Best Exercise Bikes Reviews for 2021 - Stationary Bikes and Exercise Bikes
Our editors independently test, research, and recommend the best products. You can learn more about our review process here.
Best Exercise Bikes for the Price: Sunny Health and Fitness Magnetic Belt Indoor Bike
Best Exercise Bikes for Quality: ASUNA 5150 Magnetic Turbo Bike
Best Exercise Bikes for Small Spaces: Exerpeutic Folding Exercise Bike
Best Exercise Bikes with Moving Arms: Schwinn AD2 Airdyne Exercise Bike
1. Nautilus U616 Upright Bike
This indoor exercise bike comes with a high speed, inertia drive system. With a perimeter weighted flywheel, you can achieve smooth, consistent workouts. It includes a large padded seat for comfort, a DualTrack LCD display for tracking workout information, and the best part is the variety of included workout programs.
There are over 26 different unique training programs with over 25 levels of resistance. It provides support for the RideSocial mixed reality training that simulates riding outdoors. And with Bluetooth connectivity, you can track all of your details with the Nautilis Trainer app on your phone.
PROS
CONS
2. Stamina Elite Total Body
Most people bypass the recumbent bikes at the gym because they offer absolutely no upper body work. But this best recumbent bike has both arm and leg pedals. It's ideal for users who have problems sitting on an upright or spin bike because they can't still work out their arms.
This bike comes with a comfortable padded seat, provide quiet magnetic resistance, and has an electronic display revealing details such as calories, heart rate, workout time, and heart rate.
Pulse sensors are built into the handles below, allowing you to monitor your heart rate, speed distance, and more. The textured pedals with straps were built to keep your feet secure, while the wheels at the base help you roll this bike into the corner after workouts. It requires no electrical outlet to run. For more examples of products like these that also work your upper body, check out my full review of the best exercise bikes with moving arms.
PROS
CONS
3. Sunny Health & Fitness ASUNA 5150 Magnetic Turbo Bike
The biggest advantage of this Sunny Health Fitness bike is the smooth operation the chain drive, and 37.5-pound aluminum and steel flywheel offers. It seems a bit expensive until you try it out and realize how realistic the road feel is.
It's very sturdy too, handling up to 350 pounds, so it's ideal for both men and women. The adjustable resistance functions in tandem with the braking so that you can adjust the resistance in small increments.
PRO
CONS
4. Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Belt Drive Indoor Bike
Perhaps one of the best things about this Indoor Cycling Bike is that it is fully adjustable. You can adjust the seat 4 different ways and modify the height of the handlebars. The steel, toe-cage pedals come with adjustable straps.
The bike is built with a heavy-duty flywheel along with a belt drive mechanism to help you strengthen your legs with smooth, quiet riding. It has an emergency stop brake, a water bottle holder, and transportation wheels at the base for easy portability.
Constructed from a steel frame, this compact bike can support up to 300 pounds. For entertainment, there is also a tablet holder, so you can place your device on it while getting a workout.
PROS
CONS
5. Schwinn AD2 Airdyne Exercise Bike
This cycling bike utilizes the whole body and gives your foot a full range of motion. When the petals are at their lowest positions, you can straighten your legs completely.
I'm the kind of person that likes to pedal with a beat, so it bothers me that you have to go faster to change the resistance, but it provides a high-quality workout. These are one of the best exercise bikes for increasing exercise intensity.
PROS
CONS
6. Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Bikes with Pulse
This compact indoor cycling bike is a great choice for people who have a limited amount of space because it's foldable. It feels great when working out and it's easily one of the best bikes for the price to get fit.
One small criticism is that the leg motion is unusual, possibly because of the foldable design. It forces the pedals to sit a bit further inward than they would on a regular bike but not as far out as a recumbent. This magnetic upright bike takes getting used to with varying resistance levels. This is one of the best exercise bikes if you have limited space.
PROS
CONS
7. Schwinn 170 Upright Bike
This stationary bike is a good mid-range choice for home-use. It doesn't feel as slick compared to a gym bike, but it has a lot of the features that you want and needs from one, and it's not nearly as expensive.
One of the best things about this Schwinn is that it has a more advanced LCD digital layout which lets you simultaneously track 13 monitored actions. It's just easier to stay motivated when I can see all of my different areas of progress on the screen.
Even better, I can export the data from my machine to my iPad so I can keep track of calories burned, and distance peddled every week. It's one of the best exercise bikes for staying motivated, like an electronic personal trainer.
PROS
CONS
8. Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B901 Indoor Cycling Bike
The SF-B901 can be a great indoor cycling bike for in-home cardio workouts along with everything else fitness enthusiasts desire to have at home. The two-way adjustable handlebars and four-way adjustable seat allow a fully customizable experience for absolute comfort and compatibility of the user. Regardless of your fitness goals, you can rely on the high-end quality and durability of the heavy-duty crank and steel frame.
