Best exercise bike 2022: At-home cycles from Peloton, Reebok and more

Best: Overall

Rating: 9/10

• Streaming subscription: Yes, £29.99 per month
• Dimensions: 120cm x 60cm
• Weight limit: 140kg
• Power supply: Mains
• Digital monitor: No
• Wheels: Yes

This UK-built bike launched mid-pandemic when everyone was going crazy for home exercise equipment, particularly indoor cycles. It’s a sleek and stylish machine with a fairly modest footprint that won’t totally take over the room it stands in.

It’s a smart bike, but the reason there’s such a difference in price from other, well-known brands in the indoor cycle space is that the Apex doesn’t have a built-in display. Instead, it has a stand for your iOS device – there is no Android connectivity with the Apex at the moment, which will be a factor for some.

So, you can connect to the content via an iPhone or iPad, or for an even more immersive experience you can set up in front of a widescreen and cast the classes to an Apple TV, if you have one.

We found the on-screen metrics were easy to read and understand. The Apex has a comfortable saddle, “aero” handlebars, and resistance comes from a flywheel controlled via a sensitive, but not too sensitive, dial that’s easy to use. The bike was nice and stable too, even when we were really going for it.

Apart from the price, the other thing that might really appeal to indoor riders is that the online and live class instructors are all UK-based, and the content comes from London spin studio Boom Cycle.

Although they still cater for high-energy spin classes, there’s a little less hype when it comes to your morning sweat session when compared to service like Peloton.

Best: For content

Rating: 9/10

• Streaming subscription: Yes, £39 per month
• Dimensions: 120cm x 60cm
• Weight limit: 135kg
• Power supply: Mains
• Digital monitor: Yes
• Wheels: Yes

With a 120cm x 60cm footprint, the Peloton bike plus is no different from its predecessor (from £1,350, Onepeloton.co.uk), but what has gone up in size is the HD touchscreen, so you can feel more involved in whatever class you choose. Peloton has also boosted the surround sound with a quality soundbar so you can be screamed at (sorry, motivated by) the instructors with ear munching volume and clarity.

You still control resistance from the magnetic flywheel via an easily accessed and sensitive knob, but we really like the fact that the resistance on the new bike can automatically track the instructor’s resistance throughout an on-demand workout, which is becoming a must-have feature for connected cycles, we think.

What it comes down to is whether these features warrant the price bump for the basics package. Of course, you also have to factor in the £39 a month that you’ll need to find for the streaming service, which is still the industry standard.

Best: For road racers

Rating: 7/10

• Streaming subscription: No
• Dimensions: 124cm x 50cm
• Weight limit: 135kg
• Power supply: Mains
• Digital monitor: No
• Wheels: Yes

The next iteration of the atom is comfortable to ride, with well-gripped aero bars, and an incorporated tablet holder so you can easily follow various third party apps that the Wattbike relies on to be connected via your smartphone or tablet.

The atom’s resistance comes from an electromagnetic drivetrain, which is favoured by plenty of hardcore cyclists because it accurately mirrors the feel of being out there eating up the miles dressed head to toe in Lycra, rather than being in a stationary spin class. The atom is comfortable to ride, unmovable even when you’re really going for it, and works with the Wattbike app, Swift and Sufferfest, which is where you’ll get an indication of which gear you’re in (otherwise it’s based on an educated guess).

In terms of the gears, the atom uses electronic shifters to go up and down the drivetrain and the changes were absolutely seamless without a hint of judder.

Best: For smaller spaces

Rating: 6/10

• Streaming subscription: No
• Dimensions: 128cm x 51cm
• Weight limit: 120kg
• Power supply: Mains
• Digital monitor: Yes
• Wheels: Yes

If you’re not after a totally immersive fitness experience, but you are after a pedal powered workout, the Z-power bike offers 32 levels of electronically controlled resistance through a flywheel that offers a smooth and quiet ride. The handles of the bike are nicely angled and offer good grip, while there was an easy to adjust, gel-padded seat that was comfortable to use throughout our training session.

The on-board computer provides target workouts, there’s an easy access cage for your water bottle and the whole bike is slim, takes up very little space and is easy to move around.

Best: Value for money

Rating: 7/10

• Streaming subscription: No
• Dimensions: 135cm x 53cm
• Weight limit: 125kg
• Power supply: Self-powered, display is battery-powered
• Digital monitor: Yes
• Wheels: Yes

Here’s a bike that eschews smart bike connectivity to lower the price, focus on recreating the feel of a gym class at home instead. However, it would be a bit harsh to call this a “dumb” bike, as a big flywheel allows for some quad-shredding resistance levels, and adjustments are easy using the well-positioned shifter on the frame. With a nice, crisp display and a comfortable riding position, the bike is surprisingly portable, considering it has a 22kg flywheel on board.

