoy a rest day is with some light, low-impact activity. Think: a leisurely walk around the neighborhood, a low-impact Peloton ride, or a restorative yoga class. That way, your body gets a little bit of movement and you’re able to increase blood flow to your tired muscles, providing them with essential nutrients and oxygen for recovery.

Rest days are a crucial part of any fitness routine, as they allow the body time to recover. While you might be nervous to take a rest day, ultimately, you’ll find paying attention to your body helps you become even stronger.

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How Many Rest Days Should a Cyclist Take?

Cycling without sufficient rest can lead to muscle strains, chronic fatigue , injuries, or even cause lasting damage. Many athletes struggle with taking time off, especially when training for an event or competition. However, not giving your body time to rest and recover can stall, or even reverse, the progress you’ve made.

A cyclist should take a minimum of two rest days per week. However, the optimum number of rest days will vary for every individual. Typically, cyclists need more rest as they age, so older riders may require an additional day off. The same is true for anyone recovering from an injury.

Throughout this article, I’ll discuss how much rest you need and why it’s essential. I’ll also give you some tips for your rest days and how to know when you really need to take some time off.

What Is a Rest Day, Anyway?

Before we get into how much you need to rest, it’s important to understand what I mean by the word.

According to Medical News Today , a rest day involves taking a break from your regular workout routine for the purposes of muscle repair and recovery. 

However, that can still mean different things to different people. Many athletes engage in active recovery on their rest days, which is activity at a much lower intensity level than usual. 

The alternative is when your body is entirely at rest, which is also sometimes called passive recovery. Whether you are passive or active, your rest day should include refueling your body with nutrients, protein, and plenty of water to prepare for your next ride.

A rest day may include therapeutic recovery methods, like massage, stretching, or compression therapy. Research has shown that massage is one of the most effective ways to prevent or control delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and perceived fatigue.

Sleep and Recovery

The most crucial aspect of your rest day is getting a sufficient amount of sleep. It’s widely known that how much (and how well) you sleep has significant impacts on how well you can function during the daytime. 

We’ve all heard that adults should get eight hours of sleep each night, but there’s a good reason for that number. Science has shown that when adults get six hours of sleep (or less) for four nights in a row, it impairs cognitive function, mood and impacts physiological functions like appetite regulation, glucose metabolism, and immunity.

Sleep deprivation and poor quality sleep can lead to slower recovery and may increase the risk of injury among athletes. Studies have shown improvements in athletic abilities by improving sleep.

So, while planning for your training and rest, it’s important to also plan for your eight hours of nightly sleep to prevent curbing the effects of your rest day and to maintain healthy energy levels.

Rest vs. Active Recovery

Most athletes become very uncomfortable when they go too long without activity. Active recovery is a technique where you can do lighter activity than normal to give your muscles time to recover and repair.

Many people believe that active recovery is superior to passive recovery because it increases blood flow and helps to clear out lactate and other metabolic waste more quickly. Research has shown that there is some benefit, but it mostly depends on the intensity level of the active recovery workout.

However, others believe that there’s little evidence to support this belief in practice, which leaves it up to the personal preference of each athlete to decide which rest and recovery method is best for them.

Those who participate in active recovery typically do things like swimming, walking, yoga, jogging, or light cycling. The most important thing is to keep the activity at a low-intensity level, with your heart rate in the recovery zone (zone 1), or 65-74% of your maximum heart rate.

You shouldn’t practice active recovery if you’re feeling acute pain or if you believe you may have sustained an injury. In that case, you should consult a doctor before doing any additional activity.

Active Recovery Rides

Some cyclists swear by active recovery rides to help flush their legs and finish out the training. These rides typically involve: 

• An average heart rate under 68% of your threshold heart rate.
• Using about half the amount of power.
• Extremely low exertion.
• Minimal pressure on the pedals.
• Duration 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the rider.

How Much Rest Does a Cyclist Need?

The frequency of rest days is specific from person to person, and the only way to know exactly how much rest is needed is to listen to your body’s signals that it is becoming fatigued. However, according to Cycling Weekly magazine, every cyclist needs at least two days dedicated to rest. 

There are some exceptions to this, including the extended periods of rest that professional cyclists take after the race season ends. During this transition period , cyclists typically take off anywhere from two to four weeks.

This break from cycling is vital to prevent burnout, chronic pain and allow for the recovery of any strains, sprains, or injuries. It’s imperative after intense activity where you’ve depleted your body’s glycogen stores. Replenishing your energy can take anywhere from 36-48 hours, especially if you’ve been doing intense cycling for a couple of days or more.

However, professional cyclists who are used to continuous, intense activity may be able to go more days in a row without a rest day because their body is more adjusted to it. But even the pros will need more rest, more frequently during race season. 

A good rule of thumb is that more strenuous workouts and more challenging rides will require more frequent rest days with less activity (so, more restful).

Some cyclists determine their rest day frequency by measuring their fatigue. You can do this using your heart rate variability (HRV). 

Recovery Week

You should also plan a recovery week if you’re doing extensive, ongoing training for an extended period. A weeklong rest period will give your body time to recover, as well as your mind. If you’re training for a month straight, you should plan a recovery week for the fourth or fifth week. 

During a recovery week, you should do about half of the amount of riding you have been doing up to that point, and they should be primarily low-effort. You can use this time to focus on skills, breathing, stretching, or whatever other activities will benefit your overall well-being. 

Here is an example plan for a recovery week:

• Day 1: Rest – no activity
• Day 2: Very low intensity; heart rate at zone 1 (65-74%).
• Day 3: Short and low intensity
• Day 4: Rest – no activity
• Day 5: Short and easy ride, low intensity
• Day 6: Short right, slightly more intensity. May include zone 2 heart rate if the rider feels up to it
• Day 7: Longer, more intense, aerobic ride 

Signs That You Need Rest

Many cyclists think that racking up as many miles as possible is the best way to meet their training goals. However, overtraining and burnout are real risks for athletes, as are injuries and fatigue. 

Everyone has different needs when it comes to rest and recovery, but there are some physical and mental signs you should watch for to help you know when your body has hit its limit.

• Difficulty sleeping: Ironically, sleep disturbances have been shown to be a primary symptom of overtraining, with an increase in training demands causing a reduction in both quantity and quality of sleep. The buildup of cortisol and adrenaline in your body can also contribute to problems getting a good night’s sleep. 
• Excessive muscle soreness: While some muscle soreness after training is entirely normal (and expected), excessive, persistent, and ongoing soreness can be a sign of overtraining. If you don’t give your muscles time to recover from the damage they sustain while exercising, they will become damaged further and cause ongoing soreness.
• Consistent fatigue: Like soreness, some fatigue is normal after a hard workout or long ride. However, fatigue that feels more like exhaustion or that continues even after you get some rest could be a sign that your body still needs more recovery time.
• Lack of motivation: If your motivation and performance are lagging, it’s another sign that your body may need rest. This is because training takes a lot of you – both mentally and physically. If there’s a time where you’re just not “feeling it,” it could be your body telling you to slow down. 
• Loss of appetite: Too much athletic training can cause a loss of appetite. Scientists believe this is due to a disturbance in the sympathetic nervous system and the hormones which regulate appetite. 
• Weakened immune system: Some studies have found a connection between overreached athletes and the prevalence of upper respiratory tract infections. This suggests that too much activity without sufficient rest may weaken immunity and a greater chance of illness. This can open you up to the potential for colds and illness to take you out of the race. 
• Mood swings: Hormones released during exercise, like cortisol and serotonin, can become imbalanced when your body is overworked without sufficient recovery time. Some people also have bouts of feeling “down” or anxious when they overtrain.  

Benefits of Rest Days

There are many physical and mental benefits of rest days, which means that you should consider planning them into your training schedule. You should also keep in mind that your body may need an extra rest day here and there, so listen to it! 

Here are some of the health benefits to taking rest days: 

• Achy muscles have time to recover
• The body has time to rebuild energy stores
• Repairing the tiny muscle tears that occur during training
• Reduces stress and allows the mind to rest
• Prevents injury due to overwork and strain
• Less fatigue and better quality sleep
• Improved work-life-balance

Risks of Skipping Rest Days

If you don’t take regular rest days, especially while cycling regularly or training for a race, you risk becoming both physically and mentally exhausted or experiencing burnout. 

According to ACE , exercise causes metabolic stress and mechanical stress to your body. Skipping rest days prevents the body from having the needed recovery period to repair muscle proteins and replace the lost glycogen during training. 

Not to mention that if your body doesn’t have time to repair and recover, they become more likely to suffer an injury in the future. 

How Many Days Should You Rest Before a Cycling Race?

When training for a race or other big event, it could be tempting to skip rest days and keep training until the day of. However, this is not a good idea because you should plan for your body to have a complete recovery before the race. 

According to endurance coaches at CTS , most amateur cyclists should stop their regular training routine 7-10 days out from the event and then follow with a short taper.

Stress leads to fatigue in the short term, and training is stress on the body. You don’t want training to damper your final performance when it counts the most. 

Remember, you won’t be able to make any significant gains within a single week before your race, so there is no need to risk injury or fatigue trying to cram in last-minute training. That doesn’t mean that you should give up all activities entirely, but your training plan will need to train drastically. 

Balancing Rest and Training During Race Week

It may be challenging to find a good balance between cutting back your training, getting enough rest, and keeping your body primed during the days leading up to your event. It’s a good idea to reduce your frequency by around 50% the week before, meaning that instead of a 2-hour ride, you should just do one hour. 

During this week, you should still take one or two full rest days off and use the tapering technique for the remainder. 

According to PezCycling News , tapering is the idea that once you get to a certain fitness level, a short recovery period with lower intensity training will allow you to recover from built-up fatigue and have an overall better outcome at the goal event.

Alternative Activities for a Rest Day

A true rest day doesn’t involve getting on your bike or setting out with the goal to train. Giving your mind and body a complete “day off” is essential, and you should try to do so at least once every seven to ten days.

Health and fitness expert Pete McCall recommends other activities besides physical exercise to make the most of your rest day and improve your mental and physical health. He suggests things like:

• Spend time with your kids or other loved ones
• Learn or practice an instrument
• Perform volunteer work
• Coach a team or youth activity
• Get ahead at work
• Read a book
• Binge-watch a TV show

Even elite athletes need time and activities that allow the mind and body to fully recover from the stress and strain of intense exercise and training. It doesn’t mean that you’re lazy – you’re actually just committing to the recovery phase that your body so desperately needs. 

A cyclist should rest at least twice per week unless they’ve been training hard leading into a race. In that case, the process should start at least one week early and taper activities until the big day. Rest can be true, passive rest, or active recovery, depending on your average activity level and preference. 

Whatever you prefer, make sure that you plan rest into your training schedule and stick to it, adjusting only by adding more rest if your body needs it.

Related articles:

How Much Cycling Is Too Much? The Facts Explained

How Much Water Should You Carry When Cycling?

How Often Should You Take Energy Gels While Cycling

How To Recover Faster From Cycling (14 Effective Tips)

Jennifer is an avid road cyclist who enjoys participating in organized riding events and getting the most out of her training and riding gear. She also enjoys exploring the backcountry on gravel and mountain bikes.

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Do I Need Rest Days from a Stationary Bike?

If you’re someone who loves to stay active, there’s a good chance that you enjoy cycling, whether it be on an actual bike or a stationary one. But while cycling can help boost your cardiovascular health and get your muscles working in all the right ways, it is possible to overdo it with too much of a good thing, which brings up the question: do we really need rest days from our stationary bikes? In the post “Do I Need Rest Days from a Stationary Bike?”, we’ll explore why rest days are important for cyclists and how they should be incorporated into any biking routine.

This article will cover the benefits and reasons why taking regular rest days from your stationary bike schedule can recharge both your physical and mental well-being. We’ll talk about why integrating regularly scheduled breaks into your training cycle can help optimize results, how frequently these should occur, and other tips for best practices when tackling one of the most effective forms of cardiovascular exercise available today. Read on to learn more!

What is the Purpose of Having Rest Days from Using a Stationary Bike?

While cycling on these bikes offers numerous health benefits, it is imperative to take rest days to prevent overuse injury and burnout. The purpose of having rest days from using a stationary bike is to allow the body to recover, repair, and rejuvenate for better performance and overall health.

Rest days are crucial because cycling on a stationary bike requires a lot of effort and energy from the body, especially the legs and core muscles. During a cycling session, these muscles undergo strenuous activity, resulting in microscopic tears in muscle fibers. These tears are essential for muscle growth and adaptation, but they also cause inflammation, soreness, and fatigue.

Rest days are the ideal solution to address these issues. By taking a break from cycling, the body can concentrate on repairing the damaged muscle fibers. This repair process helps reduce inflammation and soreness and promotes muscle growth and strength. Rest days also help prevent burnout and fatigue, as they provide time for the body to rest and recharge.

Apart from physical benefits, rest days also have mental benefits. Cycling on a stationary bike can be mentally tiring, and not resting enough can lead to mental fatigue, stress, and even depression. Rest days provide a break from the monotony of exercise, leading to an overall sense of well-being and motivation.

What is the Best Way to Determine If I Need a Rest Day or Not?

After a rigorous workout, it is essential to give your body adequate rest to recover. A rest day is necessary to allow the muscles to recover and rebuild, thus increasing overall fitness performance. However, determining if you need a rest day after riding a stationary bike can be a daunting task, especially if you’re unsure what signs and cues your body is giving you.

