Incline Bikes Vs. Bicycles

Biking is great exercise -- it engages your quads, glutes, and hamstrings, and can burn over 400 calories per hour. If you're just getting into cycling, the variety of options out there can be a little bit intimidating. Your available options range from road bikes and mountain bikes to cross bikes and fixed gear bikes. And now, there's a new kid in town -- incline bikes. Incline bikes feature mechanical differences from bicycles -- most notably the lack of a chain -- that affect the way they look, feel and perform during rides.

  1. What Is An Incline Bike?

    • The main difference between incline bikes and traditional bikes is that incline bikes don’t have a chain. They are shaft-driven, meaning that they are propelled by a shaft that’s sealed inside the bike. As you pedal, power is transferred to the rear wheel by a hub inside the bike that rotates and spins the shaft. You can still change gears; it’s just done inside the bike rather than outside. Incline bikes are not very common in the US, but are more popular in Europe, Taiwan, and China, where they are mainly used for commuting.

    Pros and Cons of Incline Bikes

    • The main benefits of this type of bike are that they require less maintenance and are cleaner to ride -- no more grease stains on your legs or pants from the chain. Incline bikes are heavier than traditional bicycles, making them a bit less energy efficient to ride. You’ll have to work harder than you would on a traditional bike to go the same speed, which means you may get one heck of a good workout.

    Pros and Cons of Bicycles

    • Lighter weight are easier to travel uphill with.

      Traditional bicycles require upkeep and maintenance to keep them functioning optimally. Regular maintenance includes cleaning and lubing the chain. After lots of riding, you’ll eventually need to replace the chain and other components. Traditional bicycles are lighter than the incline variety, making them easier to ride, and the larger number of gears available makes it easier to go both uphill and downhill.

    The Principle of Specificity

    • Carefully consider the type of training and racing you want to do before choosing either an incline bike or a bicycle. One of the basic principles of exercise science is specificity, meaning that the best way to improve fitness in a certain sport is to train the muscles and energy systems in the same way they would be used in that sport. Of course, some variation or cross training is good to prevent boredom and injuries, but the majority of your training should be specific to your goal event. If you want to race road bikes, it you should do most of your training on a traditional road bike. But if you’re looking for more relaxed riding with less maintenance an incline bike can be a wise choice.