Best Recumbent Exercise Bike For Tall People

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As a tall person, I love to partake in much ground work because I’m good at them, but I also realize the importance of overloading the joints. Which is why a bike like this is so important. With that said, we are here to find the best recumbent exercise bike for tall people.

Using a recumbent bike is a great way to reduce pattern overload which is caused from too much ground work (running, gym, basketball etc)  which can literally jeopardize our joints. So its very important to use a bike that actually suits your height. Below you can quickly compare each model and then read the full reviews further below.

Compare Recumbent Exercise Bikes For Tall People

 

What Makes A Recumbent Good For Tall Users

When trying to choose a recumbent bike as a taller person, you will find there are three main areas that need to be addresses. These are:

1. Seat to peddle distance. Having a longer torso means we need extra leg room. So the exercise recumbent bike must have an adjustable seat that goes back far enough to allow for our longer legs.
2. Must be able to reach the handles to grab onto as well as use the display. Having the seat further back, may cause us to hunch our backs in order to hold onto the handles. This is not ideal, so an adjusted handle option is a feature to look out for.
3. Tension levels and settings need to be tougher than your average size person. Having longer legs, bigger muscles, we tend to be more powerful in the lower half. So a weak recumbent bike will not challenge us enough to actually get the results we desire. If you can workout and have a conversation without loosing breathe, the tension needs to be turned up. You’re simply not getting the most out of your recumbent bike.
4. Inseam measurements are a good way to use as a guide as to whether someone of similar height finds the recumbent bike the right measurements for them. Inseam is the measurement from the top of the thigh to the ankle on the inner leg. So look for reviews where people mention their inseam measurement.

The Best Exercise Recumbent Bike For Tall Persons

The Schwinn 270 Recumbent exercise bike is a popular model for taller people. It has recently been re-released as the MY17 version which boasts a comfortable padded seat compared to the older model. Also the new version allows you to connect to the Schwinn’s app via Bluetooth.

With the 270 MY17 model, people as tall as 6’4″ with an inseam measurement (distance of inner leg from top of thigh to ankle) of 34 inches have found this bike to be suitable. If you are taller than this, I would think that your legs will be too squished. At 6’1″ the seat can still slide back 4-5 inches.

More About The Schwinn 270 Recumbent Bike

The next important consideration is weight capacity. The Schwinn 270 has a capacity of 300 pounds. So keep this in mind when deciding which bike is best suited to you.

The technology the 270 MY17 boasts is quite impressive. With the recent addition of Bluetooth, much more is now available. Using your favorite fitness apps can now be integrated with the backlit LCD console. In total there are 29 programs to choose of which 4 can be custom made. However, the preset programs cover some intense workouts for cardio, heart and even a fitness test.

In regards to tension, this recumbent bike holds nothing back offering 25 levels of resistance to cater to beginners all the way through to athletes. So being tall, it’s good that there are higher resistance levels to challenge us even more.

Price Conclusion

While there is still so much more to the Schwinn 270 MY17 recumbent exercise bike, with just these features alone the price is incredibly affordable. I would expect to add at least a few hundred on top for a high quality bike like this. Checking the price is as easy as viewing it on amazon for an up to date price.

I find this recumbent bike will suit the vast majority of tall people with the exception of the really tall people. It offers a very good workout with plenty of gadgets to keep you on track.

 

Recumbent Exercise Bike To Suit People 6′ 6 “

This Exerpeutic GOLD 975 XBT model is the latest release from the popular 900XL model. This newer model has got some pretty cool features that makes the 900XL look like it was made in the 80’s. But both of these recumbent bikes are for tall people up to 6 foot 6 inches in height. So if bells and whistles aren’t your thing, check out the 900XL as it is a bit cheaper.

The sliding 2.5″ thick padded chair and seat accommodates users of many sizes from 4 foot all the way to 6’6″ as mentioned above. A slightly higher weight capacity than the Schwinn model above at 310 pounds. The seat is also nice and large measuring 11″ x 15″. Not a huge difference, but in price, the Exerpeutic comes in more affordable. You can check the price on amazon to see if it’s currently in your price range.

What Makes The Exerpeutic A Good Recumbent?

The thing with fitness and loosing weight is tracking your results. With the GOLD XBT model, the options are unbelievable. Bluetooth connectivity to pair with apps like MyFitQuest4 to track and monitor every rotation of the pedal. A fairly decent size backlit LCD screen to track the normal data like speed, distance, calories burned etc. Above the LCD screen is a tablet holder that you can connect your mobile device in to stream work out videos, music or your favorite TV shows, movies etc. Which is something I really like to help pass the time.

The 21 preset workouts are very challenging and will get anyones heart rate up in no time. The 16 magnetic tension levels are pretty intense, but not quite as harsh as the Schwinn mentioned above. But regardless, it’s a very good work out for what you pay.

