If you only think of biking as some sort of low-key form of exercise, it’s time to take a deeper look. Some people think of bike riding as something you do on a leisurely Sunday afternoon in the park, but if you’re not biking–you’re missing out on one of the best ways to get fit and lose weight.
Some of the fittest and leanest athletes on earth are cyclists. They don’t do CrossFit, Bootcamp classes, or marathons yet are still some of the most conditioned athletes of them all. Information from the Harvard Medical School shows that Biking is a great way to build muscle and bone, lose weight, and improve your heart, lung, and brain health. It is also easier on the joints than most other forms of exercise so is perfect if you have knee or joint injuries.
But what if you don’t want to have to bike outside? This is where a home exercise bike has you covered.
Best Home Exercise Bike
Exerpeutic 400XL Folding Recumbent Bike
Best Hybrid Bike
The 400XL is the perfect hybrid bike. Not only is it foldable and easily storable, but this is a recumbent bike, too. The recumbent position helps to take the pressure off of the knees and lower back. If you suffer from those issues, this is the perfect bike for you. The 400XL is also ideal for seniors or those with mobility problems. It has a low seat and is very easy for you to get in and out of. It has a large padded seat, back support, and side handles so you can exercise at various intensities while being perfectly supported.
Pros
- 8 levels of magnetic resistance
- LCD display to track heart rate, speed, distance, time, and calories
- Supports up to 300 pounds
Cons
- Not ideal for high-intensity upright riding
- No pre-programmed workouts.
JLL® IC400 ELITE Indoor Bike
Most Adjustable
When you use this exercise bike, you’ll feel like you’re riding outdoors. The IC400 is designed like a racing bike meaning it’s ideal for high-intensity riding, sprints, and intervals. This is the type of bike you would find in a spin class and is perfect for boosting your fitness levels. This is a very customizable exercise bike as there are 10 different levels of seat adjustment and 9 different levels of handlebar adjustment. This means you can find the perfect fit for you, and also change your positions to create more of a challenge when you ride.
Pros
- Only weighs 47 kg
- Built-in wheels to easily move around
- LCD display to track your stats
Cons
- No pre-programmed workouts
- Not ideal for those with mobility issues
WeRSports® Exercise Bike
Most Heavy Duty
The WeRSports exercise bike is a stylish bike that also looks like it’s right out of a spin class. This is the perfect bike if you like to do high-intensity interval training and really break a sweat when you workout. This adjustable bike has multiple handlebar positions to give you variation when you ride. This is also a heavy-duty bike with a very solid frame. You’ll be kept stable and secure no matter how intense your workout gets. You’ll also be kept secure with non-slip handles and a padded, comfortable seat.
Pros
- Emergency stop
- High function digital monitor
- Aluminum pedals with toe cage
Cons
- May be for more advanced levels of fitness
- No pre-programmed workouts
PYHIGH Indoor Cycling Bike
Best Stability
This is a stylish looking home exercise bike that will look good no matter what room you put it in. This is a very sturdy bike with a 35-pound flywheel meaning you can really push yourself and know that your bike can hold up to the task. It’s customizable for seat and handlebar adjustments so you can find the perfect riding position. This bike is also belt-driven so your workouts will be very quiet allowing you to workout without disturbing those around you. This bike is all about performance, smoothness, and stability.
Pros
- LCD display to track time, speed, distance and calorie burned
- Tablet/phone holder
- Water bottle holder
Cons
- No pre-programmed workouts
Ultrasport F-Bike and F-Rider
Most Compact
Ultrasport presents a very unique option if you’re looking for a home bike. Bikes are not big compared to other pieces of cardio equipment, but they still take up some room. This exercise bike is foldable and can be stored away easily. When you’re ready to exercise, just bring it out, unfold it, and you’re ready to start your workout.
Despite being so compact, this exercise bike still has some great features. It has 8 different levels of resistance so you can always change the intensity of your workout. You also get an LCD display so you can track your workout stats and see what type of progress you are making in your fitness pursuits.
