When you think of a good home gym, you cannot negate the importance of an exercise bike in it. Exercise bikes are the best way to get your body moving while allowing you to be versatile with your workout sessions. They allow you a full-body cardio workout within minutes from the comforts of your home.
When you venture into the market looking for the best exercise bikes from a home gym, you are likely to get overwhelmed with the options you’ll encounter. You need to consider several things before investing in a good exercising bike. Therefore, we have done the research and come up with a buyer’s guide along with a list of five of the best exercise bikes you can buy.
Best Exercise Bikes In UK [2021]
You’ve got an overview of the best exercise bikes you can invest in spread across different categories from the above table. However, to make things simpler for you, we have reviewed five products in this section. Since all these products vary in price, popularity, utility, and features, you can choose the bike best suits your needs.
1. Nero Sports Upright Exercise Bike
Pros
- Durable and robust construction
- Full-body and cardio workout
- Tracks all the important statistics on the easily readable LCD screen
- Easy and comfortable to use
- Complete handle and seat adjustability
- Quiet functioning for peaceful workouts
Cons
- It cannot provide the full potential for users taller than 6 feet.
- Finding spare parts might become a hassle.
If you’re a short user looking for a premium addition to your home gym, you should surely consider the Nero Sports Upright Exercise Bike. This is one of the best products available in the market and is not too expensive, even after being our premium pick on this list.
One of the nicest things we like about this product is its Bluetooth connectivity. This allows you to race live with Zwift, allowing you wonderful control over your workout intensity. This Bluetooth connectivity also unlocks some special connectivity features in the bike that set it apart from other products.
We like how the bike is quiet while functioning. This allows you to work out in peace while having complete resistance and workout adjustability. Speaking of adjustability, this product has adjustable handles and a seat. The machine also features an adjustable knob for resistance adjustment in compensating for your personal training requirements.
This exercise bike is the best way to control your cardiovascular health while keeping your overall physique in check. You can keep track of all the important working out statistics with the help of the handy LED screen available on the machine.
The Nero Sports Upright Exercise Bike is perfect for safety as well. The ergonomically designed foot pedals will not allow your feet to slip off. Moreover, even if you workout at high intensity, you won’t have to risk injuries since the machine comes with a quick stop brake. Therefore, you get complete control over the steel frame’s force on your feet while working out.
Features
- Quite Functioning: This allows you to work out in peace with very low noise production.
- Adjustability: This allows you to adjust the seat and handles for utmost comfort.
- Monitoring: The smart sensor allows you to monitor many essential metrics to stay on top of your game.
- Comfortable seat: Soft yet sturdy seat.
- Portable: Features transport wheels to allow easy movements and shifting.
Expert Reviews
The Nero Sports upright bike is undoubtedly one of the best exercise bikes you can buy from the market. It is sure to provide you with maximum comfort along with complete adjustability and peace of mind. This machine is one of the best products out there for getting a full-body workout at home.
Why We Choose This Products as #1
We can place the Nero Sports upright exercise bike in such high regard because of the quality you’re getting with the product. This bike is one of the best choices in flexibility, adjustability, sturdiness, and performance. Therefore, there is no other option we can place higher than this one.
2. XS Sports SB500 Aerobic Indoor Training Exercise Bike
Pros
- Comes at an affordable price.
- Has great ratings and reviews on various websites.
- Perfect for rehabilitation.
- Good product for both seniors and young people.
- Allows backpedalling.
- CE Certified.
- Comfortable seat and great safety features.
Cons
- Pulse sensors might not be the most accurate.
- Workouts are not challenging enough, even at the high resistance for the heftiest of users.
Exercise bikes are perfect for a person to be in full control of their recovery process if they’ve recently had surgery or have been under physical therapy. Seniors or people with bad knees require some amount of exercise, but not too much to hurt their knees. The perfect answer to that problem is the XS Sports Aerobic Indoor Training Exercise Bike.
Not only is this bike good for people in recovery, but also for seniors and others who want to work hard on the bike. With eight adjustable resistance levels, the machine is perfect for almost anyone to use. Therefore, the cost-efficiency of the product is increased with the more the number of people using it.
For safety, the bike features extra-wide pedals to provide maximum grip and working out help. You also get ergonomic pedal straps and other such safety features to allow the bike to be the perfect recumbent bike.
While comparing the bike with other similar cost models, this product gets an edge due to its smart monitoring. Along with monitoring other important metrics, the bike also features pulse sensors. However, the readings should be taken with a grain of salt since the accuracy might not be perfect at all times.
The machine itself is quite lightweight, even though the weight of the flywheel about 4kgs. It also allows you to backpedal, giving you extra movements in the body. You will have to assemble the bike on your own. However, that should not be too much of a problem with assistance from friends or family, considering the ease of assembly.
