The best exercise bikes – or best indoor bikes – can turn an otherwise mundane activity (i.e. indoor cycling) into a genuinely fun experience thanks to their interactive consoles, adjustable saddles/pedals, and the live/on-demand workouts they provide. Get fit without getting bored out of your head with the below indoor bikes!
Modern stationary bikes will give your quads, hamstrings and glutes a run for their money if that's what you want to help you relax and wind down after a long and stressful day at work. You can get fit with indoor cycling, much like how running on the best treadmills – and best folding treadmills – can help you burn calories and stay healthy indoors. For a total body workout, though, we recommend using the best rowing machines.
Whether you're looking to recreate a stage of the Tour de France or spend 20 minutes in the fat-burn zone to help you lose weight faster, there's something in this collection of the best home exercise bikes. Haven't got much space or money for a high-spec exercise bike? Have a look at the best folding exercise bikes and find out the difference between folding and non-folding exercise bikes.
Best exercise bikes to buy right now
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There’s a lot to consider when buying a Peloton bike: the initial price, the ongoing subscription costs, if you have space in your home, and so on. However, such concerns will likely melt away as soon as the Peloton Bike+ lands on your doorstep (and is subsequently carried over the threshold by the delivery guys, of course). Even we, who only had the bike on loan, were blown away by how good it felt to have the Bike+ in our homes.
Thanks to its robust construction, beautiful design with attention to detail, ease of use and comfort, we dare anyone not to become instantly obsessed with the Peloton Bike+. The premium experience it delivers is magical, and as a result, we’ve used it almost daily over the past few months. We can’t get enough.
Read our full Peloton Bike+ review
For the price, the Schwinn IC8 is a stationary bike option not to be ignored. We loved the solid construction and the bike's weight – we felt it would last many years of sweaty abuse. As a connected fitness tool, the Schwinn IC8 falls some way behind the Peloton Bike listed above, which is not only more technologically advanced (you get a massive screen) but is also an ergonomically excellent piece of design.
The Schwinn IC8 is an excellent Peloton alternative (rather than a hardcore road cycling training tool). If Schwinn can iron out its massively inflated power/output stats to appease the Zwift/TrainerRoad users, it will be a mighty fine all-rounder worthy of five stars.
Read our full Schwinn IC8 review
What can we say? The Domyos Basic Exercise Bike 100 is the ideal choice for people who want to get fit with indoor cycling but aren't planning on spending loads of money on a Wattbike. And although the Wattbike is worth every penny, if you just want to pedal around at home a few times a week, the Domyos Basic Exercise Bike 100 will do just fine.
This indoor cycle is designed for occasional to regular use: the Bike 100 has been tested for average use of five hours a week, which is fair play as you really shouldn't expect a stationary bike for this price to withstand hours of gruelling spinning workouts every day.
That said, the Bike 100 is a reasonably stable bike thanks to its steel frame and stabilising pads for uneven floors. The 12 kg flywheel is plenty heavy enough for lighter workouts, and the leather brake pad will ensure that the flywheel won't make screeching noises when it's being stopped. The seat is adjustable in height and depth, and the handlebar is also height adjustable.
Enjoying virtual spin classes at home has never been so popular as it is now. Many people don't know that you don't necessarily have to buy a Peloton/Echelon bike to enjoy virtual classes. Instead of investing thousands of pounds/dollars into the latest-and-greatest spin bikes, you can get JTX Cyclo Studio Bike and recreate an almost identical experience for way less.
The JTX Cyclo Studio Bike has a hefty 25-kilo flywheel and an 'infinity' resistance dial, similar to those found on bikes manufactured by the brands mentioned above. To make suffering on the bike more comfortable, both the handlebar and the seat adjust vertically and horizontally using the quick-release handles. The JTX Cyclo Studio features the JTX SPD Clip-In Pedals, which can be used with – you guessed it – SPD shoes or, by flipping it over, regular trainers.
The Wattbike Atom is a rather more serious bit of kit; the Terminator of the spin bike world. Wattbike has long been the master of creating professional-grade indoor cycling equipment that offers more feedback than a heavy metal concert in a wardrobe, but now it has turned its attention to the private home market.
The Atom's lightweight steel construction makes it easy to move around, while the compact frame ensures it doesn't take up too much space at home. It still feels more like a real, high-performance road bike than most of its rivals. It's got a thin, lightweight racing saddle, authentic drop bars with rubber gear cowling and 'out-front' time trial bar extensions.
