Best exercise bikes for home workouts and spin classes 2024

The best exercise bike for you is one that gets you excited to ride indoors regularly. Exercise bikes have taken a step forward in recent years and many are packed with motivational features such as third-party ride app connectivity or even their own virtual personal trainers. The best exercise bikes will also connect to the best smartwatches and heart rate monitors, enabling you to use advanced zone training methods.

For those looking to take control of their fitness and training, exercise bikes are a great way to start. They offer simple and user-friendly platforms that raise your heart rate and get your legs spinning. Depending on your needs there are three forms of resistance to choose from. With manual resistance bikes, it’s as simple as turning a dial, which can be great for quick cardio and warm-ups. Wind resistance bikes tend to work both the legs and arms and are fantastic for cross-training. The harder you work with these bikes the more resistance is generated. Finally, electromagnetic bikes, which are smooth and quiet to operate, are perfect for connecting to third-party training apps.

If you’re interested in taking the next step beyond basic fitness, or even stepping into the world of virtual cycle racing, you should consider one of the best indoor smart bikes.

The Quick List

Our pick of the best exercise bikes

Best exercise bike on a budget

For newcomers to riding at home, the Domyos Basic Exercise bike can be the perfect place to get started. While reviews on the Decathlon house brand website say that it's no studio bike, many applaud its sturdiness and value for money. Arguably with less frequent use, this basic spin bike doesn't need to be quite as robust. This means the Domyos is slightly lighter and more transportable, allowing it to be wheeled out the way when not in use.

A 12kg flywheel uses a mechanically applied leather brake pad to create resistance for the user, in what the brand says is 'moderate-intensity use. A chain-driven drivetrain should recreate a smooth pedalling sensation, similar to that of a normal bike. The saddle height, saddle fore/aft and handlebar height can all be adjusted, similar to that of a regular gym spin bike. Making it easy and quick to find a comfortable position.

There isn't an online community or platform to join, which means you'll have to be self-motivated or find online classes to attend. The Domyos allows the freedom and flexibility of keeping fit with a little homemade spin class at a low cost.

Best Peloton alternative

The Echelon smart bike is a sturdy and compact bike that provides both comfort and functionality. Customisation is easy with an adjustable oversized seat and handlebar console. A silent magnetic flywheel provides 32 levels of resistance and challenging workouts for all levels of rider.

A clear contender for the best Peloton alternatives, with unlimited personalised workouts and online community options. But unlike Peloton, all price plans allow you to join a variety of live and on-demand classes and special events led by Echelon's own trained instructors. Access is provided through the Echelon Fit App using your mobile phone, tablet or smart TV. Which can be held by the holder provided with the bike.

The bike provides a more upright riding position than other smart exercise bikes, so longer torso riders might feel a bit squished up, while others may find the ride feel too distant from their real road bike.

Best for motivation and community

"Okay Peloton, let's do this!" You have almost certainly seen the adverts for this on TV, the brand has been popping up everywhere and even non-cyclists now know of the word, peloton. The American brand dominates the US market and has made inroads into the UK too.

The basic set-up (and membership) includes daily live-streamed classes, as well as 24-hour access to the virtual studio for an entire household. There are curated playlists for all genres, instructors and coaches, as well as leaderboards to keep you motivated. There are even additional extra options that include strength, stretch and yoga classes.

It's cheaper than the Wahoo option, but nearly double that of the Echelon, arguably the biggest competitor. If you struggle to plan your own workouts and need motivational entertainment, the Peloton is a great option. There's even the option for individual profiles for household access, so perfect if you're looking for a shared home bike option.

If it all sounds like a tempting offer for virtual cycling but you are still undecided, take a look at our helpful guide on Zwift vs Peloton: which is best for your at-home workouts?

Read more: Peloton indoor training bike review

Best budget option for third-party connectivity

Horizon Fitness offers indoor exercise kit that all costs under $1,000, with the 7.0 IC offer including a Bluetooth heart rate monitor. Set-up isn't too laborious, although there's a limited range of adjustment and the saddle is rather hard.

The Horizon Fitness bike comes with pedals with SPD clips on one side and straps on the other and you get two water bottle holders. It doesn't take up too much space.

You get Bluetooth connectivity, so you can use a phone or tablet to join classes or rides online and your speed and other metrics will be sent to the app, although you're still going to need to adjust the resistance manually. With a total of 100 levels, there's plenty of fine-resolution and high-end resistance available and the transition between levels is smooth.

Read more: Horizon Fitness 7.0 IC Fitness Bike review

Best budget exercise bike for big efforts

If you've ever undertaken a gym spin class, the chances are that you were riding a Schwinn. That background in gym bikes means very little technical know-how is needed in order to get it set up and ready to ride. For those that may already own spin shoes, it even comes with secure clipless pedals (SPD) out of the box.

