Can a stationary bike provide the similar workout benefits of riding an outdoors bicycle?

She has a point. A stationary bike stays on level ground. A moving bike must go over rougher terrain and rises of the land – which of course requires more muscle power and focus. Its also a bigger fight against gravity.

The overriding benefit of a stationary bicycle is simple. The risk of a truck flatening the rider is greatly reduced.

Actual bikes make you do things you probably don’t expect, so stationary ones are fail in that department, but that doesn’t mean they won’t do the trick while not riding an actual one.

Similar yes You don’t get the same benefit, but it’s close and a lot better than not riding at all.

Your bum will not be as sore on the stationary bike due to less bumps. But the outdoor one get’s you fitter.

Great answers everyone =)

It depends.

In some cases it can actually provide superior workout benefits, for example when you live in a hilly region. Overexertion can be counterproductive especially for people who are 30 or older.

On the other hand fresh air and the beauty of nature will recharge your spirit in addition to your body.

Triathletes often put their bikes up on indoor trainers in order to stay in shape in the winter, or get extra practice in during the week, at odd hours. While there may be more variety in your workout, there is more sustained effort on the indoor bike – no coasting, length of time, consistency of resistance (as opposed to downshifting gears). And the ability to ride the stationary bike in the middle of the night, if you choose.

The resistance on a stationary bike can be adjusted. They can provide a better workout than a regular bike, It all depends on the user. I find the biggest disadvantage is the loss of scenery. You also don’t need any balance for a stationary bike, this detracts from the whole riding experience as well. The action is the same, it is just void of all aspects that make it an enjoyable activity.

I think the main object of any bicycle is to strenghten ones heart and legs. riding a stationary bicycle achieves both of those goals. i use to ride a stationery bike twice a day and felt great. the stationery bike accomplished the goals i was looking for and i did not have to battle the outdoor elements. personally, i see no difference in the two, other than the weather. a warm house beats a cold wind and rain, anytime. john

It depends on the stationary bike you have. If you can change the tension and incline, those are fairly effective. However, when comparing a stationary bike to a real bicycle, the real bike is more beneficial. You get more ROM (Range of Motion) on a real bike, therefore you can burn more calories because you are incorporating more muscles. The diverse terrain helps incorporate more muscles.

However, your question on “the more of a workout” all depends on the intensity of the workout and how long you maintain that intensity during the workout. So, it does not matter whether you are riding a stationary bicycle or real bicycle. It is what you put into it. You can get just as much of a workout with both depending on the intensity and duration

For example, you ride for a constant 30 minutes on the stationary bike at a set tension and constant intensity

You ride on the bicycle for 30 minutes, but not at a set tension and not a constant intensity, i.e., you coast for 5 minutes and ride uphill for 10 minutes putting more intensity into riding uphill.

Which is better?

It all depends on what your goals are. If you are training for a particular event/rac and you want to improve your cardiovascular endurance, you would want to train more so with the bicycle. If you have to ride the stationary bike, whether pending or you just want to switch up the routine, you will want to constantly change your intensity by doing short bursts of going all out and then lowering the tension and staying at a set intensity and so on in this manner. This training is what you should be doing if your goals are to gain cardiovascular endurance and improve your max VO2. This is known as interval training and is great. Remember, go fast and relax! Go fast and relax!

When you just go at a set pace, your muscles eventually get used to it and therefore they do not grow. You need to change your intensity all the time