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ProForm Exercise Bikes: The Full Range Compared
ProForm is the value half of the iFIT family, the more affordable sister brand to NordicTrack, and its bikes give you that immersive trainer-led platform for noticeably less. The range spans a recumbent, an upright, a touchscreen studio bike and two indoor cycles. Here is the full line-up, scored with FitRank, with honest notes on specs, value and who each one suits.
What ties the range together is iFIT, the same platform that powers NordicTrack: more than 10,000 trainer-led workouts, SmartAdjust automatic resistance, scenic global routes and syncing with Strava, Garmin and Apple Health. Every ProForm bike includes a 30-day iFIT trial. Where ProForm differs from NordicTrack is positioning: the bikes are cheaper, with lighter flywheels and simpler consoles, aimed at people who want the iFIT experience without the premium price. They are sold across a few retailers, the 225 CSX through Amazon, the Sport CX and Pro Trainer 500 through Sweatband, and the Carbon Pro10 and 325 CSX direct from ProForm. We have scored every model with FitRank and grouped them by type below.
Studio and indoor cycles
Spin-style bikes for harder, athletic training. The Carbon Pro10 adds a 10-inch pivoting touchscreen; the Sport CX and Pro Trainer 500 use your own tablet.
ProForm Carbon Pro10
The studio flagship and the only one with a built-in screen: a 10-inch pivoting HD touchscreen, 11kg flywheel, 22 SMR levels, SPD dual-sided pedals, USB-C and a pair of dumbbells. The entry point to iFIT on a touchscreen.
ProForm Pro Trainer 500
A solid 11kg-flywheel indoor cycle with 16 SMR levels, a belt drive, an LCD and iFIT via your own tablet, with a pair of dumbbells included. Near-identical to the Sport CX at the same £499.
ProForm Sport CX
Near-identical to the Pro Trainer 500: the same 11kg flywheel, 16 SMR levels, belt drive and iFIT via your own tablet, at the same £499. It adds a Watts readout and a Quick Stop brake, where the 500 bundles dumbbells.
Upright and recumbent
Comfort-focused bikes for steady cardio. The 225 CSX sits you upright; the 325 CSX is the easy-access recumbent.
ProForm 325 CSX
The recumbent of the range, and the pick for comfort. A step-thru frame, lumbar-supported cushioned seat, 7kg flywheel, 22 SMR levels and iFIT, with a 125kg user limit. Easy on the back and joints.
ProForm 225 CSX
The cheapest way onto iFIT: an upright with a 7kg flywheel, 20 SMR levels and a 5-inch display, running iFIT from your own tablet, for £399. Great value, though the handlebars do not adjust.
ProForm exercise bikes compared
| Model | Type | Flywheel | Resistance | Screen | Max user | Price | FitRank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon Pro10 | Studio cycle | 11kg | 22 SMR levels | 10″ pivoting touchscreen | 114kg | £999 | 4.1 |
| 325 CSX | Recumbent | 7kg | 22 SMR levels | 5″ LCD | 125kg | £599 | 4.1 |
| Pro Trainer 500 | Indoor cycle | 11kg | 16 SMR levels | 1-window LCD | 114kg | £499 | 4.0 |
| Sport CX | Indoor cycle | 11kg | 16 SMR levels | 1-window LCD + Watts | 114kg | £499 | 4.0 |
| 225 CSX | Upright | 7kg | 20 SMR levels | 5″ LCD | 125kg | £399 | 4.0 |
Every ProForm bike runs on iFIT, includes a 30-day iFIT trial and uses SMR Silent Magnetic Resistance. The Carbon Pro10 has a built-in touchscreen; the others use your own tablet for iFIT. Maximum user weights are 114kg on the Carbon Pro10, Sport CX and Pro Trainer 500, and 125kg on the 225 CSX and 325 CSX.
ProForm and iFIT: the platform behind every bike
iFIT is the heart of every ProForm bike, and it is exactly the same platform NordicTrack uses, because the two brands share a parent company. An iFIT membership unlocks more than 10,000 trainer-led workouts, scenic global routes filmed across all seven continents, live studio classes and SmartAdjust, which lets the trainer’s session control your bike’s resistance automatically so you just pedal. ActivePulse can also hold you in a target heart-rate zone using an optional arm band. Every bike includes a 30-day iFIT trial, after which an iFIT membership is sold separately and renews until cancelled, and it needs Wi-Fi. Your data syncs out to Strava, Garmin and Apple Health.
It is worth being clear about what needs the subscription. Every ProForm bike works without iFIT as a manual machine: you set the resistance yourself and read your stats on the console or screen. What you lose without a membership is the workout library, the classes, SmartAdjust and, on the Carbon Pro10, the streaming. Since those features are the main reason to choose a ProForm over a plain magnetic bike, the ongoing iFIT cost should factor into your decision. If you would rather avoid a subscription entirely, our subscription-free picks from JTX and Reebok are worth a look.
