By Chris Linford · Updated July 2026 · Rated with FitRank
A folding exercise bike solves one problem brilliantly, having nowhere to put a full-size one. It packs down to a fraction of its size and lives behind a sofa or under a bed between sessions. Here are the best folding exercise bikes in the UK, ranked on FitRank, with an honest account of what you gain and what you give up.
Let us be straight from the top, because this is a category where honesty matters more than usual. Folding bikes are a compromise. They have light flywheels, basic consoles and modest resistance, so none of them rides like a proper spin bike or a comfortable recumbent. If you have the floor space for a full-size bike, buy one, and our best exercise bikes guide will point you to it.
But if space is the real, binding constraint, a flat with no spare room, a bedroom that has to double up, a home shared with people who do not want a bike on permanent display, then a folding bike is not a compromise, it is the only thing that fits. Judged as space-savers rather than as training tools, these three do the job. They are ranked on FitRank, our editorial score, which is why the numbers here are lower than on our other guides. That is the format, not a fault in these particular bikes.
The quick list
Best overall · Viavito Onyx · FitRank 3.0 · £99
Best for a sturdier ride · Xterra FB350 · FitRank 3.0 · £169
Best budget backrest bike · Xterra FB150 · FitRank 2.9 · £149
1Best overall
Viavito Onyx
3.0/5
FitRank
FoldingFolds away
The Viavito Onyx is the pick of a small field, and the most genuinely liveable folding bike here. It collapses to just 33 by 41cm, small enough to slide behind a sofa or under a bed, and at £99 it is the cheapest bike on the whole site. You sit upright and pedal gently through eight levels of magnetic resistance, with a simple console tracking the basics.
It is built for light, casual sessions rather than training, which for the person buying a folding bike is usually exactly right. Nobody choosing this is trying to win a race, they are trying to move a bit without a machine taking over the room.
Best for Small flats and shared rooms where the bike simply has to disappear between uses.
Watch-out A light 1.2kg flywheel, fixed handlebars and a 100kg user limit, so it is strictly for gentle riding.
The Xterra FB350 is the more substantial folding option. It has a heavier, steadier feel than the ultra-compact Onyx, a more supportive seat with a backrest, and a pulse grip on the handlebars, which makes it the better pick if the Onyx feels too flimsy or too upright for you.
It still folds for storage, though it is bulkier folded than the Onyx, so it is the choice when you want a bike that feels more planted and can spare a little more room for it.
Best for Riders who want a more stable, supported folding bike and can give it a bit more space.
Watch-out Bigger and heavier than the Onyx when folded, and still a light-duty bike rather than a training one.
The Xterra FB150 is the entry point, a compact folding bike with a backrest seat that suits gentle, upright riding and rehab-style movement. It covers the same brief as the FB350 in a slightly smaller, simpler and cheaper package.
If you want the supported, backrest-style seating of the FB350 but at the lowest possible price, this is the one, as long as you accept it is the most basic bike here.
Best for The cheapest route to a folding bike with a supportive backrest seat.
Watch-out The lowest-specified bike on this list, with a light flywheel and a basic console, for gentle use only.
The honest answer is people for whom the alternative is no bike at all. If you live in a small flat, if your only space is a bedroom or a living room you cannot fill with equipment, if you share a home with people who would rather not look at a spin bike every day, or if you simply want to tuck the thing away when guests come round, a folding bike is the answer. It exists to fit a life, not to build fitness records.
It also suits light, gentle use by design, casual pedalling while watching television, keeping moving during recovery from illness, or very light rehab movement. The low resistance and upright position that make it a poor training tool make it an approachable, unintimidating one. For that reason folding bikes are also worth a look for some older riders in small homes, which we cover in our best exercise bikes for seniors guide.
What you give up
Being clear about the trade is the whole point of an honest guide. A folding bike gives up ride quality in three specific ways. The flywheels are light, typically one to two kilograms against thirteen or more on a proper spin bike, so the pedal stroke feels less smooth and cannot deliver a genuinely hard workout. The resistance range is modest, so strong riders will spin out at the top level. And the frames, being made to fold, are lighter and less planted than a fixed bike, so they can feel less stable when you push.
What you do not give up is the basic benefit of cycling. Gentle, regular movement on a folding bike still supports your health, still gets your legs moving, and still beats not exercising because there was nowhere to put a bike. The mistake is expecting it to do more than that. Buy it for what it is.
How to choose a folding bike
Folded size and weight
This is the reason you are buying one, so check it first. Look at the folded dimensions against the actual space you have, whether that is behind a sofa or in a cupboard, and check the weight if you will be moving it regularly. The Viavito Onyx leads here, folding to around 33 by 41cm.
Seat and riding position
Folding bikes split between simple upright saddles, like the Onyx, and backrest seats, like the two Xterras. A backrest is more comfortable and more supportive for gentle, longer sessions, while an upright saddle keeps the bike smaller. Choose on comfort, since a folding bike you find uncomfortable will stay folded.
User weight limit
Folding bikes often have lower limits than full-size ones, so check the figure against your own weight rather than assuming. The Onyx is rated to 100kg. Heavier riders are usually better served by a full-size upright, which is sturdier as well as more capable.
Be realistic about resistance
If you want to train hard, a folding bike is the wrong category and no amount of choosing well within it will fix that. If you want gentle, regular movement in a small space, any of these will do it. Match the bike to the job.
The alternative worth considering
Before you commit to a folding bike, it is worth asking whether a compact full-size bike would fit after all. Some upright bikes are smaller than people expect and ride far better, and a genuinely compact connected bike like the Reebok i-Bike has a footprint of around 131 by 51cm while offering a proper flywheel, app connectivity and a much better ride than anything that folds.
It does not fold away, so it is only an option if you can leave it out, but if you can find the corner for it, the jump in ride quality over a folding bike is large. Our best exercise bikes under £500 guide covers the compact full-size options worth weighing against these.
How we chose these bikes
Every bike here has been scored with FitRank, our editorial rating out of 5 that weighs performance, build quality, value and features against each bike’s rivals and its price. Folding bikes score lower than full-size ones because the format involves real compromises, and we would rather show you honest scores than inflate them to make a thin category look stronger than it is. We do not rank by commission. Within the folding category, these are the three worth considering, ordered by FitRank.
Frequently asked questions
Are folding exercise bikes any good?
For their purpose, yes. They are good at being compact and letting you exercise where a full-size bike would not fit. They are not good for hard training, because light flywheels and modest resistance limit the ride. Buy one for the space saving, not for the performance, and you will not be disappointed.
What is the best folding exercise bike?
The Viavito Onyx is our pick, because it folds smallest, to around 33 by 41cm, costs just £99, and rides well enough for the gentle use these bikes are made for. The two Xterra bikes are worth a look if you want a more supportive backrest seat.
Do folding exercise bikes fold up completely?
They fold down significantly rather than flat, and how small varies by model. The Viavito Onyx collapses to around 33 by 41cm, small enough for behind a sofa or under a bed. Always check the folded dimensions against your actual storage space before buying.
Can you lose weight on a folding exercise bike?
You can, because any regular cycling contributes alongside sensible eating, but the light resistance makes hard, high-burn sessions difficult. For weight loss you will do better with a bike you can push harder on. Our weight loss guide covers the better options.
Are folding exercise bikes sturdy enough?
For gentle, seated riding within the stated weight limit, yes. They are lighter and less planted than full-size bikes, so they can feel less stable if you ride hard or stand up, which you should not do on one. Heavier riders should check the user weight limit carefully, as it is often lower than on fixed bikes.
Is a folding bike better than a compact upright?
Only if you genuinely cannot leave a bike out. A compact full-size upright like the Reebok i-Bike rides far better and is sturdier, but it does not pack away. If you have a corner to spare, choose the full-size bike. If you truly have nowhere, the folding bike wins by being the one that fits.
Chris Linford · Fitness equipment reviewer Chris writes the home fitness reviews across our sites, including our sister site HomeTreadmill.co.uk. He compares every machine against its rivals on UK pricing and specs, and scores each one with FitRank.
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our FitRank score. See our affiliate disclosure.
Work out roughly how many calories you burn on an exercise bike. Enter your weight and your ride, either by how hard it felt or by your average watts if your bike shows them, and the calculator does the rest. Every figure is an estimate, and the notes below are honest about why.
kg
st
lb
min
watts
–kcal
Estimated calories burned
Effort mode uses the standard MET method. All figures are estimates and vary with fitness, terrain and individual metabolism.
How the calculator works
There are two honest ways to estimate calories on a bike, and this tool offers both.
By effort uses the MET method, the standard approach in exercise science. Every activity has a MET value for how much energy it uses relative to sitting still, and cycling ranges from about 4 METs for a gentle spin to 11 or more for hard intervals. Combined with your body weight and time, that gives a calorie estimate. It needs no special equipment, just an honest read of how hard you rode.
By watts is more reliable, if your bike reports power. It takes the actual work you did at the pedals and scales it up for the efficiency of the human body, which is only around a quarter, so the calories you burn are roughly four times the useful work you produce. If your bike shows watts, use this mode. If it only shows a resistance level or a speed, it cannot give a true wattage, so use effort instead.
Roughly what to expect
To give a sense of scale, here is the rough calorie burn for 30 minutes of riding by weight and effort, using the same method as the calculator. Treat these as ballpark figures, not promises.
Your weight
Easy 30 min
Moderate 30 min
Vigorous 30 min
60kg
~125 kcal
~215 kcal
~270 kcal
75kg
~155 kcal
~270 kcal
~335 kcal
90kg
~190 kcal
~320 kcal
~400 kcal
Two things jump out of that table, and both are true. Heavier people burn more for the same ride, because moving more mass costs more energy. And harder riding burns more, but not as dramatically more as most people expect, which is why duration and consistency matter as much as intensity.
Why calorie counts are only estimates
It is worth being straight about this, because a lot of fitness marketing is not. No calorie figure from a bike, a watch or a calculator is exact. Console counts are often optimistic because the machine rarely knows your true weight. MET estimates are population averages that cannot account for your individual metabolism. Even the watt-based figure relies on an assumed efficiency that varies slightly from person to person.
None of that makes them useless. A consistent estimate is a perfectly good yardstick for comparing one ride to another and tracking effort over time. Just do not treat the number as gospel, and in particular do not eat back an exact number of calories to match it, because the error bars are wide enough to undo a deficit. Our exercise bikes for weight loss guide takes the same honest line on the wider picture.
Burning more, sensibly
If your aim is to burn more, the levers are simple. Ride for longer, ride a little harder, or ride more often, and the third of those matters most. A moderate session you actually repeat four times a week beats a brutal one you do once and dread. Intervals like our HIIT bike workout pack more burn into less time, while a steady indoor cycling session is easier to sustain and pleasant enough to do while watching something. Most people do best with a mix.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories do you burn on an exercise bike?
Mostly it depends on your weight, effort and time. As a rough guide a 75kg person burns very roughly 155 calories in 30 gentle minutes, 270 at a moderate effort and 335 riding hard. Heavier riders burn more. Use the calculator for an estimate tailored to your own figures.
How do you convert watts to calories?
Multiply your average watts by the ride time in minutes, then by about 0.06. That scales the work done at the pedals up to the energy your body actually uses, since human cycling is only around 24 percent efficient. A 150-watt ride for 30 minutes is very roughly 270 calories.
Is the calorie count on my exercise bike accurate?
Treat it as a rough guide. Console figures are approximate and often generous, because the bike usually does not know your exact weight. A power-based estimate is more reliable than an effort-based one, but every calorie count is an estimate rather than a measurement.
Does a harder ride burn a lot more calories?
More, but less than most people expect. Doubling the intensity does not double the burn, which is why total time and how often you ride matter as much as how hard. A sustainable moderate habit usually beats occasional maximal efforts.
