An indoor cycling bike, or spin bike, is great for aerobic exercise to improve pulmonary and cardio capacity, enhance blood oxygenation, and of course, fitness and weight loss. Indoor cycling also provides the ultimate convenience, as you can have a lengthy ride or grab a quickie 15-minute sprint anytime. It's also easy to use while watching TV, reading your favorite internet streams, browsing the web, or for die-hard workouts, while using your favorite exercise app on your smartphone or tablet.
The two most commonly used resistance systems on exercise bikes are: 1) Friction brakes - these have a brake pad (or pads) that come in contact with the flywheel, and they are manually adjusted with a dial, giving infinite levels of resistance, but lacking presets; and 2) Magnetic brakes - these vary resistance by moving closer to, or farther from, the flywheel, while never touching, and may or may not be electronically assisted. Friction brakes are less expensive, but since they come in contact with the flywheel, they may require more maintenance for things such as wear or noise. In contrast, Magnetic brakes are costlier, but relatively maintenance and noise free. If you plan on heavy, intense workouts, you should probably purchase an indoor exercise bike with magnetic braking, as it will be more cost-effective in the long run.
The best indoor cycling bike provides a low-impact fitness workout that goes easy on your joints, but keep in mind that most exercise bikes have an upright configuration that mimics a bicycle's design; a potential problem for users that suffer from lower back issues.
In these instances, you can purchase a recumbent bike that puts you in a seated position that relieves stress on the lower back and lets you enjoy all the other benefits of a home exercise bike.
In determining the best exercise bikes available, we took into consideration drive mechanisms, frames, electronics, build quality, and budget; and comfort factors such as seats and handlebars.
Photo by Concept2
The NordicTrack Commercial Studio Cycle comes with a large 15 or 22 in. rotating touch screen, an automatic incline and resistance control system, and a large library of studio and outdoor workouts for all fitness levels, making it a leader as a feature-rich upright exercise bike.
With both real-world cycling adventures. and live, trainer-controlled automatic incline, decline, and resistance adjustments, it has everything you need for a serious training regimen. With thoughtful features such as a built-in fan and accessory tray, bluetooth connectivity for headphones and heart rate monitors, you get pretty much everything money can buy.
Resistance Mechanism: Magnetic
Photo by Sunny Health & Fitness
The Sunny Health & Fitness ISF-B1805 is an awesome workout bike for the price. It uses magnetic resistance, providing whisper-quiet performance and low-maintenance benefits. It also features a huge 44 lb. flywheel and has a 4-way adjustable seat and handlebars.
Other niceties include a cushioned, contoured seat, non-slip handle bars, a tablet holder, and bottle holder. With a solid heavy-duty frame and specs often found on more expensive models, the Sunny exercise bike has a lot to offer in this price range.
Resistance Mechanism: Magnetic
Photo by YOSUDA
The YOSUDA Stationary Bike can't quite keep up with the more expensive upright bike models, but as a budget indoor bike it really shines. This quality built bike will give you a stable, sturdy, and a smooth ride.
It includes a LCD monitor to help you track your progress and monitor your vitals, and there is a mount to hold your tablet or smartphone so you can follow a workout program or watch videos. With a small footprint, the YOSUDA is well suited to areas where space is at a premium.
Resistance Mechanism: Friction
Photo by Schwinn
The Schwinn 270 Recumbent bike features comfortable back-friendly seating and an advanced electronic console with 29 diverse on-board workout programs that supports up to four user profiles. The best recumbent bike built by Schwinn waas done so with convenience in mind; there is a built-in ledge for mobile devices or magazines, stereo speakers, a USB port, and a MP3 player jack built into the console.
The high-speed, high-inertia advanced flywheel in the Schwinn Recumbent bike produces a quiet, smooth, consistent ride that will be greatly appreciated by all, but will be particularly appealing to seniors, motion challenged individuals, and users dealing with lower back issues.
And if that's not enough, the Schwinn 270 Recumbent bike comes at a very reasonable price for a recumbent bike of this quality.
Resistance Mechanism: Magnetic
Photo by Schwinn
The Schwinn IC4 delivers the Peloton experience at a vastly better price. It provides a stationary bike workout with a smooth-running 40-pound flywheel, 100 levels of micro-adjustable magnetic resistance, and dual link pedals with toe cages. With built-in Bluetooth connectivity, you can use it with a variety of different fitness apps, even Peloton's app.
In keeping up with the more expensive NordicTrack premium bike, a set of dumbbells is included for upper-body workouts. With top-quality construction and functionality, the IC4 caters to a wide range of trainees and fitness levels, and with a 10-year frame, 3-year mechanical & electrical, and 1-year labor warranty, you know this bike is built to last.
Resistance Mechanism: Magnetic
Photo by JOROTO
The Joroto X2 gym bike is sturdy, whisper quiet, and easy to use, plus it offers standard features that you'd only expect on more expensive exercise bikes. Included is a digital monitor to keep track of time, speed, and calories burned. Its multi-functional device holder provides a secure location for your smartphone or tablet so you can use your favorite exercise apps to build custom workout routines.
As one of the best spin bikes for the money, it easily accommodates different household members, it has 4-way adjustable handlebars, as well as the expected adjustments for seat height and depth. With a six magnet resistance system that's uncommon at this price point, the X2 provides a smooth and quiet ride; the X2 offers a lot.
Resistance Mechanism: Magnetic
Photo by UREVO
The UREVO stationary bike is not intended for heavy-duty training regimens, but provides a quality exercise experience with a durable solid steel frame and a 22 lb. flywheel. It supports a maximum weight of 260 pounds for users with an inseam height of between 25 and 35 inches.
It has a non-slip 2-way adjustable handlebar and an infinite resistance adjustment using a friction braking system. An LCD monitor shows distance, speed, time, and calories burned for performance monitoring. Although it is a cheap exercise bike, it's good for small spaces and provides dependable cardio exercise as a sensible budget alternative.
Resistance Mechanism: Friction
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