Which is the Best Exercise Bike for Use at Home?

2020 dropped and boom Corona. In the fitness world, there came a huge shift. Where one of them is more people are opting for the home gym to ensure health safety. So, I have been encountering this question lately “which is the best exercise bike for use at home?”. For this, I can simply hand you the list of Best Indoor Cycling Bike under 500. However, it won’t suffice. Along with this, you should know about some of the decisive aspects that will help you in making the best purchase.

Uh, hold on a second. Here comes the part where you should know what type of exercise you are wanting. Plus, what is your budget, expected features, health level, and home space? To make this clear, let’s play a simple quiz.

1. High-intensity workout or Low-moderate intensity workout?

Ans: If you go with a HIIT workout, you should look for the spin bike. For a low-moderate intensity workout, an upright or recumbent bike will be better and comfortable.

2. Are you a fit person or a Senior?

Ans: A fit person should ride a spin bike or upright bike for a rigorous workout. But seniors have joint problems and other issues. So, a recumbent bike can give them an efficient workout along with relief.

3. Do you live in a small apartment or a big house?

Ans: If you have a big house then going for any exercise bike won’t be an issue. However, for limited space, you should consider having a bike that is foldable and takes less space. In this case, I would say an upright bike will be fine.

4. What is your fitness goal-staying fit or strength training?

Ans: Ahh, finally the most anticipated question. Well, if it is shedding huge weight, toning up muscle, and gaining endurance, etc. then an upright/spin bike is your best bet. Again, if you just want to stay fit, control diabetes levels, increase metabolism, and get a good cardio workout then you should have a recumbent bike.

5. What is your estimated budget- medium or high?

Ans: Indoor cycling bike usually starts from $250 and can go up to $2500. For an economical solution, you can go with an Echelon bike. They provide great quality for your hard-earned money. But if you want to have the best indoor cycling experience, there are greater options like Peloton, NordicTrack, Stryde, and MYX, etc.

Now, we will go through things that you should also keep in mind before choosing an indoor cycling bike.

Style:

In stationary exercise bikes, you will get three types such as upright, recumbent, and indoor cycling. They offer an excellent workout regimen and have special use to suit your fitness goals.

Upright bikes are the clone of outdoor bicycles only it is stationary. The pedals are designed beneath the seat and have varied resistance levels to mimic the experience of riding on the road. It provides a great aerobic workout that challenges you to get efficient muscle and cardio training. An upright bike is designed considering the user’s comfort in mind and features a smaller footprint.

A recumbent bike puts you in a reclined position since the pedals are placed forward. Besides, it has a larger padded seat with a backrest to support your spine and back muscle. Hence, you can work on your body in a relaxed position. This type of exercise bike is ideal for seniors who are suffering from joint mobility. It enables you to work out for a long period. The good thing is you can multitask in a recumbent bike. How? You can do other exercises on your arms.

Check our Does a Recumbent bike work your arms? You can explore more.

For multiple riding postures and hardcore training, there is no parallel to an indoor cycling bike. Such as spin bike or dual action bike. They have heavier flywheels to create resistance that you will work against.

Resistance:

Different exercise bike features their own mechanism to create resistance in the bike. Such as brake-based system resistance, direct contact resistance, magnetic resistance, and fan-based resistance. With these, you can increase or decrease the intensity of your workout. They can simulate running, moving uphill (incline) or going downhill (decline), etc.

Some resistance can be adjusted manually which is often found on indoor bikes. Otherwise, you can adjust the resistance in the console or integrate keypad buttons in the handlebars. In such a case, a recumbent or upright bike will be the smart choice.

No matter what you choose, all strive to offer an energetic workout to you. But it depends on how much resistance you can take. Personally, I like magnetic resistance due to its high-performance and leading-edge technology. It utilizes the flywheel and two dynamic magnets. Here, the flywheel operates as a magnetic conductor which rotates as you cycle. So, it comes between the two magnets and obstructs the magnetic field. Hence, generates a resistance force due to the emerging attraction of the flywheel. Here, the resistance resists the riding force. Hence, you need to work harder. Meanwhile, it gives a great workout to your legs.

Features:

What extra features do you want? It can be a console, connectivity, water bottle holder, etc. You can keep track of your fitness stats on a console. Nowadays smart console has a built-in app for Live and On-demand classes. You can enjoy the interactive classes at any moment of the day at the cost of a monthly subscription. But not all exercise bike features a console. It takes only the expensive ones to incorporate an advanced console screen.

Keeping yourself hydrated during the workout is crucial. Because you sweat a lot and your muscles burn energy. That’s why having a water bottle holder on the bike is necessary. So, you can have water at the reach of your arms.

Most exercise bike gives the benefits of connective be its Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It gives an incredible two-way connection between the machine and your device. You can send all the relevant workout data to your smartphone and you can access it from wherever you want. Not all exercise bike has music systems just media port or MS players. So, with the connectivity, you can stream media and music to your console.

Durability:

The exercise bike that you want to work out on should be made with heavy-duty material and feels sturdy. If it’s lightweight or finicky then it will wobble while you exercise or it can break down. For a great workout, you need stable and strong fitness equipment. Hence, you can look for its initial materials, weight capacity, and welding structure. So, your money won’t go wasted. Pay a little extra if you have to on a strong frame exercise bike. Since this is a lifetime investment, you won’t regret it.

Flexibility:

Flexibility in an exercise bike or any other bike is necessary for an effective workout. Imagine, you bought a stationary upright bike that is dearest to your heart and it doesn’t suit you well. You will end up with sore legs and muscles pain. Prolonging exercise on it can cause long-term severe injury. There are high chances of buying misfit bikes if you are doing online shopping.

So, you should have an exercise bike with some flexible parts. Such as seats, handlebars, and pedals. They can be adjusted according to your body measurement. So, you can have a custom fit and great riding performance.

Takeaway:

Now that you know the answer to “Which is the Best Exercise Bike for Use at Home?” I can die in peace. No, seriously. If you are investing your hard-earned money in a piece of fitness equipment then it should be worth it. Here, I have told you what to consider when making a purchase. I hope this will help you in the long run.

Thanks for reading.