Outdoor elliptical bikes combine the low-impact exercise of an elliptical and the freedom of getting outside for a ride. And if you’re a cyclist who suffers from the aches and pains that come from poor posture, checking out an elliptical bike provides an alternative to the usual seated position you take on a bike.
We all know cycling is a great workout, but that doesn’t take away the fact that you spend a lot of time in a seated position. “Hip flexors get tight and weak and spine and shoulders slouch forward, exacerbating poor posture,” says Bradford Shreve, a trainer at Life Time Athletic at Sky NYC.
“An elliptical bike addresses these issues by maintaining a vertical posture. Instead of being compressed, the glutes and hip complex are now free to do what they do best-keep us standing tall and generate force,” Shreve says. “The body is back to generating tension and absorbing impact across the entire body, which diffuses and absorbs impact more efficiently.”
And if you’re looking to go on a leisurely ride down the bike path, turn heads while cruising on the roads for a workout, or take the pounding off your joints from those runs as a way to cross-train, you’ve got options to fit whatever goal you’re looking for.
“More and more people see the benefits of maintaining an upright posture and will minimize sitting and seated positions wherever possible,” Shreve says.
Here are some the best elliptical bikes on the market right now.