Spin bikes are great for safe indoor workouts, but it matters what machine you use. Here’s a guide on getting the best spin bikes for your needs. It’s not very difficult to understand why spin bikes have become so popular these days. They’re mostly very affordable, and they don’t take up a lot of space. They’re all very easy to use. The best spin bikes offer great workouts, whether for weight loss, cardio, or for muscle endurance.
Of course, it matters which spin bike you get. With so many of them available, it can be challenging to pick one that will suit your budget and your needs. But you can do yourself a favor by starting your search with these standout models:
Top 7 Spin Bikes Reviews 2022
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1002 49lb Flywheel Belt Drive Indoor Cycle Bike (Editor’s Choice)
Plenty of exercise machines may work well enough, but often they have certain efficiencies that can drive you nuts even if they’re just little things. Maybe the spin bike is not all that stable, or perhaps it’s noisy. Maybe the resistance and tension aren’t challenging enough. You may be annoyed by the seat or by the handlebar setup, or maybe you’re just thirsty and the water bottle isn’t conveniently close. These are the types of annoyances that this spin bike has eliminated.
Features:
- Maximum weight capacity of 275 pounds
- 49-pound chromed solid flywheel
- Smooth and quiet belt transmission with heavy-duty crank and frame
- Adjustable resistance with top press down brake
- Transportation wheels for easy portability
- Adjustable padded seat and handlebar
- Bottle holder
The most glaring lack here is the absence of the display monitor with the metrics. The absence of this display cuts down on the costs, but it does tend to simulate a real bike ride in the streets. Like with a real bike, you can’t really determine your speed, heart rate, or the number of calories you’ve burned.
- Well-made and not prone to breakdowns
- Can accommodate heavier users
- The resistance is challenging and adjustable for a real-world feel, with a very heavy flywheel
- Maintenance-free belt drive system
- Very quiet
- Seat can be adjusted vertically and horizontally
- Handlebars can be set up and down
- Pedals come with toe cages to keep them in place
- Has a water bottle holder
- No metrics display
Keiser M3i Indoor Cycle New Year Bundle
Here’s another highly regarded spin bike, and this time it’s part of a bundle. It is also among the top pick of Mippin. Your purchase includes a media tray, stretch pads, and floor mat. You do get a lot more features with your spin bike when you get this, although of course, you get to pay a premium price.
Keiser also points out that the M3i is so far the only indoor bike built in the US. That means excellent quality control, but it also means the manufacturer didn’t use cheap overseas labor and again that will be reflected in the price.
Features:
- Rear-mounted flywheel, so sweat doesn’t get into it
- The design of the belt avoids using complicated drivetrains or a heavy flywheel
- The drivetrain doesn’t need any maintenance beyond routine inspection
- The two-magnet eddy current resistance system works with a belt for a smooth and quiet ride
- It’s so quiet because it passed a quality control test for quiet operations
- It offers Bluetooth LE connectivity to the cycling computer, with options that don’t require monthly fees
- The media tray offers a handy place for your tablet
- You can track your personal workout data with the free app
- The backlit display automatically turns on when the room light drops below a set level and remains on
Plenty of people have called this an awesome machine, and we concur that it deserves all the accolades. The only thing keeping this from the masses is the price, and that’s important enough to keep it from being our Editor’s Choice. But even with the high price, it surely deserves its place on this list. It really is that good.
- It’s durable and doesn’t need much maintenance
- It works extremely smoothly and it doesn’t seem to make any noise at all
- It offers Bluetooth connectivity
- You have a very useful app to work with
- The workout simulates the challenges of biking on the road
- It can accommodate 7-footers, with a weight limit of 350 pounds
- Made in the US
- It’s very expensive!
Schwinn Fitness AC PERFORMANCE PLUS with CARBON BLUE Belt Drive
Schwinn is a bike manufacturer brand that’s so committed to bike machines that they even make high-quality indoor bikes. This one is certainly of premium quality, and it shows in the price. But it offers plenty of features make a convincing argument that the price is actually reasonable.
Features:
- The aluminum frame is rust-resistant and is as strong as steel but much lighter
- The resistance system uses 6 magnets for consistently smooth control
- There’s no contact with the flywheel, which means there’s no tension that can lead to wear
- The Carbon Blue belt drive technology offers a realistic outdoor ride feel without the need for any maintenance
- Double link pedals with SPD and toe-clip combination
- Lightweight performance handlebars with ErgoLoop, aero bars, and 12-degree incline, with multiple user positions for maximum comfort
- Accommodates riders from 4′ 11″ to 6′ 8″, with a 350-pound weight capacity
You may notice that there’s no computer console either, but that simply means you should just get it separately. There’s a Schwinn MPower Echelon 2 Console with Power Upgrade, but that costs more money.
- Very stable even with heavyweight users
- It mimics a real bike ride but it’s very smooth
- It’s also very quiet
- The handlebars are comfortable to handle
- The overall quality is comparable to commercial models
- Straightforward assembly
- The price is quite steep, with used models still costing in the 4-figures.
Spinning Spinner S7 Indoor Cycling Bike with Four DVDs, Titanium
This is the top-of-the-line indoor bike from the Spinning Sport Series. It’s often unavailable, but you may find refurbished units online. It’s a good-looking machine, and it works very well.
Features:
- It accommodates riders 4′ 10″ (147.3 cm) to 6′ 7″ (200.6 cm) in height.
- The weight limit is 250 pounds.
- There’s a resistance knob that you push to stop, with a dual-density grip surface with insert molded graphics.