Do heavier people burn more calories cycling?
Yes, for the same ride, because moving more body mass takes more energy. That is why the calculator asks for your weight, and why generic calorie figures that ignore weight are unreliable.
This tool gives general estimates for training interest and is not medical or nutritional advice. For tailored guidance on weight loss or diet, speak to your GP or a registered dietitian.
Your power-to-weight ratio, measured in watts per kilogram, is the number that decides how fast you climb and accelerate. Enter your power and your weight below to work out your W/kg and see roughly where it sits.
watts
kg
st
lb
–W/kg
023456+
Enter your figures above
Bands are broad guidance based on a sustained 20-minute effort, not a fitness test. Individual ability varies widely.
What the number means
Power to weight ratio is simply your power in watts divided by your body weight in kilograms. It matters because cycling, especially uphill, is a fight against gravity. Two riders each producing 250 watts will climb at very different speeds if one weighs 65kg and the other 90kg, because the lighter rider is moving less mass with the same engine. That is why W/kg, rather than raw watts, is the number cyclists compare.
The figure depends heavily on how long you can hold the effort. Anyone can produce a big number for five seconds. What riders usually mean by their power-to-weight ratio is the power they can sustain for around twenty minutes, which is a reasonable proxy for cycling fitness. The rough bands below use that twenty-minute effort.
W/kg (20-min effort)
Roughly
Under 2
New to structured riding, building a base
2 to 3
Recreational rider, rides regularly
3 to 4
Keen club rider, good general fitness
4 to 5
Strong amateur racer
Over 5
Approaching elite
Treat these as broad orientation rather than a grading. Age, sex, how long you have trained and your natural physiology all move the goalposts, and a comfortable recreational rider has nothing to prove against a racing benchmark.
How to improve your W/kg
There are only two levers, and the maths rewards both. You can raise the top of the fraction by producing more power, which comes from consistent training, particularly sustained efforts and intervals like those in our HIIT bike workout. Or you can lower the bottom by losing excess body weight, if you have any to lose, which raises the ratio without touching your power. Most riders who improve their W/kg meaningfully do a bit of both.
A word of caution on the weight side. Chasing a lighter number by under-eating is a well-known way to lose power, health and enjoyment, because you cannot train hard on too little fuel. If you want to lose weight, do it sensibly and gradually, and a registered dietitian is a far better guide than any calculator. Our exercise bikes for weight loss guide takes the same honest line.
Measuring your power at home
To use this properly you need a power figure, and a lot of indoor bikes now provide one. Smart bikes and many connected indoor cycles display watts directly, and apps like Zwift and Kinomap use that figure. If your bike shows watts, do a hard, even twenty-minute effort, take the average power, and enter it above with your weight. If your bike only shows a resistance level or a speed, it cannot give you a true wattage, and any W/kg from it is a guess.
For a sustained 20-minute effort, roughly 2 to 3 W/kg is typical of a recreational rider, 3 to 4 of a keen club rider, 4 to 5 of a strong amateur racer, and above 5 approaches elite. These are broad guides rather than hard cut-offs, and they shift with age, sex and training history.
How do you calculate power to weight ratio?
Divide your power in watts by your body weight in kilograms. A rider producing 200 watts who weighs 80kg has a ratio of 2.5 W/kg. The calculator above does the conversion for you and handles stone and pounds.
Is a higher power to weight ratio always better?
For climbing and accelerating, broadly yes, because you are moving less weight per watt. On the flat, raw power matters more than W/kg, since aerodynamics and total wattage dominate. And a high ratio achieved by under-fuelling is counterproductive, because it costs you power and health.
What power to weight ratio do I need to race?
Entry-level amateur racing typically starts to become realistic around 3.5 to 4 W/kg for a 20-minute effort, though it varies by category, terrain and event. Plenty of enjoyable riding and training happens well below that, so it is a benchmark rather than a barrier.
Can I measure power to weight ratio on any exercise bike?
Only on a bike that reports actual power in watts. Smart bikes and many connected indoor cycles do. A bike that shows only a resistance level or a speed cannot give a true wattage, so any ratio from it is an estimate.
This tool is for general training interest and is not medical or coaching advice. If you are new to intense exercise or have any health condition, speak to your GP before training hard.
High-intensity interval training is short, hard and efficient, which is why it suits people with twenty minutes rather than an hour. Here is a HIIT bike workout you can do on any exercise bike, plus how hard to push, how often to do it, and why more is not better.
In shortTwenty minutes total. Five minutes easy to warm up, then eight rounds of 30 seconds hard and 60 seconds easy, then five minutes easy to cool down. Hard means roughly 8 out of 10 effort, where talking is not possible. Do it once or twice a week at most, with easier riding or rest in between.
On this page
The 20-minute session
How hard is hard
Why intervals work
Which bikes suit HIIT best
How often should you do it
Making it harder over time
The 20-minute session
This is the whole workout. It works on a spin bike, an upright, a recumbent or an air bike, and it needs no app, no class and no screen. The only thing you need to get right is the effort, which is covered in the next section.
Phase
Time
Effort
What to do
Warm-up
5 min
3 to 4 out of 10
Easy spinning, light resistance. Gradually raise the pace so you finish the five minutes breathing a little harder.
Interval
30 sec
8 out of 10
Raise the resistance and drive hard. Fast but controlled, not flailing. You should not be able to hold a conversation.
Recovery
60 sec
3 out of 10
Drop the resistance right down and spin easily. Let your breathing come back before the next round.
Repeat
8 rounds
–
That is 12 minutes of intervals in total. If you cannot complete round eight at a proper effort, you started too hard.
Cool-down
5 min
2 to 3 out of 10
Very easy spinning until your breathing and heart rate settle. Do not skip this.
Total time is twenty minutes, of which four are genuinely hard. That is the appeal of intervals. If you have never done anything like this, start with four or five rounds rather than eight and build up over a few weeks.
How hard is hard
Forget heart-rate zones for a moment. The most reliable way to gauge effort on your own bike is the talk test, backed by a simple one-to-ten scale of how hard something feels.
Effort
How it feels
Talk test
2 to 3
Very easy, could do this all day
Full conversation, singing possible
4 to 5
Comfortable, steady, sustainable for an hour
Talking in full sentences
6 to 7
Working, breathing hard, uncomfortable but manageable
Short sentences only
8
Hard. This is the interval effort
A word or two at most
9 to 10
All out sprint, unsustainable
Cannot speak
The intervals in this session are an 8, not a 10. That is deliberate. Going absolutely maximal on the first round means falling apart by the fourth, and a session of eight solid efforts beats two heroic ones followed by six poor ones. If you are using a heart-rate monitor, treat it as information rather than instruction, because how you feel is a better guide than a number that varies with sleep, caffeine and stress.
Why intervals work
Interval training alternates hard efforts with recovery, which lets you accumulate more time at a high intensity than you could in one continuous hard block. That stimulus improves cardiovascular fitness and your ability to clear and tolerate fatigue, and it does so in less total time than steady riding.
The honest caveat is that HIIT is not magic and it is not better than steady riding at everything. Steady moderate rides are easier to recover from, easier to do often, and far more pleasant while watching television, which makes them easier to sustain for years. The best approach for most people is a mixture. One or two interval sessions a week, and the rest of your riding steady and comfortable.
Which bikes suit HIIT best
Any bike will do this session, but some make it easier. Two things matter, how quickly you can change resistance, and whether the bike is stable when you push hard.
Air bikes are the ideal tool
On an air bike like the JTX Ignite AirX Rider, resistance scales with how hard you push and never runs out, so a maximal effort is always available without touching a dial. That makes the transitions instant and the effort perfectly self-regulating.
Heavy-flywheel spin bikes are excellent
A weighty flywheel gives a smooth, road-like feel under load, and a quick resistance lever means you can add and drop load in a second. The JTX Studio Pro and Reebok Z-Tech Sprint both do this well, and the Reebok’s electromagnetic resistance can even be controlled by an app.
Budget and folding bikes are limited
Light flywheels and slow dial adjustment make sharp intervals awkward, and very light bikes can feel unstable when you drive hard. You can still do a version of this session, just expect the transitions to be less crisp and keep the efforts seated.
Bikes that suit interval training
JTX Ignite AirX Rider
Air resistance, ideal for intervals · FitRank 4.6 · £799
Once or twice a week is plenty for most people, with at least a day of easy riding or rest between sessions. HIIT is demanding, and the adaptation happens while you recover rather than while you ride. Doing it four or five times a week is a reliable route to feeling flat, sleeping badly and eventually stopping altogether.
If you are tired, unwell or have slept badly, ride easy instead or take the day off. Skipping one hard session costs you nothing. Grinding through a run of them when you are exhausted costs you weeks. Progress comes from consistency across months, not from any single workout.
Making it harder over time
Once eight rounds feel comfortable, resist the urge to simply do more of them. Better options, roughly in the order worth trying, are to increase the resistance while holding the same cadence, extend the work interval to 40 seconds, or shorten the recovery to 45 seconds. Change one variable at a time and give it two or three weeks before changing another.
There is a ceiling to this, and it is fine. A twenty-minute session done properly once or twice a week for a year will do far more for you than an ever-escalating programme you abandon in February.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good HIIT workout on an exercise bike?
A simple and effective one is five minutes of easy warm-up, then eight rounds of 30 seconds hard followed by 60 seconds easy, then five minutes of easy cool-down. Twenty minutes in total, of which four are genuinely hard.
How long should a HIIT bike workout be?
Fifteen to twenty-five minutes including the warm-up and cool-down is ample. The intensity is the point, not the duration. If you can comfortably do forty minutes of intervals, you were not riding hard enough during them.
How many times a week should I do HIIT on a bike?
Once or twice, with easier riding or rest in between. HIIT is demanding and you adapt while recovering. More frequent hard sessions tend to leave people flat, sleeping poorly and eventually giving up.
Is HIIT on an exercise bike good for weight loss?
It contributes, and it is time-efficient. But weight loss is dominated by what you eat, and the exercise you do consistently matters more than the exercise that is theoretically optimal. Our weight loss guide covers this honestly.
Can beginners do HIIT on an exercise bike?
Yes, with sensible scaling. Start with four or five rounds rather than eight, keep the hard efforts at about a 7 out of 10 rather than an 8, and build up over several weeks. If you have been inactive for a long time or have any health conditions, speak to your GP first.
Do I need a special bike for HIIT?
No, though some help. Air bikes suit intervals perfectly because resistance scales with effort, and heavy-flywheel spin bikes with a quick resistance lever are excellent. Budget and folding bikes can still do a seated version, just with less crisp transitions.
Should I stand up during the intervals?
Only if your bike is stable enough and you are comfortable doing so. Seated intervals with higher resistance are just as effective and safer on lighter bikes. Never stand on a folding or very light bike.
This is general information rather than medical advice, and HIIT is demanding. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, joint problems, you are pregnant, or you have been inactive for a long time, speak to your GP before starting interval training. Stop immediately if you feel chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness.
Chris Linford · Fitness equipment reviewer Chris writes the home fitness reviews across our sites, including our sister site HomeTreadmill.co.uk. He compares every machine against its rivals on UK pricing and specs, and scores each one with FitRank.
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our FitRank score. See our affiliate disclosure.
You do not need a class, a screen or a subscription to get a proper workout on an exercise bike. You need a sensible session and a way of judging effort. Here are three indoor cycling workouts that work on any bike, plus a first week for anyone starting from scratch.
In shortThree sessions cover almost everything. A 30-minute steady ride to build your base, a 30-minute hill climb for strength endurance, and a 25-minute interval session for fitness. Judge effort on a simple one-to-ten scale rather than chasing numbers. Two or three rides a week, mostly easy, is a sound place to start.