The realism doesn't stop there because when plugged in and synced up to a smart device, it shows off its fancy, innovative Climb Mode, which automatically adjusts resistance when connected to virtual training software. So when you hit a hill during a Zwift session, the resistance ramps up to match. Wattbike's own detailed app measures 37 different riding metrics, which can be displayed on a smartphone or tablet (there's a neat holder for that) while training.
Read our full Wattbike Atom review
The Wahoo Kickr Bike (V1) review is a superb dedicated indoor cycling trainer; however, it's not quite perfect. It might read like it should be, as we'd assumed it to be way better than the Garmin Tacx Neo Bike, by comparison, thanks to Wahoo's rise/fall hydraulic system, but in reality, we've missed the built-in fan cooling and phone holder of the Tacx setup. Latency, too, is a bother – but that Kickr Bike V2 ought to fix that issue if you can afford the extra (I've not tested it, as I don't have one to compare).
We haven't missed the Tacx's restrictive gearsets or poor shifter positions, though, which is where the Kickr Bike really comes into its own: in feeling closer to a road bike proper than the competition. The lack of side-to-side movement means it's not wholly realistic, of course, but it's a step above its peers – and that's massively appealing. Overall, as dedicated indoor trainers go, the Wahoo Kickr Bike (V1) makes for a sensational ride.
Read our full Wahoo Kickr Bike (V1) review
The Echelon Connect EX-3 is a decent indoor bike, and it offers a wide variety of on-demand and live spin classes. The magnetic resistance provides a near-silent riding experience, and thanks to the customisation options, most people will find a way to sit on the Echelon Connect EX-3 however they want.
Unfortunately, the bike doesn't come with a built-in screen that chips away from an otherwise superb indoor cycling experience. A class viewed on a comparatively small, 10" tablet will not be the same as it is on a 22" Peloton bike screen. You can use your Echelon Fit web login on any smart TV and watch Echelon classes on a big screen.
Considering the sturdiness of the Echelon Connect EX-3, the available classes and the affordable price point, I would recommend the bike to people who are happy to use their own gadgets to view the Echelon App. As they say, a penny saved is a penny earned, and you will be able to save a pretty penny by getting the Echelon Connect EX-3 bike.
Read our full Echelon Connect EX-3 review
Rather than going down the currently fashionable route of virtual spin classes, CAROL has a very different ace up its sleeve. It promises to get you fit in just 26 minutes per week via a programme that pushes the intensity levels up to the absolute maximum. You exercise for 8 minutes per session, of which the vast. The majority is gently warming up and rather exhaustedly warming down. In between are two sprints of 20 seconds each.
This may not sound like much, but as soon as you start to sprint, CAROL pushes the resistance up to what it calculates is the absolute maximum that you can stand. Believe me: those 40 seconds hurt. However, a lot of research suggests very good cardiovascular health results from this brutal workout.
You can also do more standard, longer workouts on CAROL, but it's this super-intense HIIT workout that you're paying for, and CAROL is not cheap. There are 'free ride' workouts, more traditional HIIT-style fat burners and some useful fitness tests to map your progress. The free ride mode can also be used in conjunction with guided cycle workouts from the likes of Apple Fitness+ and Peloton if you have the relevant subscriptions. It's a very impressive bit of kit, although by definition, not for everyone.
Read more about the CAROL Bike here
With a stylish design and good, solid construction, the Apex Bike is a brilliant bit of kit for the price, complemented by some excellent virtual classes and top-notch instructors." It’s not perfect by any means, but if you’re thinking about buying a Peloton but don’t want to remortgage the house, we’re confident the Apex Bike will be a more than worthy alternative.
Read our full Apex Bike review
The Tacx Neo Smart Bike Plus is a minor improvement on what went before. The upgraded handlebars and shifters combined with its drivetrain imitator mean it has the ride feel of an actual bike from front to back. But its eye-watering price and the missing of some features found on its closest rival mean it’s likely to remain in the shadows of the Wahoo Kickr Bike V2. For the same reason, it wouldn’t be worth upgrading if you already own the Tacx Neo Smart Bike.