One of the most straightforward ways to determine if you need a rest day after riding a stationary bike is to listen to your body. Pay attention to how your body is feeling after exercising. If you feel any muscle soreness, tightness, or fatigue, it’s a sign that your body needs rest. Additionally, if you find that you’re not making any progress with your workouts or if your performance has plateaued, it’s time to take a break.

Know more:  What Speed Should I Workout on a Stationary Bike?

Another way to determine if you need a rest day after riding a stationary bike is to evaluate how much physical activity you’ve had over the past few days. If you’ve pushed yourself too hard, it’s best to take a step back and give your body a rest. Over-exercising can lead to overtraining syndrome, causing decreased performance and increasing your risk of injury. A good rule of thumb is to listen to your body and take a rest day every three to four workout days.

Furthermore, it’s essential to pay attention to any other physical or mental stressors you may be experiencing. If you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or not getting adequate sleep, it’s a sign that your body is overworked, and you need a rest day. Adequate rest and recovery are key to maintaining good health and preventing burnout, reducing the risk of injury, and allowing you to return to your workouts feeling refreshed and energized.

How Long Should Each Rest Day Last and What Type of Activities Can I Do During This Time?

Regular physical exercise is highly recommended for maintaining a healthy body and mind. Riding a stationary bike is a popular form of indoor exercise that offers numerous health benefits, including improving cardiovascular health, strengthening leg muscles, and promoting weight loss. However, as with any form of exercise, it is essential to take rest days to allow the body to recover and repair itself from the strain and stress of exercising.

So, how long should each rest day after riding a stationary bike last? Generally, it is recommended to take one or two rest days per week, depending on your fitness level and how intense your workouts are. If you are a beginner, it is advisable to take more rest days than a seasoned athlete. The length of each rest day should be adequate enough to allow your muscles to repair themselves fully, replenish energy stores, and reduce the risk of injury.

Typically, a rest day after riding a stationary bike should last between 24 and 48 hours. During this time, your body will undergo several physiological changes, including repairing microscopic muscle damage, improving circulation, and circulating energy throughout the body. These changes will help you become healthier, stronger, and more resilient.

As for what type of activities you can do during your rest day, you can engage in low-impact physical activities such as walking, stretching, yoga, and Pilates. These activities will promote blood flow and help your body recover more quickly. You can also do some foam rolling or get a massage to loosen up your muscles and relieve any soreness you may be experiencing.

Moreover, ensure that you take enough rest and avoid high-intensity workouts or strength training exercises on your rest day. Your body needs time to recover and repair, and pushing it too hard may lead to injuries that will set you back in your fitness journey. Remember to hydrate and nourish your body with healthy foods, and you’ll be back riding on your stationary bike the next day, with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

Healthy Habits to Adopt While You’re on a Break From Your Exercise Bike Routine

Exercise bikes are a popular choice for at-home workouts, but it’s important to give your body a break from any repetitive exercise routine. While taking a break from your exercise bike, you can adopt some healthy habits to maintain your fitness and overall health. Here are some ideas to keep your body active and feeling good:

Take a walk outside: Walking is a low-impact way to stay active and can provide a change of scenery from your usual indoor workout. Aim for at least 30 minutes of walking per day to reap the benefits of cardiovascular exercise.

Try a new form of exercise: Use your break from the exercise bike as an opportunity to try something new, like yoga, Pilates, or strength training. These types of exercises can help improve flexibility, balance, and overall strength.

Eat a balanced diet: To support your fitness goals, it’s important to maintain a well-rounded, nutritious diet. Incorporating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein can provide the energy and nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.

Get enough sleep: Adequate sleep is essential for good health, and it can also help you feel more alert and focused during your workouts. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep per night to support your overall well-being.

Practice stress-reducing activities: Stress can have harmful effects on the body, so it’s important to incorporate activities that help reduce stress levels, such as meditation, deep breathing, or reading. These activities can also help improve overall well-being and promote a positive mindset.

How Can I Make Sure I’m Not Neglecting My Fitness Goals During Rest Days?

Rest days are important for any fitness routine as they give your muscles time to recover and rebuild. However, it can be easy to neglect your fitness goals during these rest days, especially if you spend them sedentary. This is particularly true if you have been riding a stationary bike as part of your fitness routine.

To make sure you are not neglecting your fitness goals during rest days after riding a stationary bike, there are several strategies you can implement. Firstly, you can engage in low-impact activities such as yoga, stretching, or walking. These activities are less taxing on your muscles but still promote blood flow and mobility, which helps to speed up the recovery process.

Read more:  How to Clean an Exercise Bike

Furthermore, it is important to note that rest days do not always mean complete inactivity. It is still important to maintain a level of physical activity on rest days, which can include activities such as light housework, gardening, or simply going for a walk. These activities can help maintain your fitness level and prevent muscle atrophy, which is otherwise common during periods of extended inactivity.

In addition, it is also essential to maintain a healthy diet during rest days. Adequate protein intake is crucial for muscle recovery, as protein provides the building blocks required for muscle repair and growth. Eating a balanced meal that contains natural sources of protein, such as lean meats, fish, legumes, and nuts, can help ensure that your muscles have the nutrients they need to recover.

What’s the Best Way to Recharge and Refocus After Taking a Rest Day from the Stationary Bike?

Taking a rest day from the stationary bike is a crucial aspect of any fitness routine, allowing the body to rejuvenate and recover from the intense physical strain caused by exercise. While it may seem counterintuitive to rest after a workout, research has shown that allowing for recovery periods between workouts can lead to significant improvements in overall physical performance and health.

So, what is the best way to recharge and refocus after taking a rest day from the stationary bike? Firstly, it is important to remember that recovery does not necessarily mean complete inactivity. Light physical activity, such as yoga or stretching, can help to promote blood flow and reduce muscle stiffness, aiding in the recovery process.

Another vital aspect of post-workout recovery is proper nutrition. Consuming a balanced diet containing adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats can help to aid muscle recovery, reduce inflammation, and ensure long-term energy levels remain stable.

In addition to physical activity and nutrition, adequate rest and relaxation are also crucial components of proper recovery. Sufficient sleep, usually between 7-9 hours per night, is essential for maintaining healthy hormone levels and supporting muscle recovery.

Finally, one can also incorporate stress-reducing techniques, such as meditation or deep breathing exercises, into their post-workout routine. These practices can help to calm the mind, reduce stress levels, and improve overall mental well-being, leading to a significant improvement in workout performance.

To sum up, adequate recovery is key to achieving optimal fitness results, and incorporating a combination of light physical activity, proper nutrition, rest, and relaxation techniques can aid in the recovery process and promote overall health and well-being.

Ultimately, the best way to know if you need rest days from a stationary bike is to listen to your body. Most people don’t need a full day of rest between stationary bike sessions. You can incorporate mini-rests into your workout if necessary. It’s important to note that while regular rest periods are beneficial for many, some athletes may benefit from more intense cycling intervals with shorter breaks. And regardless of intensity, it’s always important to give yourself time off when feeling sore or tired and let your body and mind have those valuable recovery moments. Regular breaks can improve performance by helping muscles recover more quickly and allowing them to build strength without experiencing too much fatigue. Taking rest days definitely has its advantages but, as with any type of exercise, make sure you’re taking rests for your own benefit and according to the needs of your unique lifestyle and fitness goals.

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The Best Stationary Bike Workout for Your Experience Level, According to a Personal Trainer

You don’t need to travel to get far with your fitness..

• Best Bike Workout

You wake up on cardio day — it’s raining outside, your favorite indoor cycling class is full, and you want to hop on an exercise bike and do your own thing. Whether you’re a cyclist training for an event or a gymgoer looking for an effective workout, stationary bike workouts are highly customizable to your fitness level and goals.

Before jumping on and riding, choose your level and check out my favorite stationary bike workouts for beginners, intermediate, and advanced athletes. Each is a different type of cardio workout that you can tweak to your liking. I’ll also break down different types of exercise bikes and why you’ll want to add them to your workout program . Grab your playlist and cycling shoes.

Best Stationary Bike Workout for Your Experience Level

Stationary bike workout for beginners, stationary bike workout for intermediate athletes, stationary bike workout for advanced athletes.

As a certified personal trainer (CPT), I like starting beginners with an interval workout on an exercise bike . Intervals get your body used to working at different speeds and levels of resistance. They’re not as intense as pure high-intensity interval training (HIIT), where you alternate going all out with short rest periods. 

[Read More: The 8 Best Exercise Bikes for Beginners, Tried and Tested ]

Intervals are also less mentally challenging than a longer steady-state ride because you keep changing your pace. Lower-intensity interval workouts help get your body and mind acclimated to cardio workouts on an exercise bike without pushing past your limits so that you can make progress from there. 

RPE for Cardio Workouts

These workouts, at any level, often judge your intensity using your rate of perceived exertion (RPE) — how hard you feel like you’re working at any given moment. Here’s a breakdown of how to gauge your RPE:

• 10 : Hardest effort, can‘t be sustained for more than a few seconds 
• 9 : Almost at your top effort, can only sustain briefly 
• 8 : Intense effort, can only speak a few words 
• 7 : Moderate effort, you can speak in short sentences 
• 6 : An effort where you can talk but not sing 
• 5 : A warm-up effort 
• 4 & Below : Light effort, can be used for recovery

The Workout

Start with a complete dynamic warm-up . Make sure you adjust your bike to accommodate your body. Upright bikes are great for beginners because they resemble regular commuter bikes. Recumbent bikes are also a good option if you need or want to be closer to the floor and want or need back support.

[Read More: The Best Air Bikes for Your Home Gym ]

For this workout, you’ll do five to six rounds of three-minute intervals: one minute of higher effort (not your maximum) and two minutes of lesser effort. 

You can adjust your RPE on exercise bikes by playing with speed, resistance, and how hard you’re pedaling. As a beginner, keep the resistance on the lower end to get used to the fundamental movement pattern .

How Often to Do This Workout : Try this workout once or twice a week. You can do it up to two or three times.

Modifications

• Make it Easier : For many people, a recumbent bike is easier to get into and more comfortable to sit in. On an upright bike, lean forward slightly and hold on to the handlebars to support your upper body. On either bike, you can do three or four rounds to start if five or six is too much.
• Make it Harder : Play with resistance when you adjust your intervals to incorporate some strength training . As you get comfortable with the bike, choose a higher resistance for the one-minute periods, lower the resistance for the two-minute recovery periods, but maintain the same pace throughout. You can also alternate sitting and standing as you pedal.

Coach’s Tip : Stationary bike workouts are intense on your quads. Be sure to warm them up before with foam rolling and dynamic stretching. Finish your session with some more dynamic or static stretches. 

The endurance ride is the next type of indoor cycling workout I give my intermediate athletes. It is a common type of workout in a spin class — but this version is more straightforward so that you can do it on your own. 

[Read More: Best Recumbent Bikes for Small Spaces, Streaming, Seniors, and More ]

The endurance ride is a steady-state cardio workout, meaning you choose one resistance, pace, and level of effort and maintain it for the duration of your ride. It may initially feel low-intensity, but sustaining the same elevated heart rate for 30 to 60 minutes boosts your cardiovascular fitness and endurance.

Always start with a dynamic warm-up off the bike. Then, you’ll do a quick three-minute ride at a light resistance to prepare for the bulk of the ride. Choose 30, 45, or 60 minutes for your length. Try 30 minutes on your first ride to find the correct resistance and pace for you.

How Often to Do This Workout : You can do this workout up to three times per week.

• Make it Easier : Try this one on a recumbent bike or upright bike for 30 minutes. Go at a slower pace and with light resistance. Keep your pace and light resistance, and increase your time. Putting in less effort but increasing the duration makes it a low-intensity steady-state ( LISS cardio ) ride, which is still a good workout.
• Make it Harder : Do this on a spin bike to challenge your balance. While the idea is to maintain the same effort for the whole workout, you can play with adding “hills” by increasing the resistance every five minutes or so. Adding hills makes indoor cycling closer to outdoor cycling since even on a long endurance ride, you may encounter uneven terrain.

Coach’s Tip : If you hold on to the handlebars, grip them lightly. Some people overuse their wrists and hands, especially on spin bikes.

Advanced athletes will likely enjoy a HIIT exercise bike workout . One such style of HIIT is called Tabata, coined by Japanese scientist Izumi Tabata in 1996. Tabata training involves alternating 20 seconds of all-out effort with 10 seconds of complete rest for eight rounds , lasting four minutes in total. 

It sounds quick, but the short rest times followed by your maximum effort catch up to you.

After a complete dynamic warm-up , hop on and start with a short warm-up ride. You want to save most of your energy for the Tabata sequences. You’ll repeat the protocol three to four times, lasting 12 to 16 minutes. I added a short rest between each of the eight rounds.

[Read More: The Best Exercise Bikes For Heavy People ]

You can do this workout on an upright, recumbent, or spin bike. For an extra challenge, try a dual-action bike, like the air bike you’ll see in CrossFit boxes. On these, you work your upper and lower body simultaneously by pushing and pulling the handlebars.

How Often to Do This Workout : Try this twice a week.

