Spin bikes are some of the most effective cardio machines in existence. Not only do they give you all the cardio benefits of cycling, but they also help to effectively engage your core and push your workouts to the next level. In the following post, we covered detailed reviews of the best spin bikes 2023 on the market.
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There are more than 10 Spin bike models being introduced in the market by various companies every quarter and many of them have advanced or innovative features you’ve never heard of. That being said, if you start the workout with any random Spin bike, there are chances that you’ll face injuries such as handlebar palsy, knee pain or patellofemoral pain syndrome.
Our Top Spin Bike Picks
We have spent months researching every other Spin bike out there and recommended some of the best Spin bike models which are suitable for everyone.
The 7 Best Spin Bikes to Buy in 2023
Spinning on these bikes effectively prepares you to perform on the road and no other type of indoor cycle can lay claim to this unique advantage.
Here is the best spin bikes (indoor bikes) list as reviewed by Fitensity – let’s go for a spin TODAY!
#1 Keiser M3i/M3iX/M3
Keiser M3i Indoor Cycle is one of the best-selling models for indoor calorie burning, hands down. This minimalist and premium-looking cycle has the highest quality of resistance levels which will help you burn up to a thousand calories in a single sitting, depending upon your stamina.
The frame of the cycle is made of toughened steel and aluminium making it extremely strong and durable. It has 24 levels of resistance according to your workout needs. Since this is a magnetic resistance system, it generates no noise and has no wear and tear making it maintenance free.
The bike is 45 inches tall and 26 inches wide, weighing just 85lbs which is quite compact despite being made of tough metal. After over 15 days of testing, we loved the thing that it has adjustable gearing, it has combo pedals, adjustable resistance levels and multiple handlebar positions such as aerobars.
The backlit display makes it easy to use under sunlight and the data can be tracked accurately such as RPM, heart rate, calories burnt, custom resistance levels and a lot more. Despite being on the premium side of the budget, the Keiser M3i Cycle is well worth the money.
#2 Sunny Health & Fitness Indoor Cycle Trainer
The resistance system in Sunny Health & Fitness Cycle gives you a realistic real-road cycling experience with unmatched resistance power. It has a high power braking system that comes to a halt at a single push.
The cycle does not make any noise with its maintenance-free belt roller giving a dual advantage with a single technology. The height of the seat can be customized between 29 to 40 inches, horizontal or vertical so you get just the perfect position for your workout. Moreover, the footrest has toe cages to keep your toes in places on pedals.
Despite weighing just 49lbs, the cycle trainer can carry a weight of up to 275lbs. The cycle can be transported anywhere using its portability wheels. It also has a bottle holder made of stainless steel. This budget cycle is best for beginners and gets the work done with any issues.
#3 Sunny Health Fitness Pro Indoor Cycling Bike (SF-B1714)
Sunny Health Fitness Pro has been designed for beginners as well as professionals alike. This value for money indoor cycle does not break the pocket and has a few unique features that advanced cycle trainers would love. The flywheel itself is 40lbs to make the cycle sturdy.
The cycle comes with a customizable seat and handlebar position for your comfort. The heavy flywheel gives you a feel of riding an actual cycle on road with an ample amount of resistance for higher endurance. Weighing 97lbs, the cycle can carry a weight of up to 275lbs.
The cycling bike has a fabric brake padding system for various tension level optimizations to increase or decrease the intensity of the workout, helping you burn more calories. A feature unique to this model, the drive system is made upon a high-grade metal chain, unlike others which are made of the belt.
Make sure to lubricate all friction points including the brake pad and chain to keep this cycle maintenance free.
#4 Sole Fitness SB-700 Light Commercial
A heavy-duty and high endurance bike, Sole Fitness SB-700 is often found in popular gyms due to its sturdy and premium design. It weighs 140lbs and carries up to 300lbs. The flywheel itself weighs about 48lbs making it quite sturdy to workout at full momentum.
The cycle comes with an integrated backlit LCD display which shows accurate calories, distance and speed. Since it used mainly indoors, it does not have a moving wheel but offers ergonomic foot padding and the seat can be adjusted as per your required height.
The cycle can be assembled at home with ease. The frame comes with a lifetime warranty while other parts have a three-year warranty which is higher than most of the cycling bikes out there. There is also an extended warranty available separately. This top-end premium model gives the best value for money for the features it offers.
#5 Schwinn A.C. Performance Plus Indoor Cycle
A renowned name in the fitness industry, Schwinn made indoor cycle has a patented magnetic resistance braking system bundled with a high-grade aluminium frame. This cycling bike focuses on comfort and customization of workout.
