Don’t Make This Mistake
While it’s a great idea to want to get back in shape and cycling is also good for your joints you still have to be careful when selecting an exercise bike because there are some dreaded pitfalls when you are overweight…
Later on, I’m going to show you a great exercise bike to buy however it is important to know why others are not so good for heavy people and some of the things you may have never thought about…
Sadly. I had to learn the hard way. So don’t make my mistake!
Going back a few years now I was really keen to start doing something. I was about 330 lb (150kg) with back problems and a dodgy knee (ironically caused by trying to exercise).
Anyhow… with a past experience of road bike riding I thought a stationary bike would be the ideal choice. I can’t explain just how keen and determined I was to make this work.
The Wrong Bike Will NEVER Work For You
Being a fat guy I had one thing on my mind (no not food)… Is there a bike out there that can hold my weight? So when searching for one to buy all I was interested in was weight capacity.
I wanted no excuses either so I paid good money for a very impressive-looking stationary exercise bike that had high weight capacity and they even said it has shock absorption under the seat.
It finally arrived and on day one I put it to the test. After a while, I was struggling. Oh, the pain… unbelievable tailbone pain!
I wasn’t going to let it beat me. I paid good money for this thing and I was going to make it work. So each day I continued to use it despite the pain. My idea was that my bottom would toughen up and I’d get used to it.
Wrong!
The pain was getting unbearable. I tried putting pillows on the seat and all sorts of things but nothing helped.
Then I remembered my old road bike and I never had issues with the seat on that. I still had it out in the garage so I took the seat off my old bike and put on the new exercise bike.
This seat was wide, had a thick gel cover over it, I’d ridden numerous 100km (62 miles) and 50km (31 miles) rides on this thing when I was about 290 lbs (130kg) and never once had pain – what a seat.
So problem solved right?
Wrong… not even my old faithful seat could save me. This bike hurt like hell. I gave up and was in agony for about 6 weeks until my tailbone came good again. That stinking exercise bike is still gathering dust in my garage and I’m still fat.
You see the problem is not with the seat. My road bike had wheels with nice wide tires that provided an extra cushion and of course, the bike had shocks that absorbed most of the pressure.
An exercise bike has none of those things. It is an unmovable, unbending, solid object that has no give in it. Despite having the weight capacity to hold me it almost killed me. Despite saying the seat had shock absorption the only thing that was shocked was my tailbone!
The Type Of Exercise Bike NOT To Buy If You Are Very Obese (In My Opinion)
So before I show the upright stationary exercise bike I recommend let me show the type of bike that gave me the problems and why. (This is not the exact same bike or brand just similar in style – looks a lot like the one I have)
Now I want to stress there is nothing wrong with this bike and it has good ratings however if you are obese like me I am convinced from my own experience you will suffer. Leave these types of bikes to people who are a bit lighter.
So the issue I have is that the seat sits directly over the shaft. Sure it can be moved back a bit to give some flexibility but that’s no good unless you are tall. (This bike is good for tall people by the way).
When you are obese and you are sitting on this seat located directly above the shaft on an inflexible and solid object you are going to be in pain.
Sorry to be graphic but just look at that picture and see where the seat is located over the shaft and imagine your huge weight sitting on that.
And you are not just sitting there as you peddle your butt cheeks are going up and down, weight is shifting, and… oh the pain!
So that’s the end of the bad news. Let’s look at a stationary bike that has excellent ratings, has a 400lb weight limit, and is designed differently from the butt-breaking ones…
The Stationary Exercise Bike I Recommend
Now, this is the best bike with a fantastic 400 lbs weight capacity and as you can see by the design the seat is situated in a much better place for heavy people.
You can clearly see the extra flexibility which is way better than sitting directly onto a solid steel shaft as the others do.
This bike is very popular with over 4,097 and has excellent ratings with 76% of those consumers rating it 5 out of 5 stars. Add to that the other 16% who gave it 4 stars you have a very impressive 92% of very happy exercise bike owners.