The large pedals are good for taller people as our feet are typically bigger than most. So unlike many other recumbent bikes, the feet should remain nice and firm in these pedals. The underneath chrome handle for sliding the chair back is very easy to use and reach as a tall person. Overall, if you weight under 310 pounds and are shorter than 6’7″, the Exerpeutic could be the best recumbent exercise bike for your height.

 

The High End Recumbent Bike For User Up To 6’8″

The Diamondback 510SR is not a recumbent exercise bike for shorter people. It’s intended for big and tall users with a weight capacity of 300 lbs. Being pushed to the maxi, a user at 6’8″ and 300 pounds has comfortably used this bike.

In saying this, it’s important to understand their inseam measurement may have been shorter than yours. So still do your due diligence and inspect the bike yourself.

Being on the high end of the price bracket, this recumbent bike has all the bells and whistles you would expect. Just how expensive is the Diamondback 510SR?. Prices fluctuate, but you can check current price on amazon to get a good ball park figure.

What Makes The Diamondback Good For Taller Users

The very first thing I noticed was the adjustable back rest. Which as you may or may not know, is not all that common on these bikes. This is especially important for taller people because our backs are higher up when needing support from seats. So being able to make the backrest higher is simply priceless.

While the backrest isn’t padded like the other models, I actually prefer the mesh material on the Diamondback. The mesh back rest allows air to circulate better around your body and won’t stick to your back like other materials.

The Diamondback comes with all the features you would expect from a high end product. What surprised me was the adjustable monitor and the foldout magazine rack. Wow, now that’s thinking of everything. The contoured seat is even amazing. It’s not flat, but curved to cater your backside with the sculptured front to allow the legs to move up and down without friction on the seat. Diamondback really have thought of everything with this recumbent bike.

Overall, I don’t think you can get a better recumbent exercise bike for a tall person then this Diamondback model. The 20 preset programs and 1 levels of intense resistance combines with the coolest features a bike could ever have make this one bike not to be messed with.

 

Unique Recumbent Bike For People With Inseam Up To 36 Inches

The Sunny Health And Fitness recumbent bike is unique in that it includes moveable hand bars. This offers a more of a full body workout compared to the predominate lower half. While there are other recumbent bikes offering this feature, this is the model I found suitable to taller persons.

The maximum height person I could track down that uses this bike has an inseam measurement of 36 inches. Which is a good starting point for determining if the bike suits your height. a 36″ inseam when it comes to fitting Mens clothes roughly works out to 6’6″ to 6’9″. Which is fairly tall.

More About The Sunny Health And Fitness

As mentioned, this recumbent also has moving arms to make it more of a workout. The bike itself can handle up to 350 pounds of weight. Which is almost a necessity for catering to the big and tall market.

It’s not the most advanced model in the world, but for the price it offers some pretty standard requirements. The built in pulse sensors on the hand grips are a nice touch, especially as the arms will be joining the workout. What’s also cool is that you can use this recumbent as a standalone arm workout machine.

This is done by standing on the ground (not sitting in the seat) and pumping up the resistance level. Grind away and workout the top half while later work the lower half the traditional way on the recumbent. I found the arms to be at just the right height for around 6 Foot. Shorter people may find them a little too high to reach.

The pedals are a good size too. Measuring 4 inches wide for ample foot room. However, my biggest gripe is with the backrest on the seat. I personally don’t like this design. I find it too small for larger more stockier folks like myself.

However, when you compare the pros to the cons, the Sunny Health & Fitness recumbent bike certainly impresses me. When you weigh up what you get for the very affordable price. It’s certainly a contender in this market.

 

Why Use A Recumbent Over Other Exercise Equipment

To be honest, I don’t think we should exclude other exercise equipment. As mentioned at the top of this page, exercising on a recumbent bike breaks up the ‘pattern overload‘ caused from repetitive ground exercise that can have drastic effects on our joints over time.

As a tall person, I find ground exercises such as using a treadmill designed for taller people to be very rewarding. But riding bikes and using exercise equipment can be difficult with longer torsos. Which is why it’s important to remember to break up your exercise routine so you prevent pattern overload.

When you buy a recumbent bike suitable for taller height people, this opens up a new way of working out and keeping fit. Its often referred to as a more fun way of working out compared to walking or running as well.

Being Taller Utilizes These Muscles

Lower back pain is common among the taller population due to bending and hunching over. Using a recumbent bike suits a tall person as the chair helps to protect the spine and lower back. When compared to using a traditional exercise bike with no back support.

The muscles you use when recumbent cycling are exactly the same as regular cycling.

1. The quadriceps are the most used muscles which are the large muscles on the front of your legs above the knees. Which are the powerhouse muscles for cycling.
2. The glutes which are very useful for that pushing motion that is required when cycling.
3. The calves are used in every stroke
4. The hamstrings – The muscles in the back of the legs.