ComfortGlide R500 Recumbent Exercise Bike

This is the most supportive bike in our range. It suits older riders, anyone who finds a saddle uncomfortable, people returning to exercise after illness or surgery, and anyone who wants to ride for longer without their lower back complaining.

The step-through frame matters more than it sounds. You walk into this bike rather than swinging a leg over it, which removes a real fall risk for older riders. The maximum user weight is 150 kg, the joint highest in our range.

Be honest about the space, though. A recumbent bike is long. Measure the floor before you buy.

Start with the seat and the backrest, because that is the entire point of a seated exercise bike. You want a back that actually supports the lower back, and a seat that slides so you can set your leg length properly. A bad recumbent seat is a thin pad and a fixed rest, and you will feel it after 20 minutes.

Look at the step-through height next. The lower and clearer the gap, the easier it is to get on and off, which is the difference between using the bike and looking at it.

Then the resistance. This bike uses quiet magnetic resistance, where the magnets never touch the flywheel. Nothing wears out, nothing rubs, and it is quiet enough to use while someone else is in the room.

Finally, the console. Pulse grips and a clear LED display are enough for most riders. You do not need a screen you will never look at.

Free UK delivery, shipped to your door by a tracked courier. The bike arrives part-assembled, with the tools you need in the box and clear instructions supplied.

Be realistic about the build. Recumbent bikes are the hardest exercise bikes to assemble, because the frame is long and the seat rail and console take a few steps. Clear a space, set aside a bit of time, and if you can, have a second person on hand to help move the frame.

Typical delivery window: [confirm]. The courier agrees a day with you first and sends tracking before it arrives.

This bike does not fold, and it is long, so give it a permanent home on a level floor. That is the trade for the comfort: a recumbent takes more room than an upright bike.

Wipe the seat and the backrest after use, and check the seat rail and the pedal bolts monthly. The seat slides on a rail, so keep the rail clean and free of grit.

Magnetic resistance has no pads to replace. Keep the bike somewhere dry and it will need very little from you.

Against an upright bike, the ComfortGlide R500 is easier on the back, easier to get on and off, and easier to ride for 40 minutes. It costs more and it takes more floor space. Against a spin bike, it is a different sport: you sit and turn the pedals steadily, and you never stand up.

Cycling asks less of the knees than it looks. A peer-reviewed study of knee osteoarthritis notes that cycling imposes lower knee joint loads than walking, stair climbing and common resistance training exercises^[2]. A seated bike keeps that advantage while taking the weight off your back as well.

One honest note: a bike with back support helps you exercise comfortably, and comfortable exercise is easier to keep up. It is not a treatment for back pain. Joint conditions also rarely come alone, with four in five people with osteoarthritis carrying at least one other long-term condition^[1], so if your back or your knees are giving you trouble, speak to your GP or a physiotherapist before you start. The clinical guidance points the same way: NICE names therapeutic exercise a core treatment for osteoarthritis^[4].

See the alternatives on our recumbent exercise bikes page, or compare the full range on the exercise bikes hub.