After a knee replacement, a hip operation, an ACL reconstruction or a nasty injury, one of the first pieces of equipment many physiotherapists and osteopaths recommend is an exercise bike. It’s also one of the most common reasons Melbourne physios and osteos send their patients to us.
Over the years we’ve helped a lot of people across Melbourne get moving again at home with a short-term bike hire, then simply hand the bike back once they’re back on their feet.
Why Exercise Bikes Are Used in Rehab
- Low impact. Cycling gets your joints moving and muscles working without the pounding of walking or running on a healing joint.
- Controlled range of motion. Pedalling gently and gradually helps you work on bending and straightening, which is a big focus after knee and hip surgery.
- Adjustable effort. You can start with almost no resistance and build up week by week as your practitioner advises.
- Safe and stable. You’re seated, so there’s far less risk of a fall than with walking-based exercise early in recovery.
- Easy to do every day. Having the bike at home means short, frequent sessions, often what your rehab program asks for, without travelling to a clinic or gym.
Which Bike Is Best for Rehab?
Recumbent bikes
A recumbent bike has a low, chair-style seat with a backrest, and a step-through frame. It’s the most popular choice for rehab because it’s easy to get on and off, supports your back and puts less load on your hips and knees. It’s a great option after hip or knee surgery, for back pain, or for older users. We have recumbent bikes from light manual models to programmable, heavy duty and commercial recumbents.
Upright exercise bikes
Upright bikes suit people a little further into their recovery, or recovering from ankle, foot or lower-leg injuries, who want something closer to riding a normal bike. See our light manual and programmable exercise bikes.
Dual action bikes
A dual action bike has moving arms as well as pedals, so you can work your upper body too, or use your arms to help your legs through the movement early on.
Compare every bike side by side. Our exercise bike hire page has comparison tables with hire prices, max user weight, resistance and what each bike suits, and you can book straight from the table. The Light Manual bike is a popular low-resistance choice for rehab.
Your physio or osteo knows your injury best, so always check with them which type of bike and settings suit your recovery.
Why Hire Instead of Buy?
Most people only need a bike for the weeks or months of their rehab program. Buying one means paying full price for something that ends up gathering dust or taking up space once you’ve recovered. Hiring means:
- You get a quality bike for exactly as long as you need it
- We deliver and set it up, so you don’t lift anything heavy while you’re recovering
- You can switch to a different type of bike if your needs change
- We collect it when you’re done, with nothing to sell or store
Getting Set Up Before or After Surgery
If you have surgery booked, it’s worth organising your bike hire beforehand so it’s ready when you get home. We deliver across Melbourne and Geelong. When it arrives, we’ll help adjust the seat to a comfortable starting position, and your physio can fine-tune it from there.
For Physios and Osteos
Many Melbourne physiotherapists and osteopaths already refer their patients to us for short-term bike hire. If you’d like a reliable place to send patients who need equipment at home, give us a call on 0489 954 167.
Recovering from surgery or injury? Call us on 0489 954 167 and we’ll help you choose the right bike, or browse the full range below.
See all exercise bikes for hire →
Moving or Servicing Your Gym Equipment?
Prime Fitness also relocates home gyms, treadmills and gym equipment across Melbourne, and offers treadmill servicing and repairs. Call us on 0489 954 167.