• Make it Easier : This will likely feel easier on a recumbent or upright bike at a light resistance, harder on a spin bike, and even harder on a dual-action bike. Try the Tabata sequence just once to see how it feels in your body. If Tabata is too much, try 20 seconds on and 30 seconds off for 10 rounds.
• Make it Harder : The dual-action bike offers several options for progression; air bike workouts are tough. Four rounds of Tabata using both arms and legs make it an extremely intense full-body workout. Do one Tabata round with legs only and one with arms only, and alternate for four total (two of each). 

Coach’s Tip : You can choose a moderate resistance, so you don’t have to change it in your limited time. Just be sure to push as hard as possible during those 20-second bursts.

Benefits of Stationary Bike Workouts

Wondering if you should try a stationary bike workout for your next cardio session? Here are some benefits to consider.

Customizable Cardio Workout

You can customize indoor cycling to give you the type of cardio workout you want. You can ride for a longer period at a low intensity for steady-state cardio or alternate bursts of effort with slower pedaling for an interval or HIIT workout .

Both types of cardio can help improve your cardiovascular fitness and endurance , prevent cardiovascular diseases, boost your mental health, enhance sleep quality, and strengthen your immune system. ( 1 )

Scalable for All Fitness Levels and Fitness Goals

Since there are so many types of exercise bikes and ways to ride them, you can find the proper workout for your fitness level. Upright and recumbent bikes may be more suited for beginners — but all levels can do a more challenging workout on both types. For more of a challenge, spin and dual-action bikes (air bikes) work well for intermediate and advanced athletes.

[Read More: Benefits of Cycling to Fuel Your Next Ride ]

When it comes to fitness goals , the exercise bike is also versatile.

• Fat Loss : If your goal is weight loss, you generally need to expend more energy than you take in. A stationary bike workout raises your heart rate and burns calories, boosting your total daily energy expenditure ( TDEE ). HIIT and steady-state workouts can also tap into your body’s fat-burning potential.
• Steady-state workouts on the exercise bike are great for improving endurance.
• HIIT workouts can help improve heart rate variability ( HRV ). 
• Research suggests that Tabata training can boost your VO2 max as well as your anaerobic and aerobic capacities. ( 2 )
• Performing HIIT on a dual-action bike after lifting can boost your work capacity and conditioning.
• Active Recovery : Taking an easy ride at a light resistance is great for an active recovery day as part of an intense workout routine.
• Recover from an Injury : Exercise bikes are popular in physical therapy offices. Depending on what type of injury you are recovering from, stationary bike workouts offer a low-impact method of staying active.

Low-Impact Workout

Low-impact workouts don’t add extra stress to your joints and soft tissues. Pedaling on an exercise bike, even at a higher resistance, lets you get your heart rate and protect your joints .

[Read More: Are Exercise Bikes Good For Weight Loss? (+ Workout From a Personal Trainer) ]

While a low-impact ride is great for injury recovery, non-injured athletes may also prefer it. You can get a great HIIT workout without adding extra stress to your hips, knees, and ankles compared to a treadmill workout where you alternate sprints and jogs.

Works Lower Body

Professional cyclists tend to have strong legs. While cycling alone may not be enough to build muscle unless you do an extremely high volume, riding an exercise bike still works and may somewhat strengthen your lower body. 

Pushing and pulling the pedals with resistance works your glutes, hamstrings, calves, and especially your quads . Some spin classes may also incorporate light dumbbells for upper body work. 

Convenient for Home Workouts

Exercise bikes are a popular option for working out at home . They don’t take up much space, and you can opt for a budget exercise bike if you can’t spring for a Peloton. Having a stationary bike at home may make you more likely to hop on for a quick workout on a busy day.

Types of Stationary Bikes

Here’s a quick breakdown of the types of stationary bikes you’ll encounter in gyms and cycling studios.

Upright Bike

The upright bike looks similar to a regular bike . The seat is above the pedals, and the handlebars are in front of your body. For best results, you can adjust the seat to about hip height. Upright bikes often have a screen that allows you to adjust your resistance and track your time, speed, and pedal strokes.

Recumbent Bike

The recumbent bike is low to the ground. It has a wide seat and backrest with handlebars on either side, so you hold your arms by your sides. The pedals are in front of you, allowing you to recline while you ride. There is also often a screen to track your variables.

You’ll find a spin bike in gyms and indoor cycling classes like SoulCycle. The popular Peloton bike is a spin bike. They are meant to mimic road bikes for races . Spin bikes have a heavy flywheel with the pedals attached to it. You have to lean all the way forward to reach the handlebars, but you can also sit up tall or alternate.

[Read More: The Best Exercise Bikes for Small Spaces, Expert-Tested and Reviewed ]

Spin bikes often have screens where you can choose your own workout, track your variables, or follow a video spin class.

Dual-Action Bike

A dual-action bike provides an optional full-body workout. You push and pull the handlebars with your arms (similar to an elliptical ) while you pedal . You sit upright with the pedals below the seat and lean forward slightly to reach the handles.

An air bike is a type of dual-action bike popular in CrossFit. Its fan uses air to create resistance. The harder you pedal, push, and pull, the more challenging it will be.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the most burning questions I get about stationary bike workouts (and their answers, of course).

How long should you work out on a stationary bike?

A HIIT workout on a stationary bike can take five to fifteen minutes . A steady-state workout should last 20 to 60 minutes or more .

Can you lose belly fat by riding a stationary bike? 

You can’t effectively target fat loss in your body. To burn fat , you generally have to reduce your calorie intake. Boosting your energy expenditure by riding a stationary bike can also help, but you can’t really control where you lose fat.

Is 30 minutes of the exercise bike a day enough?

Yes, riding the exercise bike for 30 minutes daily is enough to boost your cardiovascular health and fitness . However, it’s helpful to be specific in your goals. For example, you’ll probably want to do more if you’re training for a race.

• Nystoriak MA, Bhatnagar A. Cardiovascular Effects and Benefits of Exercise. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2018 Sep 28;5:135. 
• Emberts T, Porcari J, Dobers-Tein S, Steffen J, Foster C. Exercise intensity and energy expenditure of a tabata workout. J Sports Sci Med. 2013 Sep 1;12(3):612-3.

About Jesse Zucker

Jesse Zucker (they/them) is a National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF) Certified Personal Trainer, 200 Hour Certified Yoga Instructor, and Precision Nutrition Certified Coach. Jesse trained at Equinox in NYC and now trains private clients virtually and in the Washington, DC area. Jesse specializes in teaching clients to build body awareness, strength, mobility, and sustainable healthy habits. Jesse is also a freelance writer and an actor with a B.A. in Creative Writing and Film Studies from New York University.

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How to Thrive as You Age

Like to bike your knees will thank you and you may live longer, too.

Allison Aubrey

A large new study shows people who bike have less knee pain and arthritis than those who do not. PamelaJoeMcFarlane/Getty Images hide caption

A large new study shows people who bike have less knee pain and arthritis than those who do not.

We are in the middle of National Bike Month , and cycling enthusiasts love to talk up the benefits of their favorite activity.

"It's definitely my longevity drug," says Brooks Boliek, 65, an avid cyclist of many decades, who used to commute to his office on a bicycle.

A substantial body of evidence supports the health benefits of cycling, everything from strengthening the immune system to boosting the likelihood of living longer. Now, a new study finds people who are in the habit of riding a bike are significantly less likely to have osteoarthritis and experience pain in their knees by age 65, compared to people who don't bike.

The study, which was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, and published in the American College of Sports Medicine's flagship peer-reviewed journal, included about 2,600 men and women, with an average age of 64 years old. They were surveyed about their physical activity over their lifetime. As part of the study, researchers took X-ray images to evaluate signs of arthritis in their knee joints. "Bicyclers were 21% less likely to have X-ray evidence and symptoms of osteoarthritis compared to those who did not have a history of bicycling," explains study author Dr. Grace Lo of Baylor College of Medicine.

"I was surprised to see how very strong the benefit was," Lo says given the profile of the participants. The people enrolled in the study were not competitive athletes, but rather "average" people, ranging from their mid-40's up to 80 years old. All of them had elevated risks of developing knee arthritis due to weight, family history or former injuries.

The study can not prove cause and effect, given it was an observational study that assessed osteoarthritis at one point in time. But the findings, which are published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise , validate the advice many health care providers give to patients about the benefits of cycling and other non weight-bearing exercises.

"Cycling is very low impact," says musculoskeletal researcher Matt Harkey , an assistant professor at Michigan State University and a co-author of the study. Cycling also helps to build strength in the muscles around the knee which can help protect the joint. In addition, the rhythmic motion of pedaling on a bicycle can move synovial fluid , the viscous, egg white -like liquid in joints that helps reduce friction and absorb shock. "What it does is help to circulate the synovial fluid throughout the joint to help to kind of lubricate [the joint] and provide nutrient delivery to the cartilage," Harkey says.

Cycling enthusiast Brooks Boliek calls biking his "longevity drug," and the research backs him up on that. Allison Aubrey/NPR hide caption

Cycling enthusiast Brooks Boliek calls biking his "longevity drug," and the research backs him up on that.

Of course, there are many types of exercise that are good for health, though cycling seems to have a leg up when it comes to protecting joints. Oftentimes, people give up contact sports such as basketball, as they age, given the risk of injury.

"It can be expected that physical activity in which there is little weight-bearing on joints will be more beneficial than those that need constant stamping," such as running, says Norman Lazarus, a professor emeritus at King's College London, who is in his late 80's and is still cycling. (NPR profiled his cycling research in 2018.)

Lazarus says the results of the new study – pointing to a benefit – are not surprising, though he points out that biking does bring risk of injury . He says it's important for cyclists to understand the risk of overuse injuries as well as the importance of technique and getting a proper fitting bike. Each year, thousands of bicyclists are injured in motor vehicle crashes, and older adults are at higher risk of serious injury. Research shows it's safer to bike on trails or paths separated from traffic.

Risks, aside, research shows biking is good for longevity. "There's good data to support that people live longer when they bicycle," says Lo. She points to a study that found people who cycled one hour per week were about 22% less likely to die prematurely. This was a study of people with diabetes, so it's possible that the benefits are greater for people without the disease.

"This is an exercise [people] can participate in over a lifetime," Lo says, and it can also be done indoors on a stationary bike. "I think that it is a great preventative strategy for many things, including arthritis," she says.

Biking enthusiast Brooks Boliek says cycling brings him joy and a sense of accomplishment. "I'm very goal oriented," he says, and a daily ride gives him something to focus on. "It gives me something to live for."

A sense of purpose that keeps his heart pumping and his muscles strong. He says he'd love to keep riding until the day he dies.

Find Allison Aubrey on Instagram at @allison.aubrey and on X @AubreyNPR .

Here’s what 30 minutes on an exercise bike can do to your body

An exercise bike can be extremely beneficial for your health — here’s why

Whether you’ve just added one of the best exercise bikes to your home, or you’re kick-starting a new workout routine, get ready to reap the rewards. Exercise bikes are a popular piece of home gym equipment — they don’t need to be replaced constantly, and even if you opt for the likes of the Peloton Bike or the Peloton Bike Plus , the monthly subscription is cheaper than most gym memberships. Plus, you can even pedal whilst watching television. But what are the benefits of regular cycling, and are exercise bikes good for weight loss? 

For those who are looking to lose weight, you should aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio activity at least five days per week, or at least 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity three days per week. If you’re looking to increase muscle, you should keep to around three days of HIIT a week, but focus on shorter and even more high-intensity sessions.

The bike will help to work particular muscles and can be beneficial for several parts of your body and health system. But, there are also things to keep an eye out for. We spoke with Physical Therapist Anthony Maritato, of Choose PT 1st , to find out exactly what 30 minutes on an exercise bike does to your body.

What muscles do you work on an exercise bike?

“When it comes to riding an exercise bike the main muscle groups you are working include the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals,” says Maritato.

The quadriceps are the four main muscles on the front of your upper leg. This group includes the rectus femoris, the vastus lateralis, the vastus intermedius, and the vastus medialis muscles. 

The hamstrings are the muscles behind the upper leg and include the semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris muscles.

The gluteals are the powerhouse muscle group of the hip. This is often referred to as the buttock and includes gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.

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When cycling with the correct form, you can also work the abs. Plus, a recent study found that “stationary cycling exercise relieves pain and improves sport function in individuals with knee osteoarthritis,” so it might even be a safer choice than other forms of cardio for those suffering from knee pain. 

Is an exercise bike good for weight loss?

Maritato explains that weight loss may be achieved in many ways from reducing caloric intake to increasing caloric expenditure and many variations in between.

A common recipe for weight loss includes burning 250 calories more per day while you consume 250 calories less per day to create a 500 calories per day deficit. After seven days this equals 3,500 calories which equate to approximately 1lbs of fat loss per week.

Riding an exercise bike is a wonderful method of weight loss for several reasons:

• It is a form of non-impact cardiovascular exercise that may be performed indoors 
• It is easy to adjust the intensity of exercise and duration of exercise with each exercise session 
• It is reasonably affordable 
• Exercise bikes come in a variety of models and sizes allowing exercises with various body types to easily adjust the exercise bike to fit your body 

Here’s more on how to lose weight using an exercise bike . 

What can 30 minutes on an exercise bike do to your body?

There are a number of different benefits to jumping on a stationary bike regularly, these include: 

Reduce Chronic Low Back Pain: Low-intensity continuous exercise like riding an exercise bike may reduce chronic low back pain. Studies have found that riding an exercise bike for 30 minutes may improve the cardiovascular system, desensitize lumbar structures, increase circulation, and reduce stiffness.