Features
- Multiple Resistance Levels: This bike offers eight resistance levels for the perfect customizability.
- Safety: The ide pedals and sturdy foot straps are perfect from a safety point-of-view.
- Weight: The 4kg flywheel powered bike can take up to 110 kgs of maximum user weight.
- Dimensions: 120 x 61 x 84 centimetres
- Good for seniors: The low-impact mechanism serves as the perfect workout medium for seniors or people in physical therapy.
Expert Reviews
Users like how the product is lightweight for the perfect usability by seniors and people in physical therapy. If you have children and seniors at home, this machine is perfect for everyone to workout with. The E certification and robust frame allow peace of mind while investing in a heavy machine.
Why We Choose This Product as #2
The usage versatility and the perfect rehabilitation possibilities enhanced by this machine are important to consider. Topped with superior machine quality, this product is one of the best things you can purchase from the market.
3. YYFITT Fitness Exercise Bike
Pros
- Extremely affordable design.
- 16-resistance levels perfect for beginners
- Exercise tracker and hand pule sensor.
- Adjustable seat and frame for optimum full-body workouts.
- Ample safety features.
- Quite lightweight for portability and ease of use.
Cons
- It might not be the best option for experienced users.
- Assembly is a little complicated.
Most people love to have an exercise bike to improve their home workouts but don’t have space or money to get a good machine. This budget bike is the perfect option for you if you are one of those people. With the help of the foldable design, this affordable bike is easy to store and use at the same time.
The bike comes with multiple customizability and adjustability options, allowing it to be the perfect match for households requiring several people to use the product. Not only can you adjust the seat height, but you can also adjust the resistance levels according to your workout requirements and preferences.
If you’re a beginner, you will especially appreciate the way the bike functions. With its multiple resistance levels, you can ease your way upwards and get to the best of your capabilities in no time. However, if you’re experienced and have good strength to build upon, the bike might seem moot due to the extremely low resistance on the base levels.
We like how the seat comes with a huge backrest that can be adjusted too. This backrest is perfect for increasing working out comfort and balance. Along with a tablet holder, the product also features a heart rate monitor, tracking all your important metrics.
The machine is quite compact, especially when it is folded up. Considering its small design, the machine’s 120kg weight capacity is impressive.
Features
- Foldable Design: the machine can be folded up for easy storage.
- Seat Adjustability: The seat can be adjusted between the heights of 47 and 38 centimetres, allowing for versatile usage.
- Tracking: The machine comes with a handy tracking screen keeping your heart rate, RMP, and other important statistics in check.
- Value for money: The extra features, durability, and product cost provide perfect value.
Expert Reviews
The YYFITT exercise bike is perfect for anyone who wants to start with the process of fitness training from their home. This bike is perfect for its silent functioning and solid formation. Space-saving and safety features are perfect for ensuring rounded development and exercise.
Why We Choose This Product as #3
Every list of reviews deserves a budget product. However, budget products do not necessarily mean compromising on value and efficiency. The YYFITT exercise bike is the perfect example of that, which is why it features in third place on our list.
4. Dripex Upright Exercise Bike
Pros
- Sturdy and robust frame for long term-usage
- Complete seat and handlebar height adjustment.
- Accurate data tracking for helpful workout insights.
- The adjustment knob allows for infinite resistance adjustment.
- Incredible safety features.
Cons
- The noisy pedals might be a problem for some.
- Programmability is not an option.
Are you looking for a reliable machine perfect for home and office use? Have you been wary about the extreme costs you might have to undergo to get such a machine? If your answer to any of these questions is in the affirmative, you should look into the Dripex upright exercise bike.
The Dripex upright exercise bike is an affordable choice with a robust frame offering maximum security and utility. The gym-ready look, feel, and design advertised by the company allows you to have a professional-like experience at home.
One of the biggest reasons why we like this product is its infinite resistance adjustability. Whether you require working lightly to rehabilitate or working hard to get into shape, you can use this machine effortlessly. We also like how affordable this product is. Therefore, not only is buying it affordable but maintaining and using it is cost-efficient too.
The heavy-duty flywheels allow you to progress from previous sessions. Moreover, you can track your fitness progress through the easy-to-read console that keeps track of the time, distance, speed, calories, and pulse.
With the inclusion of the anti-slip pedals, the quick emergency brakes, and the toe cages, this is an extremely powerful product to have at hand even though this product is advertised as a beginner-friendly one, even season users like the functionality offered by the bike.
Features
- Infinite Resistance: Controllable resistance levels to just about any limit.
