Exercise bikes for home use

Which exercise bike for home use suits you?

The seating position and the way you control the resistance decide most of your choice. The display comes after that.

You want to work on your fitness calmly, half an hour a day: an upright exercise bike with manual resistance is enough. You set the resistance before the ride and leave it there. These machines are compact, quiet and the simplest to use.

You want to train to a programme or by power: choose computer-controlled resistance. The console then adjusts the resistance itself according to a programme or an app, so you can ride intervals and climbs without turning a knob.

You have back complaints or find it hard to step on: look at a lying version with a backrest and a low step-through. You sit back with your legs in front of you, which greatly reduces the pressure on your lower back and your seat. Those are with the recumbent bikes.

You want short, intensive sessions: then an air resistance bike is interesting. The resistance follows your own effort, so the harder you pedal the heavier it gets, and your arms join in. For that, have a look at the air bikes.

You are rehabilitating or following a cardiac rehabilitation programme: look for a low step-up height, a stable frame, fine resistance steps in the low range and reliable heart rate measurement. A chest strap measures more accurately than hand sensors and lets you hold the zone agreed with your practitioner.

You want as much machine as your budget allows: then work through the used exercise bikes as well. These include refurbished machines from a higher segment, with a heavier frame and a more accurate resistance system than you would get new for the same money.

Exercise bike for home use or professional machine?

The difference is in the hours. An exercise bike for home use is built for a few users and a limited number of hours per week, with attention to compact dimensions, a quiet resistance system and entertainment. A professional machine is built for continuous use by changing users: a heavier frame, heavier bearings and a console that can take daily cleaning.

If you train a lot yourself, if you are closer to the maximum user weight or if several people ride it every day, a semi-professional version is the sensible middle ground. For a practice, a gym or corporate fitness, look at the professional exercise bikes.

What should you look out for when buying?

Seating position and step-up height

This is the first point on which machines really differ from one another. Sitting upright is compact and feels like cycling outdoors. Sitting back relieves your lower back and your seat and is more pleasant for longer rides. The step-up height decides whether getting on happens by itself; a low step-through is the difference between cycling every day and a machine that stays where it is.

Resistance system

Manual resistance is set before the ride and is simple and trouble free. Computer-controlled resistance lets the console do the work, so programmes and apps can decide how hard it gets. If you want to train by power or to a schedule, computer-controlled is the only workable choice. With a magnetic system, also check how fine the steps are in the low range, because that is where you train when building up and rehabilitating.

Saddle, handlebar and adjustability

An exercise bike you cannot set up properly feels wrong after twenty minutes. Check whether the saddle adjusts in height and horizontally, whether the handlebar moves with it, and whether the saddle can be swapped for a wider or softer one. With several people using it in the house, quick adjustment matters more than the number of programmes.

Heart rate measurement

Hand sensors in the handlebar are handy for an indication but they respond slowly and ask you to keep holding on. A wireless chest strap measures more accurately and keeps measuring when you take your hands off the handlebar. Some machines include that chest strap, with others it is optional. If you train by zones or on medical advice, a chest strap is worth it.

Display and app connection

For most rides, time, resistance, cadence, heart rate and distance are enough. Larger consoles offer a touchscreen, bluetooth, a holder for your tablet and sometimes a fan. Many machines can be paired with training apps for routes, videos or schedules. Those apps are optional and usually ask for a paid subscription for the full functions, although some offer a limited free version or a trial period.

Stability, weight and noise

A heavier frame and a heavier flywheel give a smoother pedal stroke, certainly when you come out of the saddle. Watch the maximum user weight and stay comfortably below it. For the floor and for the neighbours below you, a mat helps: it absorbs vibration and keeps the machine in place. You will find mats and saddles with the exercise bike accessories.

Our advice: choose the seating position and the step-up height first, because that is what decides whether you really use the machine. Only then look at resistance and display. If you are torn between upright and lying, go for lying if you have ever had back complaints. If you want to work through the full list of points, our blog with 14 tips for buying an exercise bike will help you further.

Exercise bike or indoor cycle?

An exercise bike is made for cycling comfortably and for a long time, upright or lying down, with a display that guides you through a programme. An indoor cycle is made for working hard in a sporty, forward-leaning position, with a heavy flywheel and a narrow saddle.

If you want to build up calmly, rehabilitate or cycle for an hour while you watch something, choose an exercise bike. If you want short and intensive sessions in a racing position, you are better off on an indoor cycle. The difference is set out more fully in our blog on exercise bike vs. spin bike.

Who is an exercise bike for home use suitable for?

• Anyone who wants to work on their fitness calmly. A low load, no impact on the joints and a resistance you dose yourself.
• Anyone recovering or rehabilitating. A predictable movement in a fixed position, with fine resistance steps in the low range.
• Older users and anyone who finds getting on difficult. A low step-through or a lying version makes the difference between using it and leaving it standing.
• Anyone who wants to lose weight. Cycling for a long time in a calm zone is easy to keep up and barely loads your knees.
• Cyclists in winter. You keep your base fitness up without rain, wind and slippery roads.
• Families with several users. A quickly adjustable saddle and handlebar matter more here than a large screen.

An exercise bike is less suitable if you specifically want to build leg strength with high peaks, or if you are after the outdoor feeling of a road bike. In the first case you look at strength equipment, in the second at an indoor cycle. If you are unsure about the type, first have a look at the full range of exercise bikes.

Need help with your choice?

Would you like to buy an exercise bike for home use but are you not quite sure which one suits your wishes and needs best? Then we are happy to help you further. You can reach our exercise bike specialists by phone on +31 85 773 00 57, send an e-mail or visit our fitness store in Volkel, the Netherlands.

Frequently asked questions about exercise bikes for home use

How much space do you need for an exercise bike?

An upright exercise bike has roughly the footprint of a chair plus some room to get on and off. A lying version is longer but lower. Count on half a metre of clear space at the back and at one side, so you can get around it and the ventilation of the console stays clear. Many models have transport wheels so you can move the machine aside after your ride.

What is the difference between an upright and a recumbent exercise bike?

On an upright bike you sit as you would on an ordinary bicycle, with your weight on the saddle and your hands on the handlebar. On a recumbent version you sit back in a seat with a backrest and pedal forwards. That relieves your lower back and your seat, makes getting on easier and is more comfortable for long rides. Upright is more compact and feels sportier.

How long should you cycle on an exercise bike?

For fitness and health, regularity works better than length: three to five times a week for twenty to forty minutes in a calm zone delivers more than one hard hour a week. If you want to lose weight, the total minutes per week are what count. Build up in small steps and use your heart rate as a brake, not how you feel on the day itself.

Is an exercise bike suitable with knee or back complaints?

Often it is, because the movement is round and there is no impact in it as there is with running. With knee complaints, watch for a light resistance and the right saddle height: your knee should neither straighten fully at the bottom nor bend too deeply. With back complaints, a lying version with a backrest is usually more pleasant. If you have complaints, discuss resistance and duration with your physiotherapist first.

Do you need a subscription or an app?

No. Every exercise bike works on its own with its own console and the built-in programmes. Many machines can also be paired with training apps for routes, videos or schedules. Those apps are optional and usually ask for a paid subscription for the full functions, although some offer a limited free version or a trial period. So choose on seating position, resistance and adjustability first.

How much maintenance does an exercise bike need?

Little. Keep the frame and the saddle free of sweat, because that is the main cause of rust and of a squeaking saddle. A few times a year, check that the pedals and the saddle are properly tight and that the machine stands level. With a magnetic system there is no wear on brake pads; with a belt or friction system that is a part that will be replaced at some point.