It certainly has, I used to make up any excuse not to go to the gym after work due to either being tired or just not wanting to go out in the bad weather we get far too often here in the UK. So instead of going out after work I will run upstairs change into my workout clothing and get an hour in on the bike before Liam even gets home from work. I even find myself wanting to workout on a weekend as I can simply sit on the bike cycling away for an hour whilst watching the football.

The bike we got was the Opti Manual Exercise Bike from Argos as for £59.99 it is enough to pay for now and the bike is actually smaller than expected so it is the perfect size for storage when it isn't being used too. In terms of how easy it was to build, I actually left that part to Liam and it took half an hour to piece together, it would have taken a lot less time but the seat just didn't want to tighten so that took the longest. It all came in one reasonably sized box that fit nicely in the car too so we didn't have to worry about getting it home and carrying it indoors as the box didn't weigh much either. I was worried that the feet may end up ruining the carpet or dining room floor depending on where I was to use it but again there has been no issues with markings at all. 

Although the bike looks flimsy it certainly isn't. I am on the bigger size and it is pushing close to the limit of the bike but I have no issues with it feeling like it was under too much pressure. It holds my weight really well which to be honest was a concern of mine going into purchasing the bike. I can see me getting plenty of use out of this for years to come as I can't see it deteriorating in condition any time soon. 

The best thing about this bike though is it is lightweight so I can easily bring it out of where we store it to the place I want to actually use it. I was worried I would have to wait until Liam got home every time I wanted to use it if I couldn't lift it but it is easy enough for me to lift and move around as I need to. I can easily move it from the dining room through to the bottom of the stairs without having to put it down for a break as it is so light. 

I use this bike for an hour at a time more or less daily and to be honest it is fine up until the 30 minute mark. At this mark this is about when the seat starts to get uncomfortable and I start counting down the final 30 minutes. To be honest though this is a problem that can be easily sorted as I am looking into a gel seat for it. There are plenty of high options for the seat too so you can be the right distance from the pedals so you aren't having to reach or be cramped up, I have pretty short legs and my seat doesn't need to be on the lowest setting which is quite a surprise. 

This exercise bike has been really easy to incorporate to my routine too, in fact it has most definitely improved my routine as I am getting some form of exercise daily now. Where as I would skip going to the gym I now just pull the bike out and do an hour on it, sometimes I will even do an hour steady cycle then a hiit workout. It really is transforming my workout mindset never before would I do 2 forms of workout for over 1 hour a day. 

I have definitely got value for money with this £59.99 exercise bike as it is definitely going to be used very often and could very well be the start of a home gym in the future. If you are in the market for an exercise bike then don't write off a cheaper alternative as often they can be just as good as the more expensive ones. 

Do you have an exercise bike? Are they part of your workout routine?