recumbent exercise bike manufacturers image
woodsy
I'm researching exercise bikes but I'm very uneasy about it. I weigh about 350 lbs and all of the products I am reading reviews for do not list weight limits.
So my question is- in general, should I be concerned if a product does not list a weight limit? I certainly do not want to break it due to my weight
I am looking at this bike since it's the cheapest, but realize i may want to go higher-end if weight limits exist.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9201124&type=product&id=1218057381831
Answer
Always ask - if you email the manufacturers they'll tell you (or, if they don't answer, you don't want to deal with them!). You may find that you need to buy a 'commercial grade' machine, rather than one of the lightweight versions often sold for home use. It may be possible to rent a machine too.
Oh, and have a look at the 'recumbent' style of exercycle as well - much more comfortable and stable if you're relatively heavy. And, good luck: you're doing the right thing.
Always ask - if you email the manufacturers they'll tell you (or, if they don't answer, you don't want to deal with them!). You may find that you need to buy a 'commercial grade' machine, rather than one of the lightweight versions often sold for home use. It may be possible to rent a machine too.
Oh, and have a look at the 'recumbent' style of exercycle as well - much more comfortable and stable if you're relatively heavy. And, good luck: you're doing the right thing.
Listed "weight capacity" of home exercise equipment - realistic or overprotective?
muse_of_th
I'm a heavy (350-to-375-ish) person looking to get a recumbent stationary bike for exercise, and I'm finding that pretty much all of the reasonably-priced models seem to list "weight capacities" of between 250 and 300 lbs, if they list one at all.
So I'm wondering if anyone out there can give me some idea of how realistic these weight limits actually are. Are they basically just there to protect the manufacturer from possible lawsuits or claims of "poor workmanship"? (If it's actually a serious issue, why are there some models that don't bother to specify a limit?)
When someone who is over the limit uses the equipment.. are we talking "It could fall to pieces without warning and leave you lying on the floor with a broken leg"? Or more like "It will wear out faster with regular use and might need to be replaced in 5 years instead of 10"?
I mean, I never ask what the weight limit of, say, an office chair is before I sit down in it, and I don't exactly go around breaking office chairs by sitting in them...
Answer
I know that consumer goods are produced with a certain "factor of safety" on them to ensure a long life. This factor of safety means that the goods are designed to have significant one-time loads associated with them without breaking. For example, the aircraft industry uses a FS of about 1.5 - 3 for most parts. Civil engineers use a FS of 10 for bridges and other roadworks.
I would say that the weight limit on that machine is conservative, and exonerates the manufacturer if it were to break under usage. My recommendation is to use the exercise machine, just be careful and perform regular inspections.
I know that consumer goods are produced with a certain "factor of safety" on them to ensure a long life. This factor of safety means that the goods are designed to have significant one-time loads associated with them without breaking. For example, the aircraft industry uses a FS of about 1.5 - 3 for most parts. Civil engineers use a FS of 10 for bridges and other roadworks.
I would say that the weight limit on that machine is conservative, and exonerates the manufacturer if it were to break under usage. My recommendation is to use the exercise machine, just be careful and perform regular inspections.
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