There are plenty of ways to do cardio — running, cycling, swimming, sprinting. Today we’ll compare two popular options: exercise bikes and elliptical machines. What works best for you might not be best for someone else, so picking a clear winner isn’t simple.
Both machines are solid for cardio. They can help you get fit, strengthen bones and the heart, and improve overall health. But they’re different in important ways. Below we look at the pros and cons of stationary bikes and ellipticals.
Exercise bikes — advantages and disadvantages
First, both exercise bikes and ellipticals can help you lose weight, improve cardiovascular fitness, and build some muscle. Any pros and cons below are written with that comparison in mind.
Exercise bikes have several perks. They’re non-weight-bearing and low-impact, so they put less stress on the knees, ankles, and back than an elliptical. You’re seated and supported while pedaling, which makes it a good option for people with knee or back problems who still want to burn calories and get in shape.
Biking is also excellent for building leg strength, especially in the quads. If your goal is to develop stronger, more muscular legs, a bike is a good choice. The downside is that cycling mainly works your legs — your glutes, back, shoulders, and upper body don’t get much engagement. That means fewer total calories burned compared to an elliptical and less bone-loading stimulus, since weight-bearing movement helps bone density.
Another limitation is that a bike can feel less challenging overall because you can only push your legs so far. On the upside, cycling can be more comfortable and easier to multitask with — you can watch TV or read without worrying about balance.
Pros
– Lower injury risk
– Easier to multitask
– Accessible for most people
– Great for lower-body muscles
– Low-impact
Cons
– Burns fewer calories than ellipticals
– Less intense total-body workout
– Less bone-strengthening effect
– Almost no upper-body work
Elliptical — advantages and disadvantages
Ellipticals can deliver a tough workout and burn a lot of calories quickly. They involve much more of your body: legs and glutes are the focus, but shoulders, arms, and the back also get worked. That makes them effective for a fuller, more balanced workout.
You use an upright stance on an elliptical, which can help strengthen muscles around the spine and improve core stability — useful for posture and back support. But standing also means ellipticals aren’t always ideal for people with serious back or joint issues. They put a bit more pressure on knees and backs than a bike, even though they’re designed to keep impact low.
Ellipticals also take up more space, which matters if you live in a small apartment. On the plus side, many allow reverse pedaling, which targets hamstrings and calves differently and adds variety.
Pros
– Stronger core engagement
– Multiple leg workout options (forward and reverse)
– Weight-bearing activity
– Full-body exercise
– Burns more calories
Cons
– Less single-leg focus than a bike
– More pressure on knees and back
– Takes up more space
Calories: bike vs elliptical
Calories are essentially fuel. The more of your body you use and the harder you work, the more fuel you burn. Calorie burn depends on workout intensity, how much of your body is involved, and your current fitness level.
If you’re out of shape, even simple movements can feel intense and raise calorie burn. With a stationary bike, most effort comes from your legs, especially the quads — a few muscles pushed hard while the rest of the body stays mostly at rest.
An elliptical spreads the effort across more muscle groups: legs, glutes, back, arms, and shoulders. Rather than one or two muscles working maximally, the load is shared across many muscles at moderate effort, so total calorie burn tends to be higher.
All else equal, ellipticals burn more calories per hour. For example, a 70 kg (about 154 lb) person might burn around 520 calories in an hour of moderately intense cycling, but about 670 calories in an hour on an elliptical.
Which is better for weight loss?
Weight loss comes down to calories in versus calories out. If you want the most efficient calorie burn per minute, the elliptical has the edge since it uses more of your body. But “better” can mean different things — if you need a low-impact option because of knee or back pain, a bike might be the smarter choice because it’s gentler.
Which is better for knees?
Both are relatively low-impact, but bikes put less pressure on the knees. Cycling relies on machine resistance while you’re seated, whereas ellipticals combine machine resistance with supporting your body weight, so they can feel a bit tougher on the joints.
Combined machines
There are hybrid machines that offer both bike and elliptical functions. These let you switch between modes and save space compared to having two separate machines. The trade-off is cost: combined machines are pricier than a single unit, and cheaper models can feel unstable during intense workouts, so build quality matters.
Conclusion
Both exercise bikes and ellipticals are valuable cardio tools. To choose, think about your health, goals, and lifestyle.
– Choose an elliptical if you want a more intense, full-body workout that improves posture and works the glutes, arms, and shoulders as well as the legs.
– Choose a stationary bike if you want a low-impact option that’s easier on the back, knees, and ankles and focuses more on building the quads.
Fun and preference also matter. Both machines deliver results, so pick the one you’ll use consistently.
Petra Nakashian
Petra Nakashian has written about nutrition, natural health, and ingredient research for over 10 years. After losing both parents to cancer at a young age, she became deeply committed to understanding how diet and lifestyle affect long-term health. Petra focuses on evidence-based wellness content, drawing on scientific studies, expert sources, and years of personal research. She’s known for breaking down hidden ingredients in everyday foods and drinks and helping readers make informed, practical choices.