The 10 Best Exercise Bike for Short Person in 2024
Last Updated on July 7, 2024 by Justin Harris
The purpose of exercising is to stay fit by burning all the calories we intake. And that we can do by taking a 15-30 minutes run or a mere walk of 45-60 minutes. The rule is the same, no matter whether you are tall or short, what your body type or shape is.
However, when we decide to use an exercise tool, there come a few restrictions. For a safe workout, your workout tool must suit your height, body type. For instance, the Best Exercise Bike for Short Person might not be the best for the tall dude and vice versa. The same applies to weight capacity. Each bike has a certain one, and you need to buy one after measuring your weight.
Yes, you can try to make the adjustment if all your family members need to make do with the same exercise bike, but it’s better not to do too much adjustment and compromises because then the workout will not be as effective as it should be.
Top 9 Best Elliptical for Short Person
- Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike – Top Pick
- Marcy Recumbent ME-709 Exercise Bike – Best Seller
- Marcy Upright ME-708 Exercise Bike – Best Compact
- Schwinn 130 Upright Exercise Bike – Runner-Up
- Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1002/C Exercise Bike
- Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1203 Indoor Exercise Bike
- Marcy Magnetic NS-716R Recumbent Bike
- Schwinn 170 Upright Exercise Bike
- Exerpeutic 900XL Extended Capacity Recumbent Bike
Reviews of The 10 Best Exercise Bike for Short Person
Today, our discussion topic is to find out the exercise bikes that fit and suit a short person aptly and ensure optimum comfort during vigorous riding. Because, unless the workout is comfortable, you will not do it regularly, and without regularity, any activity has zero benefits. So, without getting into too much explanation, let us jump straight onto the picks we think are the best for a short person.
1. Marcy Recumbent ME-709 Exercise Bike
Let’s start with a recumbent exercise bike where you can sit comfortably on a chair and pedal. This one is apt for a short person because you can adjust the whole chair by taking it forward and backward from the pedal.
It has an adjustable inseam height of 27”-37” so, when you sit on the chair after adjustment, you can place your feet on the pedals with ease and get the proper stride as you pedal.
It is a sturdy exercise bike. It had to be due to its 14-gauge steel tubing. Moreover, the durable tubing has a powder-coated finish. It is designed for easy use and quick mounting and dismounting. The 8 resistance levels and the easy-to-dial knob makes sure you can shuffle up your workout difficulty level.
Not just the back pad of the seat, its contoured foam-covered handles are recumbent too. And also convenient to hold while pedaling. Sit on the comfy saddle furnished padded seat with comfortable high-density foam, hold the handles and pedal, maintaining a proper posture.
The counterbalanced pedals are appropriately weighted and have straps to secure your feet, and the easy-to-read LCD shows your workout data pretty accurately, that, too, in extra-large numbers.
It is compact and has transportation wheels for easy transportation. With the Marcy ME-709 exercise bike, shape, firm, and tone your physique in the most comfortable way possible.
Pros
- 8 resistance levels.
- 14-gauge steel tubing with powder-coated finish.
- Foam-covered handles and counterbalanced pedals.
- Adjustable, well-padded seat with a 27”-37” inseam height.
- Recumbent bike apt for posture, shaping, firming, and toning.
Cons
- No pulse sensors.
2. Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike
Exerpeutic Upright Exercise Bike is an adjustable bike and has a weight capacity of 300lbs. It fits users anywhere between 5’3” to 6’1”. Thus, it is an exercise bike apt for a shorter person but can be used by a tall person with equal ease after the simple adjustment.
The bike is compact when assembled and doesn’t take much space in your room. It basically has a space-saving design for easy placement and storing. But while storing it, you can fold it half the size of its assembled frame.
It flaunts a magnetic resistance system where you get eight different resistance levels to make your workout easier and a lot difficult when required. You can enjoy the smoothest and easiest pedaling, pretty consistent even in the highest resistance levels, thanks to its 3-piece high-torque crank system.