Pros
- Only weighs 14kg
- Can hold weights of up to 100kg
- Built-in hand pulse sensors to track your heart rate
Cons
- Not ideal for high-performance exercise
- No pre-programmed workouts
JLL IC300 PRO Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike
Best Performance
The IC300 PRO is a serious bike for serious riders and is designed to feel just like a real road bike. You get a heavy-duty build quality with this bike that will motivate you to exercise at a high level. The IC300 is designed for performance but is still very quiet as it is belt-driven and has magnetic resistance. You get multiple handlebar and seat options to make sure you get a true customized fit and riding experience.
You can go for long rides of steady-state cardio, but easily do some sprints, and high-intensity interval training to further boost your fitness and health. The IC300 PRO is a highly rated bike and will help to get you to your fittest level ever. If you have an outdoor bike, this is a great indoor companion for when the weather prevents you from cycling outdoors.
Pros
- Built-in hand pulse sensors
- 7 function LCD display
- Built-in wheels for easy transport
Cons
- No pre-programmed workouts
Dripex Indoor Cycling Magnetic Resistance Exercise Bike
Best Overall
The Dripex exercise bike combines everything you want into one great bike for your home. It is very heavy duty and is great for serious riders. It is ultra-silent and won’t disturb anyone nearby. It has magnetic resistance so you can change your intensity on the fly which is perfect for sprints and intervals. It has a great LCD display monitor to track all of your stats and the built-in hand pulse sensors to accurately track your heart rate.
This allows you to know if you are training in the right target heart rate range. And it is easily transportable with built-in wheels. This exercise bike gives you performance, stability, and features to make your home workouts better than anything else you’ve experienced.
Pros
- Can hold up to 150kg
- Only weighs 43kg
- Made of high-density steel and soft foam for the seat and handles
- Emergency brake
Cons
- No pre-programmed workouts
Important Things to Consider When Buying an Exercise Bike for Your Home
You first need to decide what type of exercise you prefer to do. If you like regular, steady-state cardio, you can go for a bike that has a simple design and doesn’t have too many levels of resistance. Steady-state cardio is still a great way to strengthen your heart and lungs and improve your fitness. If you want some more intense exercise, you may want to go for an exercise bike that is designed after a racing or road bike. These are the types of bikes you find in spin classes, gyms, and places like Soul Cycle. They are meant for performance and have multiple levels of resistance so you can constantly change your workout intensity.
After this, you need to decide if you like a lot of features or not. If you like to record your stats, you’ll want to make sure you choose an exercise bike that gives you as much information as possible so you can see how you are progressing with your fitness journey.
If you need to be aware of your heart rate during exercise, you’ll want to find an exercise bike that has a pulse monitor. This will give you a real-time reading of your heart rate so you know if you are training safely. A heart rate monitor can also be helpful if you like to train in various training zones. These zones can be athletic performance or fat burning, and being aware of your target heart rate will help indicate if you are in the correct zone or not.
Space isn’t as big an issue with an exercise bike as they take up less room than most other pieces of cardio equipment. They do have a certain sized footprint, so you’ll want to double-check if the space you’ll use it in will have enough room. If you are limited for space, you’ll want to consider a folding exercise bike. These can be easily moved and stored away when not in use. If you’ll be moving your exercise bike from location to location, you’ll want to make sure it has wheels to make the transport as easy as possible.
Personal Trainer Recommendation & Conclusion
Cycling covers you for cardiovascular health and leg muscle and strength, but you might want to add in some more upper body resistance exercise to get a full-body workout. This could be some extra weights or bodyweight exercise. A good combination is doing some upper body strength training, or bodyweight circuits and then following that with a period of steady-state cardio on the bike. This cardio after strength training may help burn even more body fat.
Biking also lends itself well to high-intensity interval training that we’ve mentioned during the reviews. This is where you perform an all-out sprint for around 30 seconds followed by a 90-second lower-paced, recovery period. This type of training may help further boost fitness, burn more calories, and continue to burn calories long after your workout is done.
Combining HIIT training, steady-state cardio, and upper body resistance training will give you a lot of variety in your training which will help keep your body guessing and that can lead to better improvements in health, fitness, and body composition.