On this page
Set your bike up first
Judging your effort
Workout one, the steady ride
Workout two, the hill climb
Workout three, the interval session
A first week for beginners
Do you need an app or a class
Set your bike up first
Most discomfort people blame on a bike is actually a fitting problem, and it takes two minutes to fix. Get this right before you worry about workouts, because a bike that hurts is a bike you stop using.
Saddle height
Sit on the saddle and put one heel on the pedal at its lowest point. Your leg should be almost straight, with the knee just off locking. When you then place the ball of your foot on the pedal, that gives a slight bend in the knee at the bottom of the stroke. Too low is the most common error and it is what makes knees ache.
Saddle fore and aft
With the pedals level, your forward knee should sit roughly over the pedal axle. Slide the saddle back or forward until it does. This affects how your weight is distributed and how much your quads take the strain.
Handlebar height
Higher bars are more comfortable and easier on the lower back, lower bars are more aggressive and better for hard efforts. If you are new, start high and drop them over time if you want to.
Judging your effort
Every session below refers to an effort number rather than a heart rate or a wattage, because that works on any bike, including one with a basic console. It is also a more honest guide than a number, since how hard something feels already accounts for your sleep, stress and how much coffee you have had.
Effort
How it feels
Talk test
2 to 3
Very easy, barely working
Full conversation, singing possible
4 to 5
Comfortable and steady, could hold for an hour
Talking in full sentences
6 to 7
Working hard, breathing heavily
Short sentences only
8 to 9
Very hard, unpleasant, sustainable for a minute or two
A word or two at most
Workout one, the steady ride
The most underrated session there is, and the one that should make up most of your riding. Thirty minutes of comfortable, sustainable work builds the aerobic base that everything else rests on, and it is easy enough to do while watching something.
Phase
Time
Effort
Warm-up
5 min
3 out of 10, easy spinning
Main set
20 min
5 out of 10, comfortable and steady, holding a consistent cadence
Cool-down
5 min
2 to 3 out of 10, very easy
If you can only do one session a week, make it this one. If you are riding three times a week, make two of them this. It is not glamorous and it works.
Workout two, the hill climb
Higher resistance at a lower cadence, which builds strength endurance in the legs and is far kinder on your lungs than sprint intervals. It suits heavier flywheel bikes particularly well, and you can do it seated throughout.
Phase
Time
Effort
Warm-up
5 min
3 out of 10, easy spinning
Climb 1
4 min
Raise resistance, hold about 6 out of 10 at a slow, strong cadence
Recover
2 min
3 out of 10, drop the resistance right down
Climb 2
4 min
6 to 7 out of 10, a little harder than the first
Recover
2 min
3 out of 10
Climb 3
4 min
7 out of 10, the hardest of the three
Cool-down
5 min
2 to 3 out of 10
Thirty minutes in total. Keep your upper body still and let your legs do the work. If your hips are rocking on the saddle, the resistance is too high.
Workout three, the interval session
The shortest and hardest of the three, for when you have twenty-five minutes and want the most fitness per minute. This is a gentler version of a full HIIT session, and it is the one to do once a week at most.
Phase
Time
Effort
Warm-up
6 min
3 to 4 out of 10, building gradually
Interval
1 min
7 to 8 out of 10, hard but controlled
Recover
2 min
3 out of 10, easy spinning
Repeat
5 rounds
15 minutes of intervals in total
Cool-down
4 min
2 to 3 out of 10
If you want something shorter and sharper, our dedicated HIIT bike workout uses 30-second efforts instead. Do not do both in the same week when you are starting out.
A first week for beginners
If you have just bought a bike, resist the urge to do too much in week one. Almost everyone who quits does so because they started too hard, not because they started too easy. Something like this works well.
Day
Session
Monday
20 minutes very easy, effort 3 to 4. Just get used to the bike.
Tuesday
Rest, or a walk.
Wednesday
20 minutes easy, effort 4. Try to hold a steady cadence.
Thursday
Rest.
Friday
The steady ride, shortened to 20 minutes.
Weekend
One easy ride if you fancy it. If not, rest.
Build from there by adding five minutes to one ride a week, or adding a third ride, but not both at once. After a month of that, you will be ready for the hill climb, and after two, the intervals. Nobody has ever regretted progressing too slowly.
Bikes we rate for these sessions
JTX Studio Pro
Best overall, no subscription · FitRank 4.6 · £799
No. Every session on this page works on a bike with a basic console and no connectivity whatsoever. What an app or a guided class buys you is not a better workout, it is the removal of the question what should I do today, and for a lot of people that is exactly the friction that stops them riding.
If that sounds like you, a connected bike may genuinely be worth the money, and the guided classes on the screen bikes earn their keep. If you are happy to follow a session from a page like this one, a bike with no subscription gives you the same ride and keeps the fee.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good indoor cycling workout for beginners?
Twenty minutes at an easy, comfortable effort, two or three times in the first week, with rest days between. Build up by adding five minutes to one ride a week. Starting gently is the single best predictor of still cycling in three months.
How long should an indoor cycling workout be?
Thirty minutes covers a solid steady ride or hill session, and twenty-five is plenty for intervals. Beginners should start at twenty minutes. Longer is not automatically better, and the ride you repeat weekly beats the epic one you do once.
How many times a week should I use an exercise bike?
Two or three times a week is a sound starting point, with most of that riding easy. Add a harder session only once the easy ones feel routine. Rest days are when your body adapts, so they are part of the plan rather than a failure of it.
Do I need a spin class or an app to get a good workout?
No. Every session here works on any bike with a basic display. Apps and classes remove the decision of what to do today, which genuinely helps some people stay consistent, but they do not make the workout itself any better.
What cadence should I aim for?
Most people settle naturally somewhere around 80 to 90 revolutions per minute on a steady ride, and lower on a hill climb. Rather than chasing a number, aim for a cadence that feels smooth and does not make your hips rock on the saddle.
Why do my knees hurt on the exercise bike?
Most often the saddle is too low, which is the single most common setup error. Raise it until your knee is just short of locking with your heel on the pedal at the bottom. If pain persists after correcting the fit, stop and speak to your GP or a physiotherapist.
Should I ride standing up?
Only on a stable, heavy bike, and only if you are comfortable. Seated riding with higher resistance achieves the same thing more safely. Never stand on a folding or very light bike.
This guide is general information rather than medical advice. If you have a heart condition, joint problems, you are pregnant, or you have been inactive for a long time, speak to your GP before starting a new exercise routine. Stop and seek advice if you experience chest pain, dizziness or joint pain that does not settle.
Chris Linford · Fitness equipment reviewer Chris writes the home fitness reviews across our sites, including our sister site HomeTreadmill.co.uk. He compares every machine against its rivals on UK pricing and specs, and scores each one with FitRank.
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our FitRank score. See our affiliate disclosure.
By Chris Linford · Updated July 2026 · Rated with FitRank
An exercise bike is the most practical piece of cardio equipment you can put in a British home. It is low-impact, it works in the rain and the dark, and a good one will still be going in ten years. We have compared 32 bikes across eight brands. These are the ten best exercise bikes in the UK, ranked on FitRank, with a full buying guide underneath.
There is no single best exercise bike, because the right one depends on how you want to ride. A studio spin bike suits hard, sweaty interval sessions. A recumbent suits comfortable low-impact riding and anyone with a bad back. An air bike is for people who want to be destroyed in twenty minutes. A folding bike is for people whose flat has no room for any of them. So the list below spans every type, and each pick is labelled with the job it does best.
Everything here is ranked on FitRank, our editorial score out of 5 covering performance, build, value and features. We do not rank by commission. Prices are current UK figures and move around, particularly in the sales, so click through to check before you buy.
The quick list
Best overall · JTX Studio Pro · FitRank 4.6 · £799
Best with a screen · NordicTrack X24 · FitRank 4.6 · £2,499
Best air bike · JTX Ignite AirX Rider · FitRank 4.6 · £799
Best value connected · Reebok Z-Tech Sprint · FitRank 4.5 · £699
Best for classes · Echelon EX-5S · FitRank 4.5 · £1,099
Best under £500 · Echelon EX-30 RCX · FitRank 4.2 · £449
The best exercise bike we have compared, and the one we would buy with our own money. A commercial-grade frame, a heavy 16kg flywheel and 32 magnetic levels give a smooth, road-like ride that stands up to daily use, and it connects to Zwift and Kinomap through your own tablet. JTX are a British brand who sell direct and service their own machines, which is why the three-year in-home warranty means something.
It charges no subscription of its own, so the £799 is the whole price. For a rider who is serious but does not want a platform tax, nothing here is better.
Best for Committed riders who want a proper studio ride, a long warranty and no monthly fee.
Watch-out It is a real investment, and you supply the tablet rather than getting a built-in screen.
If you want a studio in the spare room, this is it. A 24-inch rotating HD touchscreen runs iFIT, taking you through scenic rides and studio classes while automatically adjusting your resistance, and the screen swivels so you can step off for strength and stretching work on a mat.
The ride is heavy, quiet and genuinely commercial-grade. For anyone who has bought fitness equipment before and stopped using it, the guided structure is worth more than any specification.
Best for Riders who need coaching and immersion to stay consistent, with the budget to match.
Watch-out A £2,499 bike plus an ongoing iFIT membership, so the true cost of ownership is high.
A seated air bike with a freewheel, and the pick for anyone who trains in short, hard bursts. Air resistance scales with how hard you push and never runs out, so a maximal thirty-second effort is always available, and the performance console reports drag factor, splits and history so intervals can be measured rather than guessed.
It is a specialist tool, and within its speciality nothing else on this list comes close.
Best for Interval and conditioning training, and anyone who wants a demanding session in a short window.
Watch-out Loud, unforgiving, and a poor choice for long, gentle rides.
The cleverest bike on this list. A 13kg flywheel with 50 levels of app-controllable electromagnetic resistance, meaning the bike adjusts itself as a virtual gradient rises in Zwift or Kinomap. It also pairs with the Peloton app, so you can follow Peloton classes with no Peloton bike and no Reebok fee of its own.
You get the immersive, class-led experience that keeps people training, without the platform cost that usually comes attached. It ships with a 60-day Kinomap trial and takes riders up to 150kg.
Best for Class-led training and automatic resistance without paying a bike-maker’s subscription.
Watch-out You bring your own tablet, and the Peloton app has its own separate fee if you use it.
A 22-inch HD touchscreen running Echelon’s live and on-demand studio classes, with app-controlled resistance and a smooth, quiet ride. The instructor-led format and leaderboard suit riders who train better with someone counting them through it, and it costs roughly half what the flagship screen bikes do.
If the boutique spin-studio atmosphere is what gets you on a bike, this is the sensible way to buy it.
Best for Riders motivated by instructors, leaderboards and the studio-class atmosphere.
Watch-out The screen exists to run Echelon’s membership, so budget for that on top of the £1,099.
The best bike you can buy under £500, and it is not close. A genuine smart-connect indoor cycle with a quiet, weighty ride and app-controlled magnetic resistance, currently half price at £449 having been £899. At that money you are getting a premium bike in a budget bracket.
It is built around the Echelon app but rides fully as a manual bike without a membership, so the low price is not hiding a compulsory cost.
Best for Getting the most bike for your money, especially while the sale price holds.
Watch-out The classes and auto-resistance need an Echelon membership, and you supply your own tablet.
The most complete recumbent we have compared. A large cushioned seat and full backrest, a low easy step-through, and a built-in touchscreen with iFIT that adjusts resistance for you through scenic rides and classes. You sit back in a supported, chair-like position with the pedals out in front.
It is the most comfortable and most guided way to do low-impact cardio at home, which makes it the natural pick for older riders, bad backs and anyone easing back into exercise.
Best for Comfortable, back-supported, low-impact riding with guided workouts.
Watch-out A serious £1,499 outlay for a recumbent, and the guided content needs an iFIT membership.
