Best exercise bike 2024: The top upright and indoor cycles
In a spin over the best exercise bike to buy? This guide to the best budget, mid-range and high-end models will help you decide
Buying one of the best exercise bikes on the market is a great way to get fit at home. They provide a quick and convenient way to get a low-impact workout without leaving the house, and you don’t have to be the next Mark Cavendish to reap the benefits. These cardio wonders are generally cheaper and smaller than other home cardio machines (like treadmills and rowing machines), and they provide scope for all kinds of cardiovascular workouts, from long steady rides to the short HIIT (high-intensity interval training) blasts popular in spinning classes.
Here at Expert Reviews, we’ve drawn on the knowledge of experts across a range of fields, be it biking or baking, putting us in an excellent position to offer you honest, objective insights about almost any product – including fitness equipment such as exercise bikes.
Below you’ll find our roundup of the 15 best exercise bikes currently on the market, as selected and researched by our experts: this covers bikes to suit every shopper, from casual riders to dedicated cycling enthusiasts. There’s also a buying guide to answer some of the big FAQs and an at a glance list if you don’t have time to read our mini reviews.
Best exercise bike: At a glance
| Best budget exercise bike | JLL JF100 Home Exercise Bike | £110 | Check price at JLL |
| Best folding exercise bike | Ultrasport F-Bike | £116 | Check price at Amazon |
| Best for a full-body workout | JTX Mission Air Bike | £799 | Check price at JTX Fitness |
| Best value exercise bike | JTX Cyclo-6 | £549 | Check price at JTX Fitness |
| Best for advanced stats | Wattbike Atom | £2,399 | Check price at Wattbike |
How to choose the best exercise bike for you
What kind of exercise bike do I want?
There are two common kinds of exercise bike: upright cycles and indoor cycles (also known as spinning cycles). Upright bikes are generally the more comfortable choice; they’re often cheaper, and better suited to beginners looking to get in shape.
An indoor cycle more closely mimics the experience of riding a road bike than an upright bike, with a forward-leaning rider position which means you can stand on the pedals.
Indoor cycles are normally used in spin classes, as they’re perfect for intense, intervals sessions. If you prefer to ride your own bike, you can invest in what’s called a turbo trainer, which attaches to the back wheel of the bike so you can ride it while stationary.
A third type of exercise cycle to consider is a recumbent exercise bike, where the rider cycles in a laid-back reclining position – great for those who suffer from back pain.
How much do I need to spend?
If you’re looking for an upright bike, there are excellent options under £200, and even some solid picks under £100 for those on a tight budget. You can get a decent spinning cycle for less than £200 too, but here the prices go higher: for a gym-quality machine you’re looking at closer to £500.
What kind of resistance should I look for?
One of the most important features of an exercise bike is the degree of resistance it offers, as this is what determines the difficulty of your workout.
Most exercise bikes generate resistance using a flywheel that’s driven by the pedals; friction-resistance bikes apply brakes to slow this flywheel, which the user can adjust by turning a knob.
Magnetic-resistance exercise bikes slow the flywheel through the magic of magnetism. This is quieter than direct contact brakes, requires less maintenance, and allows you to set an exact level of resistance.
However, the maximum resistance is lower, which may frustrate seasoned cyclists – and some users prefer the instant response of twirling a direct-resistance knob, especially for HIIT sessions.
Another technique that’s sometimes used is air resistance, where a fan turns as you pedal. The harder you work, the greater the air resistance on the fan’s blades.
What other features should I look out for?
The size of the bike is important, both in terms of the space it might take up and whether it’s sturdy enough to take your weight and let you pedal comfortably. Most exercise bikes will have a digital display console giving the basic details of your ride; some offer more advanced stats like power and cadence. Other handy features can include a built-in fan and heart-rate monitoring handles.
