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Kimmy asked:


The buzz lately is that you can burn about 500 calories, tone up and lose weight quickly by exercising for only 30 minutes on a spinning bike.

I have a regular exercise bike and cannot afford a spinning bike or classes. Would I be able to achieve the same results by exercising for 30 minutes a day on my exercise bike?

Please explain to me the difference between the two bikes and how they work differently to give different results?

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Exercise bikes are one of the most popular home fitness machines on the market. These bikes give you an effective workout and promote a healthy lifestyle. You will have fun, enhance your fitness routine and burn calories with exercise bikes. They are also referred to as stationary bicycles, indoor bikes or studio cycles. They work your legs, lungs and heart while limiting the impact on your knees and leg joints. Exercise bikes are available in several different designs. Due to the cost involved, you will most likely purchase only one exercise bike for several years to come so read the following buying guide and make an informed decision.

What are the factors to keep in mind when buying an exercise bike?

Smart shopping is required when buying home fitness equipment because it is normally a long-term investment. Check whether the bike offers a comfortable seat and a well-balanced flywheel. Also make sure that you can vary your workouts with adjustable resistance options. The exercise bike should have a sturdy frame and a wide range of seat heights. Finally, check whether the bike comes with a good warranty and free repair services.

What are the different kinds of exercise bikes available?

There are three different types of stationary exercise bikes: upright bikes, recumbent bikes and dual action bikes.

Upright Bikes:

Upright exercise bikes are similar to traditional bicycles. These bikes have tiny saddles where you sit with your back unsupported and pedal. Upright bikes occupy very little space. They give you a good lower body and cardiovascular workout. You can even stand up and pedal with an upright bike.

Recumbent Bikes:

Recumbent bikes have a laid-back seating style. The chair-like or bucket seat allows you to lean back for a more comfortable ride. This seating arrangement is good for people with back problems, as it provides lower back support. The pedals are located toward the front of the bike, making the seated position similar to the one that you adopt while driving. These bikes work your hamstrings and gluteals. They also promote efficient blood flow throughout the body. Some recumbent bikes have a recline feature that allows you to adjust the angle of your seat accordingly. They are ideal for overweight persons. If you are not a bike enthusiast, recumbent bikes should be your choice.

Dual Action Bikes:

Dual action or elliptical bikes have movable bars as arm handles. You can increase the overall aerobic intensity of your workout by moving your arms and legs at the same time. Dual action bikes are ideal for those looking to tone both their upper and lower body.

What kind of resistance do you need?

Exercise bikes use friction-based, electro-magnetic or air-resistance mechanisms. The kind of resistance you can choose depends on your budget. Bikes with friction-based resistance, like a caliper or fabric brand brake, are low-priced, but they offer only limited programming. Bikes with air resistance use a fan to produce resistance. The fan also provides a cooling effect. These bikes last longer, as they are free from friction which causes wear and tear. Air resistance bikes are very rare. However, the Schwinn Airdyne is the most popular model of this kind.

Bikes that use electro-magnetic resistance are smoother. These models are usually more expensive, but they provide quieter operation. You can benefit from their pre-set programs and heart rate monitors as well. Try to select a bike with automatic resistance settings, as it will be safer to use.

Do bikes require power to operate?

Most bikes are self-driven and do not need mains power to operate. You can use an exercise bike for about six hours a day. These models last longest if only one or two persons use the same machine. If more than two people use the same bike, it is advisable to purchase a model that requires mains power to drive them.

How much space do these bikes occupy?

Exercise bikes are usually small and occupy minimal space. You can opt for fold-away bikes that can be stored in racks when not in use.

Do you want to monitor your workout?

Most exercise bikes provide information on speed, distance traveled and length of your workout. Do you want to know the total calories you burnt, the program mode or the resistance level? Some advanced models give you all this information along with your pulse and heart rate. Pre-programmed workouts and information storage are offered by sophisticated exercise bikes only.



By: Bob Shanty

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So you love fishing, and you want to get your own fishing boat. You’ve got a lot of choices to make, including choosing a boat. Why should you buy an aluminum boat instead of, say, a fiberglass boat?

You’ll find that you have a wealth of choices for buying boats. You can get, primarily, wooden or timber fishing boats, fiberglass boats and aluminum boats. All make fine boats, and for looks my choice is a timber fishing boat. Timber boats look great. They’re often varnished so you can see the color and grain of the timber, and are hand made usually, so they have style. A timber fishing boat is a fine looking item.

But when you’re thinking of buying a boat for fishing, it isn’t really looks that count. Of course great looks are nice, but you need a boat that’s tough, hard wearing, and long lasting, and doesn’t take up lots of your precious fishing time on maintenance.

A timber boat is high maintenance. Trust me, I’ve had quite a few. You’re always sanding timber, varnishing timber, repairing timber and lots more. Now if you’re happy to be doing that then that’s great, but recognize that’s the price you pay for a great looking timber fishing boat. And a timber boat is often heavy, and will not last well, particularly if you aren’t as diligent with your maintenance as you could be. And they puncture easily when you hit something, as I did last week.