With a heavy flywheel, the workout gives a smooth and realistic feel of cycling on the road. You can control your resistance level with different intensities using the transition knob. The cycle weighs 102lbs and can take a record 350lbs of weight due to its sturdy design.
The high-quality materials used to make this high-end beast makes it virtually maintenance-free but has a 3-year warranty on its parts regardless.
#6 ASUNA Minotaur Cycle Exercise Bike
Sunny Health & Fitness ASUNA 7150 Minotaur Cycle is a mid-premium range bike for those who can’t afford our premium top pick in the list. This bike comes with a magnetic resistance system that makes sure no parts touch the flywheel, making it a noiseless and low maintenance cycling experience. The resistance levels can be changed using a manual knob.
This ergonomically designed exercise bike has a high inertia flywheel engineered for a high-speed high endurance training session. The bike comes with portability wheels for easy transportation. The pedal has a foot cage for steady and increased intensity. The bike can take a weight of up to 330lbs.
You can also use an RPM sensor and an HR chest strap along with this cycling bike. The cycle also has a handy water bottle holder. This model is also popular equipment found in many gyms around the world. The seat and handlebar The ASUNA Minotaur Cycle comes with a 6-month warranty on parts.
Indoor Cycling Bike versus Other Bike Types
Before we get to the how to let’s look at why. Why should you choose spin bikes over other types of exercise bikes? Namely, the traditional upright indoor cycles and recumbent bikes:
Upright Bikes versus Spin bikes
As the name suggests, upright bicycles offer a, well, upright position. This means that the position is relatively similar to sitting on a chair with your head facing forwards. While this position reduces the pressure on your neck and hands, it increases pressure on the groin area as that is where most of the weight is being supported. As you can imagine, while this may be comfortable for a short period, longer or more intense sessions will see that comfort diminish.
Yes, spin bikes may not feel as natural at first but over time, they can rival the comfort of upright bikes. All that’s needed is a bike that’s set up to the rider’s measurements and the willingness to get used to the new position. The fact that your weight is distributed over the hands, as well as your sit bones (the groin area that makes contact with the seat), means that the workload is shared. This prevents any long-term discomfort or numbness once the rider is accustomed.
The weak link in the chain for most people is their abdomen and the muscles surrounding it. Just like your hands share the load with your seat, the abdomen shares the load of holding and anchoring your body up with the back. Use your abdomen while riding and suddenly the pressure on the back eases up! This means that spin bikes force you to engage your core, which in turn means that you get a superior workout. If you are someone that rides a road bike outdoors, go the spin bike route with eyes closed, they offer the same fit and feel.
Recumbent Bikes versus Spin Bikes
While recumbent are the most comfortable bikes out there (the cycling position is like that of a recliner chair), the big question is, is that what you want? I mean, sure, if you’re trying to rehabilitate an injury or if you’re seriously out of shape, but otherwise, we think that most people are served better with a spin bike. This is especially true if you’re in this for the long haul as people that stick to cycling workouts shed the extra pounds quickly. Might as well invest in a high-performance product that improves your road worthiness should you consider riding a bike outdoors at some point.
There are other considerations as well. While pedalling in the reclined position can be good for those with back problems, one may find that they have to pedal with greater effort than they would on a standard bike. This is because it is possible for the glutes (some of the largest muscles available to the legs) not to be engaged sufficiently. As mentioned above, the core is also left out of the equation.
How to Choose the Best Spin Bike?
Depending on personal preferences, some things may be more important than others. Here’s a list of things we look for when rating a bike. We think they go across the boundaries of preference and are essential to a good riding experience:
1. Fit and Adjustability
It doesn’t matter what the bike is; if it doesn’t fit you, neither you nor the bike will be able to perform anywhere close to the optimal level. What you want to look for is as many ways as possible to alter the fit and feel of the bike. At a minimum, the bike must have extensive provision for adjustment of the seat height and the seat fore-aft position. This is the cornerstone of a comfortable ride and essential for avoiding injury via long-term use.
The next thing to look out for is handlebar positions. Modern road bikes offer a minimum of 3 hand positions for comfort and different riding situations. The more options there are, the better. If you are a triathlete or time trial enthusiast, it’s obviously a good idea to have a centre bar position that simulates tri bars/skis that will let you train in an aerodynamic position.
2. Resistance
Understanding the type of resistance, the bike has to offer is critical to getting a good workout experience.
Older and low-cost bikes tend to use frictional resistance which is essentially a set of brake pads that rub against the flywheel when you dial it in. This offers a preset, constant resistance that has its advantages; the (frictional) resistance is usually hard, felt instantly and the simplicity of the design keeps costs low. The cons, however, outweigh the pros in our opinion. The first con is that that the brakes must eventually be replaced as they wear out. Secondly, friction resistance usually creates a lot of noise.