READ NEXT: The best spin bikes to buy
The best exercise bikes you can buy in 2024
1. JLL Home Exercise Bike JF100: Best budget exercise bike
Price when reviewed: £110 | Check price at JLL
Great for… Anyone on a shoestring budget
Not so great for… Meeting the resistance needs of seasoned cyclists
This sturdy upright bike offers an impressively smooth and quiet ride at a bargain price. It also comes with a one-year warranty for peace of mind, which is always welcome when opting for a budget pick. Maxing out the resistance might not result in a tough enough ride to satisfy keen outdoor cyclists, but the JF100 ticks all the boxes for beginners keen on doing some cardio workouts at home without having to splash out.
Key specs – Size: 62 x 51 x 120cm (LWH); Resistance: Magnetic (10 levels); Max user weight: 100kg
2. JTX Cyclo-6: Best-value exercise bike
Price when reviewed: £549 | Check price at JTX Fitness
Great for… Value for money
Not so great for… Fancy features like smart connectivity
Unless you’re looking for premium features like smart connectivity or cycling technique analysis, there’s really no need to look beyond the JTX Cyclo-6 for your home ride. It matches the performance of the commercial bikes you will find in the gym, with a 22kg flywheel and friction resistance, where you can twirl the knob to keep cranking up the difficulty of your ride. The large flywheel also makes for a very stable and smooth ride, and you can easily see your basic workout stats like time, distance and speed on the handlebar computer.
Key specs – Size: 124 x 54 x 122cm (LWH); Resistance: Friction; Max user weight: 160kg
3. Apex Bike: A cheaper alternative to Peloton
Price when reviewed: £699 | Check price at Apex
Great for… A budget-friendly alternative to the biggest name in the game
Not so great for… Those who don’t want to use Apex’s on-demand and live classes
If forking out £1,345 upfront and £39.50 a month for Peloton (see below) sounds like far too much money to you, the Apex Bike is a slightly more palatable alternative. At £699 for the bike, followed by monthly payments of around £30 depending on sale periods, it’s much cheaper overall, and we think it’s well worth the outlay if you’re looking for a slick, immersive spinning experience.
Some of that saving is made possible by the fact the Apex comes with an iPad holder instead of a built-in display. If you prefer, you can cast the classes from your phone to your TV. Crucially, however, the Apex Bike delivers where it matters, offering plenty of resistance via a 4kg flywheel and, at the time of writing, 150 on-demand sessions that include everything from 15-minute warm-ups to hour-long leg burners. It’s also got 50/50 pedals as standard so you can use toe clips or SPD shoes.
It’s not totally without foibles – there’s currently no option to use the bike outside of Apex’s on-demand and live classes, for instance – but, overall, this indoor smart bike represents excellent value for those missing the buzz of regular indoor spinning classes because of the ongoing pandemic.
Read our full Apex Bike review
Key specs – Size: 129.5 x 60.5 x 98cm (LWH); Resistance: Magnetic; Max user weight: 140kg
4. Ultrasport F-Bike: Best folding exercise bike
Price when reviewed: £116 | Check price at Amazon
Great for… Maximising space
Not so great for… High-resistance workouts
The key question with folding bikes is whether they are sturdy enough to ride at speed without fear of toppling over. At 14kg, the Ultrasport F-bike is reassuringly solid, and its folded dimensions of 131 x 43.5 x 45cm (LWH) mean it can be tucked away to save space when not in use. There are eight levels of resistance, although the higher levels aren’t as challenging as you would find on a heavier, fixed bike.
Key specs – Size: 80.5 x 43.5 x 112cm (LWH); Resistance: Friction (8 levels); Max user weight: 100kg
5. JTX Fitness Mission Air Bike: Best exercise bike for an all-body workout
Price when reviewed: £799 | Check price at JTX Fitness
Great for… Working the upper body too
Not so great for… Those with limited space
If you’ve never used an air cycle like the JTX Fitness Mission Air Bike before then it’s difficult to envisage just how hard a workout it can provide. The design effectively allows for infinite levels of resistance – the harder you drive the pedals and push its handles, the tougher it becomes. As such, should you go hell for leather, you may well find yourself gasping for air after a few minutes.
You can, of course, take it easier and enjoy a longer, more steady workout that targets your arms and legs and improves your cardio fitness, but the design of the Mission Air Bike is especially well suited to HIIT sessions, because you can get a savagely effective workout done in just ten to 20 minutes if you push yourself hard during the intervals.