But if you’re not an enthusiast for working on boats then timber isn’t your best choice.

What you want in a fishing boat is this. It needs to be tough. It needs to be low maintenance. It needs to be puncture resistant. It needs to last forever without spending hours working on it. It needs to be easily repairable. And it needs to be cost effective.

For me the best choice fishing boat is an aluminum fishing boat. Aluminum has properties which make it the perfect material for building fishing boats. It is very light and strong for it’s weight, and can be easily welded, so is ideal for both building and repairing. It is extremely long lasting, and is very resistant to puncture. Now of course that doesn’t mean it can’t be damaged, as it can. But you need to hit it pretty hard to do some serious damage. And if you did that to a timber or fiberglass boat it will be very seriously damaged. And an aluminum boat may just dent, rather than fracture, so you can head right back home with nothing more to show than a dent, instead of possibly be the subject of a rescue from a sinking boat.

And it lasts forever if treated right. If you get a great aluminum fishing boat and treat it well you may well find yourself leaving it to your kids.

Because aluminum boats are light for their strength they often need a smaller engine, and the engine is probably the highest cost item. A smaller engine costs less, and uses less fuel.

And with a smaller engine they are also lighter and easier to handle.

And they require little maintenance. Make sure you hose your boat down after a day out, especially in saltwater, and if you drop a lead sinker make sure you pick it up, as it’s not great to leave any other metal in contact with aluminum, otherwise you don’t need to do too much maintenance at all. More fishing time.

And because aluminum boats last so well they also retain their resale value well. I bought a used aluminum fishing boat 2 years ago and it is currently worth a little more than I paid for it.

So there’s plenty of good reasons to buy an aluminum fishing boat. Unfortunately they aren’t cheap if you want to buy a new boat, but for the same reasons I’ve mentioned above, it’s way better to buy a used aluminum boat, as a used boat is usually much cheaper than a new one, and retains it value well. I would never buy a new aluminum boat.

So grab yourself a great used aluminum fishing boat and get fishing this summer, it’s the best way to get on the water.



By: Peter Clark

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Searching for car rental online has never been easier with the help of the internet. You can easily search and compare prices from various car rental suppliers, often on the same website.

 

Car rental rates often vary considerably depending on what is included in the rate. Look out for those too-good-to-be-true prices – they probably are. You may think you have found a bargain, but it will be a different story when you go to pick up the rental car, only to be told you have to pay for lots of additional charges.

 

So when you are comparing car rental costs online, ensure you are comparing like with like. There are various extra charges which can push up the price of your rental car, so make sure you look out for them. Often if you add these on to that oh-so-low rate, it doesn’t look so appealing anymore.

 

What is Included

 

Most car rental websites will list the inclusions with the rental. These will vary depending on suppliers but generally standard rates include basic insurance and tax.

 

What is Extra

 

Again this will vary but look out for the following:

 

Airport Fees

 

Also known as a Premium Location Fee, you will be charged extra to pick up a rental car at an airport location. This charge varies depending on supplier and location, but in the UK for example could cost as much as 13% of the rental value.

 

Vehicle Licensing Fee

 

This is a Government imposed levy for rental cars to partially recover the registration costs. Approximate cost in the UK: GBP1.22 per day, which over a long period can add up.

 

Additional Driver Fees

 

If you want to have more than one driver for your rental car, this is often an extra charge. Daily charges range from GBP4-20 in the UK, EUR4-8 in Italy and from USD3-10 in the States.

 

Young Driver Surcharge

 

This is often charged if the driver of the rental car is under the age of 25. In Australia, this ranges from AUD13-22 per day. In France, the Young Driver Surcharge varies from EUR20-35 per day, GBP10-25 in the UK and USD5-45 in the USA.

 

Excess Reduction

 

Each rental car often comes with an Insurance Excess which is the amount you would be responsible for if the rental vehicle is damaged. This can often be a few thousand dollars but can be reduced with an optional excess reduction charge which can be paid daily to reduce your excess to a few hundred dollars or even to zero.

 

Additional Equipment

 

Things like child seats, ski racks and snow chains are often available at an extra charge.

 

One Way Rentals

 

If you want to drop off your rental car in a different city from where you picked it up, there may be a one way fee. Again, this varies depending on the supplier and destination. Ensure you ask before you pay!

 

All these extras can add up. Sometimes a standard rate may be right for you but if you are picking up at the airport and want an extra driver, for example, it may make sense for you to go with an inclusive rate.

 

Read the Small Print

 

Be sure to read inclusions carefully to see what the rental rate covers and which one is right for you. Look for possible restrictions and additional costs and find out what exactly they are before you pay. If you find a low car rental rate, make sure that the additional costs do not outweigh the savings.

 

At DriveAway Holidays, each car choice will show clearly if it is a Standard or Inclusive rate and will give you a list of what is and what is not included.

 

People often talk about the “hidden costs” of car rental, but the reality is, they are not hidden at all – you just need to know what to look for.

 

 



By: Car Guru

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