The sturdy indoor trainer uses a weighty flywheel which is unlikely to be overpowered by many riders. It's a direct-contact resistance system, with a staggering 100 levels to choose from meaning you are in charge of your own training at all times.

The added tablet/ phone holder and a wide range of third-party connectivity means you choose which virtual classes you join and enjoy.

The bike's location can be really flexible, with mini roller wheels helping it to be transported. But the weight unit will limit its general living place, and I wouldn't be keen on rolling it or riding it without the use of heavy-duty floor protection.

Read more: Schwinn 800IC Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike Full review

Best air resistance exercise bike

Developed for more than a decade the Wattbike air resistance system is well-renewed among high-level athletes and fitness coaches. The Wattbike Pro and Trainer Air set the benchmark for those looking to incorporate high-intensity intervals into their training plans. The recently launched of the Wattbike Air aims to bring this technology into the homes of cyclists and fitness enthusiasts.

What do we know about the air resistance system? The commercial gym versions have huge peak power outputs, with the Pro & Trainer Air achieving 3500-3800 watts. These are the bikes you will have seen the likes of Sir Chris Hoy and Laura Kenny doing FTP and sprint efforts on. The Air has a far more modest peak but one that is still far higher than its competition with potential for riders to try and push 2500 watts.

Air bikes are renowned for being extremely quiet and react nearly immediately to explosive efforts, with a smoothness that can only be achieved using this resistance method. As we found with the Atom Wattbikes reputation for quality is high. Considering the top level athletes that use either system everyday, we have no doubt the Air would be a good addition to any home gym setup.

Best exercise bike for durability

Concept2 is a big name in gym equipment, with its rowing machines considered the gold standard and this accuracy is carried over into the Concept2 BikeErg exercise bike. Its PM5 power meter measures a host of metrics to give repeatable values from its fan-based resistance unit.

There's no heavy flywheel or magnetic resistance unit here, so the Concept2 BikeErg is lighter than many competitors and there's no need for a power supply.

Setup was quick and there's a wide range of tool-free adjustment of all the contact points. Shorter or taller riders can buy a different length seatpost for even more inside leg length range. You can also swap out handlebars, saddle and pedals, although not the crank length.

On test, the belt drive and air resistance make for a really smooth, quiet ride. It's easy to do one of Conept2's sessions or to hook up to Zwift for more stimulation; a tablet mount is an extra though.

On the downside, we didn't find power measurement all that accurate, although it was consistent, and you need to reach down to the flywheel to alter resistance rather than having a bar-mounted lever.

Read more: Concept 2 BikeErg review

Specs table

There's a lot to consider if you're looking for the best exercise bike to meet your needs. You'll want to make sure that you've got all the functionality that you want before making what can be a significant outlay on an exercise bike for riding indoors.

Here's a cross-reference table for all the models listed above.

Exercise bikes FAQ

Hard to believe that exercise bikes have been around since the advent of the bike, and there were even exercise bikes on the Titanic!

Since the advent of spin classes in the mid-nineties, when the popularity of static riding grew rapidly, the domestic offering thankfully now expands much further than the first iteration of exercise bikes that eventually gathered dust in your parents' bedroom four decades ago.

In the main, a typical exercise bike will be for anyone looking for a get-and-keep-fit option at home. The range available is huge and in general, directly correlates with price. The more you spend, the better the ride feels and the more data will be available to you.

A smart bike will be all about the technical attributes, will have pre-programmable sessions, the ability to see and record data, and often have wifi or Bluetooth, making it compatible with a third-party app on a computer.

Traditionally, more experienced cyclists who train indoors would attach their own bike to one of the best turbo trainers or ride on a set of the best bike rollers. Although most smart trainers no longer require you to use your top bike with one of the best power meters to measure your Wattage, there will always be some discrepancy from chain wear, or tyre pressures on rollers.

These provide a more real-life riding experience, and some will have a more realistic riding position, with dropped handlebars or time trial bars.

Brands such as the highly popular Peloton range straddle both exercise and smart bike spheres, providing an interactive whole-body workout, which includes weights, but with the ability to see and store data and automatic resistance changes.

Whatever option you choose, it’s important to not get caught in a false economy trap of just buying the cheapest option.

The best exercise bikes and smart bikes will have weighted flywheels (if it’s not an air bike), a range of adjustable resistance and sturdy frames, an exercise bike is only as good as its basic structure, so needs to be robust enough to withstand regular riding.

Resistance Types

At the heart of most indoor bikes sits a weighted flywheel. Its job is to provide mass which requires energy to establish rotational inertia. In other words - a weighted metal disk which takes the place of a bike wheel and is connected to the pedals via either a chain or a belt.

The flywheel stores kinetic energy, so once you’ve got the wheel turning, it will continue to do so, creating a very similar experience to outdoor pedalling.