- Easily Trackable progress: The handy console keeps track of all important metrics.
- Versatility: Adjustable resistance levels allow the machine to be the perfect fit for both seasoned and beginner users.
- Value-for-Money: The product offers the most value for the money it comes with, allowing the product to be a practical buy.
- Professional Training: The professional look, feel, and usage allows you to get the most out of your home gym.
Expert Reviews
The Dripex upright exercise bike is the most likeable because of its infinite resistance levels. This adjustability allows the machine to be incredibly versatile and practical for several users. The ergonomically designed handles and seat increase the product’s overall value.
Why We Choose This Product as #4
We like the Dripex upright exercise bike’s mid-range affordable price. What we like even better is the fact that affordability does not cut down on utility. Therefore, the overall value-for-money ratio allows us to confidently place this product in the 4th position on this list.
Every product has some of its heavy positives and some heavy negatives; however, the Fnova Exercise bike is a consistent product offering you all the positives along with solutions for the negatives. If you like an overall well-built and functional machine at an affordable mid-range price, you will love the Fnova Exercise bike.
This is one of the light machines available on the market with a bidirectional 6 kg flywheel. We especially like how this product is easy to use and carry around due to its lightweight design. However, the loss of heftiness doesn’t come at a loss of performance. This is also an extremely functional and practical machine.
Since the belt drive in build in a low-maintenance and heavy-duty manner, you do not have to worry about the running cost. Moreover, the power transmission is optimum and appreciated by all users. It is also due to the belt’s construction that the product is incredibly low-noise producing.
The frame is built to be sturdy. Therefore, safety is not an issue with the machine. However, the machine is also easy to move due to the front wheels available on the product. This is, therefore, the best product to place in a home gym, allowing you space to adjust your workout space.
The Fnova is a wonderful product for people in physical therapy or people trying to better their cardiovascular health. With only 45 minutes of cycling on this bike, you can get a lot of utility out of the product.
Features
- Digital Monitoring: The machine features a spectacular monitor allowing you to track your workout progress.
- Lightweight: The product is extremely lightweight due to its frame’s design.
- Sturdy and safe: Even though the frame is lightweight, it is sturdy and safe enough to allow for better usage.
- Portable: The inclusion of the front wheels allows for the product to be easily portable just about anywhere.
Expert Reviews
The lightweight yet sturdy operation of the bike is one of the nicest things to look at in a bike. Since the bike is reasonably priced and also ergonomically built, the overall construction and usability become an overall delight.
Why We Chose This Product as #5
Even though we have placed this product towards the bottom of the list, it doesn’t mean that the product doesn’t hold value as compared to the rest of the products on the list. The only reason why this product is placed in the 5th position is that the other products’ unique specifications, while the Fnova Exercise Machine is the jack of all trades.
Exercise Bikes: Buying Guide
When you buy any product for your home, you have to think of some particular things before buying it. This is especially the case with gym equipment since not only do you need to get the best in the market but also ensure that the specification meets your requirements.
While you can choose any of the products reviewed in this list, however, we recommend you going through the following buyers’ guide and think of all the mentioned things before investing in a decent home exercise bike.
Usage
The very first thing you should consider before investing in any product is how you plan on using it. Once you know your requirements, you can look into the potential product’s specifications and see if the product matches your requirements.
You can invest in a recumbent exercise bike such as the XS Sports product or an upright or indoor bike. All these products and types have their own features and utility to serve. Therefore, before you get to choose the most popular product, you should consider if it can serve your purpose and utility in the long run.
Weight and Size
One of the most important things to consider in hoe bikes is their weight and size. This is especially important if you’re looking to stock your home gym. When you have a home gym, it is possible that you’ll want to relocate it from time to time. Moreover, you’d also want to invest in an easy to store product to allow you to have room for extra equipment in the gym.
The more practically storable the product is, the better its chances of being used in the long-run. Moreover, lightweight products with wheels on them allow you to redesign your home’s layout and allow for versatility. In this regard, you can choose the YYFITT upright foldable exercise bike.
Resistance
It is through the bike’s resistance that you’ll be able to adjust your workout intensity. The more the resistance, the harder the workout. However, not everyone wants to carry out extensive workouts. Some people’s purpose of buying an exercise cycle is to rehabilitate or just get some motion in their body.
Having several resistance adjustments allows you to have the best out of your machine. If a machine can offer infinite resistance, it definitely has added advantage over others. If you choose t use a machine with limited resistance levels, we suggest you have a look at the lowest and highest resistance to see if the machine can fit into your workout personalization requirements.
The best way to check resistance on an exercise bike is to check how big the flywheels are. The bigger the flywheels, the more the possibility to provide extra resistance. However, lighter flywheels are perfect for rehabilitation bikes.