The seat is well-cushioned, broad, and comfortable, catering to a wide range of users. It has comfy handlebars with pulse sensors and foot pedals with foot straps to ensure a secure fit of your feet while vigorous pedaling. Check your workout progress on the LCD monitor, from distance, speed, burn calories, to time, heart rate, you can track every detail you need.
Pros
- Eight resistance levels.
- 3-piece high-torque crank system.
- Adjustable, foldable, space-saving.
- Easy-to-read display and grips with pulse sensors.
- 300lbs weight capacity and 5’3” to 6’1” height range.
Cons
- Rubber foot straps.
3. Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1002/C Exercise Bike
Here we have a very durable stationary bike by Sunny Health & Fitness with a sturdy steel frame and a weight capacity of 275lbs.
It is engineered with a heavy chrome flywheel of approximately 49lbs or 22kg, making you feel the burn as if you are climbing uphill or sprinting through uneven surfaces. However, the bike is spinning consistently, maintaining optimum stability. Change the leather pad resistance with the micro-adjustable tension knob and push it down to stop the bike.
The bike has a multiple-positioned handlebar. You can hold it from different angles and continue riding it at different resistance levels, real smooth and quiet, thanks to its belt drive mechanism. Try pedaling with overhand front grip, extension grip, hook grip, and time trialing grip. Each grip ensures a different posture and works differently for the body.
If that was not enough, both the seats and handlebars are adjustable, the former 4-way and the latter 2-way, thus suitable for any short individual. The seat can be adjusted both up and down and backward and forward, making it more flexible to change per the user’s height and body shape. Finally, you have the adjustable caged pedal, easy on the feet and super secure.
Pros
- Caged foot pedals.
- 4-way adjustable seat.
- Multiple positioned handlebar.
- Silent and smooth belt drive system.
- Chrome flywheel with leather pad resistance.
Cons
- Lacks workout progress tracking.
4. Schwinn 170 Upright Exercise Bike
Already talked about Schwinn 130, and Schwinn 170 Upright Exercise Bike is the better, updated version of that one. In appearance, both look pretty similar with unnoticeable differences. But the functions are pretty glaring.
You have 29 workout programs to shuffle up your rather monotonous workout routine. Also, instead of the 20 resistance levels of the previous one, this one has 25. They claimed to make it smarter, smoother, and more enjoyable, and we noticed how it made it more difficult and apt for trying more intense cardio activity.
It has a fully-loaded console with smart controls and DualTrack blue backlit LCD screens. You can also track your workout progress with popular app-based tracking tools thanks to the enhanced Bluetooth connectivity.
Its handlebars have pulse sensors on them, and it also has a comfortable padded seat. It is adjustable, so adjust it according to your height, and if required, you can use the post for exchanging the seat with any clamp and rail bicycle seat.
Pros
- 25 resistance levels.
- 29 workout programs.
- Bluetooth connectivity.
- DualTrack blue backlit LCD screens.
- Intuitive design and a smart fully-loaded console.
Cons
- Clunky.
5. Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1203 Indoor Exercise Bike
You can consider this one as a milder version of the previous Sunny & Health exercise bike. It is the same durable, practical, and comfy exercise bike but with a 220lbs weight capacity and 22 pounds high inertia flywheel.
It has a 4-way adjustable cushioned seat and a pair of angled handlebars. Move the seat forward, backward, or upward and downward and adjust it according to your height and comfort.
The high resistance, the intensity with each pedaling comes from its textured felt fabric brake pad system. It chafes with the flywheel and results in an intense cardiovascular workout session. Adjust and change the resistance with the micro-adjustable tension knob.
Its multifunctional digital monitor displays distance, time, speed, and burned calories. The caged foot pedals keep your feet secure even when you are vigorously pedaling the bike.
Pros
- Effective, durable, and comfy.
