ok I need to do some excercise and I am thinking about getting a stationary bike, exactly where can I get it?
also exactly what muscles does it work on? is it good enough that you only do stationary bikes for excercise 3 times a week?
anyone know what’s heart rate monitor called in Chinese and where I can get it?
thanks
think carefully: they’re expensive, they take up a lot of room, and when you get bored it’ll gather dust. Why not get a real bike? Most of Taiwan, and Taipei in particular, has some of the best cycling in Asia.
a good stationary bike will cost you many thousands of NT. (at least 25,000) it is not worth getting a cheap one.
it’ll work most of the muscles that a normal bike does! ie, extensors and contractors but not side pulling muscles in the top and bottom of the thigh, and depending on how far forward or back you set the seat position over the pedal, it’ll do the big muscles in the butt too. less work on your hamstrings and calves than a real bike, unfortunately, and not much in the back or abdomen unless you’re pushing heavy power at low revs… again much less than a real bike would.
an advantage is that you’ll never get a flat tire, and you can watch TV.
small benefits from as little as 30 minutes a day, but most advantage from about 2 hr workouts 3-4 times a week (How boring: get a real bike and see the world while you’re at it).
heart rate monitor: you already have one called a watch and a pulse. without using one, and if you want to get in the aerobic range, if you can just start to feel the pulse in your neck while you ride, you’re about there. if you can’t kep the same speed for more than a minute, then you’re going too hard.
otherwise, just ask for a Polar monitor at most bike shops or some health stores like Johnsson Fitness
hey man thanks a lot for the detail reply, that’s exactly what I wanted to know.
well I want one because I havn’t excercise in a long long time, most of the time I am sitting in front of pc or watching tv, I am really out of shape that’s why I wanna get one. as for a real bike I mean the outside air is really dirty and roads ain’t that good. I want one because I need to get some excercise.
I bought a cheap one (under $5k) at RTMart, and it had a few problems. I also had a bad experience with the staff there when trying to get a replacement for a defective part. I recommend AGAINST buying Huei Yeh brand from RTMart. That said, the bike does work (even though it’s slightly crooked, the housing for the pedal section is cracked, and you can’t adjust the tension or difficulty), I did save a lot of money by buying a cheap one, and I am using it almost daily. 
Yeah, a real bike would be better on nice days, but there are zillions of crappy, rainy days here, and so it’s good to have a bike planted in front of the TV. In fact, I’d say buy 2, one real and one for the living room.
Three times a week is better than nothing, no?
If you can find one, I’d suggest buying a better quality one 2nd-hand from some expats who are leaving.
the air inside the house is the same air as outside the house, in most cases… you just don’t see the pollution in it as much as it is a much shorter distance to the walls than to the mountains.
if you’re not keen on getting a new new one, i am sure you can fish around for a second hand one that has had little use. try Taiwanted or even one of the free expat mags you find at bars, etc.
if you have a polished floor or tiles, use a rug under the bike to stop it moving and scratching the floor.
actually, winter is a good time to have an indoors bike: i am seriously thinking of getting some rollers for my roadbike.
You can have mine. It’s a cheap one that I don’t use and it’s been outside gathering rust all summer. Do some maintenance and it will be ok.