Best in Class Exercise Bikes for Your Home Gym

Indoor exercise bikes are effective tools for controlled training or merely staying in shape. They cater to all walks of life, whether you’re building off-season volume or reaping the benefits of low-impact cardio exercise,

For avid cyclists, logging quality time on the bike can be difficult if you live in an area with inclement weather or inadequate outdoor riding conditions. Exercise bikes bridge the gap there, too.

An indoor exercise bike can offer a big ROI, especially if you’re a competitive athlete. It’s also a great tool if you’re trying to get fit. In this post, we highlight several of the best exercise bikes that are great options for every level rider.

6 Indoor Exercise Bikes for Your Home

Before you decide which exercise bike you want, first consider your individual needs. If you have only so much space in your home, be sure to look at the technical specs before committing to just any indoor exercise bike. 

And if you’re a competitive athlete, replicating the feel of riding a real bike outdoors is also an essential consideration. So, if a certain bike doesn’t offer the features, fit, and resistance capabilities you need, it’s probably worth looking into a direct-drive smart trainer. 

To help steer you in the right direction, here are several of the best exercise bikes for your home.

NordicTrack Commercial Studio Cycle: Best All-Around Exercise Bike

If you are looking for the best exercise bike to complete a home gym, the NordicTrack Commercial Studio Cycle is the perfect all-around bike for the indoors. It is on the expensive side but comes with a year of free membership to strength and spinning classes to create the ideal complete workout. You can also set up a background and cycle at your own pace. 

Available in different screen size options (S22i and S15i), NordicTrack’s Commercial Studio Cycle is great for long rides indoors but is also well-suited for those who are just trying to stay in shape. The resistance uses magnetic technology, making it much quieter than other at-home bikes. You can adjust the resistance to mimic various terrains and use the NordicTrack to train for outdoor bike races with ease. 

Pros: 

• Top-of-the-line engineering and bike mechanics
• A free year of video subscriptions (available with or without training sessions)
• 24 resistance levels, including an incline option

Cons: 

• Expensive (typically priced around $1,499)
• Large and requires ample space 
• Overly high-tech for some

Peloton: Best Workout Streaming Exercise Bike

Of course, when it comes to streaming workouts and live training sessions, Peloton has the corner on the market. There is no better way to get in shape than with the thousands of live and recorded Peloton workouts available on the largest touch screen on any stationary bike. In addition to indoor cycling, the screen can rotate for strength and yoga workouts as well. 

Peloton’s exercise bike has 100 levels of resistance and is one of the highest-quality bicycles on the market. This is a great option if you want an at-home workout system that will mimic the outdoors. However, the highlight of Peloton is the additional membership with live and recorded training sessions for all types of workouts. 

Pros: 

• Thousands of available workouts with a rotatable screen for maximum use
• 100 levels of magnetic resistance
• Well-designed handlebars for multiple riding positions

Cons: 

• Expensive (priced around $1,445)
• Occupies more space than other exercise bikes
• Membership fees come at a premium cost

Bowflex: Best Bike for Outdoor Simulation

For triathletes and cyclists alike, the most important part of any indoor exercise bike is how well it can mimic real-world cycling outdoors. When you train and race outside, there are turns, hills, and bumps that you don’t have in your home gym. Bowflex has an excellent core bicycle and a strong selection of training videos (with a cheaper membership fee than Peloton). 

Competitive cyclists love the Bowflex indoor cycling bike because it simulates the tilt and lean of riding on the road. Because of its sturdy foundation and engineering, you can lean while you ride to simulate the turns of outdoor races. Also, you can connect video streaming services through Bowflex. It’s the only bike that allows this. 

If you’d like a more complete home gym setup with your exercise bike, you can upgrade the Bowflex to the VeloCore 16 IC Bike or the VeloCore 22 IC Bike. This includes a larger monitor screen and added accessories for other forms of exercising.

Pros: 

• Versatile streaming service
• Leaning bike system to replicate outdoor biking experience
• Excellent bike construction

Cons: 

• Heavier and more cumbersome than other exercise bike models 
• Expensive (priced just over $1k for the basic model)
• Too much tech for some cyclists

Sunny Health & Fitness: Best Budget Exercise Bike

Of course, not everyone can afford a high-tech exercise bike and the membership price of the big-name studio bikes. Instead, you can buy a simplified bike for a much more affordable price. Sunny Health & Fitness offers a stationary exercise bike without the fancy touchscreen or live training sessions, but it sells at a fraction of the cost. 

The Sunny Health & Fitness exercise bike is a simple at-home biking setup. It works in large home gyms or smaller spaces and can easily fit into the corner of a bedroom or an apartment. It is sturdy and easy to set up but only weighs 45 pounds. When it comes time to move, the bike won’t be hard to bring. 

Pros: 

• Inexpensive (often priced below $200)
• Easy to set up 
• Lightweight

Cons: 

• No screen attached
• Weight limit of 245 pounds
• It can be uncomfortable for shorter people

Synergee Fitness: Best Mini Exercise Bike

If you don’t have a ton of extra space or are looking for a mini exercise bike, the Synergee Fitness desk bike is a perfect option. This desk bike is small enough to fit under a desk or tabletop, so you can keep your legs moving while also being productive while working or studying. 

The Synergee desk bike doesn’t take up space and is very light. Not only is it extremely affordable and portable, but the Synergee Fitness mini exercise bike is the perfect tool for active recovery for athletes.

It’s also a great option for those looking to add additional movement into their lives, such as while watching television or sitting at the computer. It’s also equipped with an LED screen with your daily statistics, so you can keep track of your at-home exercises. 

Pros: 

• Affordable (priced at $64.95)
• Fits under a desk and is easy to pedal while working
• Simple display screen with goals and stats

Cons: 

• Doesn’t replicate inclines or outdoors
• No pre-recorded workouts
• Mainly for desk work

Advenor: Best Bike for Full Body Workouts

If you want to bike and work on upper body strength, the Advenor bike is a great choice. It has a built-in upper body workout system, with handles and cable tension that supports full-body resistance training. You can use them separately or while you are biking. 

Although the Advenor exercise bike doesn’t include a touch screen or any pre-recorded workouts, you can use it like an elliptical bike. It has a recumbent exercise bike design, so it’s easier on the hips and knees for some individuals. The Advenor indoor exercise bike is also much less expensive than other full-body workout machines and will help you stay healthy throughout the winter or when you can’t get outside. 

Pros: 

• Inexpensive (priced at $179.99)
• Includes upper body and arm workouts
• Easy to set up

Cons: 

• Not as sturdy 
• Some bikes “click” when first set up
• Doesn’t replicate real-world cycling like other exercise bikes 

Opting for a Bike That Works for You

Of course, the exercise bike you choose might not be on this list. However, these are just some of the better-reviewed options for stationary bicycles that work great for indoor home gyms. These spin bikes work well in any home and can still give you an excellent workout, preparing you for your next race without you having to leave the house. 

Whether you end up with a Peloton or the Synergee mini bike, you can exercise effectively in the comfort of your home. With any of these bikes, you can increase your heart rate and leg strength and tone your core muscles while you’re at it.