The huge range of exercise bikes available is enough to put even the most experienced cyclist in a spin. While the chunky, clunky indoor bikes consigned to the garage in the 90s and noughties have been replaced by sleek spinning machines, shopping for an indoor bike can still be hit and miss (as I discovered while testing the best for this piece).
The right bike can be a great investment, especially if you’re short on space. They’re smaller and more compact than a treadmill or rowing machine and offer a lot of bang for your buck. “Indoor cycling is low impact but high intensity,” says Alana Murrin, Head of Ride at London’s Psycle studios. “It’s a huge mind booster and mood shifter – you get dopamine, serotonin, endorphins. Even when I just have small bursts of time, I can put on a 20 minute express workout and get that same feeling and sensation that I get from an in-person class.”
You don’t need to commit to cycling for an hour or more to feel and see results – studies have shown that cyclists who use stationary bikes for shorter, high intensity interval training can significantly improve performance on the road without having to put in hours of work.
“20-30 minutes is the sweet spot for those working out at home; if you commit to doing that every other day, you’ll find that consistency is far more valuable than intensity,” she says.
Which exercise bike is right for me?
There are two main types of exercise bike. Upright exercise bikes (sometimes called static bikes) have an upright seat position and higher handlebars. They also tend to have a larger and more padded seat. Spin bikes have lower handlebars and geometry similar to a road bike – they are what you would find in an indoor cycling or spin class. There are also recumbent exercise bikes where you sit slightly reclined with your feet in front of your body, which are useful for those with reduced mobility.
How much do I have to spend?
Prices for exercise bikes start from around £100, but the cheapest bikes are best avoided. For a premium bike with all the bells and whistles, you’d need to pay £800 plus. The market-leading Peloton exercise bike, which has a screen to stream cycling classes and other workouts, will set you back a minimum of £1,550. Is it worth the money?
For me, yes – the main incentive to purchase an exercise bike is that it might give me the motivation to actually ride it. I’ve always found stationary cycling fairly monotonous, but this new crop of ‘connected’ smart bikes that offer studio-standard spin classes from home could change that. The only downside I can find is that at home I don’t have air conditioning (although a strategically angled fan works fine).
What should I look for when choosing an exercise bike?
Informed by the experts, I’ve come up with a five-point checklist of ‘S’s to guide you while shopping for an exercise bike: sturdiness, speed, size, screen, and shoes.
“My first priority is sturdiness; you need to feel like you’re in control,” says Murrin. The resistance on most exercise bikes is powered by a flywheel – a metal disc that provides the resistance to your pedalling. The heavier the flywheel, the harder it will be to pedal, and the smoother the bike will feel.
In my opinion, the only exercise bikes worth considering use magnetic or electromagnetic resistance, which is smoother to adjust (and also much quieter) than direct contact or ‘friction’ resistance (which does what it says on the tin).
When it comes to speed, “I’m looking for a fluid sense of resistance,” says Murrin. “If it feels clunky, you’re not going to be able to work up to higher speeds.” Size is also a key consideration: you need to be able to fit the bike in your home and store it. As for screens, top-of-the-range models now come with monitors to give you real-time feedback, show online cycling classes and simulate outdoor rides, or a tablet holder for using training apps such as Strava and Zwift.
Finally, consider whether you want to use your bike with trainers or with cycling shoes. Most of the models I tested came with dual-sided pedals that had cleats (for “clipping in”) on one side and an adjustable toe cage for running shoes on the other. Murrin says cleats are “much safer and more effective” than wearing trainers.
If you were hoping for a £200 solution to your exercise bike woes, I’m afraid I haven’t found one. You really do get what you pay for, and the difference in build quality as you go up the price spectrum is marked. Read on for my verdict on the best exercise bikes for 2022.