This is where magnetic resistance comes in. Magnets enable smooth, progressive resistance with minimal noise. This is further complemented by a belt-drive system in high-end bikes, which replaces chain-drive and reduces noise and maintenance even more. You usually also get more levels of resistance to choose from. It is for these reasons that we recommend selecting a bike with magnetic resistance when possible.
3. Size/Dimensions and Overall Package
It goes without saying that you must make sure you have enough room before you order a bike! Sometimes we miss the most obvious of things though and so it’s worth reiterating this point. Decide on a spot for your new exercise bike and compare the dimensions with those of the bike. You don’t want to have to move these around once you’ve picked a spot. This is particularly true for higher-end bikes that have descended from commercial-grade equipment and can often be very heavy.
Now, when we talk about the overall package, we mean the little things that add up to complete your experience. These are the things that make the difference between a good and a great product.
Connectivity is a big one for cycling products these days and having some smart functionality, with the ability to transfer workout data is a big plus when it comes to tracking your progress and identifying the areas you need to work on. A large, easy to read display scores extra points, as does the ability to track things like heart rate.
Another thing to look out for is pedals. At the minimum, the bike should have provision for toe straps so that all of your leg muscles are correctly engaged throughout the pedal stroke. For those of you that use cycling shoes/cleats/automatic pedals, you should look for bikes that come with compatible pedals or at least ones that support them.
We also really appreciate simple essentials like water bottle holders and high-quality contact points (things like the saddle, handlebar grips etc.).
Advantages of Using Indoor Spin Bikes
You might be wondering why you should be using indoor spin bikes. Obviously, there is the advantage of not having to go outside, to a gym or fitness centre. Apart from that, however, Indoor Spin Bikes have offered some other advantages too. You can find them by comparing spin biking — also known as indoor cycling — to the other forms of exercise.
1. Spin Bikes have Lower Impact on Body
While being one of the most effective methods to stay fit, Spin Bikes don’t affect your body in negative ways. Most importantly, no harm will be done to the body areas such as the hips, joints, and ankles. This is a big benefit if you are afraid of collateral damages when it comes to staying fit through exercises. This is also a reason why spin biking is recommended for people who rehabilitate from orthopaedic injuries.
For instance, if we’re comparing spin bikes with a treadmill, there won’t be an impact on pounding either. Cutting the long story short, spin bikes cause the least amount of impact on the sensitive part of the user’s body. So, it does not matter if you have some serious big pain; you can try some comfortable exercises via a spin bike.
2. Enables You to Customize the Cycling Process
When compared to the other machines used for fitness, spin bikes offer an additional level of customization. This is something impressive because the cycling process can be hard or simple according to your particular requirements. We already mentioned that the exercise machine does not have a negative impact on your body as far as health is concerned. Keeping it the same, several aspects of the indoor spin bike can be adjusted to avail the best results and comfort.
The adjustable things include seat height, foot placement, handlebar and orientation of the seat. We don’t recommend the adjustments unless you are good with spin bikes. It is so because a wrongly-placed spin bike would do more harm than good.
3. Stress Relief and Weight Loss
Indoor spin biking is considered to be a positive impact in reducing stress and helping you lose weight. As it has been mentioned, you can check out a wide variety of exercise methods using a single spin bike. Almost all of those methods assure you of the benefits of weight loss and stress relief. So, if you are too much stressed out while returning home after the office, an indoor spin biking session would bring you back to the track.
Also, you can add the impact of weight loss as well. If these aren’t enough, spin bikes are good enough for muscle-building too. That is, a single spin biking session can offer you a multitude of positive impacts. The weight loss is a result of better metabolism, which is a cool thing even if you’re not obese.
4. It’s Simple and Easy to Manage
It does not matter if you are using a recumbent bike or an upright bike. Spin biking is one of the simplest and easy to manage exercises you will find in town. You can simply purchase a bike and place it somewhere in your bedroom. Whenever you think you need exercise — or, when you want that cycling to feel —, you can start the workouts. Depending on your requirements, you can choose a spinning bike that offers superb level hardware and customization; say, for instance, a better level of resistance.
Also, the computer panels provide enough information to keep you updated about your own body. Without many bells and whistles, indoor spin bikes create an awesome exercise environment.
It seems that riders and common people love indoor spin bikes so much. That is why you can find ongoing popularity for this kind of exercise machines.
5. Feel
We prefer bikes that feel like real/outdoor bikes. This means that bikes with chain drivetrains, progressive resistance and coasting ability score higher than those without.
Wrapping up
There you have it; these are the best spin bikes we would buy for ourselves. Go ahead and pick any of them, we’re confident that you won’t be disappointed.