The affordable way into app-connected riding when space is short. An 8kg flywheel, 32 magnetic levels, self-levelling pedals and Zwift and Kinomap support, in a 131 by 51cm footprint that tucks into a flat or a spare room corner. No subscription of its own, and it discounts further with the GOAL10 code.
It gives you the connected experience at one of the lowest prices going, on your own free or paid app.
Best for Small homes and tight budgets that still want connected riding with no fee.
Watch-out A lighter flywheel and a 110kg user limit, so it suits steady cardio rather than hard standing efforts.
Remarkable value, and the cheapest genuine route into connected riding. £229 buys a 9kg flywheel, 32 computer-controlled magnetic levels, adjustable bars and Bluetooth for Zwift and Kinomap. It out-specs Viavito’s own pricier SB1, and as Sweatband’s house brand it is often discounted further.
It is enough bike to train properly on, and cheap enough to risk if you are not yet sure cycling will stick.
Best for The lowest-cost route into app-connected riding, and testing whether indoor cycling suits you.
Watch-out Budget construction, a basic console, and a newer brand with less of a track record.
The answer when floor space is the binding constraint. A folding upright that collapses to just 33 by 41cm, so it lives behind the sofa or under a bed between sessions, at £99. You sit upright and pedal gently, which is exactly the sort of light daily movement a lot of people actually want.
It is a space-saver rather than a training tool, and judged as a space-saver it does the job nothing else here can.
Best for Flats, retirement apartments and anywhere a bike simply has to disappear between uses.
Watch-out A light 1.2kg flywheel, fixed handlebars and a 100kg limit, so it is strictly for gentle use.
This is the decision that matters most, and getting it wrong is the most expensive mistake buyers make. There are five types worth knowing about.
Indoor cycles and spin bikes
A forward-leaning, road-racing position over a heavy flywheel. The most versatile choice and where most of this list sits, good for hard intervals and long steady rides alike, and the type virtually all connected bikes and virtual classes are built around. If you are buying one bike and are reasonably able-bodied, this is usually the type.
Upright bikes
You sit over the pedals as on a normal bike, with a padded seat and handlebars in front. More compact than a recumbent, gentler than a spin bike, and comfortable enough for general fitness without the aggressive riding position. A sensible middle ground.
Recumbent bikes
A reclined, chair-like seat with a backrest and the pedals out in front. The most comfortable and the gentlest on the joints, with a low step-through that makes getting on and off easy. Best for older riders, back or knee trouble, heavier riders and anyone returning to exercise. Our best recumbent exercise bikes guide covers them in depth.
Air and fan bikes
A fan provides resistance that scales with your effort and never maxes out, and on fan bikes with moving handlebars your upper body works too. Brutally effective for short interval sessions, loud, and no fun at all for gentle riding.
Folding bikes
Compact uprights that collapse for storage. Ride quality is a long way behind the others, with light flywheels and basic consoles, but if the alternative is no bike at all because there is nowhere to put one, that is not a fair comparison. Buy one to fit a space, not to train hard.
What to look for when buying
Flywheel weight
The single biggest influence on how a bike feels. A heavier flywheel carries momentum, which makes the pedal stroke smoother and more road-like, particularly out of the saddle. Around 13 to 16kg is genuinely good, as on the JTX Studio Pro and Reebok Z-Tech Sprint. Nine kilos and up is fine for the money. Anything under about 5kg, as on folding bikes, is for gentle use only.
Resistance type
Magnetic resistance is quiet, maintenance-free and now standard on any bike worth buying, so avoid old friction-pad designs. Electromagnetic resistance, on the Reebok Z-Tech Sprint, goes further by letting an app change the load automatically as a virtual road climbs, which is the immersive feature people usually associate with far dearer bikes.
Screen, tablet or neither
A built-in touchscreen is more immersive and removes the daily friction of propping up a tablet, but it costs a lot and it exists to sell you a subscription. A tablet holder gives you the same content on a smaller screen for hundreds less. And a plain console is entirely sufficient if you ride to your own numbers.
Footprint, weight limit and folding
Measure your space before you order, and remember recumbents are the longest and folding bikes the only ones that pack away. Check the stated user weight limit against your own rather than assuming, as they vary widely, from 100kg on the Viavito Onyx to 150kg on the Reebok Z-Tech Sprint.
Warranty and who you buy from
A long warranty and a real UK support line are worth paying for, because they are the difference between a bike that gets repaired and one that gets thrown away. JTX sell direct with a three-year in-home warranty, the strongest cover here. Buying through official retailers protects that cover, which an anonymous marketplace seller will not.
Do you need a subscription
This is the question that catches most buyers out, so it is worth being plain. Bikes from Echelon, NordicTrack and ProForm are built around a paid platform, Echelon’s own membership or iFIT. They all ride perfectly well as manual bikes without it, but the classes, scenic routes and automatic resistance that justify buying them need an ongoing fee, commonly somewhere between £120 and £400 a year depending on the plan. Across three or four years that can add a meaningful fraction of the bike’s price again.
The alternative is a bike that charges no fee of its own. JTX, Reebok, adidas, Viavito and Xterra all take this approach, and several connect over Bluetooth to Zwift, Kinomap or even the Peloton app using your own account, on your own terms. That is genuinely cheaper to own, and you can stop paying for an app whenever you like without the bike becoming less useful.
Neither approach is wrong. The honest question is whether guided classes are what will keep you consistent, because motivation is the scarcest resource in home fitness. If yes, pay the fee gladly. If not, keep the money. Our best exercise bikes without a subscription and best exercise bikes with a screen guides cover each camp in full.
How much should you spend
There is a good bike at almost every price. Under £250, the Viavito Satori at £229 is enough machine to train seriously on, and the folding Onyx at £99 solves a space problem rather than a training one. Between £250 and £500 is where the value is right now, because heavy discounting has pulled genuine smart-connect bikes into this bracket, the Echelon EX-30 RCX at £449 being the clearest example. For most people this is where to stop.
Between £500 and £1,000 you buy a heavier flywheel, a longer warranty and a more commercial frame, which the JTX Studio Pro at £799 exemplifies. Above £1,000 you are almost entirely paying for a large built-in touchscreen and the platform behind it. That is a legitimate thing to want, but be clear that it is what you are buying, and add the subscription to your sums. Our best exercise bikes under £500 guide covers the value end in depth.
Are the sale prices genuine
Mostly, yes, though it pays to check. The reductions on this page are seasonal and clearance pricing from established brands and retailers rather than inflated reference figures. The Echelon and JTX bikes are sold direct by the brands, while the Reebok, Viavito, adidas and Xterra bikes come through Sweatband, a long-standing UK retailer, and the ProForms through their UK channel.
Buying through those official routes is what protects your warranty and gives you someone to call when a part fails, which a grey-market marketplace listing will not. Prices at the budget end move week to week, so treat the figures here as a current snapshot and check the live price, plus any active code such as GOAL10 at Sweatband, before you commit.
How we compare and rank
Every bike on this site is scored with FitRank, our editorial rating out of 5 that weighs performance, build quality, value and features against each bike’s direct rivals and its price. The order of this list follows those scores, which is why a half-price connected bike can outrank a dearer one and why a £99 folding bike appears at the bottom rather than being quietly left out.
We do not rank by commission, and no brand pays for a position. Our scores draw on published specifications and on independent owner and reviewer feedback gathered over time rather than a single showroom session, because how a bike holds up in a real home over a year matters more than how it feels for ten minutes in a shop. We have compared 32 bikes across eight brands to produce this list, and you can read every one of them in our brand guides.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best exercise bike in the UK?
The JTX Studio Pro is our best overall pick, thanks to a commercial-grade frame, a heavy 16kg flywheel, a three-year in-home warranty and no subscription of its own. For the best bike under £500 the Echelon EX-30 RCX at £449 is exceptional value, and for comfort the NordicTrack GX10 Recumbent leads.
Are exercise bikes good for losing weight?
They support weight loss well, because cycling is low-impact enough to do often and easy to control precisely. Weight loss itself comes from a sustained calorie deficit, which is dominated by diet, so a bike contributes rather than does the job alone. Our best exercise bikes for weight loss guide goes into this properly.
What is the difference between a spin bike and an exercise bike?
Spin bike, or indoor cycle, describes a specific type with a forward-leaning position and a heavy flywheel, built for hard riding and virtual classes. Exercise bike is the umbrella term covering spin bikes, uprights, recumbents, air bikes and folding bikes, all of which suit different riders.
Do all exercise bikes need a subscription?
No. Echelon, NordicTrack and ProForm bikes are built around paid platforms, but they ride manually without one. Bikes from JTX, Reebok, adidas, Viavito and Xterra charge no fee at all, and several still connect to Zwift, Kinomap or the Peloton app using your own account.
How much should I spend on an exercise bike?
Most people are well served between £250 and £500, where heavy discounting has pulled genuine connected bikes into reach. Below that the Viavito Satori at £229 is a sound buy. Above £1,000 you are mainly paying for a built-in touchscreen and the platform behind it, so add the subscription cost to your sums.
Which exercise bike is best for bad knees or a bad back?
A recumbent, because the reclined seat supports your spine and the smooth, low-impact motion is gentle on the knees and hips. The NordicTrack GX10 Recumbent is our pick. If you are managing a joint condition or recovering from surgery, check with your GP or physiotherapist before starting.
What flywheel weight do I need?
Heavier flywheels give a smoother, more road-like ride, especially standing up. Thirteen to sixteen kilos is genuinely good, nine and up is fine for the money, and anything under about five kilos, as on folding bikes, is suitable only for light, gentle riding.
Is an exercise bike better than a treadmill?
It depends on your joints and your goals. Cycling is far lower impact, so most people can do more of it more often without knee or hip pain, and bikes are quieter and take less space. A treadmill better mimics walking and running and loads the bones more, which has its own benefits. If joint comfort is a concern, the bike wins.
How long do exercise bikes last?
A well-made bike with magnetic resistance and no friction parts to wear should give many years of service. What determines its lifespan is usually whether you can get parts and support, which is why buying through official retailers and choosing brands with a real UK presence matters more than any specification.
Can you use a Peloton app without a Peloton bike?
Yes. The Reebok Z-Tech Sprint pairs with the Peloton app over Bluetooth, so you can follow Peloton classes on a bike that costs a fraction of Peloton’s hardware and charges no fee of its own. The Peloton app has its own separate subscription if you choose to use it.
Chris Linford · Fitness equipment reviewer Chris writes the home fitness reviews across our sites, including our sister site HomeTreadmill.co.uk. He compares every machine against its rivals on UK pricing and specs, and scores each one with FitRank.
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our FitRank score. See our affiliate disclosure.
By Chris Linford · Updated July 2026 · Rated with FitRank
Cycling burns energy, spares your joints and can be done in the corner of a room on a wet Tuesday, which is why an exercise bike is one of the more realistic ways to support weight loss at home. Here are the bikes we rate most highly for the job, ranked on FitRank, with prices and honest guidance on who each one suits.
A quick word on expectations, because this is a subject with a lot of nonsense written about it. No bike burns fat by itself. Weight loss comes from a sustained calorie deficit, which is mostly about what you eat, with exercise supporting it and bringing a long list of other benefits along the way. What a bike does brilliantly is let you accumulate a lot of energy expenditure at low joint cost, comfortably, indoors, for months on end. Consistency is the variable that actually moves the needle, and comfort is what makes consistency possible.
That shapes this list. The bikes at the top are the ones that let you work hard when you want to, air bikes and heavy-flywheel studio cycles that support genuine interval training. But the best bike for you is the one you will still be riding in six months, so we have included comfortable, affordable options too. Everything here is ranked on FitRank, our editorial score out of 5.
