Working out at a gym is great, but sometimes wouldn’t you rather just stay at home to get your workout in? The commute, parking, and safety issues of commercial health clubs have put a lot of people off training in these crowded environments.
But they have amazing equipment in these gyms. What if you could have a similar cardio machine in your own home that you could use anytime you wanted? This is the state of exercise bikes, as home options have become much more advanced, and much more affordable. Now, you don’t have to wait to use a bike, and can put one in any room. You can listen or watch your favorite content, use it anytime of day, and get great results without having to leave your own home.
Biking provides a tremendous low-impact cardiovascular workout that will strengthen your heart and lungs along with the muscles of the lower body. The research shows that it not only strengthens your heart muscles but lowers your resting heart rate, lowers blood pressure and reduced blood fat levels. This is a countdown of the best exercise bikes under £500.
Best Exercise Bike Under £500
Reebok GB60 Exercise Bike
Best Customized Programs
The famous shoe company also makes great exercise equipment. The GB60 is a compact, upright unit that will fit in any room you have. This is a self powered exercise bike meaning that you supply all the power and it doesn’t need to be plugged in to anything. This bike is still electronic and is great for changing levels of intensity with an astounding 32 different levels of resistance.
This is also the best choice if you like to customize workouts as it comes with 20 fitness programs built into the console that are designed by Reebok trainers. There are simple workouts up to more challenging, hill-climb style challenges. You will never get bored working out with the GB60 and the endless amount of workout options will keep your body from plateauing as you boost your fitness levels.
Pros
- Only weighs 32 kg
- Large padded seat
- Data tracker for time, speed, distance, heart rate, and calories burned
Cons
- Doesn’t have a traditional racing bike design
Dripex Magnetic Resistance Indoor Exercise Bike
Best Build Quality
If you love spin classes, and high intensity interval training, the Dripex brings all that to you in the comfort of your own home. This exercise bike has a traditional racing bike design which will give you the same experience if you were to ride outdoors.
This is a heavy duty bike that is stable enough that you can ride as intense as you want on it. It can hold weights of up to 300 pounds. It also helps reduce fatigue with large padded handlebars and gives you a very smooth riding experience. If you want intense bursts of activity, this bike will give you that, but it also works well for general fitness and steady-state riding.
Pros
- Fully adjustable seat and handlebars to find perfect riding position
- Phone holder and water bottle holder
- Built in wheels for easy transport
Cons
- May be tougher for senior or those with back problems due to the design
- No pre-programmed workouts
XTERRA Fitness FB350 Folding Exercise Bike
Most Compact Design
Even if you live in the smallest of spaces, the FB350 will fit. This is a folding exercise bike that is easy to transport and store–but still gives you a great workout. It’s made of steel and only weighs 19 kg. What makes this bike standout is that it has a padded seat and lower back support. You don’t often find this on an upright bike so if you have any back or mobility issues, you’ll be able to use this bike and still get the exercise you need.
Despite being so compact, this bike has some great features including an LCD window to track your workout stats, and also has 8 different levels of magnetic resistance so you can increase–and decrease–your workout intensity depending on how you’re feeling.
Pros
- Side handles for even more support while riding
- Tracks speed, time, distance, and even heart rate
- Can hold up to 102 kg
Cons
- Not ideal for more intense riding
- No pre-programmed workouts
WeRSports® Exercise Bike
Best Performance
This is a heavy duty aerobic training bike that looks like it’s right out of a fitness club. This is an Amazon Choice exercise bike that will give you that spin class/HIIT style workout in your own home. It has all the features you would find on a fitness club spin bike including multiple handlebar options, emergency stop function, and quick changing resistance levels.
This bike will help you lose weight through regular cardiovascular exercise or more intense interval training. You can still track all your workout stats so you can see how you are progressing with your fitness. Despite being heavy duty, the bike only weighs 38 kg and can hold weights of up to 120 kg.
Pros
- Water bottle holder
- Stabilizers
- Built in wheels
Cons
- No pre programmed workouts
- May not be ideal for seniors or those with mobility issues
JLL IC300 PRO
Most Customizable
The IC300 Pro is another great high performance indoor cycling exercise bike option. It looks like a bike you would find in Soul Cycle or high end spin classes. This bike will give you the ultimate in a home workout to boost your fitness, lose weight, and build endurance. No matter how hard you ride, this bike is virtually silent with its belt-driven flywheel. You can use this bike at all hours without disturbing anyone you live with.
What makes this bike standout are the many ways you can adjust and customize it. There are 6 vertical handlebar adjustments and multiple handlebar position options. It also has 6 horizontal and 10 vertical seat adjustment levels. This bike will accommodate you no matter what size you are, and allows you to have constant different riding positions.
Pros
- Large LCD display screen
- Built in heart rate sensors
- Can hold up to 130 kg
Cons
- Geared toward more advanced fitness
- No pre programmed workouts
Exerpeutic Gold 575 XLS
Best Overall
The XLS is your best choice for an exercise bike at this price point. This unique bike is not only great value, but it is convenient, effective, and foldable for easy storage. Despite being foldable, it is extremely well built and can handle people of all sizes and still give you an intense workout. The XLS has 16 different levels of magnetic resistance so you can easily find the right intensity for your ride.
This exercise bike is also geared around giving you preset workouts. It comes with 21 computer workout programs so you will never be bored when you exercise. It also features great technology including BlueTooth smart technology which allows the bike to connect with MyFitquest4 app to give you even more variety and options to get you as fit as possible.
Pros
- LCD display screen to track your stats
- Tablet holder
- Extra large comfortable seat
- Can hold up to 400 pounds despite being foldable
Cons
- Not a traditional cycling bike design
Important Things to Consider When Buying an Exercise Bike
Since you’re reading this article, you’ve already considered your budget. That makes it easier as you now have narrowed down the best options possible for your set price range. Another thing to consider is your space. The good thing with an exercise bike is they are smaller than other pieces of cardio equipment. If you plan on moving it around to different locations, you’ll want one with wheels so it can be easily moved around.
The next big thing has to do with the type of workouts you want to use them for. If you want general fitness, you can choose a simpler bike that doesn’t have as many levels of resistance. If you want to do some more intense riding–or high intensity interval training–you’ll want a bike with different levels of resistance that can be changed very quickly. This will allow you to increase your intensity as fast as possible without disrupting your exercise.
If you have any mobility issues, or you’re a senior, you want to choose a bike that’s easy to get on and off of. An indoor cycling type bike may be a bit more difficult due to the racing bike design. In this case, an upright back with a comfortable seat, and side handlebars may be a better option to keep you more stable as you exercise.
Recommendation & Conclusion
Since bking is primarily a lower body and cardiovascular activity, you may want to add in some other upper body exercises. This can be a combination of free weight or bodyweight exercises, but you want to make sure you include upper body strengthening for full-body balance.
Biking is best served by a proper warm up and cool down. You don’t want to start exercising at an intense level without properly warming up first. If you don’t warm up, it can lead to muscle cramping and possible injury. Start with a 5-10 minute warm up at a gradual pace to increase blood flow to the muscles and get the heart rate up. You can also start with some dynamic stretching which includes leg and arm swings. This type of stretching is more about preparing your body for the workout but getting your cardiovascular system engaged, and getting the muscle activated.
Always remember to cool down–especially after intense riding. If you just stop and get off, it can lead to blood pooling in the muscle and cramping. The lactic acid build up will cause some discomfort and prevent your recovery process from properly happening. When you are finished with your main workout, finish up with a 5-10 minute cool down at a lower intensity and pace. After that, you can finish off with some stretching and even some abdominal and core work to complete the workout.