Read our full Tacx Neo Smart Bike Plus review
How to buy the best exercise bike for you
The first thing to know about home exercise bikes is that the cheaper ones are not all that much like riding a real bike. High-end smart indoor trainers like the Wattbike Atom and Proform TdF Pro 5.0 Studio are the exception, not the rule. You may want to consider a smart (turbo) trainer if you require a more 'realistic' experience without spending a pretty penny on a high-spec smart bike.
Most modern exercise bikes use a brake-based system that sees a heavy metal flywheel turned by the pedals and chain rather than a rear wheel. Resistance is added in cheaper models by breaking this flywheel as you would on a moving vehicle. However, in recent years indoor and spin bikes have arrived that use powerful magnets to act as a brake. This does away with the need to apply physical force to the flywheel, preventing wear and tear. It also offers a more natural, realistic feel
As well as considering the cost of the bike, the main decision you will need to make is riding position, be it recumbent (more joint-friendly) or varying levels of upright. The former is great for anyone with back problems who perhaps don't want to be hunched over like Bradley Wiggins attacking a time trial, while the latter does its best to replicate a real outdoor cycling experience.
These things do command a decent amount of space at home. But even if you haven't a clue what cadence means, nor care for Lycra-clad jaunts at the weekend, one of these pedal-powered beauties could be the difference between you smashing your fitness goals or slowing sliding into couch potato land.
For those who can't make up their minds whether to get a stationary bike or a treadmill next, we compared these cardio machines here: treadmill vs exercise bike.
How we test the best exercise bikes
You might think it's not that difficult to test exercise bikes; all you have to do is jump on the saddle and pedal away.
However, when we test indoor bikes, we must test all the features the machine has and that includes meticulously going through all the programs and settings, checking different customisation options, build quality, the mechanical and digital components and more.
There are even more things to observe with bikes like the Peloton Bike+, such as the display, the library of live and on-demand classes, etc. We test these all, so we know which ones are worth the money and which aren't.
To learn more about how we test at T3, click on the link now.
What is the best exercise bike?
The best exercise bike at the moment is the Peloton Bike+. This brilliant connected bike is even more popular in 2022 thanks to its ever-expanding workout library and fabulous design.
Not everyone can afford a Peloton bike, though. If you're on a tight budget, you're better off getting the Schwinn IC8 or its updated version, the Schwinn 800IC. The bike is manufactured by Bowflex's sister company Schwinn and it's robust, quiet, and cheap (at least less expensive than a new Peloton).
Can you lose belly fat by riding a stationary bike?
Following a regular cardio exercise pattern is possibly the most universally accepted way of losing weight and trimming belly fat. Moderate effort cardio exercises, such as running or cycling, can indeed help you lose weight, improve overall health and especially cardiovascular (a.k.a. heart) health.
In theory, considering your current diet is maintaining your weight as in your not putting on or losing weight, without changing your lifestyle in any other way, cycling for just half an hour a day could help you lose weight as you will be using more energy than before.
That said, long-term weight loss is usually not as easy as tweaking your 'calorie in, calorie out' balance and in many cases, fat will 'fight back' in a variety of ways. One possible solution is to combine cardio with resistance training: by increasing your muscle mass, you'll also increase your resting metabolic rate as your body will need more calories to maintain itself.
Most importantly, understanding macros is key to weight loss. Eating the right type of food at the right time can help you lose weight without any exercising, although exercising is beneficial in more ways than just helping you lose weight.
Is 30 minutes on stationary bike enough?
Doing only 30 minutes of stationary biking has a range of benefits: it increases metabolism, improves cardiovascular health, and it can also help you burn more calories. And although some exercise bikes, such as the CAROL Bike, can apparently get you fit in 40 seconds, doing a couple of 30-minute sessions a week on your exercise bike will also do wonders for your body.
Stationary biking might be a better option for those struggling with obesity as it puts less pressure on the joints than running, especially outdoors. There are many different types of bikes, including recumbent bikes, which might even put less stress on the knees than standard stationary bikes, so you can enjoy the benefits of exercising without worrying about your joint health.
Which bike is best for workout?
The best exercise bikes for home workouts are studio-style indoor bikes, the ones that grant you access to live and on-demand classes and enable you to pedal hard and with varying intensity for long periods of time. Peloton spins to mind (pun very much intended) as a great example, but certain bikes from Echelon and NordicTrack can also provide a superb home workout experience. For pro-league cycling home workouts, try the Wattbike Atom or the Wahoo Kickr Bike instead.
