Sorry if there's already a thread on this, I haven't seen one! I currently have an average stationary exercise bike, but the seat is so uncomfortable that it actually causes bruising, which means I can't use it every day. I've been looking into recumbent bikes and I'd like to buy one, but I'm worried about how effective they are. Since the seat is more like a chair, you don't really have to balance anymore and I feel like that was a good part of the workout in the first place. However, with a more comfortable seat I'd be able to use it for longer periods of time and more frequently, so it might even out? I'm not sure.

Do any of you currently use a recumbent cycle? If you do (or have in the past), did it do any good for you? Thanks in advance!

I have a Schwinn and it has a variety of programs preinstalled as well as a manual mode. This bike has an electric plug for power. Because of the preinstalled programs it gives a great workout. Also, this bike served me well when I had a knee injury because it was the one piece of equipment that I could do to rehab my knee.

That's really great to know, actually the one I've been looking at is a Schwinn. The fact that they're easy on the knees is also another reason I've been wanting to get one, I'm glad to see it's true. All this extra weight I'm carrying around can get pretty heavy so it'd be nice to have a reliable way to get my heart going without putting a bunch of stress on my knees. Thanks!

Can you change the seat on your current bike or is it not like a traditional bicycle?

Surprisingly I actually did try switching the seat with my regular bike seat, but the bar was too small and it wouldn't stay put. Unfortunately it's one of those bikes where the handlebars move your arms as you pedal so I can't really lift myself up and pedal half-standing like you can on a normal bike to alleviate some of the pressure of the seat.