Improved Mood and Brain Function : While we don’t fully understand the exact mechanism for how regular exercise improves mood and cognition, there is a growing body of evidence to support this hypothesis. Several studies suggest that exercise may have a beneficial effect on hormone regulation. Other studies look at how exercise may help a person to feel healthier, stronger, and empowered.

Improved Sleep : In a 2012 study , sleep data across 305 total participants was analyzed and the research suggested that participation in an exercise training program has moderately positive effects on sleep quality in middle-aged and older adults.

Who should avoid riding an exercise bike?

The most common injuries sustained using an exercise bike are either overuse injuries like tendinitis or bursitis, or mechanical injuries related to improper fitting of the bike to the rider.

Tendinitis and bursitis are acute inflammatory conditions in which the tendon or bursae become inflamed. This could happen when you increase intensity or duration too quickly, or when an exerciser neglects recovery time between workouts.

It is often hard to know how much is too much, but one rule of thumb is to look for signs of acute inflammation and overtraining . These signs may include pain with palpation, decreased range of motion, increased stiffness, and declining performance.

The common causes of injuries on an exercise bike are: 

• Low back pain attributed to the seat being too close to the pedals and the lumbar spine experiencing too much lumbar flexion 
• Knee pain attributed to the seat being too low and experiencing excessive knee flexion 
• Neck and shoulder pain attributed to too much strain on the upper body 
• Wrist pain attributed to ill-fitting handlebars 

If you are adding an exercise bike to your home, it’s a good idea to invest in a pair of the best indoor cycling shoes. It’s also important to point out that the best exercise is what’s right for you and your body. If you don’t enjoy cycling, there are other forms of cardio that might be better suited to you. Take a look at our treadmill vs exercise bike face-off here. 

Looking for more inspiration? Read what happened when one TG staffer went from not exercising to one month on a Peloton . 

This exercise bike generates power while I pedal — and I used it to see how fast it charges the OnePlus 12

I cycled through the Al Wathba desert in Abu Dhabi — here’s 5 ways it changed my mind about cycling

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Where Should the Sit Bones Be On a Bike Saddle?

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While riding your bike, you must maintain a good posture not only to improve riding efficiency but also to avert any type of injury. Some riders make this seem completely effortless. However, it is not as easy to execute. Although it may seem a bit hard initially, it can definitely be done. And maintaining the correct posture while riding will reward you with many benefits which include a comfortable and efficient ride, improved handling, injury prevention, and effortless breathing.

Along with a good posture, you must also ensure that you have the correct sitting position. This means that your sit bones must be well-positioned on the saddle. When you sit on your bike, your sit bones support your entire body’s weight. Therefore, sit bones can withstand a very good amount of pressure & weight.

For a typical cycling position, the main areas that lie on the saddle are the pubic arch for women and the perineal area for men. The sitting area is exposed all the way from the top part of the sit bones to the pubic arch and then on to the central perineal area and pubic bone. As men have a much lower pubic arch compared to women, they face higher pressure while riding especially from the saddle’s nose. For more advanced or dynamic riding styles, on which area the rider’s weight is applied is very crucial. Therefore, in such dynamic scenarios, the weight should rest on the pubic bone and the center of the sit bones. The pubic bones and the sit bones converge and form a V-shape. As a result, the more dynamic your sitting position is on the bike, the narrower your bike’s saddle should be. The perfect saddle and saddle width for your body will ensure that your sit bones will rest totally flat on it. This will not only improve your riding efficiency but also remove the pressure from men’s delicate areas and women’s pubic arch.

The diagram given below shows different pelvic positions and which bones are affected by pressure the most for different riding positions.

So if you are riding in an upright position, the ischial tuberosity will receive the most pressure. The most common bones affected by pressure is the ischial ramus which receives pressure if you are riding in a moderate lean, a slight lean, and last but not least in a deep lean angled riding position.

1. Riding Positions

Different riding styles demand different types of sitting positions. Even though a lot of recreational riders and commuters ride while sitting at a 90-degree position, most riders sit on their bikes with a pelvic bend. As a result, all the pressure will not be applied to your sit bones. Now, what position your pelvis will be in depends completely on the riding discipline in question. However, no matter what position your pelvis is in, the guide for accurate measurement of your sit bones to choose a saddle emphasizes a 90-degree angle of the spine.

How you position your body on your bike will determine how your saddle is used. Bicycle saddles come with different kinds of profiles, padding, and saddle widths . All this is done to make sure that you can ride with minimal pressure on your sit bones. You can see the image given below to get a better idea about how to position your body for different types of riding styles.

2. Pressure Mapping According to Bike Saddles

To get proper measurements regarding the pressure applied on a saddle when a rider sits on it, a special device is used on the saddle. This device is basically a foil that consists of about one hundred sensors that have the ability to track pressure. This device is planted on the saddle. Therefore, when you sit on the saddle, the pressure is mapped with the sensors and then the outcome is delivered to a computer. As this pressure mapping device uses remote transmitters, the procedure can be carried out anywhere including a lab or even riding out in the real world. Where the pressure is distributed can be tracked easily as the map is colored. In the map, blue color means low pressure. Then as the pressure level increases, the color transforms from turquoise to green, then yellow to orange, and finally to red indicating that it is at maximum pressure.

Now let us see the pressure map of different saddle designs.

3. Racing Saddle

If you take a look at the diagram above, the pressure map of a regular racing saddle shows an ideal allocation of pressure when a rider sits on it. This is because the map shows the color red on the sit bones area and yellow or orange color in the pubic bones area. This indicates that these areas are receiving maximum pressure and the perineal area is getting almost no pressure at all.

4. Curved Gel Saddle

The curved gel saddle pressure map shows that there is a good amount of pressure being applied to the perineal area and the pubic bone arch area. As the perineal area is a sensitive place, a high amount of pressure in that area is not good for the rider and can lead to injuries.

5. Gel Saddle With a Cut-out Section

The pressure map of this type of saddle is quite alarming. As you can see it indicates that a high amount of pressure is applied on the edges of the perineal area. The perennial area consists of vital nerves and arteries and therefore is a risky area to receive so much pressure. Even the blood flow will not be affected much, riding on this type of saddle can still lead to numbness.

➥ Some saddles are designed to face perineal numbness from cycling. You can get the saddles here: bike seats that protect the perineum .

6. Saddle Geometry

A man’s pelvis is quite distinct from that of a woman’s and the main reason for this is that a woman’s pelvis is required to enable childbirth. You can clearly see this in the diagram given above. After conducting our own research and reading the work of various renowned organizations we have found that for men, the sit bone distance is about 6 – 16 centimeters, and for women about 9 – 17 centimeters.

Before, while riding a bike women had to endure more pressure due to the saddle nose at the lower part of the pubic bone arch. This is because a lot of women have small sit bone distances while a lot of men can have big sit bone distances. Therefore, women and men do not require different saddles anymore. A lower saddle nose can remove any type of pressure from a man’s perennial area and moving it 2 centimeters forward from the female pubic bone position can fix the high-pressure issue as well.

You can learn more about the differences between the pelvis of a man and a women by taking a quick look at the table below:

7. Pain During Your Rides

Pain is often caused due to excessive pressure. This pressure can be relieved with a larger area. As we all know, the area is larger, the pressure will be lower.

Another cause for the pain can be a saddle which is a bit too soft. This type of saddle tends to feel highly uncomfortable after riding on it for about only 30 to 40 minutes.

Then the sit bones drop in too far into the padding and your muscles become irritated. And that is when the pain starts. For men, this adds pressure to the perineal area. As for women, they feel much more pressure at the lower pubic bone arch. Some types of soft paddings even tend to reduce the blood flow during riding sessions.

➥ Read more: Are Gel Bike Seats Any Good?

8. Industry Research

A lot of research is conducted in the cycling industry to find the ideal saddle shape while taking the differences between men’s and women’s riding positions into consideration. One, in particular, that is very interesting is about sit bones width for optimal riding positions upon variations in ischial variations.

The brand Selle researched with about 240 participants and discovered a variety of sit bone widths. With these results, they produced three saddle widths. These widths were evaluated at a spring angle of 90 degrees. The findings of this research state that because of the v-shape of the pelvic, the sit bone or Ischial distance depends on the riding position. Therefore, as the spring angle lowers or inclines, the distance will also get smaller. You can see this clearly, in the images given below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. why do i get saddle discomfort.

Ans.: One of the major reasons for getting saddle discomfort is an improper bike fit. You could be feeling pain or discomfort because of your saddle being too forward, backward, higher than you require, or even lower. Therefore, you should ensure that your saddle height is correct and it is in the right position according to the pedals. You can watch the video linked below to learn how to do this properly:

➥ If you ride for a short time and for recreational purposes, gel bike saddles or gel seat covers can remove your discomfort immediately.

Q2. Where should I sit on my bike saddle?

Ans.: Finding the ideal position on your bike saddle is very important to experience a comfortable ride. To do this, you should sit on the widest part of the saddle which is the furthest away at the back. Also, you should lean the front part of the saddle by just a little bit. This will allow you to remove pressure from your sit bones and also reduce the chances of numbness.

Q3. Should I be able to touch the ground when sitting on my bike?

Ans.: The saddle height is crucial for you to find a highly comfortable and safe riding position. While sitting on your bike, the arch of your feet should be able to touch the ground. With that being said, it is important to note that if you can put your feet flat onto the ground then your saddle height is quite low and you should increase it. Also, if you can touch the ground only with your toes then your saddle height is too high and you should lower it.

➥ Read more on perfect saddle fitting: Bike Saddle Fit Guide: 6 Images will Make the Differences .

Q4. How important is the standover height?

Ans.: It is very important. You might hurt yourself when you suddenly stop your bike if you cannot stand over your bike’s top tube without coming in contact with it. The risk of an accident occurring is very high if the height of the top tube is higher than you are. So make sure you check your bike’s top tube height before taking it out for a ride.

Q5. What happens if my saddle is too high?

Ans.: As mentioned before, if you want to enjoy a smooth and comfortable ride on your bike, your saddle needs to be at the right height. If the saddle is too high, you will most likely feel a slight pressure at the back part of your knee. You may also observe that you feel wobbly while riding on the bike. You will not be able to pedal efficiently either. Also, if the saddle is too low, you’ll feel discomfort, especially at the knees. So make sure your saddle is not too high and not too low either.

➥ Read more on this saddle height topic: Comparison between Mountain Bike vs Road Seat Height .

We hope you got all your questions answered by reading our article. We always strive to provide you with the latest information in the hope that it may enrich your cycling lives and bring you closer to your goals. Sitting in the correct position on the right saddle can boost your performance and also help to keep you safe from injuries and other health concerns. So thank you for reading this article. Ride safely!

• What Size Bike Should I Get for My Height?
• How Long Should You Ride a Stationary Bike to Lose Weight?
• Bike Saddle Fit Guide: 6 Images will Make the Differences
• Bike Saddle Sizing Chart (The Ultimate Guide)

My name is Dion Lewis.I’ve been cycling since my childhood. When I was in high school, I started racing in our local competitions.In my college life, I took a part-time job in a bicycle shop and I learned how to repair and maintain bicycles professionally.Though I love racing, mountain biking is another thing I do frequently. My friends, neighbors, and colleagues treat me as an avid rider and take my suggestions while they plan for a new bike or bike gear.

I’m surprise about the answer given about that I should touch the ground with my feet arch. It is imposible to touch the ground if my bike is fitted correctly. That is something that I performed many time to bike riders. I really don’t understand your answer to the person that is asking. Can you clarify this for the benefit of your readers?

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Review: Farr Arm Rests provide light, customizable Carbon Aero Bolt-On position support

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This summer Farr debuted a new set of alloy Arm Rests designed to deliver comfortable aerobar-style support in a tucked position, without necessarily having aero bars out front. The idea was to create a modular support setup so ultradistance, endurance, and bikepacking cyclists could tinker with their cockpit setups to stay comfortable longer and ride farther.

We’ve been playing with the Arm Rests for the past few months, seeing how they might help us Ride Farr together with a Carbon Aero Bolt-On loop and its dedicated GPS mount…

Review: Farr modular armrests & mini customizable aerobars

The Farr Arm Rest setup is actually a second generation of the clip-on kit, adapted to higher volume production than the original fully CNC-machined setup, to try to bring pricing down to a reasonable level. The standalone arm rests are still not super cheap at $115 without any aero bar out front, but they offer a nice modular fit that can be customized to expand the comfort and versatility of many other alternate handlebar and cockpit setups…

Or of course, you can combine it with Farr’s own alloy or carbon bolt-on extension loops, or Farr’s  Aero Gravel bar or Aero MTB bar that build loops out front of otherwise normal aluminum handlebars.

The complete setup I have been using most, is a set of the Farr Arm Rests bolted to the Farr Carbon Aero Bolt-On loop (and its own out-front GPS mount.)

The great benefit of this setup, is that they were designed to bolt together. So you actually remove the aluminum clamps that secure either individual element to a regular 31.8mm bar, and bolt the two elements together around your regular handlebar.

This complete setup is light & self-contained, and can be quickly swapped from one flat MTB bar or road/gravel dropbar with minimal fuss or need for readjustment. The trick of course is that it requires a 31.8mm diameter clamping area that is at least 80mm wide, something I have found is quite rare with all the aero & ergo shaping of most modern dropbars.