A good flywheel will typically take force to get it spinning and force to make it stop, as kinetic energy is a function of mass and speed. The larger the diameter and heavier the flywheel the more energy is stored, and the flywheels that spin the fastest store much more energy than ones that spin faster (so keep spinning for longer on their own).

Put simply:

If you have two flywheels and spin them at 10 miles an hour they both store the same energy.

Double the weight of one but maintain both at 10 miles an hour, the heavier flywheel will store twice as much energy.

If you have two identical weighted flywheels, but spin one at 10 miles an hour and one at 20 miles an hour, you actually quadruple the energy it stores.

The trick is ensuring that whatever way the bike creates kinetic energy that there is a sweet spot between weight, size and resistance controls.

Without the ability to apply external slowing force, a flywheel would be more of a go and stop experience and have to be either extraordinarily large and heavy or be spun at an extraordinary speed to have a positive effect on your fitness.

By applying the principles of friction from either brake pads making direct contact or electromagnetic induction, using powerful magnets, the weight and size or speed of a flywheel can be significantly reduced to a more usable package.

Direct-Contact resistance systems

A brake pad is simply applied alongside and on top of the flywheel to create friction which the rider needs to overcome.

The more pressure applied to the pad, the harder it becomes to keep the flywheel moving. It’s that simple.

The downside is, you’ll still require a pretty heavy and large flywheel; think typical gym spin bike, and much like brakes on a bike or a car, over time you’ll find that the brakes will need replacing. Depending on the quality and size of the flywheel, you may eventually find that it needs to be replaced too at some point.

They are also entirely mechanical, so will be noisier than electro-magnetic resistant bikes. So if it’s going to be living in the middle of your lounge, you might need to give advance warning of your impending exercise routine to the rest of the household.

The upside is that this level of simplicity keeps the price down. There are lots of online classes, both paid and free, to sign up to keep you motivated and working hard. These bikes also rarely require electricity, so great for keeping in an outbuilding or, even outside with a protective cover on when not in use.

Electro-Magnetic resistance systems

Recently these have become the pièce de résistance of exercise bikes. By passing an electrical current through magnets you can make the magnets more or less attractive to each other. The resistance in an electromagnetic exercise or smart bike is controlled by the level of electric current passing through the magnets that flank either side of the flywheel. More current equals more magnetic force, increasing the resistance, and making it harder for you to turn it.

The biggest benefit of the electromagnetic resistance system is that it can be controlled by the rider, by pushing a button, running pre-programmed software built into the bike or, with the correct connectivity, a remote third party, allowing for virtual riding on platforms such as Zwift or TrainerRoad.

Another benefit of the electromagnetic system is that because there is nothing in contact with the flywheel creating the resistance, you can significantly reduce its size and weight, making the whole package much smaller and lighter.

Other benefits include less wear and tear, as there are no brakes in contact with the flywheel and the working noise is also significantly reduced.

The downside as well as requiring a source of electricity, is the cost. The initial outlay will be a lot more expensive than a more basic mechanical direct contact resistance bike, and remote third-party virtual reality apps will require a subscription of some kind.

Air resistance systems

Air bikes use a flywheel system based on air to create the resistance and are increasingly popular in gyms since the advent of Crossfit/ Functional fitness and their HIIT style exercises.

Fan like blades are driven by a simple cog and chain/ belt and require the rider’s energy, mostly by co-joined pedal arm levers to turn. The harder you ride, the more resistance the blades meet from air, making you expend more energy.

If you want to cover a set distance or calorie count quickly, you’ll have to push the blades through the air quickly - which requires more force to move air molecules quicker, think of putting your hand out of a moving car window and the force of the wind at low and high speeds.

90% of air bikes will have arms and legs and as the resistance comes from the spinning blade, there’s often no variability.

The upside is that along with getting a full body workout, there’s no need for electricity (other than a new battery once in a while for a head unit display) so it can be located anywhere, another ideal option for the shed or outside under a protective cover.

The downside is that out of all three options, this is by far the noisiest with the harder you work the louder the fan like sound, certainly not household friendly.

How we test

Indoor training is a central part of their fitness regime for the majority of road cyclists, with indoor training apps like Zwift and Wahoo X making the experience much more interactive.

Even without the ability to link up to an app - which isn't part of some of the more basic exercise bikes listed above - there's a lot you can get out of indoor cycling. Interval training is a lot easier without needing to worry about traffic or the weather, for example.

So here at Cycling Weekly, we're dedicated indoor trainers as well as outdoor riders. Our team has used a wide range of exercise bikes and smart trainers and knows what to look for to maximise your fitness gains from riding indoors.

Our experience means that you'll have a consistent, in depth viewpoint, which is reflected in our product scoring. You can find out more on our How We Test page.