ProForm versus NordicTrack
Because they share the iFIT platform, ProForm and NordicTrack are often cross-shopped, and the distinction is simple: ProForm is the value brand, NordicTrack the premium one. You get the identical iFIT experience on both, but NordicTrack bikes tend to have heavier flywheels, larger screens, higher user weight limits and, on the flagship X24, a motorised incline that ProForm does not offer at all. ProForm counters with materially lower prices for the same platform. If the iFIT content is what you are buying, and it is the same on both, ProForm gives you more of your money back; if you want the best hardware and the incline, NordicTrack is the step up. You can see the full NordicTrack range here, including its recumbents, which rival the ProForm 325 CSX.
Studio cycle, upright or recumbent: which type?
ProForm offers three styles, so the first decision is the format that suits you.
Studio and indoor cycles (Carbon Pro10, Pro Trainer 500, Sport CX)
These are spin-style bikes with a forward-leaning, athletic position, built for harder, sweatier training. The Carbon Pro10 is the premium option with a built-in pivoting touchscreen and SPD pedals; the Pro Trainer 500 and Sport CX are simpler, cheaper cycles that run iFIT from your own tablet. Choose this style if you want intensity and the most engaging, class-led workouts.
Upright (225 CSX)
An upright seats you in a traditional, more comfortable cycling position and is the most affordable way onto iFIT here. The 225 CSX suits steady cardio and general fitness rather than hard intervals, and is a sensible first bike. The one compromise to note is its fixed, non-adjustable handlebars.
Recumbent (325 CSX)
A recumbent seats you low and reclined with full back support and the pedals out in front, which is far easier on the back, joints and wrists. The 325 CSX, with its step-thru frame and lumbar-supported seat, is the natural choice for older riders, anyone returning from injury, or those who find a normal saddle uncomfortable. NordicTrack’s recumbents are the main alternative if you want to compare.
Sport CX or Pro Trainer 500?
These two indoor cycles come up together constantly because they are near-identical: both have an 11kg flywheel, 16 levels of SMR resistance, a belt drive, fully adjustable saddle and bars, toe-cage pedals and iFIT via your own tablet, and both sell at the same £499 sale price, with the same 114kg user limit. They differ only in the extras they trade: the Sport CX adds a Watts power readout on its LCD and a Quick Stop braking system, while the Pro Trainer 500 instead includes a pair of 1.4kg dumbbells for off-bike work. Neither is meaningfully better than the other, so pick by which extras you value, or simply buy whichever is better priced on the day.
Is ProForm a good brand?
For the iFIT experience at a lower price, yes. ProForm gives you the same mature, immersive platform as NordicTrack, and its bikes are honestly specced and sensibly priced, with the 325 CSX recumbent and the 225 CSX upright standing out on value. The caveats are the ones you would expect from the value brand: flywheels are lighter than NordicTrack’s premium bikes, user weight limits sit around 114 to 125kg rather than higher, consoles are simpler, and independent reviewers note the ride is good rather than class-leading. None of that undermines ProForm; it is exactly what makes it the affordable route into iFIT. If the platform is what you want and you do not need the very best hardware, ProForm earns its place.
Which ProForm bike should you buy?
For comfort, a bad back or older riders, the 325 CSX recumbent is the pick, and it is the standout of the range. For the most affordable way onto iFIT, the 225 CSX upright at £399 is excellent value, as long as its fixed handlebars suit you. If you want spin-style training with a proper built-in touchscreen, the Carbon Pro10 is the studio flagship and the cheapest touchscreen route into iFIT. And if you want a simple, capable indoor cycle and will run iFIT from your own tablet, the Pro Trainer 500 (or the near-identical Sport CX) is the value choice at £499. Across the board, remember the ongoing iFIT cost is central to getting your money’s worth.
ProForm discounts and where to buy
ProForm’s range is spread across retailers: the 225 CSX through Amazon, the Sport CX and Pro Trainer 500 through Sweatband, and the Carbon Pro10 and 325 CSX direct from ProForm. Prices move regularly and the bikes are frequently discounted, with the Sport CX and Pro Trainer 500 currently cut to £499 and the Carbon Pro10 to £999. We show the live price on each bike in the cards above, and seasonal sales such as Black Friday and January tend to bring the sharpest reductions.
Frequently asked questions
Do ProForm bikes need an iFIT subscription?
What is the difference between ProForm and NordicTrack?
Which ProForm bike is best?
What is the difference between the Sport CX and Pro Trainer 500?
Which ProForm bike is best for a bad back or seniors?
Where can I buy ProForm bikes in the UK?
For exercise bikes beyond ProForm, see our main best exercise bikes guide, and read how we score every product on the FitRank page.
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.