The entire Farr Arm Rest, Carbon Aero Bolt-On & GPS mount setup weighs just 321g, making it one of the lightest adjustable aero bar setups possible, including the optional GPS holder. Without that computer mount, it’s just 280g.

You even save 43g by combining them. It doesn’t quite compare to a conventional aero bar setup in overall aero tuck fit, but it delivers a wide range of position adjustability.

And it likely will be a platform for endurance racers to further customize their race setup.

Farr Arm Rests a light, modular, customizable aero bar support

The benefit of the Farr Arm Rests themselves is the ability to support your weight while riding with your forearms rather than your hands, a huge benefit for endurance cyclists who need to rest their hands without stopping. Of course, the Arm Rests alone don’t offer much bike handling control, so you really need to combine them with something out front.

Here, I am using Farr’s bolt-on mini aero bar loop, but I even got a tiny bit of a sense of control resting my arms on these with a rigid handlebar bag like the latest Ortlieb Handlebar Pack – experiment at your own risk. Without a proper aerobar out front to hold onto, it’s important that riders use these arm rests only in terrain and situations where stability and quick reactions are not a major concern – this is not a setup for riding in busy car traffic or even in a group ride setting.

The really nice thing about Farr’s Arm Rest Kit is its adjustability… and really how they are a bit overbuilt to the point that I feel like I could file away bits of alloy if I wanted to adjust them beyond their intended range. Farr admits that they know ultra-endurance riders are going to tweak whatever setup someone creates off the shelf.

Height-wise, as you can see in the photo over cobbles stones ( two above ), there are graduated lines that let you adjust up or down around 2cm. In the narrower pad position I have picked, that is limited to ~1cm of vertical adjustment, but cutting a small bit of the alloy base under the velcro would let me get lower – flush with my handlebar or lower if I needed.

The thin 7mm EVA foam pads feel supportive enough that they don’t squirm and you don’t sink into the padding, but still they are comfortable for extended periods over smooth or rough roads. It is held on securely with 3M velcro that the user sticks on to suit them.

Underneath, you can see how the bracket of the Arm Rest mounts directly to the carbon body of the aero bolt-on.

The Arm Rests have a slightly flared outer edge that bend up ever so slightly to help keep your forearm sliding off to the sides. But more important is probably setting them to the width your arms will already comfortably rest in your forward aero tuck.

I have the pads essentially in the middle position (15cm center-center), using the outer of three bolt holes on both rest & support. You can definitely set the pads either +/-18mm closer or farther apart using two adjacent holes.

The Farr Arm Rest kit on its own weighs just 223g, including its standalone clamps. Pulling these silver clamps off with their 4 bolts, and then attaching it to the Carbon Aero Bolt-On with its bolts let me drop 31g of this setup off. And since I didn’t need the Aero Bolt-On’s alloy clamps, that netted me another 12g savings.

So, separate they weigh 223g +100g. Combined together and they weigh just 280g.

Just as an availability update, the new Farr Arm Rest Kit v2 is still officially sold as a pre-order. But Farr has the final production parts in-house now and is finalizing assembly right now to get them out to distributors starting this week. They’ll be shipping to buyers very soon.

Farr Carbon Aero Bolt-On, mini aero bar extension

The mini Farr Carbon Aero Bolt-On is certainly not limited to conventionally narrow road and gravel bike cockpits. In fact, it might even make more sense when you have a much wider bar like a mountain bike bar, where adding a bit of control in a more narrow hand position would have more aerodynamic benefits.

I actually first mounted the Carbon Aero Bolt-On to the massively wide Walmer 60 drop bar on my rigid Moots singlespeed mountain bike. (It’s 75cm wide outside, even making fitting between trees an issue on singletrack.) There, it offered a welcome extra hand position for spinning along the flats, back and forth to the trails.

Now, combined with the Arm Rests it gives more positions to my do-it-all Bombtrack Audax gravel bike.

(While it does take away the ability to wrap my hands around the tops next to the stem, I can rest my palms on the armrests and still curl my fingers around the bar. And there’s still room for my hands on the regular bar, in the corners of the tops.)

Generally, with the $165 Carbon Aero Bolt-On itself, the most comfortable hand positions involve either wrapping your hands around the sides and resting your palms on the flat-shaped sides of the extension – either with thumbs hooked inside (like you can see a few photos below , focusing on the GPS mount) or thumbs sitting on top ( above, right ).

But paired with the armrests that usually put weight too close to my wrists and my elbows in the way of my knees.

I ultimately settled on a less secure grip ( above, left ) with my wrists bent, my thumbs wrapped around the support of the GPS mount placed out front, and my fingers curled back under the front of the carbon extension.

The takeaway from my using the Carbon Aero Bolt-On is probably that I wish it were a bit longer (it extends just over 10cm in front of your bar), maybe even 5cm more. (Farr suggests a longer reach alloy aero bolt-on could be in the future development pipeline.) It does certainly add more possible hand positions.

If you are looking for more secure hand positions, it certainly seems more suited for shorter periods of time to stretch out and move your hands somewhere else. Even without the armrests, you can also lean out over the Aero Bolt-On directly on your forearms, but you have no real sense of control in that position, even if it does feel more secure than just leaning forearms on a regular handlebar, imaginary aerobar style.

The tiny carbon extension isn’t cheap, but at only 100g  on its own, it won’t add much weight either.

A nice little v3 update this week… the top now gets textured graphics that offer more grip. I never really had an issue, but it could get a bit slippery when my hands are wet without gloves.

Farr GPS Mount for their Carbon Aero Bolt-On extension

If you do get the mini Carbon Aero Bolt-On extension, you might also consider Farr’s specific GPS mount that they developed for it. The Carbon Aero Bolt-On does have a bulb at the front where you can attach any standard 31.8mm accessory mount, but most of those are designed to be offset to the side of your stem.

If you can’t handle having your GPS off-center, this may be your best option.

The $85 Farr GPS Mount (yikes, that’s pricey!) for their Carbon Aero Bolt-On aerobar is made of aluminum in three pieces. It can be mounted facing forward or back, extending your GPS computer back inside the loop of the extension, over top of the front loop of the extension ( above ), or out-front of the Aero Bolt-On ( below ).

The issue I had with the GPS mount is that its sharply machined edges extend into the tight space you have at the front of the Carbon Aero Bolt-On to loop your fingers on for secure grip. Any bump or vibration sent a nice sharp pain into my thumb. Ouch.

FYI, this is technically the ‘incorrect positioning of the mount (above) with the silver dogbone link facing back towards my hand, as I was experimenting with having the GPS further back, inside the Aero Bolt-On loop. When flipping it forward to the ‘correct’ position where I ultimately settled on my preferred setup (below), it still pushed into my thumb a bit, hence my wrapped solution.

The solution was simple, though.

Once I found the position I wanted for my GPS and the angle of its screen, I just wrapped the entire clamp and the silver dogbone extension arm with a short section of bar tape. No more sharp edges, minimal impact on space available inside the loop for my thumbs, plus an extra bit of material to comfortably hold onto.

The Farr GPS mount weighs just 41g, and includes both Garmin & Wahoo inserts – a nice touch since my Wahoo almost fits into Garmin mount if you rotate them 90°, but the fit isn’t very nice or secure. This GPS mount ONLY fits the Carbon Aero Bolt-On extension, but Farr also makes other versions that fit their wild Headspace stem, one that fits any regular 22.2mm round bar or aero extension, and one that attaches to the top of your steerer with a special headset cap.

Farr Arm Rests & Aero Bolt-on: Parting Thoughts

With all the details laid bare, are the Farr Arm Rests the right solution for you? And what about their Carbon Aero Bolt-On mini aero bar?

To be honest, my initial thought after installing the Arm Rest Kit was, “ Oh crap, these things are going to have me constantly hitting my elbows with my knees! ” (They did, at first.) And then it turned into, “ How am I supposed to hold on? ” (That took some getting used to, as well.) The thing is, this is a setup that will surely require some trial and error to get dialed in. (I swapped to a 10mm longer stem, I lowered the armrests to be even with the top of the front loop, and flipped the GPS around front, wrapped with bar tape.)

But once it did get it dialed, I’m quite happy.

The setup doesn’t look quite as crazy or scary as a full-on aero bar setup (and is easy to remove without losing my adjustment, for when you don’t want/need it). It’s quite light. And most importantly of all, it’s comfortable.

I haven’t yet done any multi-day rides with it, but taking the pressure off my hands during even a 4+ hour mixed-surface road & gravel ride has been great. I actually injured my palm & wrist a few weeks back in a mountain bike “incident”, and this meant I could keep riding with no hand pain at all. That one week of recovery riding itself justified the Farr Arm Rest Kit & Carbon Aero Bolt-On combo to me, and it could equally save a longer tour if any similar pain or injury popped up along the way.

So that’s it. There are still some setup kinks for me to iron out and dial in over time. But there’s plenty of adjustability possible, and I’m down with the aero tuck.

RideFarr.com

Cory Benson is the EU Tech Editor of Bikerumor.com .

Cory has been writing about mountain bikes, enduro, cyclocross, all-road, gravel bikes & bikepacking for over 25 years, even before the industry created some of these names. Prior to Bikerumor, Cory was a practicing Architect specializing in environmental sustainability, has designed bike shops & bike components, and worked as a bike shop mechanic.

Based in the Czech Republic for 15+ years, he is a technical mountain biker, adventurous gravel rider, and short & medium-haul bikepacker. Cory travels extensively across Europe riding bikes, meeting with key European product developers, industry experts & tastemakers for an in-depth review of what’s new, and what’s coming next.

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I tried the carbon aero extension on 5 different carbon mtb bars, with and without the Ride Farr stem that integrates into the aero extension. On four of the bars the wings of the aero extension interfered with clamping it down. I finally mated them to a set of Santa Cruz bars that live on my wife’s XC bike.

Any issues with the armrests hitting your knees while out of the saddle sprinting? My knees have come pretty close to hitting on other clip-ons, and these are noticeably longer on the backend.

I can see the creativity here however this is a huge miss IMO. 1. the computer mount is pretty but a design that digs into the thumbs, really? 2. the forearm pads are clearly so low and far back that you will not be able to avoid hitting them with your knees when climbing out of the saddle unless you place your body in an unnatural position that will not allow you to weight the front wheel for proper tracking. 3. Using the forearm pads and gripping the “extension” will force your elbows into your knees unless you do a massive circumduction of knee at the top of pedal stroke and through top portion of power delivery phase of pedal stroke. I can see you made the pads extra wide so that your arms might form an elbows out, V shape but the pictures show it’s not wide enough to offer the support needed to do so. I do appreciate your review of these products but in order to have a proper pedal stroke you should not need to put your wrist in that position that opens them to injury. Make that aero extension 15-20cm longer and mount the forearm pads on the top of the bar and you’ll have a product that allows a rider true performance enhancements to include stability and a more relaxed back vs being cramped up stressing the triceps and deltoids.

Does anyone who uses a mini-clip on like this ride on them for more than, say 5km into a headwind at a time? They seem to be an added hand position but not one that’s really used for much more than cruising. Too short to use a real aero position where being forward on the saddle helps power output? Interested, that’s all. Have tried Spinacci and mini-extensions on my gravel bike and gave up – if my elbows weren’t on the bar, needing a decent fwd extension, it just wasn’t a useful riding position. Kind of echoed by biker’s comment above.

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Mayo Clinic Minute: Tips to prevent injuries while biking

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Editor's note:   May is both Traumatic Awareness Month and Biking Month

Bicycling is a great way to stay active and enjoy the outdoors. Whether you're a recreational rider or a daily commuter, it's important to protect your hands and wrists.  Dr. Sanj Kakar , a Mayo Clinic  orthopedic surgeon  specializing in hands and wrists, shares practical tips to prevent injuries while biking.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1:08) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the  script .

Whether you're a pro or biking for fun, there are common injuries all cyclists might experience.

"The first one is a traumatic injury if somebody falls off a bike," says Dr. Kakar. 

Common breaks from traumatic injury include wrist fractures.

"We also see overuse-type injuries. So, for example, we see patients where they're pressing on the brakes for too long, squeezing hard, putting pressure on their palm, and their hands sometimes fall asleep — called numbness and tingling," Dr. Kakar says.

He says it could be  carpal tunnel syndrome , a condition you don't want to ignore.

"If you have numbness and tingling in the fingers, it is something I wouldn't ignore because if you have carpal tunnel, we worry about that," Dr. Kakar explains.

The numbness and tingling can become permanent and result in the loss of muscle strength

Prevent bike injuries

"There are simple preventive measures you can take," says Dr. Kakar. "Having thicker grips so you're not squeezing as hard can also help. Bike gloves help as well and sometimes puts your wrist in a better position than putting pressure on your palm. "

You can't always avoid an accident, but you can make your ride safer by always wearing a bike helmet.

Related posts:

• Mayo Clinic Minute: Keeping kids safe outside during summer play
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Ultrasound therapy for pain following carpal tunnel surgery
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Perimenopause and menopause Fighting lymphoma: Treatment options include alternatives to chemotherapy, expert explains

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The 7 Best Recumbent Exercise Bikes in 2024, According to Certified Trainers

Our experts recommend bikes from Nordictrack and Schwinn.

Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. We may earn a commission through links on our site. Why Trust Us?

