The home workout boom of the past three years saw a big rise in the launch of new consumer exercise equipment, with exercise bikes squarely leading the pack. And while the world has mostly returned to normal, the popularity of home workouts has remained. It’s just more convenient to get your workouts at home, which allows you to be more consistent with your training schedule.
While there now more varied home exercise options than ever, the exercise bike has remained one of the most integral. Not only are stationary bikes very effective at burning fat and calories, they’re also great for strengthening major muscle groups. With the integration of on-demand classes and video workouts, they can also feel very dynamic, allowing your riding sessions to be more immersive and engaging.
These are the best exercise bikes you can get today.
Schwinn IC4
Equipped with magnetic resistance, this bike allows you to dial in through 100 resistance levels, with a display console allowing you to see vital stats, like current resistance, cadence, time, calories, speed, distance, and heart rate. It has four-way adjustable handlebars and an adjustable seat, too, so you can find a comfortable riding posture with a few tweaks. There’s no built-in touchscreen, but it has a dock sized to fit both smartphones and tablets, as well as Bluetooth, allowing you to pair the bike with your training app of choice. According to the outfit, it’s currently compatible with JRNY, Peloton, Zwift, Rouvy, Tacx, Fulgas, Sufferfest, TrainerRoad, and MyFitnessPal.
Schwinn Fitness AD7 Airdyne Bike
If you want an exercise bike that serves as a hardcore cardio machine with none of the bells and whistles of smart gym equipment, the air bike is the way to go. There’s a reason it’s become a staple among HIIT gyms and CrossFit studios. The AD7 Airdyne is our favorite of the lot, offering infinite resistance levels that get harder the better you perform. Yes, other air bikes do the same, but this model combines that hardcore cardio workout with plenty of comfort, relatively quiet operation, and a durable build that allows it to support users up to 350 pounds. It comes with a display console that shows calories, watts, time, distance, speed, RPM, and heart rate.
Echelon Connect Bike EX-5s
We love this bike’s elevated bullhorn handlebars and competition-style seat, both of which are extremely supportive and comfortable, apart from being adjustable. It has 32 magnetic resistance levels, which is enough to dial in the right amount you need for each workout, as well as dual-sided pedals, so you can use it with or without standard cycling shoes. If you want the most affordable exercise bike with a built-in display, this is among the most accessible we’ve found with its 22-inch touchscreen that can even rotate for those times you want to do exercises off the bike. It’s designed to work with the outfit’s own Echelon Fit training system, which offers 40 daily live classes and 1000s of on-demand videos.
Bowflex VeloCore Bike
This bike goes heavy on the features, starting with the 100-level magnetic resistance, which lets you really dial in the perfect amount of resistance. There’s also a “Leaning Mode” that lets the bike lean from side to side, much like you do on an actual bike when you’re maneuvering through a turn. Of course, you can switch off the leaning capability if you prefer a more straightforward ride, but it’s there if you want the extra core engagement. Features include dual-sided pedals, four-way adjustable handlebars, and two options in screen size (16- or 22-inches). It comes with a year’s membership to the outfit’s JRNY system, which offers adaptive real-time coaching, virtual courses, and on-demand classes, so it’s a pretty good deal.
NordicTrack S22i Studio Bike
This exercise bike has magnetic resistance, so it operates very quietly, making it a great option for folks who don’t want the noise of other exercise bikes. We also love the fact that it can adjust for inclines and declines, with the bike physically adjusting the front height and adjusting resistance accordingly, allowing you to better recreate real-world ride paths. If you’re following on-demand riding videos from iFit, you don’t even need to make those adjustments yourself, as the system auto-adjusts both resistance and incline in sync with the video. Features include a rotating 22-inch touchscreen (so you can watch the library even when you’re not on the bike), 24 resistance levels, and a 30W audio system.
Peloton Bike+
Peloton led the way for the workout bike renaissance we see today and they remain one of the most prominent outfits in the space. Their newest ride, the Bike+, improves on their original with a rotating 24-inch HD touchscreen, a resistance knob that automatically rotates to match the onscreen instructions, and a new four-speaker sound system. Why does the screen rotate? So you can perform other exercises in the library, including strength training, yoga, and stretching, while still being able to follow the video instructions. Of course, that library of professional-quality, trainer-led classes remains the biggest reason to go with Peloton, which genuinely can make your workouts feel more fun.