This indoor bike offers a smooth cycling experience when you pedal against the consistently challenging chain-drive mechanism. Also, SF-B901 features a convenient tension knob that allows you to adjust the intensity of your workout – making it an excellent option for any user level. Be sure to experience a real-road feeling when you bring the bike to an immediate stop with the emergency brake. With the complete portability that comes with the transportation wheels, you can conveniently tilt the bike forward and move it around.
Generally, the SF-B901 Pro Indoor Bike can be a good buy for newbies and professionals. The combination of sturdy construction, ease of adjustment, and quality cycling experience make it worth the price.
PROS
CONS
9. YOSUDA Indoor Cycling Bike Stationary
The YOSUDA spin bike can be a remarkable option for individuals looking to own a workout bike without breaking the bank. The bike comes with a 35lbs flywheel alongside a belt-driven system that provides a smooth, quiet cycling experience. You can opt to adjust the handlebar and padded seat for ultimate comfort and performance.
You’ll hardly miss the 270lbs maximum weight support as well as emergency brake lever and cage pedals. Also, the YOSUDA spin bike comes with an LCD screen that allows you to monitor essential information regarding your workout. If that’s not enough, the included water bottle holder quite nice to have. The iPad holder will also allow you to listen to music during your workouts.
The YOSUDA spin bike is among the cheapest quality bikes you can get. So, if you are on a limited budget, you can check out this indoor cycling bike.
PROS
CONS
10. Schwinn Indoor Cycling Bike Series
This bike allows you to experience a unique workout that feels just like real-life outdoor cycling. The Schwinn bike features an innovative system that controls the resistance levels to make you feel like you’re cycling through rolling hills. The indoor bike is designed to work with Zwift and Peloton apps where users can stream classes or compete virtually against other users.
The Schwinn bike comes with a 40-pound sturdy flywheel along with a quiet belt drive. You’ll also love the resistance dial that is strategically set beneath the handlebars. Also, the Dual SPD pedals allow you to select between shoe clips and toe cages. In addition, you can easily position the bike seat horizontally or vertically. You’ll hardly miss the data monitor that is designed to work with compatible wireless heart rate transmitters.
If you’re looking for extra features such as workout programming, the Schwinn indoor bike can be a good choice for you.
PROS
CONS
Finding a Good Exercise Bike is Hard
Finding the right exercise bike for your budget can be an intimidating task. It seems like every product sells their features as if they are the only thing that matters, but if that were true, there wouldn't be a gazillion different designs on the market. This review will cover all types of convenient exercise bikes so you can get a better idea of what's on the market today.
What are the Best Kinds of Exercise Bikes?
A stationary bike is popular for users and have evolved to meet different needs for weight loss. Even better than paying for a personal trainer, here are now four different types of indoor cycles to choose from:
Recumbent Exercise
Marcy recumbent stationary bikes are my personal favorite for multi-tasking because they are so comfortable.
As a stationary bike, have back supports just like a chair, and they're perfect for reading a book while peddling. Unfortunately, the only arm workout I get is turning the page unless I put down the book and pick up the weights. They also employ different muscles than standard bikes. You'll notice that a stationary bike might require more of a push with the thighs than a peddling with your legs and backside. Most recumbent bikes should have a weight capacity to support you in you're overweight.
Standard Upright
This was the first exercise bike that became popular. Uprights have a very simple design that usually includes an LCD screen with a tracking system. These monitors track the distance you've peddled and the calories burned for weight loss. We often sit on them like we would a beach cruiser, and the peddling method is very similar too. They are among some of the most modern machines. They're inexpensive and easy to repair if something breaks, and they rarely break. Some good standard uprights from the 80's still work great.
Spin Cycles
These are the machines you're going to find at the gym for spin classes. They come with a flywheel mechanism that disengages when you coast and re-engages when you start peddling again. The experience is comparable to what you experience when racing your bike on the road. You have to lean over the handlebars to peddle just like you would your racing bike too. You can get some of the most intense cardio workouts in the world on a spin cycle.
Dual Action
These bikes have moving handlebars instead of a pair stationary ones. Some models have both. The bike handlebars move like those on a skiing machine, working your arms out too. Some models allow separate adjustments for your legs, so the bike is suitable for any athlete, novice to expert. Most of us have stronger legs than arms, so our noodle arms may need time to catch up to the resistance level that our legs can handle.
Pedal Resistance
Every exercise bike features a different kind of pedal resistance to increase the difficulty of motion. Some bikes have manually adjustable magnetic resistance while others have digitally adjustable magnetic resistance. Other bikes feature simple mechanical pedal resistance. Magnetic resistance and other types still have difficulty simulating the difficulty of riding a bike up an incline surface.
Whichever type of bike you choose, make sure it's one you will enjoy using. Some of us just like to pedal vigorously on a marcy recumbent, and some of us enjoy the racing feel of a spin machine. Some people want the full-body workout that we can only get with a dual-action bike. There isn't a wrong choice here. It's all about what best suits your needs.
Conclusion for Best Bikes
I hope this small guide has given you an exceptional overview involving some of the best bikes on the market. Now you just need to make a decision between these or another suitable cardio machine. Enjoy!