This one of my many favorite er statements about this bike… “The seat is very large and doesn’t hurt on long rides”.
Exerpeutic Gold Heavy Duty Foldable Exercise Bike with 400 lbs Weight Capacity
Example of comments from Exerpeutic:
The seat is ROOMY, plenty of cushion and perfect for fat bottomed boys and girls, or anyone who doesn’t want circulation cut off of their perineum, and cause nerve damage to their nether region.
- FINALLY! AFFORDABLE BIG AND TALL BIKE! 390lb 6’5″ owner!
- Perfect for BIG AND TALL. I am very pleasantly surprised.
- The first thing I have noticed is the sticker on my bike indeed says weight capacity 400 lbs! Excellent!
- It looks to be that rugged too! This thing is a beast in regards to weight, and the size of the frame, and the gauge of the steel.
- I’m 6’6″, and weigh 375 pounds – owned this bike for 6 months.
- I’m a big fat guy who’s also extremely tall.
- I wanted a bike that I could ride extensively, but would support my weight. I want to report that I’ve ridden the bike daily, and have put over 1500 miles into it. It still feels just as solid and mechanically sound as when I got it.
- Fits my fat ass nicely. I’m very overweight, and really just need to move.
- This bike is very sturdy and very comfortable, with a nice wide seat for my nice wide ass.
- It is a heavy-duty bike. I love the size of the seat. It was made for an old fat man like myself.
My husband and I are both pretty big people. He’s 6’4″ and around 250 lbs. I’m 5’3″ and 300 lbs. The bike holds both of us easily (not at the same time LOL), and the seat fits my big, fat butt without any issue. It’s comfortable enough that I can bike on it for an hour without getting too sore in the backend.
- I am about 290 and 6-3. This bike is very comfortable, sturdy, durable, and easy to use.
- This is a great product. Really solidly built. I’m heavy and this machine really takes my weight fine.
- I was looking for an indoor bike that wasn’t super expensive and could handle heavyweight (currently I’m 340 lbs). I still had some skepticism about if this bike is too good to be true, but this bike has silenced that.
- This is a great starter bike for those who haven’t cycled and are on the heavy side.
- I am 400lbs and it feels very sturdy on it when riding.
- It is hard to find home equipment rated for heavy people. This bike holds up to 400 pounds and is not expensive.
- This is a very good stationary exercise bike it is heavy duty and I’m a big guy and it works great.
- I am 5 foot 8 inches and it fits me perfectly! It is heavy duty and has no wobble. Comfortable seat.
- Good Investment!!! If you are a heavy person this is the bike for you!
- Heavy-duty I’ve been on it since I got it. Great for me being short and 350lbs.
The seat is nice and big and well cushioned for support. As a heavier person I am pleased with this product and it’s made working out at home comfortable and easy!
- Comfortable and Sturdy Bike for Heavy People.
- Perfect for a heavy-set guy like me.
- Being a heavy senior woman I am most pleased with this bike love the fact it folds up. It is made from heavy metal.
- I’m a big guy and my wife is very small so the adjustability of the seat, once we discovered our individual settings, is a big bonus.
- Just what I was looking for – sturdy, suitable for a big-and-tall person, small footprint.
- The seat is big and comfortable.
- It’s small but super sturdy. I’m a big girl and feel very safe on it.
- Great bike for a big person!
- Fantastic Bike. I was worried my super-sized belly would stick out too much, but there was absolutely no issue.
- The big booty seat is a dream come true.
I’m a big guy, and getting good indoor equipment that doesn’t cost a fortune is difficult where I’m at. However, after reading online I can vouch for this product and am very satisfied with my purchase. The bike is extremely sturdy, extremely quiet, and has gotten me into doing regular exercise, especially during quarantine times!
- It supports a big dude like myself which is what I was mostly concerned about.
- Great machine, I am a big ass dude 300+ lbs and this thing takes a beating.