Most recumbent exercise bikes feature a convenient step-through design with wide, well-padded seats. Some cardio machines we tested even include lumbar support for extra back comfort. These features make them great choices for beginners and seniors, specifically. "A recumbent bike won't push you through a strenuous workout, but it will help you stay active, create lower-body blood flow, and elevate your heart rate a bit, too," says Men's Health Fitness Director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S.

Best Recumbent Exercise Bikes

Best Overall

Matrix r30 recumbent bike.

Schwinn 230 Recumbent Bike

Best Premium Bike

Nordictrack commercial r35.

Best Budget Bike

Xterra sb250 recumbent bike.

Best for Small Spaces

Marcy recumbent exercise bike me-709.

Best Luxury Bike

Technogym recline personal.

Best for Heavier Users

Harison magnetic recumbent exercise bike.

With so many options available, from high-tech bikes to more basic options, we've narrowed it down to the top seven recumbent exercise bikes suitable for every category, fitness level, and budget. Whether you're a fitness enthusiast or a beginner, there's a recumbent bike waiting for you.

What to Consider

Everyone has different fitness levels and goals, but not every bike can cater to everyone's needs. Look for a bike with adjustable resistance levels, allowing you to customize the intensity of your workouts however you choose. This is especially important if you're planning to evolve the intensity of your workouts in the coming months and years. Magnetic resistance is often the smoothest, most predictable option for today's best recumbent bikes.

Workout Memberships

Some recumbent exercise bikes include pre-set workout programs, while others may offer a membership-based training app. Consider if having built-in programs is important to you, and if it is, if you want to consider a membership that would allow for a greater library of programs.

The display should be easy to use and show all the essentials, including speed, distance, time, and, for some machines, even heart rate. Extra features like a heart rate monitor, Bluetooth connectivity, and USB ports can also be nice, so decide if any of those are dealbreakers for you.

Consider the dimensions of the bikes you're shopping for, especially if you have limited space. Some bikes come with compact designs and foldable options for easier storage. If you'll need to stow the bike away when not in use, look for a lightweight frame on wheels.

Home gym equipment can get pricey. Set a budget and stick to it. Recumbent exercise bikes are available in a range of prices, so it's essential to find one that fits your budget while still meeting your needs.

How We Selected

For the past two years, we consulted with Men's Health fitness editors, including Ebenezer Samuel , C.S.C.S., and Talene Appleton , NASM, as well as expert fitness trainers from MH 's Advisory board and MH 's Strength in Diversity Initiative on the best recumbent bikes on the market. They spent months of hands-on time testing and evaluating models from top fitness brands like Nordictrack and Life Fitness. We considered durability, quality, and training efficiency to bring you this list of bikes we can honestly recommend.

Of all the exercise bikes we've tested, the Matrix R30 received top marks from our team for its incredibly stable design, comfortable seat, and accessibility for people with limited mobility. Most single-post design bikes we tried run the risk of tipping over when rider weight is shifted. Not so with the Matrix R30, thanks to its heavy-duty dual post frame that helped us feel stable and secure no matter how hard we pedaled on it.

With a near-zero step-through height, this bike is super accessible and easy for low-mobility folks to use safely. We also have to call out the seat for its comfort. The arc design is molded to hug your back with the perfect level of lumbar support and is made with mesh to allow for proper ventilation.

The magnetic resistance is smooth and predictable with 20 adjustable levels, plus ECB magnetic braking makes for a quieter ride. Five built-in workout programs—from Manual and Intervals to Rolling and Target HR—provide plenty of variety to help you find a workout program that meets your goals.

Lastly, it's Bluetooth-compatible. But, built-in screen mirroring allows you to use the bike's console to stream entertainment straight from your phone or laptop.

Read more: Best Home Gym Equipment

While it lacks a built-in smart display, the midrange price and other features on this bike make up for it. Plus, you can place your phone, tablet, or other device on the media shelf so you can ride along to on-demand trainer-led classes with real-time coaching.

The padded seat is a huge win in our eyes and even has ventilation to get the air flowing when things get sweaty down there. We love the feel of the weighted strapped pedals, which work well to keep your feet secure while you ride. Built-in rollers and a relatively lightweight build make the bike the easiest to move around when you need it and out of the way when you don't.

It's suitable for tall frames, too. Fitness and Commerce Editor Talene Appleton, NASM, trained an elderly client, 6' 3", who rode Schwinn's similar sibling 290 bike every day for three years because he found it so comfortable.

NordicTrack's lineup of commercial-grade recumbent bikes is a solid upgrade option if you're willing to spend a bit more. The design of the Commercial R35 is among the most comfortable we've tested. Plus, it's packed with tons of premium features, including 26 different resistance levels, so you can consistently up your game. Plus, if you'd prefer the Commercial R35 to push you, try the auto-resistance feature. We found it especially useful for the guided iFit streaming classes, so you can ride along without having to worry about switching gears.

Speaking of which, this bike comes with a 30-day free membership to iFit (then $39/month thereafter), so you can stream on-demand, interactive trainer-led classes on the 14-inch HD Smart Touchscreen monitor.

Despite the resistance and programming features that allow for a great workout on this bike, we think the best feature is the fan. It auto-adjusts depending on how hard you work to keep you cool and comfortable throughout even your sweaty seshes.

At this price point, this bike comes loaded with an impressive number of programs to suit a wide range of fitness levels and preferences. We're talking 12 pre-set programs, 4 custom user programs, 1 body-fat program, 1 watt program, and 5 heart rate programs–meaning you won't run out of options to switch things up. So, there's plenty of room to expand your workout intensity and variety as you build strength.

Comfort is a priority with this bike. The adjustable seat was designed with your back in mind, so you’ll maintain good posture throughout your workout. We like the oversized pedals that provide added stability for your feet and overall ride stance. Plus, the walk-thru frame design and easily adjustable seat make it more accessible for most shapes, sizes, and levels of mobility, too—all of which make it a great starter bike for novices.

Like most home gym equipment, recumbent exercise bikes can take up a ton of space. Marcy's ME-709 is designed to be more compact than most, making it a great option for city and apartment dwellers with limited square footage.

But the design packs a decent list of features, including a magnetic resistance wheel that moves smoothly and freely. It's easily adjustable by reaching down during to dial in your preferred resistance level. The LCD monitor is small and basic—both of which are no surprise at this price point—so don't expect a touchscreen or media-friendly display. This one is all about the basics: Displaying your workout time, speed, and distance.

Our team likes the thick, non-slip pedals, which means you don't have to worry about your feet slipping. They're also weighted for maximum support and counterbalance to provide plenty of stability as you ride. Adjustable straps add a bit of extra security, too.

If you not only care about getting in a good workout at home, but also want everything in your home gym to look sleek as hell, consider this high-end steel frame recumbent bike. Before you look at the price (jump scare, we know)—know that this bike is way more tech-savvy than other recumbent bikes on this list.

You can change your seat posture, increase your resistance level, and monitor your heart rate, all from controls located right on the handles for easy accessibility. Speakers located under the seat produce great sound quality that seriously impressed us (and it's Bluetooth compatible). We love the extra-wide pedals, which feature a strap system like that used on a snowboard for quick adjustability and a secure, stable fit.

And, at this price, from multiple immersive workout programs on the live 15.6-inch touchscreen, or pedal through a natural or urban landscape of your choice on the screen

Bonus: You can even log directly into your Netflix, Spotify, or YouTube accounts from the built-in display for seamless entertainment.

Most of the recumbent exercise bikes we tested top out at a 300-pound weight capacity. This model from Harison is sturdy and stable enough to support riders up to 400 pounds, making it a great option for larger folks. That same stability, combined with a low, step-through design, also makes it a solid option for seniors or anyone with limited mobility. We were pleasantly surprised that for such a durable machine, it weighs just 77 pounds.

With 14 levels of adjustable intensity, if features a decent amount of variety for all types of workouts and fitness levels. An adjustable seat and backrest allow you to dial in your perfect setup, ensuring this one's comfy no matter how hard you train. The LCD screen is extremely basic—tracking only your time, speed, distance, calories burned, and other essentials—but the built-in iPad holder allows you to stream Netflix, Hulu, Audible, and more from your own tablet while you workout.

Meet the Experts

• Mathew Forzaglia , NFPT-CPT, is a personal trainer in New York, NY.
• Dr. Todd Sinett is a chiropractor and applied kinesiologist at Tru Whole Care in New York, NY.

What Else to Consider

Comfort is key when using an exercise bike, especially for longer workouts. Look for a bike with a comfortable and adjustable seat, padded handlebars, and an ergonomic design to support your body during exercise.

Construction

A sturdy and durable bike is a must-have for safety and long-term use. Check the weight capacity of the bike to ensure it can support your weight (a minimum of 300 pounds usually indicates a stable design), and look for bikes that offer a warranty on the frame and parts.

What Are the Benefits of a Recumbent Exercise Bike?

"With a recumbent bike, you can have all the benefits and joys of bike riding, inside or outside, without the compression we get from sitting on a standard bike," says chiropractor Todd Sinett, DC, a chiropractor and applied kinesiologist at Tru Whole Care in New York, NY. "Some recumbent bikes have four wheels instead of only two wheels and could be considered safer if balance is an issue for the rider."

Recumbent exercise bikes offer a low-impact workout that is easier on your joints while still delivering an effective cardiovascular exercise. What distinguishes them from traditional upright exercise bikes is the supported seat, where you can enjoy an ergonomic position that's easier on the back and joints. These machines also offer more stability (and therefore more safety) than upright exercise bikes, making them a good choice for beginners and individuals with limited mobility.

Many models have convenient finishes like moving handlebars so users can move their upper body while cycling. All the bikes we tested are also pretty also quiet, making them suitable for home use, and their compact design allows for easy storage.

Who Is a Recumbent Bike Good for?

Recumbent exercise bikes are particularly beneficial for those needing a supported, moderate mode of cardiovascular exercise.

Sinett notes that they're especially "great for people with back issues, neck pain, or even shoulder pain who love to ride bikes and want to take the pressure off of their lower back." They help maintain a good posture while riding. Plus, "The design is ergonomically better than a standard bike's, as the rider's weight is distributed more comfortably over a larger area supported by the back and buttocks," says Sinett.

For these reasons, they're also ideal for seniors due to their stable seat and low-impact nature, and novice exercisers can use them as a stepping stone to working out on an upright exercise bike.

Is a Recumbent Bike Better for Rehabbing an Injury Than a Traditional Exercise Bike?

They're also great for rehabilitation, providing gentle and effective workouts that aid individuals recovering from injuries, surgeries, or those with physical limitations, according to Sinnett. If you suffer from joint pain, such as knee or hip issues, these bikes offer a comfortable exercise option without added strain. "Since you are not in a curled-over-hunch posture, you put less pressure on your spine and lower back," confirms Sinett. So they can be better for rehabbing injuries. Forzaglia agrees, adding that they're perfect for aiding in injury recovery and improving range of motion. The recumbent position minimizes core tension, reduces back tightness, and relieves strain on the joints of your ankles, knees, and hips.

Why You Can Trust Us

At Men's Health , we take great pride in providing our readers with trustworthy product recommendations. We believe our readers deserve only the very best, which is why we conduct thorough research and testing before making any recommendations. Our writers and editors thoughtfully select experts for collaboration on product recommendations and are also experts in their own right. They use their informed opinions to select products and ensure that our content is of the highest quality.

Our product recommendations are purely editorial. While we may receive free products to test and review, we only recommend the products that truly impress us. We never let retailers or public relations contacts dictate our content or product coverage. Which is why you can trust us to provide you with reliable and unbiased product recommendations.

Shop More of Our Favorite Home Gym Machines

Home Gym Awards | Best Home Gym Equipment | Best Folding Exercise Bikes | Best Cardio Machines | Best Treadmills | Best Ellipticals

 A New York City-based chiropractor and founder of Tru Whole Care . 

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The Giro d’Italia Has Turned Into Tadej Pogačar’s Show—But Can Anyone Else Make It Interesting?

Pog has been absolutely dominant in the Tour of Italy’s first week, but there’s reason to keep watching.

Here’s everything you need to know about the general classification, jersey standings, and unfolding storylines of the 2024 Giro d’Italia.

What Happened on Week 1 of the 2024 Giro d’Italia?

What it means for pogačar and his rivals, what’s next on week 2 of the 2024 giro d’italia, who’s winning the 2024 giro d’italia.

After nine stages, Pogačar has left no doubt as to who the Giro’s strongest rider is. In fact, the only surprise might be the fact that his lead on the General Classification—despite winning the Giro’s three hardest stages so far—isn’t larger. The Slovenian currently sits 2:40 ahead of Colombia’s Daniel Martínez (BORA-hansgrohe) and 2:58 ahead of Great Britain’s Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers), last year’s runner-up.

That’s a fairly sizeable advantage after only nine stages, and the two-time Tour de France champion looks to be well on his way to winning his first Giro d’Italia—and completing the first half of his attempt to win the Giro and Tour in the same season, something that hasn’t been accomplished since Italy’s Marco Pantani won both grand tours in 1998.

To put things in context: at this point in last year’s race, the Giro’s top 5 riders were separated by just 22 seconds.

After winning the Giro’s two summit finishes (so far), it comes as no surprise that Pogačar also leads the Giro’s King of the Mountains competition . But since he can’t wear two jerseys at once, Martínez, who’s second in the competition, wears the maglia azzurra (“blue jersey”) given each day to the leader of the classification.