There are foot pegs on the front of the machine that don’t drive the fan, which you can use should you prefer to power the Air Bike using only your upper body – a handy feature for those who worry that an exercise bike will only work their legs. The console on the machine is powered by a couple of AA batteries and lets you set workout goals based on distance, time, heart rate and calories burned. Trust us when we say you will be impressed at how fast the latter rises.
Read our full JTX Fitness Mission Air Bike review
6. V-fit G-RC: Best recumbent exercise bike under £300
Price when reviewed: £345 | Check price at Very
Great for… Comfort
Not so great for… High-intensity training
A recumbent exercise bike is by far the most comfortable design. The laid-back position puts less stress on your lower back, knees and ankles, making it the best option for anyone who experiences pain after riding in a regular position. It’s also a lot easier to ride a recumbent bike hands-free, so you could read a book, check your email or even use weights while turning the pedals.
This recumbent exercise bike from V-fit is quiet and stable even when pedalling fast, too. It offers eight resistance settings and a clear screen that can be read easily from the relaxed riding position. That makes it perfect for long, comfortable sessions that won’t aggravate any niggling injuries you might have.
Key specs – Size: 100 x 46 x 135cm (HWD); Resistance: Magnetic (8 levels); Max user weight: 110kg
7. Domyos 520 Self-Powered Exercise Bike: Best cordless exercise bike
Price when reviewed: £270 | Check price at Decathlon
Great for… Working out anywhere
Not so great for… Fancy features
If you have an otherwise perfect spot in your house for an exercise bike but have been holding off buying one because it’s not right next to a plug socket, then this self-powered machine offers a neat solution. Certainly neater than having an extension cable running across your room, at any rate.
The Domyos 520 is powered by your pedalling, so can be placed anywhere that’s convenient for you – even outside if you want to cycle in the sunshine. It has a 6kg flywheel, 15 levels of resistance, and a heart rate monitor built into the handlebars.
To keep tabs of the improvement in your fitness you can link it up to the partner E-Connected app, where you can set a time, distance or calories burned goal for each week and track your workouts as you progress towards that goal.
Key specs – Size: 98 x 63 x 164cm (LWH); Max user weight: 130kg
8. Wattbike Atom: Best smart exercise bike
Price when reviewed: £2,399 | Check price at Wattbike
Great for… Fully immersive virtual training
Not so great for… Tight budgets
Indoor cycling once had a – frankly deserved – reputation for being tortuously boring, but with virtual training apps like Zwift and TrainerRoad now available to all, the days of staring blankly at the wall while pedalling are long behind us. There are plenty of smart turbo trainers that can connect to apps like Zwift, but the Wattbike Atom is the standout option for those who want a smart exercise bike.
It links seamlessly with Zwift and TrainerRoad so the resistance is controlled by the app, meaning you will feel your ride getting tougher as you head up a climb in the virtual world your avatar is riding in. Through the Wattbike app you can also tackle famous climbs such as Mont Ventoux or Alpe d’Huez, and the realistic ride feel of the Atom means that if you then head out to tackle those fearsome gradients in the real world, you will be well-prepared. Other features in the Wattbike app include the ability to see how well your pedalling is balanced between your left and right legs, and you will also be given a Pedal Effectiveness Score to indicate how efficient you are.
Key specs – Size: 100 x 50 x 150cm (LWH); Resistance: Magnetic; Max user weight: 135kg
9. Wattbike Trainer: Best bike for advanced stats
Price when reviewed: £2,499 | Check price at Best Gym Equipment
Great for… Serious athletes or deep-pocketed amateurs
Not so great for… Tight budgets
The Wattbike looks hugely expensive next to the other bikes on this list, but it represents a correspondingly huge jump in quality. This elite-standard trainer measures over 37 different cycling metrics, from basic power, heart rate and cadence info to sophisticated insight into your pedalling efficiency and left-right leg balance. This in-depth data can be monitored live during your ride on the Wattbike console, so you can easily train to improve your pedalling technique.