The quick list
Best for interval training · JTX Ignite AirX Rider · FitRank 4.6 · £799
Best overall · JTX Studio Pro · FitRank 4.6 · £799
Best value connected · Reebok Z-Tech Sprint · FitRank 4.5 · £699
Best for classes · Echelon EX-5S · FitRank 4.5 · £1,099
Best full-body workout · JTX Mission Air · FitRank 4.3 · £799
Best budget · Viavito Satori · FitRank 3.8 · £229
1Best for interval training
JTX Ignite AirX Rider
4.6/5
FitRank
Air (erg)High burn
If you want the bike that makes hard work easy to do, this is it. The Ignite AirX Rider is a seated air bike with a freewheel, and air resistance has a useful property, it scales with how hard you push and never runs out. You cannot top it out, so a genuinely maximal thirty-second effort is always available. The performance console reports drag factor, splits and history, so intervals can be measured rather than guessed.
Short, hard interval sessions are time-efficient and demanding, and this is the bike built for them. It is also subscription-free, so nothing stands between you and the work.
Best for Interval and conditioning work, and anyone who wants demanding sessions in a short window.
Watch-out An air bike is loud and unforgiving, and it is a poor choice for long, gentle rides.
The most complete bike here for sustained training. A commercial-grade frame, a heavy 16kg flywheel and 32 magnetic levels give a smooth, road-like ride that holds up to daily use, and it connects to Zwift and Kinomap through your own tablet for structured sessions and virtual routes.
It handles both ends of the job well, hard intervals when you have the energy and long steady rides when you do not, with a three-year in-home warranty and no subscription of its own.
Best for Riders who want one bike that does hard intervals and long steady rides equally well.
Watch-out It is £799 and you supply the tablet, so it is a committed buy rather than a first tentative one.
Motivation is the hardest part of losing weight, and a trainer on a 24-inch rotating screen is a powerful answer to it. iFIT runs scenic rides and studio classes while controlling your resistance, so the session drives itself, and the screen swivels for off-bike strength and stretching work.
For anyone who has bought fitness kit before and stopped using it, the guided structure is worth more than any specification on the page.
Best for Riders who need structure and coaching to stay consistent, with the budget for it.
Watch-out A £2,499 bike plus an ongoing iFIT membership, so the true cost of ownership is high.
The clever middle path. A 13kg flywheel with 50 levels of app-controllable electromagnetic resistance, which means the bike can adjust itself as a virtual gradient changes in Zwift or Kinomap. It also pairs with the Peloton app, so you can follow Peloton classes with no Peloton bike and no Reebok fee.
You get the immersive, class-led experience that keeps people training, without the monthly platform cost that usually comes attached.
Best for Class-led training and virtual routes without paying a bike-maker’s subscription.
Watch-out You bring your own tablet, and the Peloton app has its own separate fee if you choose to use it.
A 22-inch touchscreen running Echelon’s live and on-demand classes, with app-controlled resistance and a smooth, quiet ride. The leaderboard and instructor-led format suit people who train better with someone counting them through it.
It delivers the full studio-class experience at roughly half what the flagship screen bikes cost.
Best for Riders motivated by instructors, leaderboards and the boutique class atmosphere.
Watch-out The screen exists to run Echelon’s membership, so budget for that on top of the £1,099.
A fan bike with moving handlebars, so your arms, shoulders and back work alongside your legs. Recruiting more muscle means more energy used at a given perceived effort, which is why fan bikes have a reputation as brutally effective conditioning tools.
It is the pick if you want your cardio to be a full-body effort rather than a legs-only one, and it needs no subscription.
Best for Full-body conditioning and hard, short sessions that involve the upper body.
Watch-out Loud, demanding and built for effort rather than comfort, so it will not suit gentle riding.
The sensible starting point if you are not yet sure this will stick. £229 buys a 9kg flywheel, 32 computer-controlled magnetic levels and Bluetooth for Zwift and Kinomap, with no subscription. It is enough bike to train properly on and cheap enough to risk.
Given that the bike you keep using beats the bike you bought and abandoned, starting affordably is a perfectly rational strategy.
Best for Getting started without a big financial commitment, and finding out whether cycling suits you.
Watch-out Budget construction and a basic console, and a newer brand with less of a track record.
Weight loss happens when you consistently use more energy than you take in, and that equation is dominated by diet. Exercise contributes to the other side of it, and cycling contributes unusually well for three reasons. It is low-impact, so you can do a lot of it without the joint stress that eventually stops people running. It is easy to control precisely, so you can make a session as gentle or as brutal as your energy that day allows. And it is indoors and weatherproof, which removes the excuses that quietly end most exercise habits in November.
What a bike will not do is compensate for a diet that is not working, and any product promising otherwise is selling something. What it will do, ridden regularly for months, is add up. It also improves cardiovascular fitness, leg strength and mood, all of which are worth having whatever the scales say. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, a heart condition, or you have been inactive for a long time, it is worth talking to your GP before starting a new exercise routine, and a registered dietitian is a far better source on the eating side than any fitness website.
Intervals or steady riding
Both work, and the internet’s insistence that one is vastly superior does not survive contact with the evidence. Interval training, short hard efforts with recovery between, gets more work done in less time and is a good fit for busy people. Steady, moderate riding is gentler, easier to sustain for longer, and far easier to do while watching television, which is not a trivial advantage when you are trying to build a habit.
The practical answer for most people is a mixture, driven by how you feel that day. A couple of harder interval sessions a week on something like the Ignite AirX Rider, and a few longer, easier rides on a comfortable bike. What matters far more than the split is that you are on the bike at all, most weeks, for a long time. A programme you follow imperfectly for a year beats a perfect one you abandon in three weeks.
Air bike, spin bike or upright
Air bikes
Air and fan bikes like the JTX Ignite AirX Rider and Mission Air use a fan for resistance that scales with your effort and never maxes out. That makes them exceptional for hard intervals, and the Mission Air’s moving handlebars bring the upper body in too. They are loud, uncompromising and no fun for a gentle spin, so they suit people who want to train hard rather than train comfortably.
Spin bikes and indoor cycles
The most versatile choice, and where most of this list sits. A heavy flywheel gives a smooth road-like ride that works for both hard efforts and long steady sessions, and app connectivity opens up classes and virtual routes. If you are buying one bike for weight loss, this is usually the type.
Uprights and recumbents
Gentler and more comfortable, and worth taking seriously rather than dismissing. If joint pain, back trouble or sheer discomfort is what has ended previous attempts, a comfortable bike you ride four times a week beats an aggressive one you ride twice. Our recumbent guide covers the most comfortable options.
Why comfort matters more than you think
The most common reason a home exercise bike stops being used is not boredom or lack of discipline. It is that the saddle is uncomfortable, the position hurts the lower back, or the whole business of getting on it feels like a chore. Since weight loss is a project measured in months, the specification that matters most is whichever one keeps you riding through month four.
That is why this list is not simply ordered by how hard each bike lets you work. It is why the guided-class bikes score well despite their cost, why a £229 Viavito earns its place, and why we would rather you bought a comfortable bike and used it than a demanding one that lives under a dust sheet.
Do you need a subscription
No, though it can help. Four of the seven bikes here have no subscription of any kind, the two JTX air bikes, the Studio Pro and the Viavito Satori, and the Reebok Z-Tech Sprint charges no fee of its own while still connecting to Zwift, Kinomap and even Peloton on your own account. The NordicTrack X24 and Echelon EX-5S are built around paid platforms, and the classes are genuinely motivating, but you are paying for that motivation every month.
The honest question is whether guided classes are what will keep you consistent. If yes, the fee is money well spent. If you know you will ride regardless, put the money into the bike instead and see our best exercise bikes without a subscription guide.
How we chose these bikes
Every bike on this page has been scored with FitRank, our editorial rating out of 5 that weighs performance, build quality, value and features against each bike’s rivals and its price. We do not rank by commission, and the order follows the FitRank scores. For this guide we have prioritised bikes that support hard work when you want it and comfortable riding when you do not, since both matter over a long project. Our scores draw on published specifications and independent owner and reviewer feedback rather than a single showroom session.
Frequently asked questions
Which exercise bike is best for weight loss?
For hard, time-efficient interval sessions the JTX Ignite AirX Rider is the pick, because air resistance scales with effort and never runs out. For one bike that handles both intervals and long steady rides, the JTX Studio Pro is the best all-rounder. On a budget, the Viavito Satori at £229 is enough bike to train properly on.
How long should I ride an exercise bike to lose weight?
There is no magic duration. Regular sessions you can sustain matter far more than any single long ride, and many people do better with several moderate rides a week than one heroic one. Build up gradually from wherever you are now, and if you have health conditions or a lot of weight to lose, ask your GP what is appropriate for you.
Is an exercise bike good for losing belly fat?
You cannot choose where your body loses fat from, and any product or programme claiming to target belly fat specifically is misleading you. What cycling does is contribute to an overall calorie deficit, alongside diet, and fat then comes off your whole body in a pattern largely set by genetics.
Are air bikes better than spin bikes for weight loss?
They are better for maximal short intervals, because the resistance scales with your effort and cannot be topped out, and fan bikes with moving handlebars recruit the upper body too. Spin bikes are more versatile and far more pleasant for longer rides. Neither is universally better, it depends which sessions you will actually do.
How often should I use an exercise bike?
Most people do well riding several times a week with rest days between, though what is sustainable varies enormously by fitness, schedule and health. Starting with less than you think you can manage is a better strategy than starting with more, because the habit is the thing being built.
Do I need a subscription bike to lose weight?
No. Four of the seven bikes here have no subscription at all, and the Reebok Z-Tech Sprint connects to Zwift, Kinomap and the Peloton app without charging a fee of its own. Subscriptions buy guided classes, which help some people stay consistent, but they are not required to train effectively.
Is cycling or running better for weight loss?
For energy used per minute at a hard effort they are broadly comparable, but cycling is low-impact, which means many people can do more of it more often without joint pain, and can keep doing it for years. The exercise you can sustain usually beats the one that is theoretically superior.
Can I lose weight on an exercise bike without changing my diet?
It is possible but much harder, because diet dominates the calorie balance. Most people who lose weight and keep it off change both. A bike makes the exercise side genuinely achievable, which is a real contribution, but it is not a substitute for what happens in the kitchen.
Is an exercise bike suitable if I am very overweight?
Often it is one of the better options, because it is low-impact and supported. Check the bike’s stated user weight limit carefully before buying, as these vary a lot, and consider a recumbent for the extra comfort and support. If you have been inactive for a long time or have any health conditions, speak to your GP before starting.
Chris Linford · Fitness equipment reviewer Chris writes the home fitness reviews across our sites, including our sister site HomeTreadmill.co.uk. He compares every machine against its rivals on UK pricing and specs, and scores each one with FitRank.
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our FitRank score. See our affiliate disclosure.
By Chris Linford · Updated July 2026 · Rated with FitRank
A built-in touchscreen turns an exercise bike into a studio in the corner of your room. Instead of clipping your own tablet to a holder, you get a large integrated display that streams classes and scenic rides and adjusts your resistance as you go. Here are the best exercise bikes with a screen in the UK, ranked on FitRank, with prices and who each suits.
These are premium bikes, running from just under £1,000 to £2,999, and they earn that price with heavy, quiet flywheels, commercial-grade frames and the big screen itself. The screen is the point, it is what makes a guided class feel immersive and keeps you coming back, and it removes the fiddle of propping up a phone or tablet every session.
One thing to be clear about from the start, because it defines this whole category. A built-in screen almost always means a subscription, because the screen exists to stream a platform’s classes, iFIT on the NordicTrack and ProForm bikes, and Echelon’s own membership on the Echelons. The bikes still ride manually without it, but if you are buying a screen bike, you are really buying into the platform behind it. If that is not what you want, our best exercise bikes without a subscription guide is the better place to look. This list runs in FitRank order.