Italy’s Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), who last year won the maglia ciclamino (“cyclamen jersey”) as the winner of the Giro’s Points Classification, is on track to defend his title, and Belgium’s Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike), who’s just 21-years-old, wears the maglia bianca (“white jersey”) as the Giro’s Best Young Rider.

The 107th Giro d’Italia opened last Saturday with a short road race in the hills around Torino. Ecuador’s Jhonatan Narváez (Ineos Grenadiers) won the stage and took the first maglia rosa as the leader of the General Classification, but it was Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) who made the biggest headlines with an attack on the uncategorized San Vito climb 3 km from the finish that gapped all of his GC rivals.

At first, Narváez was the only rider able to stay with the Slovenian champion. Germany’s Max Schachmann (BORA-Hansgrohe) eventually caught up to the duo and finished second on the stage, and the Ecuadorian national champion was a deserving stage winner. But the real story was Pogačar, who, despite finishing third on the day, gained 14 seconds (or more) on all the other contenders.

The Slovenian continued to attack on Stage 2, which ended with the Giro’s first summit finish on the Category 1 climb to the Santuario di Oropa. Despite a tire puncture near the base of the climb, Pog’s team pulled him back to the bunch, then expertly brought him through the pack to the front of the peloton. Pogačar took it from there, attacking about 4 km from the summit.

Australia’s Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Great Britain’s Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) did their best to stay within sight of the Slovenian, but were soon joined by other holdovers from the leading peloton. Pog won the stage, taking another 27 seconds out of his main rivals and, for the first time in his career, the maglia rosa as the Giro’s overall leader.

Stage 3 was expected to end in a field sprint, and it did, but not before a late-race attack by Pogačar almost thwarted their plans. With rain starting to fall, the Slovenian followed an acceleration from Denmark’s Mikkel Honoré (EF Education-EasyPost) on an uncategorized climb a few kilometers from the finish line in Fossano.

Thomas was quick to cover Pog’s counter-attack, and for a moment, it looked as if the Giro’s two best riders would settle the stage between themselves. But they were overhauled by the sprinters’ teams a few hundred meters from the finish line, at which point Belgium’s Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick Step) won his first stage of this year’s Giro.

Italy’s Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), who finished second on Stage 3, won the sprint in Andora at the end of Stage 4 on Tuesday and took over the lead in the Giro’s Points Classification, stealing the cyclamen jersey from Merlier.

Stage 5 went to a breakaway, with France’s Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) outsprinting Denmark’s Michael Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost) and Andrea Pietrobon (Team Polti Kometa) in the town of Lucca to take the French team’s first win of the season. Cofidis has now won stages in each of the last three grand tours dating back to last year’s Tour de France, a boon for one of the longest-running teams in pro cycling.

Thursday’s Stage 6 was supposed to shake up the General Classification thanks to three sections of strade bianche, the white gravel roads that crisscross the hilly Tuscan countryside. But the expected GC battle never materialized, and a breakaway stayed away with Spain’s Pelayo Sánchez (Movistar), France’s Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick Step), and Australia’s Luke Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla) escaping from a larger group to fight for the stage win.

Of the three, Sánchez was certainly not the favorite–Alaphilippe is a former winner of Strade Bianche (a race held each March on similar gravel roads), and Plapp took an impressive stage win in Paris-Nice earlier this season–but the 24-year-old Spaniard dropped his companions on the uphill drag to the finish line in Rapolano Terme to take the biggest win of his career. The race favorites came through about half a minute later, perhaps looking ahead to Friday’s individual time trial.

And maybe that was a good call, as Friday’s 40.6 km individual time trial from Foligno to Perugia proved costly for several riders. Italy’s Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) spent much of the day in the hot seat after setting the fastest time midway through the stage. And he looked to be on track to take his first stage win of the Giro after Pogačar—the last rider to start—came through the time check 47 seconds behind the Italian with only a 6 km climb to the finish line left to race.

But Pogačar exploded up the final climb, taking more than a minute out of Ganna to win the stage and extend his lead, in a big way, on the General Classification. Thomas and Martínez, who started the day in second and third overall, lost 2:00 and 1:49 to the Slovenian, respectively. Whoa.

Everyone expected a similar performance from the Slovenian the next day, on Stage 8’s summit finish on the Category 1 Prati di Tivo—a climb on which Pog has won races in the past. But that wasn’t the case, at least not entirely.

Pog did win the stage, his third of the Giro, after his team did an incredible amount of work to bring back the remnants of the day’s big breakaway and then set their leader to win the sprint from an elite group of GC contenders. But aside from the 10-second bonus he earned for winning the stage, Pog did little to add to his already-hefty advantage. Is anyone worried? Certainly not. But was it mildly surprising? A bit.

The first week ended with a field sprint in Naples. Narvaez did his best to bookend his own week with another stage victory, but the Ecuadorian was heartbreakingly caught within sight of the finish line. At that point, the Netherlands’ Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) outsprinted Milan to win Stage 9. It was the Dutchman’s first stage victory in this, his first grand tour.

Before the race began, we wondered if Pogačar would have put the 2024 Giro out of reach by the first Rest Day. And while that hasn’t happened (yet), he’s come pretty darn close. With a lead approaching three minutes after just nine stages, it’s hard to see anyone overtaking him. In the end, it could just come down to luck: Pogačar needs to stay healthy and avoid crashes (or poorly timed mechanicals) to maintain his lead. And he could get some help from his rivals, who at some point soon might stop chasing the Slovenian and start chasing each other.

The second week begins with another summit finish—albeit a relatively easy one—and should Pogačar gain even more time on the men closest to him on GC, they might give up on winning the race overall and instead focus on finishing second or third. For everyone but Thomas, a grand tour podium finish would be a career achievement, and one has to wonder if riders like Martínez and O’Connor are willing to sacrifice their chances for a career-best podium finish to try and win a Giro that’s looking increasingly unwinnable.

So, who will join Pogačar on the final podium? Well, it’s too soon to tell, but Martínez and Thomas will be tough to unseat, given the competition. Australia’s Ben O’Connor sits fourth overall, just 41 and 59 seconds behind Thomas and Martínez, respectively. The Giro’s second time trial (Stage 14) could hurt O’Connor’s chances of riding onto the podium by the second Rest Day. But with a mountainous third week, the Aussie could easily climb his way there by the end of the race.

And the stage is set for even more surprises, with the riders in second through tenth place overall separated by just 3:13. Martínez, Thomas, and O’Connor look the best at this point, but there’s a lot of racing still to come, and someone from lower down the top 10 could certainly emerge.

Jersey Standings

Maglia Rosa: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) Maglia Ciclamino: Johnathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) Maglia Azzurra: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) Maglia Bianca: Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike) Time Gaps and Points

There are several other interesting narratives to be resolved by the time the race ends in Rome on the Sunday after next. For example, who will win the white jersey as the Giro’s Best Young Rider? Uijtdebroeks currently leads the competition by just 21 seconds over Italy’s Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious) and 1:28 over the Netherlands’ Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers). But with a long, flat time trial at the end of the week, don’t be surprised if the Belgian—who lost time to both the Italian and the Dutchman on Stage 7—hands over the jersey.

And speaking of Tiberi, the 22-year-old sits one spot ahead of his countryman, Lorenzo Fortunato (Astana Qazaqstan Team), making him, for now, the Giro’s best Italian. The two countrymen sit sixth and seventh overall and, at some point, might start fighting against one another to be the Giro’s best home rider. Once upon a time, that honor might have gone to whoever won the General Classification, but in these darker days of Italian cycling, that’s no longer the case.

So while the Giro might be over, at least in terms of the maglia rosa, there’s still plenty to race for.

After the race’s first Rest Day, the Giro’s second week begins in Pompei with Tuesday’s Stage 10, a 142 km stage that begins to bring the race north and ends with a summit finish in Cusano Mutri, on a climb called the Bocca della Selva (17.9 km at 5.6 percent average gradient).

Despite being one of the easier summit finishes in this year’s race, the Category 1 Bocca della Selva is not to be taken lightly, especially after a Rest Day. Some riders could struggle to regain their rhythm after a day spent “relaxing,” and with several flat to rolling stages on tap over the next few days, fresh(er) riders could try and take advantage of anyone showing signs of weakness on the final ascent.

On Wednesday, Stage 11, a 207km stage from Foiano di Val Fortore to Francavilla al Mare, starts lumpy, but ends along flat, coastal roads—expect a field sprint. It’s a long day in the saddle for the riders, and it could be a bit of a snoozer for fans.

But Stage 12 should make up for that, with a 193-kilometer stage through the Marche region featuring ten short, steep climbs. On paper, this is a day for a breakaway filled with puncheurs and opportunists, but with so few second-week opportunities for GC riders, and a guy like Pogačar wearing the maglia rosa, don’t be surprised if this stage turns into another GC battleground. Especially with the steep Monte Giove less than 10 km from the finish line in Fano.

Friday’s Stage 13 is the flattest in this year’s race, and maybe the flattest road stage we can remember in any grand tour. How flat is it? Well, there’s just 15 meters of elevation gain throughout the entire 179 km ride from Riccione to Cento. If this doesn’t end in a field sprint, we’ll all dye our hair pink (not really).

The meat of the second week arrives with the weekend, starting with Stage 14, the Giro’s second individual time trial. This one is shorter than the first (31.2km) and much flatter, with gently rolling roads forming a counter-clockwise loop from Castiglione delle Stiviere to Desenzano del Garda, on the southern shore of Lake Garda.

This is a day for time trial specialists, and we expect Ganna will avenge his defeat on Stage 7. His American teammate, Magnus Sheffield, is another rider to watch. The 22-year-old finished third on Stage 7 and could pull off an upset. GC-wise, this is another chance for Pogačar to add to his lead, with Thomas likely to be the best of the rest.

But all eyes will be on Sunday’s Stage 15, a 222-kilometer stage (the longest in this year’s race) with five categorized climbs, including one of the most famous climbs in Giro history, the Mortirolo, and back-to-back Category 1 summits at the end of the stage: the Passo di Foscagno and the final climb to the Mottolino alpine resort above Livigno.

This might be the hardest stage in the Giro, a typical mountain “queen” stage with about 5,400 meters of climbing and a summit finish above 2,000 meters. After two weeks of racing, this stage could blow the race apart, especially if Pogačar wants to cement his victory heading into the second Rest Day.

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New rest area for pedestrians, cyclists open on 30A

W ALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Many people walk and bike on the multi-use path along 30A every day. Now, there’s a new spot to rest, get water, and even fix your bike.

The ribbon was cut on the new rest spot Tuesday morning. It sits at the corner of 30A and Eastern Lake Road. The piece of land it sits on used to be an empty lot. It’s called Friend’s Corner as a tribute to Friends of Scenic 30A, who spearheaded the project.

It has a bike maintenance station, water fountain, dog watering station, low-impact lighting, landscaping, irrigation well with irrigation system, and a rest area with a bench.

”In the past, people would park here, work vehicles would store materials here, and it’s right in the curve of 30A so there’s visibility issues that the landscape will keep people from causing in the future,” Friends of Scenic 30A Board Member Cliff Knauer said. “If you look at the ‘before’ pictures of what this was and what it is now, it’s unbelievable what a difference this project has made.”

The project took teamwork and collaboration from multiple agencies. The Friends of Scenic 30A approached the Walton County Tourism Department, it was approved by county commissioners who reportedly provided some funding for the project, and the Florida Department of Transportation.

“It’s a beautiful little area now instead of just a wasteland before,” District Five Commissioner Tony Anderson said. “We’re happy for this day, it’s been a while coming. But look around, it’s gorgeous.”

Knauer said the project took roughly two years. Other county officials at the ribbon cutting told NewsChannel 7 they hope to add more bike stations within the county in the future.

High school senior killed in motorcycle accident days before graduation, police say

BILOXI, Miss. ( WLOX /Gray News) - Officials in Mississippi are investigating a motorcycle crash that resulted in the death of a Biloxi High School senior ahead of graduation day.

On May 12 at approximately 1 p.m., the Biloxi Communications Center received an emergency call regarding a single motorcycle crash in the 2400 block of Sunkist Country Club Road, according to officials.

Biloxi patrol officers and first responders were sent to the scene. When emergency crews arrived, the victim was found to have life-threatening injuries and was initially flown to an out-of-area hospital for treatment.

On May 17, the victim died from his injuries sustained during the crash.

Officials with the Biloxi School District identified the motorcycle accident victim as senior Damian Aguas.

Biloxi Public Schools shared a message on Facebook that stated, “It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to Biloxi High School senior Damian Aguas. By all accounts, Damian’s heart was as big as his personality and he will be missed by so many. Please keep his family, friends, teachers, and our Biloxi High School Band in your thoughts and prayers.”

The high school’s graduation was scheduled for May 19, just days after the accident, according to the district calendar.

The crash is being investigated by the Biloxi Police Department. At this time, no other vehicles are believed to have been involved.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Biloxi Police Department at 228-435-6112.

Copyright 2024 WLOX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

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How to be aero (without breaking UCI rules)

Cycling’s governing body has banned the forearms TT position on road bikes, so what is the next fastest position?

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I think we’ve all been hit with the temptation - the urge to do your best Peter Sagan impression and rest your forearms on the tops of the bars to try and get as aero as possible on the road bike, attempting to squeeze out a few extra seconds on the local Strava segment. 

