When you’re short, life can be frustrating. When you’re short and into exercising, it can be a nightmare. There’s nothing as annoying as struggling to reach the handles or pedals of an upright bike or a cardio machine. This is especially the case when you’re on an exercise bike that is way too big for you. That’s why we’ve prepared this review specifically on folding exercise bike for short people.
We’ve found the 3 best compact, affordable price, folding bike for short people (those under 5’5”) for your home gym that provide an excellent cardio workout. In this article, we’ll also provide a buyer’s guide and some tips to get the most out of your exercycle workouts, including maximizing calorie burned.
Our Top Picks (#ad)
#1
4.5/5
BCAN Stationary Exercise Bike
Why it is great for short people
- Full seat adjustment – 4’8” – 6’2”
- Ideal seat-height distance
- Smooth Ride
- Tension controller
- Very solid
#2
4/5
Marcy Foldable Upright Exercise Bike
Why short people would like this bike
- 5-way Seat Adjustment
- Compact
- Ideal seat-handle bar distance
- Lightweight
- Hear Rate Sensors
#3
4/5
XTERRA Fitness FB150
Why short people should consider this bike
- 7-way Seat Adjustment
- Ergonomic handle design
- Low cost
- Lightweight
3 Best Folding Exercise Bikes for Short People Reviewed
BCAN Stationary Exercise Bike
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The BCAN Stationary Exercise Bike is a foldable upright bike designed for beginner users. It combines a precision balanced flywheel with a V-belt double drive transmission system to deliver an impressively smooth and fluid pedalling operation. You get an unlimited magnetic tension control system and the bike has a maximum user weight of 330 pounds – that is impressive for an introductory level folding bike.
This upright exercise bike is fitted with a three-piece high-torque crank system that backs up the flywheel and belt drive transmission to deliver a consistent natural riding experience. The console is basic yet provides you with all of your important training diagnostics including heart rate, thanks to a pulse sensor on the handlebars.
The BCAN Stationary Exercise Bike has full height adjustment of the seat, allowing it to be used by people as short as 4’8”. It folds up to a very compact size and is extremely lightweight. For the money that you are paying, this bike provides the best rider functionality, overall comfort level and adjustability to suit both shorter and taller people that we have come across. That’s why we’ve rated it as our favourite foldable bike for short people.
Pros:
- 330-pound max user weight
- Precision balanced flywheel
- Magnetic Tension
- High end 3-piece torque crank
- Very fluid riding experience
- Fully adjustable seat
Cons:
- Not suitable for intense training
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Marcy Foldable Upright Exercise Bike
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The Marcy Foldable Exercise Bike is a beginner level bike that is extremely compact and user-friendly. The contoured padded seat adds to your comfort level and is adjustable with floor to seat heights from 33 to 36 inches. There are five height adjustments within this range, making this an excellent choice for shorter people.
The maximum user weight on this exercising bike is 250 pounds and the bike provides you with eight levels of magnetic resistance. There are also five programs built into the console. The pedals provide an anti-slip grip surface and come with basket cages to ensure that your feet stay in position at all times. The display unit is simple but functional, providing you with a running record of your time, distance, speed and calories. This bike, however, does not include pulse sensors on the handlebars so you are unable to get a heart rate reading.
The Marcy Foldable Exercise Bike is lightweight and compact. It weighs just 37 pounds and folds up like an ironing board so you can easily store it under a bed or in a cupboard when not in use. In summary, this is a simple yet functional bike that is designed for beginners and has the height adjustments to suit the needs of short persons.
Pros:
· 5-way seat height adjustment
· Lightweight
· Basket cages on pedals
· Foldable
· Max user weight of 250 pounds
Cons:
- No heart rate sensors
XTERRA Fitness FB150
The Xterra FB150 is a budget model folding exercise bike that is meant to be used for light training purposes. At 32 pounds, it is very lightweight and folds to compact dimensions. It is powered by a 3.3 (1.5 KG) flywheel and has a maximum user weight of 225 pounds. You get eight different magnetic resistance levels on this bike. However, the light flywheel limits the maximum speed.
The console on this folding exercise bike for short persons is simple and is not backlit. But it does provide you with your key training data, including speed, calories, time, distance and heart rate. The seat is larger than standard and generously padded and is adjustable vertically, with seven vertical post adjustment settings. This is great for short persons, allowing them to set the seat in the ideal position to reach the pedals comfortably. Unfortunately, the seat is not horizontally adjustable.
The belt drive operating system of the Xterra FB150 delivers a smooth pedalling motion, free of the jerkiness that you get with many budget folding bikes. For the price that you are paying, you get a solid three-piece crank system. When your purchase arrives on your doorstep, the mainframe will be preassembled so all you have to do is attach the seat, handlebars, pedals and console.