The quick list
Best overall · NordicTrack X24 · FitRank 4.6 · £2,499
Best value screen bike · Echelon EX-5S · FitRank 4.5 · £1,099
Best premium · Echelon EX-Pro · FitRank 4.5 · £2,999
Best NordicTrack value · NordicTrack Studio 24 · FitRank 4.3 · £1,899
Best recumbent with a screen · NordicTrack GX10 Recumbent · FitRank 4.2 · £1,499
Cheapest way to a screen · ProForm Carbon Pro10 · FitRank 4.1 · £999
1Best overall
NordicTrack X24
4.6/5
FitRank
Studio cycle (screen)Built-in screen
The best screen bike we compare, and a proper studio machine. A large 24-inch rotating HD touchscreen runs iFIT, so a trainer takes you through scenic rides and studio classes while automatically controlling your resistance, and the screen swivels so you can step off for floor workouts. The ride is heavy, quiet and commercial-grade.
It is the closest thing to a live studio class you can put in a spare room, and the screen quality and auto-resistance are a clear step above the cheaper options.
Best for Anyone who wants the closest thing to a live studio class at home, with the budget to match.
Watch-out It is a serious £2,499 outlay, and the screen exists to run iFIT, which is a paid membership after the trial.
The value pick, and the one that makes the most sense for most buyers. A 22-inch HD touchscreen runs Echelon’s live and on-demand classes, with app-controlled resistance and a smooth, quiet ride, for around half what the top studio bikes cost.
It delivers the full screen-led class experience without a top-tier price, which is why it is the sweet spot of this list.
Best for The immersive, screen-led class experience without a flagship price.
Watch-out The screen is built around Echelon’s membership, so budget for that on top of the bike.
The premium, commercial-grade Echelon. A large HD touchscreen, the heaviest and smoothest ride in the Echelon range, and studio-grade build made for hard, frequent use. This is the top of the tree if you want the best and price is a secondary concern.
Everything about it is built for a rider who trains often and hard and wants a bike that will not flinch.
Best for Dedicated riders who want a commercial-quality screen bike and are not counting the pennies.
Watch-out At £2,999 it is the dearest bike here, and like all screen bikes it leans on an Echelon membership.
The step up from the EX-5S, with a larger screen and a more substantial ride. It sits between the value EX-5S and the commercial EX-Pro, for riders who want more screen and more bike without going all the way to the top model.
Think of it as the EX-5S with the volume turned up, more display, more flywheel, more presence.
Best for Riders who want a bigger screen and a heavier ride than the EX-5S, at a mid-premium price.
Watch-out A big jump in price over the EX-5S for gains many casual riders will not need, and an Echelon membership still applies.
NordicTrack’s more affordable big-screen studio bike. A large rotating HD touchscreen and iFIT with automatic resistance, in a slightly less commercial package than the X24, for around £600 less.
It gives you most of the X24 experience, the big rotating screen and the guided auto-resistance rides, for a good deal less money.
Best for The iFIT big-screen experience for less than the flagship X24.
Watch-out Not quite the heavy commercial ride of the X24, and iFIT membership is needed for the classes.
The screen bike for anyone who wants comfort with their classes. A built-in touchscreen and iFIT on a fully supported recumbent frame, so you get the guided, immersive experience in a low-impact, back-supported position.
It is the natural pick if a studio spin bike is too aggressive but you still want the screen and the classes.
Best for Riders who want a screen and guided classes but need a comfortable, low-impact recumbent.
Watch-out A recumbent is bulkier and less intense than an upright studio bike, and iFIT membership applies.
The most affordable genuine route onto a built-in screen. A 10-inch iFIT touchscreen and auto-adjusting resistance on a solid studio frame, for under £1,000. It gives you the screen-led, guided experience at the lowest price here.
If a built-in screen is the priority but the flagship prices are not realistic, this is where you start.
Best for The most affordable route to a proper built-in screen and guided classes.
Watch-out A smaller 10-inch screen than the Echelon and NordicTrack flagships, and iFIT membership is required for the content.
The case for a screen bike is immersion and convenience. A large integrated display puts a trainer, a leaderboard and a scenic route right in front of you, which is far more motivating than staring at a wall, and on the connected bikes the resistance adjusts automatically to match the class or the hill, so the workout drives itself. You also skip the daily fiddle of mounting and charging your own tablet.
That last point sounds trivial and is not. The friction of finding your tablet, propping it up and opening an app is enough to lose a session on a tired evening, and over months those lost sessions are the difference between a bike that works and an expensive clothes horse. For riders who struggle with motivation, the screen is often precisely what makes the habit stick.
Screens mean subscriptions
This is the trade at the heart of the category, and it is worth understanding before you spend four figures. The screen is not there to show your speed and time, a cheap console does that. It is there to stream a platform’s classes and routes, and that platform is a paid membership, iFIT on the NordicTrack and ProForm bikes, Echelon’s own membership on the Echelons. Budget for that yearly cost on top of the bike, because without it the expensive screen mostly shows basic metrics.
Put a number on it and the picture sharpens. A membership commonly runs somewhere between £120 and £400 a year depending on the platform and plan, so across three or four years of ownership the subscription can add a meaningful fraction of the bike’s purchase price again. That does not make it bad value, a gym membership costs more and a boutique spin class costs far more, but it does mean the sticker price is not the real price. Work out the three-year total before you decide.
If the idea of an ongoing fee puts you off, a screen bike is probably the wrong category for you, and you would be better served by a bike that takes your own tablet and any app you like. Our best exercise bikes without a subscription guide covers those in full.
iFIT or Echelon
The screen bikes here run one of two platforms. iFIT, on the NordicTrack and ProForm bikes, is known for scenic global rides filmed on location and for automatically adjusting your resistance to the terrain, which suits riders who like exploring and being coached through a route. Echelon leans more towards live and on-demand studio-style classes with instructors and a competitive leaderboard, closer to the boutique spin-studio feel.
Neither is clearly better, and the choice is more about temperament than quality. If the thought of a trainer counting you through a climb while a leaderboard tracks the room is motivating, Echelon suits you. If you would rather be taken along a coastal road in New Zealand with the resistance rising as the road does, iFIT is the one. It is worth trying each platform’s app on your phone before committing to the hardware, since the bike locks you into that ecosystem for its screen content.
What size screen do you need
Screens here run from 10 inches on the ProForm Carbon Pro10 to 24 inches on the NordicTrack X24. Bigger is more immersive and easier to follow a class on, but it adds a lot to the price, so it is worth being honest about how much it matters to you. If you mainly want the screen for riding, a smaller fixed display saves money without changing the ride at all.
A rotating screen, like the one on the X24 and Studio 24, is the feature worth paying attention to. It swivels to face away from the bike so you can step off and follow a strength, yoga or stretching class on the mat beside it. If you want the bike to be your whole home gym rather than just your cardio machine, that swivel turns a bike into a training hub, and it is the single most useful screen feature here.
What these bikes cost to own
A screen bike is a two-part purchase, and the second part is easy to overlook. Take the ProForm Carbon Pro10 at £999 and add a membership across three years and you are into a very different number, while the NordicTrack X24 at £2,499 plus the same membership sits closer to the cost of a decent secondhand car. That is not an argument against buying one, it is an argument for going in with clear eyes.
Weigh it against what it replaces. A boutique spin class in most UK cities costs well over £15 a session, so a rider doing two classes a week is spending more than £1,500 a year. Against that, a screen bike and a membership is a straightforward saving, and it never gets cancelled because the class was full. Against a £229 bike and a free app, it looks expensive. Which comparison is fair depends entirely on what you would otherwise be doing.
How we chose these bikes
Every bike on this page has been scored with FitRank, our editorial rating out of 5 that weighs performance, build quality, value and features against each bike’s rivals and its price. We do not rank by commission, and the order of this list follows the FitRank scores exactly, which is why the cheapest screen bike sits at the bottom on score rather than being promoted for its price. Our scores draw on published specifications and independent owner and reviewer feedback rather than a single showroom session.
Who should skip a screen bike
Three types of buyer should look elsewhere. If a monthly fee is genuinely unwelcome, the screen is dead weight, and a bike that takes your own tablet gives you the same ride for hundreds less. If you already own a decent tablet and are happy to clip it on, you are paying a large premium for a display you effectively already have. And if you are self-motivated enough to ride to your own numbers without a trainer talking to you, the screen buys nothing you will use.
For everyone else, particularly anyone who has bought exercise equipment before and quietly stopped using it, the screen is the thing most likely to change that pattern. That is what you are really buying, and for the right rider it is worth every penny.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best exercise bike with a screen?
The NordicTrack X24 is the best overall, with a large 24-inch rotating touchscreen, iFIT and a commercial-grade ride. The Echelon EX-5S is the value pick at around £1,099, and the ProForm Carbon Pro10 is the cheapest genuine screen bike at under £1,000.
Do exercise bikes with screens need a subscription?
In practice, yes. The screen exists to stream classes and routes through iFIT or Echelon, and that is a paid membership. The bikes will still ride manually without it and show basic metrics, but the screen loses most of its purpose, so factor the subscription into the cost.
Can you use the screen without a subscription?
Only in a limited way. You can usually see basic ride data and use manual mode, but the classes, scenic routes and automatic resistance that the screen is built for all sit behind the membership. If you want a bike you can use fully with no fee, choose one that takes your own tablet instead.
What is the cheapest exercise bike with a built-in screen?
The ProForm Carbon Pro10 at around £999. It has a 10-inch iFIT touchscreen and auto-adjusting resistance, which makes it the most affordable genuine route to a proper built-in screen.
Is iFIT or Echelon better?
Neither is clearly better. iFIT is strong on scenic, coached rides filmed around the world with automatic resistance, while Echelon focuses on live and on-demand studio classes with a leaderboard. Choose based on whether you prefer exploring routes or following studio-style classes, and try each platform’s phone app before committing to the hardware.
Are exercise bikes with screens worth it?
For the right rider, yes. If a built-in screen and guided classes are what keep you training, the immersion is worth paying for. If you are disciplined enough to ride without coaching, or you would rather avoid a subscription, a cheaper bike that takes your own tablet gives you most of the benefit for a lot less.
What is a rotating screen for?
It swivels away from the bike so you can step off and follow a strength, yoga or stretching class on a mat beside it. The NordicTrack X24 and Studio 24 both have one, and it effectively turns the bike into a home training hub rather than just a cardio machine.
How much does an exercise bike subscription cost?
It varies by platform and plan, but memberships commonly run somewhere between £120 and £400 a year. Across three or four years that adds a meaningful amount to the true cost of ownership, so it is worth working out the three-year total rather than judging on the bike’s sticker price alone.
Is a screen bike cheaper than a gym or spin studio?
Often, yes. Boutique spin classes in most UK cities cost well over £15 a session, so two classes a week runs past £1,500 a year. Against that a screen bike plus a membership can pay for itself, though against a budget bike and a free app it will always look expensive.
Chris Linford · Fitness equipment reviewer Chris writes the home fitness reviews across our sites, including our sister site HomeTreadmill.co.uk. He compares every machine against its rivals on UK pricing and specs, and scores each one with FitRank.
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our FitRank score. See our affiliate disclosure.
By Chris Linford · Updated July 2026 · Rated with FitRank
You do not need to spend a fortune for a genuinely good exercise bike. £500 buys a lot right now, especially in the sales, where connected studio cycles that were near four figures have dropped into this bracket. Here are the best exercise bikes under £500 in the UK, ranked on FitRank, with prices and who each one suits.
The sweet spot under £500 has shifted. A couple of years ago this budget bought a basic magnetic bike, but heavy discounting means you can now get a proper smart-connect indoor cycle here, in one case at half its original price. For the vast majority of home riders, this is all the bike you need. You are only paying more above £500 for heavier flywheels, built-in touchscreens and commercial-grade frames.