It’s exactly this mentality that ostensibly sparked the UCI into action over the “dangerous” riding position, routinely seen on display in the WorldTour peloton, by breakaway attackers, on the front of the bunch, and even in road bike time trials. 

On April 1, 2021, cycling’s international governing body decided to ban the forearm TT position in UCI-ranked races, along with a handful of other riding positions deemed unsafe. 

Part of the UCI’s justification for banning the improvised aero position is the professionals’s influence on amateur riders, who may be inspired to copy their heroes.

As one Cycling Weekly reader said: “All I can say, is that if I had never seen it on the telly, then I would never have done it myself. 

“The only reason [I did it], was that I saw the pros doing it on TV and I wanted to be 'cool' like them."

While the forearm ban caused an uproar at the time, the rules are now in full effect (Rigoberto Urán was among the riders warned for using the position in this year’s Tour de France ), which begs the question: what is the alternative?

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Cycling Weekly asked road bike aero specialist George Fox for his insights into getting aero, without breaking the UCI rules. 

“Aero is so important on all types of road bikes,” Fox said. “But it’s crucial on a road bike over a TT bike because the aerodynamics are typically a good chunk worse. So if you can achieve an aero position, as a percentage you'll gain a lot more over your rivals!”

How to get aero 

A coach and bike-fitter based in Northamptonshire, UK, Fox also has first-hand experience of the perfect aero position on a road bike, having smashed the 20-minute barrier for a 10-mile TT on his Giant Propel back in 2019, coming within touching distance of a 30-year-old record. 

But what is the fastest position? 

Fox said that riders often struggle to choose one position when riding their road bike, usually because of the need to stretch out their muscles while trying to hold an aero position. 

What is the fastest position on the road bike? 

Based on his own wind tunnel testing, Fox said the fastest position is hands on the hoods, with elbows dropped to a horizontal position. 

“One of the big reasons [this position is fastest] is the back shape and head position it allows the rider to achieve - it’s less about the arms and more about the overall body shape,” he said.

Fox’s findings are supported by independent research carried out by Aerocoach , the aerodynamic component brand headed-up by Xavier Disley. 

Testing six different riding positions - relaxed arms on the hoods (baseline), drops, aero position on the hoods, the banned forearm position, wrapping the hands around the brake hoods (also banned), and aero on the hoods with the hoods turned inwards. 

The Aerocoach team found that the forearm position was indeed the fastest option (35 watts faster than the baseline at 45km/h), while the aero position on the hoods with the brake levers turned inwards was the next best option (37w faster), followed by the standard aero position on the hoods (35w faster). 

The conclusion: “Aero hoods position is nearly as fast and much safer. It is much faster to hold an aero hoods position than drops or relaxed hoods, but can be fatiguing and often requires practice.”

How to stay aero 

The Aerocoach conclusion touches on the other barrier to a strong aero position on the road bike however, which is much simpler than the UCI rules - strength. 

As many riders will know, holding this hands-on-hoods position is very, very uncomfortable, as it takes a huge amount of focus and discipline to keep the head low while supporting your weight with your forearms and triceps. 

“It really is an awful position to hold," Fox said, “dropping your elbows generally leaves the elbow to wrist portion of the arm completely unsupported, so you end up essentially holding a plank position with your core and arms, whilst pedalling a lot of power too.” 

There are two workarounds to this barrier that Fox highlighted, the first of which is spending as much time as possible riding in the aero position: “Really make it hurt in training to get the benefit on race day.”

The alternative may be even less palatable for most cyclists, as it involves off-the-bike work: the dreaded plank.

Fox said: “Off the bike, planking is one of the best things you can do, as it’s almost an exact replica of what you're trying to achieve on the bike.”    

Innovations in the peloton

In the pro ranks, the changes to UCI rules have prompted a few unusual innovations on the tech side of the sport.

The Speeco aero handlebar

In June Jan-Willem van Schip debuted his unusual new handlebar design, the Speeco Aero Breakaway Bar, which featured and extended bar between the hoods and the tops, supporting the rider’s forearms in the aero position. 

But the bars sparked immediate controversy when they appeared in the Belgium Tour, as Beat Cycling rider Van Schip was kicked out of the race for using the bars, despite the team believing they had been approved by the UCI (which was disputed by the UCI). 

>>> How sailing technology could lead to a new wave of aero design  

While outlandish innovations like the Speeco bars may not catch on as long as the UCI continues to throw the rulebook at riders, Ribble-Weldtite rider and aero uber-advocate Dan Bigham has been testing out prototype 27cm-wide bars this season, evidence that aero could be the hot topic in cycling in the next few years.  

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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.  Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.

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The Graying Gig Workers

They need jobs. gig work apps say they’re too old, for some older workers, gig platforms are a lifeline. but at a certain age, they get the boot..

When Rasamany Vettivelu opened her Grab Driver app on her 75th birthday, three years ago, she was not met with a congratulatory note. Instead, the super-app announced it was terminating her contract: She was now too old to work on the platform. In fact, she’d been too old for years. Grab’s age limit for its drivers in Malaysia is 69; Vettivelu joined the platform when she was 70.

“I’m quite disappointed that I was not able to get jobs from Grab because I was doing an efficient service for them,” Vettivelu, who lives in Kuala Lumpur, told Rest of World . “I said, how can they simply stop me without telling me and give me enough notice?”

Vettivelu complained, and her story made headline news in Malaysia, where she became known as the “Grab Aunty.” Wee Ka Siong, Malaysia’s former transport minister, personally called Vettivelu to assure her he’d look into the issue. He later told local media the government had no maximum age limit for e-hailing drivers and that platforms should be more flexible. 

In Southeast Asia, where the population is aging rapidly , gig work has emerged as a rare opportunity for retired workers to make a living and stay active. But while major companies like Grab, GoTo, and Sea tout diversity and inclusion goals, their own gig platforms exclude a very particular demographic: older workers. All of these apps set upper age limits for their workers, ranging from 55 to 70 years. The age limits do not appear to be related to local laws, and vary across countries and platforms. With a lack of clear communication on how they enforce these policies, workers above an app’s age limit fall in a gray area, and worry they could have their contracts terminated at any time. 

Minh, 63, had no trouble registering with ShopeeFood in Ho Chi Minh City four years ago, even though the platform has an upper age limit of 55. But with a wife and a grandchild to provide for, he is now worried about getting ousted from the platform. With the number of orders falling due to an economic slowdown and a rising number of gig workers on the road, Minh recently tried to supplement his dwindling earnings by becoming a driver for Grab. Due to the platform’s age limit, however, he was unsuccessful.  

“If [ShopeeFood] lets me go because of age, then I’ll accept that, what else can I do?” Minh told Rest of World, requesting anonymity for fear of getting banned from the platform. “I could try to plead with them that I had worked for them for a long time, my health is good, I don’t break rules.” But eventually, he said, it’s the company’s call. “If they keep me, fine; if not, so be it. I’ll go hungry — I don’t know what other job I can do.”

Some older drivers told Rest of World that a blanket rule based on age is unfair. “They don’t use their brains to consider how a driver should be performing,” said Vettivelu, who was a five-star driver. “They should consider the health condition of the person and how she has been driving, and how careful she was with driving her passengers.”

Others were open to age limits. “Seventy is already too [old] — who can drive till 70?” said Tran Thanh, a 64-year-old Gojek motorcycle driver in Ho Chi Minh City, with a laugh.

In Vietnam, Grab’s age limit for motorbike drivers is 60 years for men and 55 for women; car drivers are limited to 65 years for men and 60 for women. Sea Group’s ShopeeFood only accepts workers up to the age of 55. GSM, the all-electric ride hailing company owned by Vingroup founder Pham Nhat Vuong, has an age limit of 55 years for car taxi drivers, and 60 for bike riders. Ride-hailing and delivery platform Be has no age restrictions, and Gojek’s limit is 70.

Grab declined to comment on individual cases but confirmed it doesn’t onboard new drivers older than the set age limit. “For current driver-partners who eventually hit the local age limit, Grab looks after them as part of a list of senior driver-partners, with regular check-ins on their health and performance,” the company’s spokesperson said. 

“Gojek sets an age limit for driver-partners in order to maximize safety standards,” Gojek Vietnam’s spokesperson told Rest of World . “This limit enables those who are of retirement age but still in good health to have more opportunities to earn additional income.”

“The greater the age, the greater the risk of accidents.”

GSM sets its age limits based on “market norms,” which show that “the majority of taxi drivers and bike drivers are under 55 and 60 years of age, respectively,” Nguyen Van Thanh, the company’s global CEO, told Rest of World . “GSM established rules aligned with these market norms as drivers are required to have good health to navigate the traffic.” Thanh said around 3% of GSM bike riders are over 50 years old, and that the company would renew contracts of aged-out workers “depending on their health condition, following Ministry of Transport regulations.” 

ShopeeFood and Be did not respond to a request for comment.

“If you look at the provisions in [Vietnam’s] labor code, [platforms] actually do not violate anything” by setting age limits, Giang Thanh Long, a researcher at the National Economics University in Hanoi, told Rest of World .

Meanwhile, in Malaysia, where the population is aging rapidly, older citizens are turning to gig work because it represents a flexible way to earn an income amid the rising cost of living and lack of financial support from adult children, according to Wee Ka Siong, a Malaysian Member of Parliament and the former transport minister.

“E-hailing companies have the discretion and freedom to set their own rules and requirements when they hire their drivers,” Siong told Rest of World . But “disallowing individuals from becoming e-hailing drivers based on their age is just taking an easy way out,” he said. Instead, Siong suggested that making “medical assessment a compulsory requirement is a more effective and efficient way to determine the physical fitness of the drivers.”

Age limits are not unique to gig work platforms: Some traditional taxi companies in Vietnam maintain stricter restrictions, only hiring drivers up to the age of 50 years. 

This is partly because, unlike gig work platforms, traditional taxi companies in the country sign employment contracts with their drivers and are required by law to pay social and health insurance. “The greater the age, the greater the risk of accidents,” Giang Thanh Long, a researcher at the National Economics University in Hanoi, told Rest of World . “So compensation for things like death will be higher” while tech platforms “release all their responsibilities and risks on workers.”

Switching to platform work has allowed taxi drivers in their sixties to continue working, Quyet Nguyen, who runs an agency that helps drivers register with online platforms, told Rest of World . 

Fifty-one-year-old Huynh Thanh Long, in Ho Chi Minh City, wanted to work for a taxi company or a cooperative after he had to quit his old job at an aluminum glass workshop following an occupational accident. But they all turned him down because his age meant high insurance costs, he told Rest of World .  Now, he drives passengers and delivers food on his motorcycle for local platform Be, which doesn’t have an age limit. But the exertion and rainy weather in Ho Chi Minh City are taking a toll on him, prompting him to try to save money to buy a small van and work for delivery platform LalaMove instead.

Le Tam, 61, ferries passengers on his motorcycle for ride-hailing platform Grab, also in Ho Chi Minh City. After Vingroup’s chairman, Pham Nhat Vuong, rolled out the VinFast taxi fleet on the GSM platform, Tam wanted to make the switch. “They only require an 8 million dong ($315) deposit … I have a driver’s license [and] I want something easier,” he told Rest of World . But he was quickly let down because GSM only accepts drivers up to the age of 55.

“If I were to register [with Grab] now, they’d ask about my age,” Tam said. But since he has been with the platform for nearly a decade, he believes Grab wouldn’t drop him because “they value loyalty.” Grab has occasionally checked in with him and gifted him health supplements, though he doesn’t think the offers were age-related.

Unlike in Vietnam and Malaysia, Grab does not have an age limit for its motorcycle riders in Thailand, the second-fastest aging country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after Singapore. 

There were already more than 3,700 Grab workers aged over 60 in Thailand in 2022 when the company rolled out “Grab Wai Kao” (“Grab for Old Age”) in collaboration with the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa), a government organization tasked with promoting the use of digital technology. The program was aimed at attracting another 3,000 workers aged 60 or over to join Grab as ride hailing or delivery drivers.

“If I were to register [with Grab] now, they’d ask about my age.”

Older workers “are highly capable with vast experience, carefulness, and discretion. Age does not matter to them,” Worachat Luxkanalode, managing director of Grab Thailand, said in a press release announcing the launch of Grab Wai Kao.

Depa was not available for comment while Grab did not respond to Rest of World ’s questions about the status of Grab Wai Kao.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, the government stipulates that taxi drivers must be at least 30 years old, meaning the profession is dominated by middle-aged or older men. This is influenced by local perceptions that younger people should be pursuing more profitable careers, and that such restrictions reduce the rate of road accidents, Renyi Hong, a researcher at National University of Singapore, told Rest of World . 

When Uber and other ride-hailing platforms first came to Singapore, they were not bound by the minimum age requirements. Conventional taxi drivers “were pretty upset,” Hong said, prompting the government to levy the same age restriction on platform drivers in 2020.

Older drivers say the platforms aren’t just a way to make money — they offer them an opportunity to maintain social interactions and stay engaged. For Vettivelu in Malaysia, driving was not only a job but also a way to stay active and feel less lonely.

“It was my flair for driving, my flair to meet people, talk to people” that drew her to sign up with Grab, she said. “Because, you know, if you are at home you don’t talk to anybody. You are in front of the 24-inch TV and wasting a good time.”

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