- 22 pounds high inertia flywheel.
- A 4-way adjustable well-padded seat.
- A high intensity felt fabric brake pad system.
- Toe clip pedals with straps and rubber foam handlebars.
Cons
- Small transportation wheels.
6. Marcy Upright ME-708 Exercise Bike
Not getting the vibe of the recumbent exercise bike by Marcy; they have the Upright version too. It’s the same bike, same quality, and same durability, but instead of a recumbent chair and handlebars, you have a cushioned seat and handlebars at the front.
This one has an inseam height of 26”-34”. That means you can move the seat upward and downward within that range and adjust the seat height according to the user height of 4’11” to 6’3” so that the feet are at ease while pedaling, no matter if the user is short or tall, lean or stout.
The bike has 8 magnetic resistance levels to increase the difficulty level. You have the tension knob to set the levels and customize the workout routine depending on your fitness level and skill. It simulates different terrains. Thus you are having a full-fledged cardiovascular activity sitting on a stationary bike at home.
Expect both functionality and sturdiness from this 14-gauge steel tubing, finished with a powder coating exercise bike. It has textured, weighted counterbalanced foot pedals with foot straps, an LCD monitor to track the workout progress, and a well-contoured, padded seat.
Pros
- 8 magnetic resistance levels.
- Apt for 4’11”-6’3” user height.
- Sturdy, 14-gauge steel tubing.
- Adjustable seat, well-cushioned.
- Weighted counterbalanced foot pedals.
Cons
- Rickety rolls.
7. Schwinn 130 Upright Exercise Bike
Schwinn 130 Upright Bike flaunts a high speed, high inertia drive system, DualTrack LCD screen, 22 workout programs, and a whopping 20 resistance levels. The two LCD screens let you track your workout progress even if you have placed a tablet on the device holder.
While tracking your progress, you can listen to music, watch weather forecasting, read a few articles here and there, and continue vigorous workouts. The bike supports a 300lbs weight capacity and apt for 4’6” to 6’6” user height. The height might vary, but any user close to that height range will find it to be their perfect exercise bike.
The 22 workout programs help you to break the monotonous pedaling of the bike. When you try a different workout routine, your body reacts to that even better as you are not doing the same thing which your body is doing for the past few months. It makes the pedaling way effective and shaping and toning faster.
Then you have 20 resistance levels to throw challenges to your body by increasing the intensity levels. The bike is a long-term investment because, with that many resistance levels, this turns to be an apt bike for both beginners and skilled workout enthusiasts.
Pros
- 22 workout programs.
- DualTrack LCD screen.
- Smooth, quiet workout with 20 resistance levels.
- Adjustable contoured seat apt for 4’6” to 6’6” height range.
- Angled handlebar with pulse sensors and foot pedal with straps.
Cons
- Clumsy assembling.
8. Marcy Magnetic NS-716R Recumbent Bike
Recumbent bikes are apt for those who struggle to take a huge step to get onto the upright ones. You just stand in front of the seat and sit comfortably on the recumbent bikes. So, Marcy offers another option for those who have joint pain or simply prefer a recumbent bike.
This one is pretty similar to the previous one, with a few differences here and there. It has a well-cushioned seat with a comfy back pad and foam-covered soft handlebars next to it. Recumbent bikes allow you to pedal and workout for a longer period so does this one.
The bike has a weight capacity of 300lbs, and you can move the seat between 28” to 34”. Adjust the seat with the easy adjustment knob depending on your height and comfort level.
You have a tension knob to increase or decrease the eight resistance levels. Therefore make the change in the difficulty in pedaling while working out. Then there is the LCD monitor, which displays workout progress in extra-large numbers and a bottle holder to keep the water bottle closer to keep yourself hydrated during intense workouts.
Pros
- Easy to get onto.
- Eight resistance levels.
- 28” to 34” inseam height.