A quick note on subscriptions, because it comes up a lot at this price. Several bikes below connect to an app, but every one of them rides perfectly well as a manual bike with adjustable resistance, and three of the seven have no subscription of any kind. So a monthly fee is always optional here, never forced. This list runs in FitRank order, our editorial score out of 5.
The best bike you can buy under £500 right now, and it is not close. The EX-30 RCX is a genuine smart-connect indoor cycle with a heavy, quiet ride and app-controlled magnetic resistance, and it is currently half price at £449, down from £899. At that money you are getting a premium bike in a budget bracket.
It is built around the Echelon app, but it rides fully as a manual bike without a membership, so the low price is not hiding a compulsory cost.
Best for Anyone who wants the most bike for their money, and likes the idea of connected classes.
Watch-out The classes and auto-resistance need an Echelon membership, though the bike rides manually without one, and you supply your own tablet.
The value pick, and the best of the sub-£500 bikes that need no subscription at all. A compact indoor cycle with an 8kg flywheel, 32 magnetic levels and Zwift and Kinomap support, heavily discounted at Sweatband and cheaper still with the GOAL10 code. The small footprint makes it a tidy fit for a flat.
It gives you the connected experience, on your own free or paid app, with nothing owed to the bike maker.
Best for Connected riding with no monthly fee, in a small space, on a tight budget.
Watch-out A lighter flywheel and a 110kg user limit, so it suits steady cardio rather than hard, out-of-the-saddle training.
The other strong Echelon in this bracket. The GT is a smart-connect indoor cycle with a solid, quiet ride and app-controlled resistance, and at £499 it just sneaks under the line. It feels a class above most bikes at this price.
If the EX-30 sells out of the sale, this is the natural alternative for a connected, class-ready ride.
Best for A connected, class-ready ride right at the top of the budget.
Watch-out Like the EX-30 the app experience needs an Echelon membership, and there is no built-in screen.
The best upright under £500 if you would rather sit up than lean into a spin position. A comfortable, stable upright with a cushioned adjustable seat, easy resistance and an iFIT-enabled console, at £399. It is approachable and easy to live with.
Uprights like this suit general fitness and gentler sessions rather than hard interval work.
Best for Upright riders who want comfort and simplicity over a racy spin feel.
Watch-out iFIT unlocks the guided workouts, but you ride it manually otherwise, using your own tablet.
The most bike-shaped value here. Originally £799 and now £499, the Pro Trainer 500 is a solid indoor cycle with a weighty ride and iFIT connectivity, a real saving on a machine that felt mid-range at full price.
It is the pick if you want a heavier, more committed studio ride and are happy to use the whole budget.
Best for A heavier, more committed studio ride at the top of the budget.
Watch-out At £499 it uses all of your £500, and its best features run through iFIT.
The best budget bike from a specialist British brand. A compact, quiet magnetic spin bike with JTX’s in-home warranty behind it, built for beginners and casual daily riders, with nothing to subscribe to and nothing to set up.
You are buying warranty backing and simplicity here rather than a heavy flywheel or apps, which for a first bike is a fair trade.
Best for A simple, reliable first spin bike with proper warranty backing.
Watch-out A lighter 6kg flywheel and no app connectivity, so it is a get-on-and-pedal bike.
The cheapest genuine connected bike here, and remarkable value. For £229 you get a 9kg flywheel, 32 computer-controlled magnetic levels and Bluetooth for Zwift and Kinomap, with no subscription. It leaves plenty of your budget in your pocket.
It is the answer if you want app-connected riding for as little as possible, or want to test whether indoor cycling sticks before spending more.
Best for The lowest-cost route into app-connected riding, with money to spare.
Watch-out Budget construction and a basic console, and a newer brand with less of a track record.
The exercise bike under £500 has quietly become one of the best-value buys in home fitness. A few years ago this budget bought a basic magnetic bike with a light flywheel and a simple battery display. Today, because indoor cycles are discounted so aggressively, the same money stretches to a genuine smart-connect bike with app-controlled resistance. The Echelon EX-30 RCX at £449 was £899 not long ago, and the ProForm Pro Trainer 500 at £499 was £799, so in both cases you are buying a bike that was designed and priced as a mid-range machine rather than a budget one.
For the large majority of home riders, that makes £500 the sensible ceiling rather than a compromise. You get a smooth, quiet ride, enough resistance for hard intervals, and in several cases full app connectivity. The things you genuinely cannot buy under £500 are a heavy commercial flywheel of 18kg or more, a large built-in touchscreen, and a frame rated for very heavy or all-day use. If none of those three is essential to you, spending more mostly buys reassurance rather than results.
Spin, upright or recumbent on a budget
Most of the value at this price sits in two of the three main bike types, so it helps to know which suits you before you shop.
Indoor cycles and spin bikes
These have a forward-leaning, road-racing position and a weighted flywheel, and they dominate the under £500 market. They give the most vigorous, sweat-inducing workout, they suit interval training and virtual classes, and every connected bike on this list is one. If you want to train hard, a budget spin bike like the Echelon EX-30 RCX or the JTX Cyclo-3M is the type to look at.
Upright bikes
An upright sits you in a more comfortable, less aggressive position, closer to a normal bike, usually with a larger padded seat. They suit steady general fitness, older riders and anyone who finds a spin position uncomfortable. The ProForm 225 CSX is the pick here, and the Viavito Satori doubles as a keenly-priced upright with app connectivity.
What about recumbents
Recumbents, the ones with a chair-like seat and full back support, are the most comfortable and the gentlest on the joints, but a good one rarely comes in under £500, so they sit just outside this budget. If comfort and back support are your priority, it is worth stretching slightly, and our best recumbent exercise bikes guide covers the options.
Do you need a subscription, and what do these cost to run
This is the question that catches people out, so it is worth being plain. Several bikes here connect to a platform, Echelon for the EX-30 and GT, iFIT for the two ProForms, but none of them requires it. Every bike on this list rides as a manual machine with adjustable resistance the moment it is unboxed, and three of the seven, the Reebok i-Bike, JTX Cyclo-3M and Viavito Satori, have no subscription at all.
Where this really matters is running cost. A platform membership can add £120 to £400 a year, which over three or four years can quietly cost more than the bike itself. So a subscription-free bike, or a subscription-capable bike you choose to run manually or with a free app tier, is genuinely cheaper to own over time. If avoiding a monthly fee entirely is the goal, our best exercise bikes without a subscription guide ranks the fee-free options in full.
Are the discounts genuine, and where to buy
A fair question when half the list is on sale. In this case the reductions are real seasonal and clearance pricing rather than an inflated reference figure. The Echelon and JTX bikes are sold direct by the brands, the Reebok, Viavito and adidas bikes come through Sweatband, an established UK retailer, and the ProForms through their UK channel. Buying through those official routes matters, because it is what protects your warranty and gives you a support line if anything goes wrong, which a grey-market marketplace seller will not.
Prices at this end of the market move around week to week, so the figures here are a current snapshot rather than a fixed promise. It is always worth clicking through to check the live price and any active voucher, such as the GOAL10 code on the Sweatband bikes or the EXTRA20 on the Echelon, before you decide.
What to check before you buy
Flywheel weight
Flywheel weight is the single biggest influence on how a bike feels to ride. A heavier wheel carries momentum, which makes the pedal stroke smoother and more road-like, especially standing up. Around 9kg and above feels good for the money, which is where the Echelons and the Viavito Satori sit. Lighter 6 to 8kg wheels, like the JTX Cyclo-3M and Reebok i-Bike, are fine for seated steady cardio, just less punchy for hard standing efforts.
Resistance type
Look for magnetic resistance rather than old-style friction pads. Magnetic resistance is quiet, needs no maintenance and lasts for years, and every bike on this list uses it. On the connected bikes the resistance can also be set from an app or adjusted automatically during a class, which a friction system simply cannot do.
Footprint and user weight
Check the bike fits your room and, just as importantly, your weight. Budget bikes often carry lower user limits, the Reebok i-Bike is rated to 110kg for instance, so confirm the figure before you buy rather than after. If floor space is tight, remember that only folding bikes pack away, and most of these have a fixed footprint.
Warranty and support
A longer warranty and a proper UK support line are worth a lot at this price. It is the difference between a bike that gets repaired and one that gets thrown away. The JTX bikes come with an in-home warranty, and the Sweatband and brand-direct routes give you a real point of contact, which is a big part of why they score well on FitRank.
How we chose these bikes
Every bike on this page has been scored with FitRank, our editorial rating out of 5 that weighs performance, build quality, value and features against each bike’s rivals and its price. We do not rank by commission, and the order of this list follows the FitRank scores exactly, which is why a half-price premium bike sits at the top and cheaper bikes follow. Our scores draw on published specifications and independent owner and reviewer feedback rather than a single showroom session, so they reflect how these bikes hold up in real homes over time.
Who should spend more than £500
For most people this budget is plenty, but three types of buyer should think about stretching. If you want the most comfortable, back-supported ride, a recumbent is worth the extra, and our best recumbent exercise bikes guide covers them. If you want a large built-in touchscreen and a fully immersive class experience without propping up your own tablet, the mid-range NordicTrack and Echelon bikes above £500 deliver that. And if you are a heavier or very frequent rider who needs a commercial-grade frame and a heavy flywheel, the top studio cycles are built for daily punishment. If none of those describes you, keep your money and buy from this list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best exercise bike under £500?
The Echelon EX-30 RCX, currently half price at £449, is the best overall, a smart-connect indoor cycle that punches well above the budget. If you want the best option with no subscription at all, the Reebok i-Bike at around £349 is the value pick.
Can you get a good connected bike for under £500?
Yes, and better than you might expect. Heavy discounting has pulled genuine smart-connect bikes into this bracket, the EX-30 RCX at £449 being the standout, and the Viavito Satori offers Zwift and Kinomap connectivity for just £229.
Do exercise bikes under £500 need a subscription?
No. Some connect to an app, but they all ride manually with adjustable resistance, and several here, including the Reebok i-Bike, JTX Cyclo-3M and Viavito Satori, have no fee of any kind. A subscription is always optional at this price.
Is £500 enough for a decent exercise bike?
For most home riders, comfortably. £500 now buys a proper connected indoor cycle in the sales. You only really need to spend more if you want a heavy commercial flywheel, a large built-in touchscreen, or a frame built for very heavy daily use.
Which is the cheapest exercise bike worth buying?
The Viavito Satori at £229. It is genuinely useful rather than a false economy, with a 9kg flywheel, 32 resistance levels and app connectivity, which is a lot of bike for the money.
What is the best budget spin bike?
The Echelon EX-30 RCX is the best budget spin bike overall thanks to its half-price sale, and among the no-subscription options the JTX Cyclo-3M is the simplest reliable choice, with the Reebok i-Bike the pick if you want app connectivity too.
Are cheap exercise bikes any good?
The better ones now are, yes. Quiet magnetic resistance and app connectivity have trickled down to affordable bikes, so a £229 to £499 bike from an established brand is a sound buy. What to avoid is an unbranded marketplace bike with no warranty and no support, which is where cheap becomes a false economy.
Should I buy a spin bike or an upright bike for home?
Choose a spin bike, or indoor cycle, if you want to train hard, do intervals or follow virtual classes, since the leaning position and weighted flywheel suit that. Choose an upright if you want a more comfortable, general-fitness ride in a smaller, simpler package.
How long should an exercise bike under £500 last?
With magnetic resistance and no friction parts to wear out, a well-made budget bike should give years of service. The keys to longevity are buying through an official route so you keep the warranty and support, and staying within the bike’s stated user weight limit.
Chris Linford · Fitness equipment reviewer Chris writes the home fitness reviews across our sites, including our sister site HomeTreadmill.co.uk. He compares every machine against its rivals on UK pricing and specs, and scores each one with FitRank.
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our FitRank score. See our affiliate disclosure.
