How to Transport a Recumbent Exercise Bike

A recumbent exercise bike machine or cross trainer is a large, heavyweight, stationary piece of workout equipment. The best way to transport a recumbent exercise bike isn’t as straightforward as moving lighter pieces of gym equipment.

But the question comes down to where are you moving it to? If you are simply moving it across the room most cross trainers are built with transport wheels on the feet. These allow you to simply tilt the machine and push it to your desired space.

But this comes with a word of warning, you’re likely to scratch your hardwood floors in pushing or pulling your machine using the transport wheels.

Let’s dive into how to properly transport a recumbent exercise bike with ease.

How to move a recumbent exercise bike by yourself

Firstly you need to size up your move and figure out what type of move you’ll be doing.

Do you want to wheel your recumbent exercise bike across the room to another space? First and foremost, do not simply tilt the machine and push this because it will leave a firm groove across your floor, particularly if you have hardwood floors. 

To wheel the recumbent exercise bike you will need some tools. As most recumbent exercise bikes are large and awkward in shape you will need a furniture dolly which is a wooden platform on top of four wheels. You can tie down the wheels using cable ties.

Wrap the ties around the bottom of the frame where the legs of the machine and foot pedals meet. Firmly tying this down will stop the arms of the recumbent exercise bike to swing backwards and forward while it’s being manoeuvred. 

Once this is tied together you can then place the wooden furniture dolly underneath the recumbent exercise bike. This is a two man job so make sure you get some help. While one person tilts the machine up the 2nd person can wheel the furniture dolly underneath in the centre, then it can be rolled where required.

I recommend this furniture dolly:

If there are any tight angles or sharp turns where there might be concerns about fitting it through a tight door. Simply wrap the machine in blankets to protect your doors or walls from being scratched by the plastic.

If you’re moving this up and down stairs you won’t be able to wheel this on the furniture dolly. If you are carrying my hand the heavier end is where the flywheel seat sits – at the end of the machine. So whoever is carrying this end will need to be prepared for that!

Taking the recumbent exercise bike apart

Sometimes if the size of the recumbent exercise bike is just too large to be moved by the method above then you will need to dismantle parts of it.

If you don’t want to hire someone to do this then read our full guide on how to disassemble your recumbent exercise bike.

A brief overview is to take the handlebars and pedals apart from the main base of the recumbent exercise bike. This can be done using a wrench and screwdriver. Safely store away all loose screws, nuts and bolts in a clear plastic bag so you can easily reattach once moved. 

I recommend these plastic bags for packing your screws and bolts away safely:

Once the heavy parts are detached it will be light enough to move on your own, the shape is also much less awkward to carry. Again use moving blankets over it for tight spaces to protect both your walls and machine from damage.

Other tips for moving your recumbent exercise bike 

Keep the recumbent exercise bike Clean

Before your move, fully sanitize and clean the machine. If you’re considering moving your recumbent exercise bike with other household goods like bedding the last thing you want is for germs to spread onto your bedsheets. When you sanitize your recumbent exercise bike it will remove all bacteria and sweat from it.

Wipe your recumbent exercise bike down with an all purpose cleaner or a natural spray solution and paper towel. If you dont have an all purpose cleaner at home you can create your own antibacterial spray using a mixture of water and white vinegar.

Mix 50/50 in a spray bottle and clean away! Thoroughly wipe the surface of the recumbent exercise bike, handrails and foot pedals. Don’t forget to wipe down the console too.

Pay extra care to the handrails as this is where most of the sweat will gather while you workout.

How to Move a Recumbent Exercise Bike Downstairs

Moving an recumbent exercise bike upstairs will be a challenge and there is no one size fits all method for moving the heavy recumbent exercise bike machine. It is dependent on the shape of the stairs and how narrow the staircase is. 

Just take note of where the flywheel is on the recumbent exercise bike because this will be the heavy end. So make sure you or your lifting partner are prepared to grab either the lighter or heavier end. If you have already removed the arms and handlebars from the machine it will make it a lot easier to lift.