The Wattbike Trainer offers high levels of resistance, making it better suited to more powerful cyclists. Clearly, it’s aimed at serious cyclists, but if you’re looking for a realistic ride experience that will improve your physical fitness and pedalling technique, it can’t be bettered.
Key specs – Size: 125 x 66 x 130cm (LWH); Resistance: Air and Magnetic (0-2000W Trainer, 0-3760W Pro); Max user weight: 150kg
10. Peloton: Best exercise bike for spinning classes
Price when reviewed: £1,345 | Check price at Peloton
Great for… The complete at-home spinning experience
Not so great for… Those who’d rather avoid yet another monthly subscription
The killer feature of this exercise bike is the massive library of spinning classes it offers, with 14 streamed live every day and a back catalogue of thousands more available at any time. All of these classes are beamed to the huge 22in HD touchscreen on the front of the bike, so you can take part as if you’re in the studio yourself.
During the live classes, a real-time leaderboard shows how your effort compares to riders all over the world, providing ample motivation to up your intensity, especially as the people you competing with might even be famous – David Beckham, Leo DiCaprio, and Hugh Jackman are all apparently fans of the Peloton bike.
You have to pay a subscription for the classes after purchasing the bike, and that costs £39.50 a month for unlimited access to the class catalogue. Compared to the cost of regular spinning sessions in boutique gyms, however, that’s a snip, and you have the added convenience of doing the classes whenever you like.
Key specs – Size: 150 x 58 x 134cm (LWH); Resistance: Magnetic; Max user weight: 135kg
11. Wahoo KICKR Bike: The most realistic indoor ride
Price when reviewed: £3,500 | Check price at Wahoo
Great for… Seasoned road cyclists
Not so great for… Everyone else
Everything about this bike is designed to replicate the feel of riding outdoors so you can use your indoor workouts to prepare for life on the road. This starts with the bike setup – you can extend or shorten various parts of the frame, seat and handlebars to ensure the KICKR Bike has the same proportions as your outdoor bike, with the partner app helping you to do this through a fit wizard. You can also choose the same gear ratios on the KICKR Bike as you have on your bike.
The ride feel is also incredibly realistic, with satisfying and smooth clunks as you change gears, and the flywheel runs very quietly as well. When you link the KICKR Bike up to Zwift it responds quickly to changes in gradient and not only increases or decreases the resistance but also tilts back and forth so you’re riding at the right angle. The KICKR Bike is also accurate to +/-1% when it comes to power readings, and calibrates this automatically.
Key specs – Size: 121 x 76 x 95-119cm (LWH); Resistance: Electromagnetic; Max user weight: 113kg
12. Echelon Smart Connect Sport: Best spinning bike under £1,000
Price when reviewed: £799 | Check price at Echelon
Great for… Feature-packed at-home spinning at a reasonable price
Not so great for… Those seeking Echelon’s premium features
If you are looking for a Peloton-style experience for under £1,000 and have your own tablet already, the Connect Sport is a great option for home spinning. Pop your tablet into the holder on the handlebar, load up the Echelon app, and you will find enough on-demand guided spinning sessions to last you a lifetime.
There aren’t just spinning classes in the app, either, with yoga, strength and all manner of other options to keep you occupied if you fancy taking a break from cycling. The Sport bike has 32 levels of magnetic resistance, and while it doesn’t have some of the frills you will find on pricier Echelon bikes such as SPD pedals or dumbbell holders, or indeed the built-in screen of a Peloton bike, it still delivers a high-class home spinning experience that will satisfy most users.
One key thing to note is that in order to get the most from the Connect Sport bike you will need an Echelon subscription, which costs £40 a month.
Key specs – Size: 120 x 63 x 113.5-126cm (LWH); Resistance: Magnetic (32 levels); Max user weight: 135kg
13. Tacx Neo Bike: Best for real road feel
Price when reviewed: £2,099 | Check price at Start Fitness
Great for… The most authentic indoor cycling experience
Not so great for… Non-cyclists looking for a quick and easy workout
Since Garmin acquired Dutch company Tacx, in 2019, the indoor cycling trainer company has gone from strength to strength. Granted, it was already one of the first to add smart computer electronics to previously “dumb” indoor trainers, but it is now releasing some of the most accurate and innovative products on the market. Not least because they sync perfectly with Garmin’s existing ecosystem of smartwatches, fitness tech, and innovative apps.