By Chris Linford · Updated July 2026 · Rated with FitRank
The right exercise bike is one of the best pieces of kit for staying active in later life. Cycling is low-impact and gentle on the joints, it is safe indoors whatever the weather, and the best bikes for older riders are comfortable and easy to get on and off. Here are our senior-friendly picks, ranked on FitRank, with prices and who each one suits.
For most older riders a recumbent bike is the natural choice, because you sit back in a supported seat with a backrest and the pedals out in front, which takes the load off the spine, hips and knees. A comfortable upright suits more active seniors who want something smaller and more like a normal bike, and for the very tightest spaces there is even a folding option that packs away between sessions. We have led this list with recumbents for that reason, then included the best easy uprights, and ranked throughout on FitRank, our editorial score.
One reassurance up front. Several of these are app-connected bikes, but every one of them rides as a simple manual bike with adjustable resistance, so nobody is forced into a subscription or a complicated setup. You can keep it as easy as get on, pedal, get off.
Best budget, no subscription · Viavito Satori · FitRank 3.8 · £229
Best for small spaces and retirement flats · Viavito Onyx · FitRank 3.0 · £99
1Best overall
NordicTrack GX10 Recumbent
4.2/5
FitRank
Recumbent (screen)Senior friendly
For an older rider who wants the most comfortable, most supported ride we compare, the GX10 is the one. It has a large cushioned seat and a full backrest, a low and easy step-through, and a built-in screen with iFIT that adjusts the resistance for you, so there is nothing to fiddle with once you are riding. It is stable, smooth and reassuring to use.
The reclined, fully supported position takes the strain off the back, hips and knees, which is exactly what makes a recumbent such a good fit for later life.
Best for Seniors who want maximum comfort and a guided, hands-off ride, with the budget to match.
Watch-out It is a premium price, and the screen and guided classes lean on an iFIT membership, though it rides perfectly well manually without one.
The sensible-money choice, and the one most people should start with. You get the same supportive recumbent seat and low step-through comfort as the pricier bikes, with smooth magnetic resistance and straightforward controls, for £599. A 30-day iFIT trial is included if guided workouts appeal, but it is in no way required.
It proves you do not need to spend four figures to get a genuinely comfortable, joint-friendly bike.
Best for Comfortable, affordable low-impact cardio without overspending.
Watch-out You use the iFIT app on your own tablet rather than a built-in screen, and the full class library needs a membership after the trial.
If getting on and off easily is the priority, this is the pick. It has one of the lowest, easiest step-throughs here and an oversized, breathable seat built for long, comfortable sessions, which suits anyone with limited mobility or a sore back who wants to avoid clambering onto a bike.
Everything about it is tuned for comfort and ease rather than outright performance, which is the right priority for this audience.
Best for Riders who value an easy step-through and a large, comfortable seat above all else.
Watch-out It is priced above the ProForm without a big feature lead, and like the others leans on iFIT for its guided sessions.
Not everyone wants a recumbent. If you would rather sit upright, the 225 CSX is a comfortable, stable upright with a cushioned adjustable seat, easy-reach handlebars and simple magnetic resistance, at a friendly £399. It is compact enough for a spare room and easy to live with.
It gives a more traditional cycling feel while still being gentle and approachable, which suits more active older riders.
Best for Active seniors who prefer sitting upright and want a smaller footprint.
Watch-out An upright seat is less supportive than a recumbent, so it suits those without significant back trouble.
The budget, no-fuss pick. A light, quiet upright with a comfortable adjustable seat and simple resistance, at £229 with nothing to subscribe to. It is easy to set up, easy to move out of the way, and cheap enough to try without a big commitment.
For a first bike, or for someone who just wants to pedal gently in front of the television, it does the job without any complication.
Best for A simple, affordable first bike with no apps or fees to worry about.
Watch-out Budget build and a basic display, and an upright position rather than a fully supported recumbent one.
If space is the real constraint, and it often is in a flat or a retirement apartment, the Viavito Onyx is the answer the others cannot give. It is a folding upright bike that collapses to just 33 by 41cm, small enough to tuck behind the sofa or under a bed between sessions, and at £99 it is the cheapest bike here. You sit upright and pedal gently, which is exactly the kind of light, regular movement that suits a lot of older riders.
Its light 1.2kg flywheel and eight resistance levels are built for easy, casual sessions rather than hard training, and for this audience that is the point rather than a drawback. It is the bike for someone who wants a few gentle minutes a day without a full-size machine taking over the room.
Best for Small flats and retirement apartments where a bike has to fold away, and anyone who only wants light, gentle sessions.
Watch-out The handlebars are fixed rather than adjustable and the ride is very light, so it is strictly a gentle-use bike, and it is rated to 100kg.
Cycling has an unusual combination of virtues for anyone over sixty. It is low-impact, so there is none of the jarring that walking on hard pavements or running puts through the knees and hips. It builds leg strength and supports cardiovascular health. It is entirely weatherproof and safe, with no ice, no traffic and no uneven pavements to worry about. And crucially, an indoor bike lets you control the effort precisely, so a gentle ten minutes is as valid a session as a demanding thirty.
The barrier is almost never willingness, it is comfort and access. A bike that is awkward to climb onto or that leaves your back aching will be quietly abandoned within a fortnight. That is why we have weighted this list towards comfort, seat quality and step-through height rather than flywheel weight or top-end resistance. As always, if you have a heart condition, arthritis, or you are recovering from an operation, it is worth a brief word with your GP before starting something new.
Recumbent or upright, which is right
This is the first and most important decision, and it is worth getting right, because it decides whether the bike gets used.
Choose a recumbent if
You have back trouble, you want maximum comfort, you find balance or getting on and off a concern, or you want to ride for longer, gentler sessions. The reclined seat with a backrest supports your spine completely, the pedals are out in front rather than below you, and the step-through is low. This is the type most often recommended for older riders, and three of our six picks are recumbents for that reason.
Choose an upright if
You are reasonably active, you have no significant back trouble, and you want a smaller machine that feels more like a normal bike. An upright takes up less floor space and is lighter to move, and a good one has a well-padded adjustable seat that is comfortable for moderate sessions.
Choose a folding bike if
Space is the binding constraint, as it often is in a flat or retirement apartment. A folding bike like the Viavito Onyx packs down to a fraction of its size and lives behind a sofa between sessions. The trade is a lighter, gentler ride, which for casual daily movement is not really a compromise at all.
What to look for in a bike for seniors
Easy step-through and stability
Look for a low frame you can step into rather than climb onto, and a wide, stable base that will not rock or shift as you get on. These small things decide whether a bike gets used every day or quietly gathers dust. The GX LE has one of the easiest step-throughs we have come across.
Seat comfort and adjustment
A large, well-padded seat matters more than any other specification on this page. Check the seat adjusts easily, ideally without tools, so you can set it to the right leg extension, and if more than one person will use the bike, that adjustment needs to be quick.
Simple, readable controls
You do not need a wall of technology. A clear, well-lit display with large figures, easy resistance adjustment and a comfortable seat are what matter. Every bike here works as a simple manual machine, and the app features are there only if you want them, never in the way if you do not.
Weight limit and stability
Check the stated user weight limit rather than assuming, particularly on the budget bikes, as the Viavito Onyx is rated to 100kg. Heavier riders should look at the recumbents, which have sturdier frames and higher limits, as well as being more comfortable.
Do you need a subscription
No, and it is worth being plain about it, because the marketing around connected bikes can make it seem otherwise. The NordicTrack and ProForm bikes here are iFIT-enabled, which means a trainer can guide your ride and adjust the resistance for you through a class or scenic route. That is genuinely enjoyable, and for some riders it is what makes them look forward to a session. But every one of these bikes rides as a straightforward manual machine the moment it is unboxed, with resistance you set yourself.
The Viavito Satori and Viavito Onyx have no subscription of any kind, ever. So if the idea of an app or a monthly fee is unwelcome, buy one of those, or buy any bike here and simply never subscribe. For more fee-free options across every type, see our best exercise bikes without a subscription guide.
How much should you spend
There is a genuinely good option at every level here, from £99 for the folding Viavito Onyx up to £1,499 for the NordicTrack GX10. Most people are extremely well served in the £400 to £800 range, which is where the ProForm 325 CSX at £599 sits, and that buys a properly comfortable, supportive recumbent from an established brand with a warranty behind it.
Spending more than that buys a built-in touchscreen and a heavier, more commercial frame, which are nice but not necessary for gentle daily cardio. Spending less is entirely reasonable if space is tight or if you want to find out whether you will use a bike before committing. What is not worth doing is buying an unbranded bike with no warranty and no support, because when something goes wrong there is nobody to call.
How we chose these bikes
Every bike on this page has been scored with FitRank, our editorial rating out of 5 that weighs performance, build quality, value and features against each bike’s rivals and its price. For this guide we have led with the bikes best suited to older riders, recumbents first, and ranked within that on FitRank. We do not rank by commission, and our scores draw on published specifications and independent owner and reviewer feedback rather than a single showroom session.
Frequently asked questions
What type of exercise bike is best for seniors?
For most older riders a recumbent is the best fit. The reclined seat and backrest support the spine, the pedals sit out in front so there is no leaning forward, and the low step-through makes getting on and off easy. Active seniors without back trouble who prefer a smaller machine may be happier on a comfortable upright.
Is an exercise bike good for older adults?
Yes. Cycling is low-impact, so it builds leg strength, improves circulation and supports heart health without the pounding of walking or running. It is also weatherproof and safe indoors. If you have a heart condition, arthritis or are recovering from an operation, have a quick word with your GP before you start.
Do these bikes need a subscription?
No. The NordicTrack and ProForm bikes are iFIT-enabled, but they all ride manually with adjustable resistance, so a membership is optional rather than required. The two Viavito bikes have no subscription of any kind. You are never forced to pay a monthly fee to use any of them.
How much should a senior spend on an exercise bike?
There is a good option at every level here, from £99 for the folding Viavito Onyx to £1,499 for the NordicTrack GX10. Most people are very well served in the £400 to £800 range, which buys a genuinely comfortable, supportive recumbent.
Are exercise bikes safe for seniors with arthritis or knee problems?
They are one of the gentler forms of exercise because the motion is smooth and low-impact, and a recumbent adds full back and hip support, which is why bikes are common in rehab. Everyone is different, though, so if you are managing arthritis or a joint condition, check with your GP or physiotherapist about the right resistance and routine for you.
What is the best exercise bike for a small flat or retirement apartment?
The Viavito Onyx. It folds down to around 33 by 41cm, so it stores behind a sofa or under a bed between sessions, and at £99 it is the cheapest bike here. The ride is light and gentle rather than demanding, which suits casual daily movement.
How long should an older adult ride an exercise bike for?
There is no single answer, and consistency matters far more than duration. Many people find a gentle ten to twenty minutes most days more sustainable and more beneficial than one long weekly session. Start shorter than you think you need to, build gradually, and if you have any health conditions ask your GP what is appropriate for you.
Are recumbent bikes easier to get on than upright bikes?
Considerably, yes. A recumbent has a low step-through frame, so you walk into it and sit down rather than swinging a leg over and climbing on. If getting on and off is a concern, the NordicTrack GX LE has one of the easiest step-throughs of any bike we have compared.
Can you lose weight on an exercise bike as a senior?
Steady, regular cycling supports weight management alongside sensible eating, and the low-impact nature means you can do it often without the joint strain of higher-impact exercise. The key is a bike comfortable enough that you keep using it, which is why comfort has driven the ranking on this page.
Chris Linford · Fitness equipment reviewer Chris writes the home fitness reviews across our sites, including our sister site HomeTreadmill.co.uk. He compares every machine against its rivals on UK pricing and specs, and scores each one with FitRank.
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our FitRank score. See our affiliate disclosure.
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