WHETHER you're an avid cyclist, a spin class fanatic or just out to get fitter, a home exercise bike is one of the best ways you can stay in shape.
Indoor cycle training has all the benefits of the real thing without the danger, fumes and aggro of the lanes outside, which is why the bike machine has long been a firm fixture in home gyms.
A versatile cardio machine with numerous benefits such as limited space usage and multitasking capabilities, their cost varies much as it does with a real bike.
You pay for brand and quality, but also for the wide array of tech such as heart rate monitors, odometers and the numerous apps that now go with them.
If you want to recreate the classic bike ride, you’ll want an upright bike, where the pedals are aligned under the user’s feet and the seat supports the user’s weight.
For those who prefer to lean back, go for a recumbent bike, where pedals are in front of the user’s feet instead of below.
Here’s our pick of the best bikes from the most popular types out there for you to give a spin.
Best upright bike
- Sole Fitness LCB, £1,299 at Powerhouse Fitness – buy here
Featuring 40 levels of resistance and a 30lb flywheel, the Sole Fitness LCB is self-generating, meaning no mains power is required.
Oversized foot pedals and cushioned gel seat with vertical and horizontal adjustments make this a comfortable ride, while the contact and telemetric heart rate on the intuitive LCD display keeps you motivated. Bluetooth enabled.
Best spin class bike
- £1,990 at Peloton – buy here
A complete home workout, from equipment to professional instructor, your bike comes complete with live classes that are streamed to your machine, with round the clock access to spin class sessions.
Price includes delivery and set-up, with add-on packages that come with shoes, weights, headphones, heart rate monitor, bike mat and even water bottles, although subscription to classes is extra. One for the hardcore indoor cyclist.
Best recumbent bike
- Exerpeutic Gold 525XLR, £229 at Amazon – buy here
A heavy duty beast, the Exerpeutic Gold comes with a fully adjustable large set cushion and backrest to maximise comfort.
The extended leg stabilisers and large pedals help prevent foot slippage, or the bike feeling like it may tip over if you go too fast.
Features eight magnetic resistance, an LCD display that shows distance, calories, time, speed and pulse, and a dual transmission flywheel for a quiet, high-resistance workout.
Best indoor cycle
- Keiser M31, £1,555 at Real Time Leisure – buy here
Designed to protect from sweat and corrosion, with a powerful magnetic resistance and a featherlight but sturdy flywheel, the Keiser M31 spins effortlessly.
Pin-drop silent and devoid of the need for any maintenance thanks to its moving parts never coming in contact with one another – when you change gears, it automatically adjusts to the magnetic flywheel.
Comes equipped with Bluetooth, free training apps and online training videos.
Best air bike
- Assault AirBike Classic, £695 at Wolverson Fitness – buy here
With 20 sealed ball bearings in every pivot throughout its solid steel frame, the Assault AirBike assures you durability while using air resistance to automatically scale to your workout level: the harder you pedal, the greater the resistance.
Featuring a 25” diameter steel fan, hybrid seat with multi-adjustment options and an LCD screen that tracks watts, rpm, calories, heart rate, distance, time, odometer and interval training.
Looking for a budget option? We've also rounded up the best cheap exercise bikes you can buy.
Or, if you're hitting the road for real, we've rounded up the best road bikes on the market.
You can find more great recommendations in our dedicated health and fitness section.
Source: Read Full Article