The Neo Bike is the crème de la crème of the Tacx stable, packing the same 2200W of resistance found in its top end indoor trainers into a modern-looking static bike, complete with adjustable bars and a realistic race saddle. There’s also a built-in display which shows basic info like speed, cadence, and wattage output.
But the bike really comes alive when paired with a tablet or a smartphone, allowing you to work with virtual trainers – like Zwift, or the free virtual cycling app, MyWhoosh – to give you a realistic experience. And, unlike most other indoor bikes, the Tacx Neo Bike can simulate the experience of riding on cobblestones and gravel, while even “gear changes” are an immersive tactile experience. Of course, it also provides you with reams of detailed riding data to pore over post-ride.
Key specs – Size: 139 x 75 x 117cm (LWH); Resistance: Magnetic; Max user weight: 125kg
14. Concept2 BikeErg: Best bike for HIIT workouts
Price when reviewed: £1,160 | Check price at Concept2
Great for… Gym-quality workouts at home
Not so great for… Noise
Concept2’s rowing machines (now dubbed RowErg) are legendary in fitness circles for their robust build quality and their epic air resistance technology, which provides a smooth experience that packs a serious cardio punch. The BikeErg is essentially the same technology, bolted to the chassis of a quasi-road bike.
A dialled-in fit comes courtesy of Concept2’s simple adjustable handlebars and seat stem, while resistance is varied the same way you would on a rower – a lever on the side of the large fan module opens dampers to increase air resistance. If you’ve had any experience with an airbike – such as the JTX Mission Air Bike mentioned above – this will feel largely familiar, although the constant whooshing of the fan is far noisier than the magnetic flywheel bikes we’ve also featured here.
If you can get over that, the pedalling experience is surprisingly smooth, while the PM5 performance monitor delivers a glut of information about power, speed, and distance travelled. Connected to an external heart rate monitor, even more detailed fitness insight is available via a Concept2 companion app.
It also pairs with third party apps, such as Zwift, so you can use the BikeErg as a controller for an on-screen avatar.
Key specs – Size: 122 x 61 x 103cm (LWH); Resistance: Air; Max user weight: 136kg
15. JTX Cyclo-Go: Best for comfort
Price when reviewed: £319 | Check price at JTX Fitness
Great for… Individuals who lack flexibility
Not so great for… A realistic cycling experience
Compact and comfortable are two words you can happily and reliably mention when talking about the JTX Cyclo-Go machine. It’s a very upright machine, so won’t suit anyone who wants a realistic riding experience, but it’s much easier to use for people with flexibility or mobility issues, particularly those suffering from lower back pain. At just over a metre long, it should fit even in cramped living spaces, while the wheels on the frame make moving it around that bit easier.
A magnetic resistance system brakes an 11kg flywheel, offering 16 levels of resistance that can be adjusted digitally via buttons on the console. As we already mentioned, the cycling experience isn’t particularly realistic, but it’s great for low-impact exercise, and things can get tough when you crank up those resistance levels.
Heart rate monitoring comes courtesy of pulse sensors built into the handles, while the digital console also reveals time, distance, speed, and calories, as well as body fat measurement. You can wear a Polar heart rate monitoring chest strap if you want more detailed readouts, but connectivity with third-party apps isn’t as slick as some of the other, pricier models in the JTX line-up.
With that in mind, the display isn’t exactly cutting edge in the delivery of its metrics either, but there are 21 programmes to help you achieve those fitness or fat-loss goals. These include hill, interval and fat-loss-specific workouts, where resistance will adjust automatically, allowing the user to focus on the task at hand.
Key specs – Size: 101 x 59 x 149cm (LWH); Resistance: Electro-magnetic; Max user weight: 125kg