Display
As you workout with a goal, it is important for you to have monitoring capacity. Most gym equipment does come with LED screens monitoring your progress. However, the quality of a product depends on the statistics that it can monitor and the accuracy of each track.
The most basic things you will need to keep track of are time, distance, heart rate, and calories burnt. Some good machines are capable of calculating your heart rate and temperature to see how well your body is burning up. These statistics are generally monitored through sensor straps that need to be adjusted to your chest, shoulders, and handlebars.
Weight Capacity
Not all machines are built the same way in terms of built and the amount of weight they can take. Therefore, before you consider buying a product, it is best to see how much the product’s use weight capacity is. Doing so is especially important if you’re looking for an exercise machine as a heavy-weight user.
Adjustability
Ergonomic design and personalization are two very important things to consider before investing in an exercise bike. An exercise bike is supposed to give your body a lot of workouts, and that workout cannot be availed if you’re not in the right posture. No machine can be built to be perfect for each user. Therefore, it is important for the machine to be adjustable.
Most good machines come with adjustable handlebars as well as seats. It is through this adjustability that the machine can before safe and easy to use for all users, regardless of their weight and height.
Programs
Many good exercise machines come with specific built-in programs. When machines have programmability options, you get to choose the perfect workout mechanism matching your stamina and strength. Therefore, it is through these programs that you can get the most out of your workout.
The more in-built programs in a machine, the better the versatility offered by the machine as well. Moreover, programmability allows you to challenge yourself in a strategic manner on a daily basis.
FAQs
The best way to learn about ay topic is by learning through other people’s queries. Therefore, in this section, let us have a look at some of the most commonly asked questions regarding exercise bikes.
How does riding an exercise bike influence your body?
Exercise bikes are the best way to get a low-impact cardiovascular workout for your entire body. Therefore, given below are some benefits you are likely to face as a regular user of an exercise bike.
- Cardiovascular exercise significantly improves heart and lungs’ functioning, allowing you to lead a healthier life.
- Riding an exercise bike reduced blood pressure, cholesterol and manages blood sugar levels for a healthier life.
- Working out for a while each day relieves stress, allowing you to sleep better and have better mental health.
- Your immune system is likely to strengthen as the body gets into motion.
- Riding an exercise bike is the best way people in physical therapy or people with arthritis can get exercise.
- The full-body workout offered through the bike is perfect for reducing weight and adding glow to your skin.
How long will it take for me to reduce weight with an exercise bike?
Working on an exercise bike requires some dedicated routine to lose weight. While using a stationary bike, you can expect to lose about 2 pounds in a month or less. However, this is highly dependent on your routine, intensity, and duration.
While riding an exercise bike, you can expect to lose about 220 calories every 30 minutes at moderate intensity as someone weight about 125 pounds. However, if you weight about 185pounds, you can burn up to 320 calories every half an hour on an exercise bike.
The best way to lose weight through any gym equipment is by mixing some high-intensity interval training with some strength-building plans. This way, you can trick your body into improving your metabolism; therefore, leading to speedy weight loss.
Can and should I turn my bicycle into a stationary exercise bike?
Yes, you can easily convert your bicycle into a stationary exercise bike. However, doing so is not as practical as it might seem. The only thing you need to do to convert a bicycle into a stationary cycle is to put it on a special stand that will not allow the bike to move anywhere. Moreover, this stand will keep the bike as sturdily fixed to the ground as possible.
The best reason to do so is that the bicycle can be unmounted from the stand at just about any time for outdoor riding. However, turning a bicycle into a stationary bike keeps you at bay from modern technological additions such as statistics tracking, adjustable adjustments, etc.
If you look from a financial perspective, converting your bicycle into a stationary exercise bike seems to be a wonderful idea. However, from a professional workout perspective, it is not the wisest thing to do.
Is riding an exercise as good as walking?
To consider the differences between the two, let us compare 30 minutes of riding an exercise cycle to 10,000 steps. Firstly, walking takes much more time than cycling. Therefore, you might lose motivation after some time. Secondly, walking 10,000 steps will burn about 371 calories, while cycling at high intensity will burn about 560 calories.
Even though walking is completely investment-free, it is something that is not as easily doable as investing in an exercise bike and working on it at home. Therefore, riding an exercise bike is not only as good as walking but a step further.
Are exercise bikes bad for the knees?
The answer to this question is a definite no. Riding exercise bikes are a low0ipact workout. Therefore, it allows your knees and other joints to move perfectly while not putting too much pressure on them. Therefore, using an exercise bike is, in fact, great for people who have had knee surgeries or have arthritis.