- He’s a big boy, over 6’ tall and weighs just under 400 lbs so we had looked everywhere for a bike to handle his weight. The bike seems sturdy and he got in 20 miles on day one.
- It is very comfortable to use. I am a big guy weighing close to 400 lb. and the machine was comfortable and stable.
- The seat is pretty comfortable even for big butts… it’s a great buy!
- I love this bike. I’m a big dude and the seat is super comfortable.
- This bike is awesome! I’m a BIG person and it holds me well. The seat is comfy.
- Absolutely fabulous. I am a big and tall guy, 6’7 and over 300. This bike handles both my height and size.
- Great purchase for us larger people trying to get some exercise in.
- Great price, very durable, and high quality. I’m a big guy, 270+ powerlifter and this bike is built to last. Comfortable seat and easy to use display.
The Best Exercise Bike For Obese People
Let’s highlight some things:
| Question: | Answer: |
| Is this exercise bike good for heavy people? | Yes. Absolutely! There are so many comments from heavy people, big people, people with big butts, fat men, large women, different weight scales from 250lbs to 400lb people all singing the praises of this machine. |
| Is this exercise bike good for tall people? | Once again a resounding yes! Plenty of comments from tall people over 6 ft saying this bike is great for them. One guy was 6.5 and said he had no issues. |
| What if I’m short? | Anyone over 5:1 ft is okay. This exercise bike is adjustable is great for both tall and short people. Ideal for couples who are of different sizes. |
| Is the seat comfortable? | The overwhelming majority of from heavy people said yes. Great seat, wide, and comfortable. However, there were few who didn’t think it was comfortable for whatever reason. |
| Is this bike stable? | yes. Big people feel very safe and secure on this bike. It is a heavy-duty bike made of solid material so it is very sturdy and stable when riding. |
| Is this exercise bike good for seniors? | It most certainly is. There is a lot of from seniors who love this bike. So if you are an old fat person this is the bike for you. |
Let’s look at some other aspects of this exercise bike:
- The Exerpeutic 500 XLS provides the ultimate comfort and durability for users of heavier body sizes. In fact, it has even reached Amazon Choice status.
- It has a larger seat, thicker seat back, solid steel frame, higher weight capacity and is ergonomically designed to provide a more comfortable sitting experience.
- This stationary exercise bike features 8 levels of manual magnetic resistance, 3 piece crank construction, targeted pedaling area, and comfortable foam padded handlebars.
- The Exerpeutic bike features an LCD Console that displays the following information: odometer, scan, distance, calories, time, speed, heart rate.
- This sturdy exercise bike provides an extra-large pedal design to increase your workout comfort.
- The new Exerpeutic folding exercise bike has built-in heart pulse sensors on the handlebars for monitoring heartbeat.
- The Exerpeutic Gold Heavy Duty Foldable Exercise Bike with 400 lbs Weight Capacity is a foldable exercise bike, which means it can be folded in half, thus making it uniquely compact.
- Transportation wheels added for easy relocation. The Exerpeutic folding exercise bike is easy to move from place to place, making it a much more convenient choice than a stationary bike.
In summary, there are plenty more of large people loving this exercise bike. So the proof is in the pudding so to speak – this bike can handle your large pudding extremely well.
This exercise bike is perfect for just about everyone!
This brand also features here… Recumbent Bikes For Heavy People: Best Options For Fat & Elderly
Allan Wilson who in the offline world has an extensive background working in research, analyzing statistics, improving work processes, team leading, and implementing training to improve results and now thanks to more than 3 years dedicated to this site is now also a highly regarded researcher of brands.
Allan has a long history of developing brands online way back before blogging existed creating websites using HTML code in Notepad. Allan established brands in the Info Product Marketing arena such as infoproductmarketing, ebookresellerkit, reprintrightsmarketing, along with many other successful websites (and a few failures along the way). Allan has also authored numerous ebooks, owned and operated membership sites, created eLearning courses, and more.