Pros:
- 7 seat height adjustment
- Comfortably padded seat
- Solid three-piece crank
- Lightweight
- Foldable
Cons:
- Seat not adjustable horizontally
Worthy Mentions
We have identified the 3 best exercise bike for short people on the market right now. Here are some more worthy mentions:
- Ancheer Indoor Cycling Bike
- Exerpeutic 400xl folding recumbent bike
- Sunny Health Belt Drive Cycling Bike SF-B901B
- Marcy ns652
Buyer’s Guide
If you’re after an exercycle specifically to cater to shorter people, there are specific things that you need to be sure your bike comes with. There are four key features to check:
- Seat adjustment – you need a bike that has a seat that is fully adjustable vertically. It should provide you with at least five seat adjustment heights down to a minimum of 33 inches from the floor. Ideally it should also have a horizontal height adjustment on the seat. This will allow you to move the seat close to the handlebars, meaning that you won’t have to a naturally lean forward to reach the handles.
- Handlebar adjustment – you should be able to adjust the handlebars to suit the angle that is ideal for you.
- Seat comfort – there’s nothing worse than sitting on an uncomfortable bike seat. Check user reviews for the padding comfort level. Also check to ensure that the seat can be replaced or upgraded.
- Fluid motion – you need a bike that is going to provide a pedalling action similar to what you would get out on the road. That means no stuttering or jolting when you change the resistance levels. Check user reviews if you are not able to take the bike for a trial ride. The quality of the ride will come down to a combination of flywheel, transmission system and crank quality.
Additional factors to consider
Level of Spin
An exercise bike is also referred to as a spinning bike. That’s because of the spinning of the flywheel of the bike. It is the flywheel that determines the smoothness of the spin so go for the heaviest flywheel that you can afford when buying a folding magnetic upright exercise bike.
Resistance Level
You want your exercise machine to allow for increased resistance as you get fitter. The upright bike should offer a range of levels of resistance. The resistance system should be fluid, natural and easy to operate. An exercise bike with adjustable resistance will also allow the bike to used by a range of different people with different fitness levels.
Display
The LCD display on your indoor exercise bike should include a large enough LCD screen that you can easily read it when you are exercising. It should provide you with a readout of your distance calories, speed, and time.
Foldability
Having a foldable magnetic upright bike or recumbent exercise bike with make it much easier to store your exercise machine away when you are done using it. A foldable design will not be as strong as a non-folding one, so be sure to check on the overall strength of the steel frame.
Safety
Getting the right user height, a good padded seat cushion and the right weight capacity for you will help to ensure that you are safe when riding your semi recumbent or magnetic upright exercise bike. Be sure to wear proper footwear when you are using your exercise bike.
Comfort
You are probably going to be spending a lot of time on your indoor cycling bike, so it pays to get a bike that has comfortable seating. The bike should also be easy to assemble, have comfortable high spec pedals with foot straps and provide you with padding on the handle bars.
Exercise Bike User Tips
Here are user tips to help you get the most out of your foldable exercise bike purchase:
- Set the proper seat height – to work out what the proper height of the seat should be sit on the seat, with your feet in the pedals and extend your right leg fully to the pedal position. If you have a 10° or less angle at the knee, then the seat is at the right height.
- Seat/handlebar distance – if your bike allows you to adjust the seat handlebars, make sure that when you pedal, your knees remain over your ankles.
- Handlebar height – When it comes to the height of the handlebars, the prime consideration is user comfort. Adjust to a level that is comfortable for you, keeping in mind that you do not want to put excess strain on your back by excessively leaning forward.
- Foot security – don’t make the mistake of thinking that you don’t need to worry about the foot straps or baskets if your bike has them. Securely strapping in your feet will ensure that you don’t slip, which may cause lower back or knee problems.
- Always begin with a few minutes of warming up on your bike in order to get your muscles, cardiovascular system and joints before the actual workout begins.
- Intersperse your workout types between long slow (up to an hour long) cardio session, medium intensity (20-30 minutes) and high intensity (4-8 minutes) workouts. This will keep you motivated and help you get fitter quicker while burning max calories
- Try Interval training – rather than just spending the entire workout doing slow, steady state cycling, try mixing it up with short bursts of intense cycling. Why not try the classic high intensity interval training (HIIT) routine, which involves performing a 20 second max pedaling spurt followed by a 10 second rest? Repeat this for a total of 8 rounds. Be sure to precede this with a warm-up.
- Be aware of the data points – your console with provide you with some important training data. Here is what they mean:
- RPM (revolutions per minute)
- WATT – the power produced by your pedal action
- BPM – the number of heart beats per minute
- Kcal – the number of calories consumed during the workout
Conclusion
The best folding exercise bike for short people on the market right now is the Exerpeutic 300SR, with its High end 3-piece torque crank and full seat adjustment.
The second favorite foldable exercise bike for short people is the Marcy Foldable Exercise Bike, which provides 5-way seat adjustment and pedal basket cages.
Rounding out our 3 best foldable exercise bikes for short persons is the Xterra FB150, providing 7-seat height adjustment and an oversized padded seat.