Best: For comfort

Rating: 8/10

• Streaming subscription: Yes, £29.99 per month
• Dimensions: 133cm x 54cm
• Weight limit: 136kg
• Power supply: Mains
• Digital monitor: Yes
• Wheels: Yes

The newest offering from Echelon is a very accomplished smart bike that’s an absolute dream to ride in terms of its adjustability and ergonomics. There are multiple handle positions on the bars which are really comfortable, and the nice saddle makes this one of the most rideable bikes on test.

The tilting 21.5in HD screen displays all your metrics very clearly, whether you’re enjoying the well-curated online content or the outdoor scenic rides, which provide a welcome distraction as you pedal your way through coastal or country roads, keeping an eye on output, distance, speed, calories etc.

It’s a shame that you can’t see yourself covering more distance the faster you ride the bike, as the speed of the video is set, but that’s a very minor niggle. Whether it’s live-streamed spin classes or on-demand you’re after the amount of content on offer is impressive.

The flywheel runs super silent and operates on magnetic resistance, and there are 32 levels – plenty to get your heart pumping or to make for an easy warm down.

The EX-5s was very stable even when riding heavily side-to-side, and there was minimal screen wobble during a workout or class, which can be a little distracting.

Best: For progressive fitness

Rating: 9/10

• Streaming subscription: No
• Dimensions: 123cm x 54cm
• Weight limit: 150kg
• Power supply: Self-powered
• Digital monitor: No
• Wheels: Yes

With a nice, compact footprint and stable base the 800IC is still one of the best indoor cycles we’ve tested. This is because of its supremely responsive resistance which comes from a magnetic flywheel, adjusted from a knob that’s easy to change during your workout with just a quick twist. With over 100 levels of resistance to choose from you’ll have no problem finding a level that works for you, and will continue to challenge you as you get fitter.

The dipped handlebars are ergonomic and comfortable to grip, with a saddle that takes the pressure off in all the right places. There is a small digital display to feed back your usual metrics (time, calories, speed etc), but the bike really comes into its own when you Bluetooth it to an external app like Zwift, Explore the World or even the Peloton app, and use the media cradle with your own tablet.

Best: For showing off

Rating: 7/10

• Streaming subscription: No
• Dimensions: 125cm x 60cm
• Weight limit: 200kg
• Power supply: Rechargeable battery pack
• Digital monitor: No
• Wheels: Yes

This bike looks so good that you probably shouldn’t confine it to the bedroom. It’s just as much an exercise in design as it is indoor cycling engineering, but if you have just won the lottery then the bike will also deliver a complete fitness experience too. The bike is supremely comfortable to ride, either upright or in a racing position, with a whisper-quiet flywheel and magnetic resistance that offers infinite resistance.

Connectivity comes from Bluetooth sensors that connect you to a proprietary app (available for free on iOS and Android) that provides an excellent source of original training plans. It’s not the most compact of bikes, but if you’re shelling out this amount of money, you’ll probably want to show it off anyway.

Best: Folding exercise bike

Rating: 6/10

• Streaming subscription: No
• Dimensions: 111cm x 42.5cm
• Weight limit: 100kg
• Power supply: Self-powered, display is battery-powered
• Digital monitor: No
• Wheels: No

This collapsible bike is surprisingly stable to ride and, of course, is perfect for those who want to get fit at home, but are short on space. Comfortable in the saddle with good supportive handlebars, the FEB1000 also features an impressively smooth flywheel that offers the user eight levels of resistance.

Best: For power pedallers

Rating: 7/10

• Streaming subscription: Yes, £29 per month
• Dimensions: 121cm x 59cm
• Weight limit: 160kg
• Power supply: Mains
• Digital monitor: Yes
• Wheels: Yes

This bike can be connected to the 1Rebel fitness studio in London or Revolution in Milan (£29 per month) to offer up live and on-demand classes, streamed directly to the bike. It features a very intuitive, easy-to-use, 22in HD touchscreen and you can see your progress on a leaderboard of connected cyclists.

The handlebars were comfortable and there were lots of options for hand placement to find a comfortable riding position. As well as this, the seat was very easy to adjust mid-workout and the bike didn’t take over the room.