- Easy to adjust, padded seat.
- Recumbent soft handlebars ensure a solid grip for a longer period.
Cons
- Little wobbly.
9. Exerpeutic 900XL Extended Capacity Recumbent Bike
We have another recumbent exercise bike for you, but this one has a pair of pulse sensors on its recumbent handlebars, unlike the previous few. Moreover, the padded handlebars at the front allow you to simulate the posture and pedaling of riding an upright exercise bike.
The seat is large, well-cushioned, and has a broad backrest for users of any size. You can move and adjust the seat, making it perfect for users’ height ranging from 5’3” to 6.6”.
It’s easy on your joints but very effective in shaping, toning, and building your physique. The LCD monitor displays all the data you need to know, including the heart rate. Talking about the foot pedals, they are textured, fit the feet right, and have straps to secure them.
The Smooth Torque Cranking System with precision balanced flywheel and V- belt drive ensures a smooth, silent workout session even when pedaling at the highest resistance levels. And it has eight different resistance levels to increase the workout intensity.
Pros
- Handlebars with pulse sensors.
- Smooth Torque Cranking System.
- Broad cushioned seat with comfy backrest.
- Precision-balanced flywheel and V-belt drive.
- 5’3” to 6.6” height range and 8 resistance levels.
Cons
- Lengthy to assemble.
10. Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B0418 Magnetic Mini Exercise Bike
After all the upright, recumbent exercise bikes, let’s talk about a mini exercise bike. A unique one, indeed, durable with 220lbs weight capacity and distinct function and convenience. This one is our third back-to-back exercise bike by Sunny Health & Fitness. The brand is undoubtedly thriving.
It is compact and has a space-saving design. So small that you can keep it under a desk and continue pedaling, and none will notice. Carry it to wherever you want. It’s lightweight and has a comfy handle to grab and carry.
The pedal works both as footing and handles. When under a desk, place your feet on them. The oversized textured foot pedals will fit your feet perfectly, and its large, heavy-duty plastic straps will ensure further security to your feet from accidental slipping.
Place it on a desk and use it as an arm exerciser. The moment you put it on a surface, the pedals turn to handles, and the small finger grooves on the grips ensure a comfortable, perfect fit for every user type.
It is a mini exercise bike but still boasts 8 levels of resistance and has an LCD monitor to track your workout progress. You have the micro tension controller to adjust the intensity you want to pedal the bike with.
Pros
- Compact but durable.
- 8 levels of adjustable tension.
- Pedals work as footing and handle.
- LCD monitor tracks workout progress.
- Under desk and on desk mini exercise bike.
Cons
- Not a typical exercise bike.
Buying Guide Exercise Bike for Short Person
For a short person, an exercise bike has to have an adjustable seat. It’s the same for the user with any height. All the other features are essential to make the bike safer, more effective, and conducive.
Adjustable Seat
When it comes to the best exercise bike for a short person, an adjustable seat is all that matters. It’s tough to get a bike that suits a person’s height. That is why most exercise bikes allow adjustments. The features already tell you everything related to the bike’s inseam height, user height. Hence, know your inseam height or notify the user height the bike is targeting and designed for and then match that with your measurement. An exercise bike that suits your height is essential for your health and safe workout.
Durable
Durability implies you have spent on an exercise bike that is safe for a vigorous workout. It will not wobble. It will hold your weight and tackle all the pedaling and consistent use. Durability also ensures that the flywheel will guarantee smooth pedaling and quiet workout sessions. If not ultra-quiet, at least it will not make thudding noises disturbing everyone in the house while you workout.
Resistance Levels
Different resistance levels will make your workout routine more diverse and intense. So, when your body gets adjusted with one resistance, you can immediately make it struggle with the next level. Resistant levels are significant for a user to use a workout tool longer because none will stay a beginner for a long time. The skill will grow, so the bike must have something for the skilled as well.