- It uses a leather brake pad for superb feel and improved life span
- The saddle is wide and padded
- The handlebars are large and commercial-sized for a comfier grip
- The stabilizer feet are easy to adjust
- 35-pound flywheel
- Dual-Sided, SPD-compatible pedals for riding with cycling shoes
- Commercial-grade water bottle holders
Perhaps the main problem here is that it’s tricky to assemble. Any mistake and then you get performance problems that make you think something’s wrong with the unit. So you need to get the assembly right.
- Can accommodate most people
- Comfy to use
- Lots of convenient features
- Very smooth ride
- No computer display
- Expensive
Stamina Airgometer Upright Exercise Bike
Now if you’re getting annoyed about the machines we’ve listed without a computer display, at least now we have that feature here. In fact, its listed features are very impressive. On the downside, there are numerous complaints about quality, and customer support isn’t all that helpful either. So it’s extremely good if you happen to get a working model, but there’s a risk that it’s not. Now that’s a normal risk (which is why there’s a warranty) but the complaints about the customer support aren’t doing the brand any good.
Features:
- Steel frame, with 300-pound weight capacity
- LCD display tracks time, distance, speed, and calories burned
- Dual-action handlebars, with foam cover for a better grip
- Large textured pedals with stationary footrests
- Oversized, padded seat with 10 adjustment options
- Uses air resistance
- Comes with water bottle and holder
- Has transport wheels
- Comes with the features you need
- Convenient to use
- Can handle lots of weight
- Comfortable
- Plenty of complaints about breakdowns
- Lots of complaints about customer support too
Sunny Health & FitnessASUNA Minotaur Cycle Exercise Bike
Now this is good, as Sunny Health & Fitness calls it a “Commercial Indoor Cycling Bike”. It’s a very solid machine as it weighs 132.8 pounds, and it can handle a maximum weight of 330 pounds. Just about every home user loves this, but there aren’t a lot of them because of the price.
Features:
- High Inertia 33-pound Flywheel
- Adjustable Magnetic Resistance
- The smooth and reliable belt drive mechanism
- Heavy duty crank system
- The seat can be adjusted for height and proximity to handlebars
- Water Bottle Holder
- Portability Wheels
- Foot Cage SPD Pedals
- High quality
- Offers challenging workout
- Can accommodate most people
- Very stable and safe to use
- Has the LCD display for data
- Pricey
Marcy Club Revolution Bike Cycle Trainer for Cardio Exercise
This one is both affordable and effective. You don’t have the LCD display though, which explains the low price.
Features:
- Steel frame with a 300-pound limit
- The 40-pound flywheel offers a smooth ride
- Handlebars and set can be adjusted
- The basket cage for the pedals can be adjusted as well
- There’s a brake mechanism to stop the wheel quickly
- There’s a resistance knob to adjust the resistance
- There’s a water bottle holder
- Comes with transport wheels
- Ergonomic seat
- The ride is very smooth
- Extremely sturdy
- Durable pedals
- Newbies can use this easily
- Affordable
- Hard to find brand new, may have to be bought second-hand
- No LCD display
What You Need to Know When Buying Best Spin Bikes
Here are the answers to some of the more common questions about spin bikes:
How strong should a spin bike get?
It should be strong enough to bear your weight comfortably. Most models come with stated weight capacity, and you really shouldn’t exceed it. But even if you weigh a svelte 150 pounds, it’s still a good idea to go for a model that can carry 250 pounds or more. The weight capacity indicates the machine’s stability.
What’s the flywheel for?
You may notice how some product descriptions mention a flywheel and its weight. The flywheel is the component that provides momentum and which engages your muscles. That’s why you want heavier flywheels to make your workouts more of a challenge (and more effective). You should go for at least a 40-pound flywheel, even though lighter flywheels are more affordable.
What’s the difference between the magnetic breaks and the belt drives?
Both of these components provide the tension level which you need to overcome for your workout. They’re quite different from each other, and they each have their own set of pros and cons.
Magnetic brakes offer a much more challenging workout on average, and machines of this type can simulate scenarios such as pedaling up a steep hill. Because there’s no friction involved, magnetic tension doesn’t cause as much wear and tear compared to belt drives.
On the other hand, many people still like using belt drives, which means there’s a belt that joins the pedals and the crank. These systems are usually more affordable, and in the right models, they can be very reliable. The best spin bikes can have very quiet belt drives, which can be quieter than magnetic tension models that sometimes produce whirring or purring noises. Belt drives are also generally easy to maintain.
What other factors should be considered before buying a spin bike?
Your comfort is crucial, though it’s not really about the quality of the seat and the padding. When you’re using the spin bike, you’re not always sitting down on the seat anyway. What’s more important is that the handlebar can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Another factor that you need to focus on its build quality and durability. It can be annoying if some component breaks down or wears off frequently. You may care about how quiet it is too, or whether it’s easy to move from one spot to the next.
It should be easy to assemble too, though of course, we’re not all geniuses when it comes to DIY assembling.
There should be some display too which offers basic metrics like speed, time, distance covered, and perhaps even heart rate. These metrics can give you a measure of how well you did during your workout, and you can use them to set daily fitness goals for your workouts.
What’s the best reason to opt for a spin bike instead of a treadmill?
You don’t ruin your knees!
Conclusion
You really should think about using a spin bike, as it’s better compared to many alternatives. It’s certainly safer than biking on the road, as you won’t have to worry about potholes, pedestrians, and cars in the street. You can set it in front of the TV and you can binge on your favorite shows as you pedal away. The best spin bikes can still be very affordable, and you can get to use them for many years to come.