Comfortable And Convenient
The seat needs to be well cushioned, if recumbent, needs to have a comfy backrest. Every setting and adjustment must be convenient for anyone to use it without any external guidance. You will pedal the bike for at least half an hour, at a decent intensity. So comfort has to be the main attribute of your exercise bike.
Handlebars And Foot Pedals
Padded handlebars with pulse sensors and foot pedals with straps, if caged pedals and multi positioned grips, better. These are the strong points of any good quality exercise bike. We have reviewed one or two without pulse sensors, but we always prefer pulse sensors in any workout tool.
Exercise Bike for Short Person Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
1. Why do I need an exercise bike according to my short height?
You need an exercise bike that suits your height and can handle your weight. Otherwise, you will struggle to reach the pedal. In most cases, after much effort, you will reach the pedal, and as you have invested in the exercise bike, you will continue working out on it, but within a few days, you will start struggling with back pain, joint pain, sore muscles and will have posture issues as well. Thus, the thumb rule is to purchase an exercise bike that matches your height and to ensure optimum comfort while pedaling. It doesn’t matter if the person is short or tall.
2. I have knee pain; which exercise bike is better for me, recumbent or upright?
Upright exercise bikes simulate the bicycle better and mostly let you adjust the seat upward and downward. And recumbent bikes have a seat similar to a chair where you do not need to face the struggle of getting onto an upright exercise bike. Therefore, if you have knee pain or have an older person in your house, you must try the recumbent exercise bike. The ones we have reviewed are all apt for any short person. In fact, they are way better. The seats are adjustable, can be moved forward and backward.
3. How to choose the right height bike for a short person?
Before you purchase an exercise bike, even if it’s adjustable, always measure your inseam. Stand against a wall, straight, and put a notebook between your thighs. Now, measure the distance from the top edge of the notebook to the floor you are standing on. The distance is your inseam height. Match your and the bike’s inseam height. The bike exercise will mostly have a range, so see whether your inseam comes to that range or not. If it does, then it is the perfect bike for you.
4. How to adjust an exercise bike according to my height?
The seat is the main component that can be adjusted. In some cases, the handlebars allow adjustment too. You have to sit on the bike and keep an eye on the pedals to gauge how much you need to move the seat and also to which side, downward or upward. A short person mostly will have to adjust the seat as low as possible. There are only a few holes to adjust the seat.
Try from the bottom one, and continue sitting and checking by placing your feet on the pedals and pedal a few times. If it’s uncomfortable, only then go for the above hole. When you find the perfect adjustment even then, try the top and bottom option and once again sit and pedal. It will help you to be confident about the adjustment and comfort.
5. How long can I workout on an exercise bike?
You can pedal an exercise bike for half an hour to one hour straight. However, the time depends on your health. Riding an exercise bike is a low-impact exercise. Therefore you can do it daily. If you are doing it daily, then half an hour of pedaling is more than enough. On some days, you can exceed half an hour period, and on some days can try 10-15 minutes at a high-intensity level. It is totally up to what your body can endure. If you are injured or have joint pain, make sure not to exceed the half an hour limit.
Final Words
A child cannot ride a bicycle made for adults, and neither will an adult fit a bike made for a child to ride. It’s not safe, neither comfy. An exercise bike is similar to a bicycle. If you can’t reach the seat, pedals, handlebars, how will you pedal and workout!
So, it’s crucial that you understand a child in your house will need a type for exercising on an exercise bike, an adult will need another, and among the adults, the comparatively shorter ones will need one type and the taller ones the other. It’s all in the dimension and your height.
Your height must match the exercise bike’s dimension. As you have enough information now on Best Exercise Bike for Short Person, get the right one that keeps your body comfy even when you are running out of breath due to constant pedaling.
If you have too many people standing in line to use the same exercise bike, these are perfect. The height range that the bike offers will help you to use the same exercise bike to its full potential, making sure the bodies are at ease.
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