Top 5 compared
The best exercise bikes
A proper workout whenever there’s half an hour spare, whatever the weather outside.
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The top 5 at a glance
A spin bike has a heavy flywheel at the front, driven by a belt, with a dial that sets the resistance. Spin bikes take their name from Spinning, the indoor cycling classes Johnny G launched in California in the early 1990s. An air bike works differently: a fan provides the resistance, so the harder it’s pedalled the harder it pushes back, and a damper changes the feel like a gear.
Magnetic resistance, on every spin bike here, never touches the flywheel, so it runs quietly with no pads to wear. Allow room to get on and off as well as the bike’s own footprint, and plan by the maker’s rider limit rather than the listing’s, since the two don’t always agree.
What matters
- Bluetooth, if classes or Zwift on a tablet are part of the plan.
- A seat and handlebars that adjust four ways, to fit each rider.
- Wheels for moving it, and levelling feet for an uneven floor.
#1Toputure TEB3 Exercise Bike
£150–£200
A belt-drive spin bike with a 15kg flywheel and magnetic resistance set on a dial from 0 to 100%, plus Bluetooth for riding along with Zwift, Kinomap or FitShow on a tablet in the holder.
What owners say: Owners find it very quiet, and like how easily the seat and handlebars adjust and how simply it rolls to another room.
A closer look: Set the saddle so the knee keeps a slight bend at the bottom of each pedal stroke, then bring the handlebars to a comfortable reach. The tablet holder keeps a class or a Zwift route in view while the LCD counts time, speed, distance and calories.
- Belt drive
- Hand pulse sensors
- Seat adjusts four ways
- Tablet holder
Best for: Riding with apps
- Type
- Spin bike
- Resistance
- Magnetic, 0–100%
- Flywheel
- 15kg
- Max user weight
- 158kg
- Display and apps
- LCD, Bluetooth apps
- Footprint
- 104 × 56cm
#2Concept2 BikeErg with PM5 Monitor
£1,160 RRP
Concept2’s answer to the spin bike: a fan-and-flywheel bike where the resistance rises with effort and a damper changes the feel like a gear, with the same PM5 monitor as Concept2’s rowers, showing watts, pace and cadence. It’s made for serious training; for everyday riding at home, the Toputure at the top of the list does the job at a much lower price.
What owners say: Owners describe a smooth ride that feels like cycling on the road, and find it as good for long, steady sessions as for hard intervals.
A closer look: The clutch lets the flywheel keep turning when the pedals stop, so a rest between intervals is a coast rather than a jolt. The PM5 runs on two D cell batteries, kept topped up by the flywheel while riding, and connects to heart rate belts and training apps.
- Coasts when the pedals stop
- Shows watts, pace and cadence
- Flywheel keeps batteries topped up
- Aluminium frame on castor wheels
Best for: Serious training at home
- Type
- Air bike
- Resistance
- Air, adjustable damper
- Flywheel
- Air, with clutch
- Max user weight
- 159kg
- Display and apps
- PM5, Bluetooth and ANT+
- Footprint
- 122 × 61cm
#3DMASUN Magnetic Exercise Bike (8732B)
£150–£200
A no-fuss magnetic spin bike: belt drive, a resistance knob running from 0 to 100 that stops the flywheel when pressed, a tablet holder and a 160kg rider limit.
What owners say: Owners like the solid frame and the quiet ride, and households sharing it find the seat and handlebars easy to reset for each rider.
A closer look: DMASUN’s case for magnetic resistance is that there are no felt brake pads to replace, so upkeep comes down to a wipe after each ride and an occasional check that the bolts are tight. The LCD tracks time, speed and distance, with a tablet in the holder for classes.
- Knob press stops the flywheel
- No brake pads to replace
- Belt drive
Best for: Households sharing one bike
- Type
- Spin bike
- Resistance
- Magnetic, 0–100
- Flywheel
- –
- Max user weight
- 160kg
- Display and apps
- LCD, tablet holder
- Footprint
- 120 × 52cm
#4JOROTO X2 Indoor Cycling Bike
£200–£300
A solidly built steel spin bike, 43kg assembled, with a 16kg chromed flywheel, belt drive and magnetic resistance, plus levelling knobs under the feet to keep it steady on an uneven floor.
What owners say: Owners say it feels sturdy and runs quietly, and that clear instructions make assembly straightforward.
Heads up: Plan by JOROTO’s own figures, a 16kg flywheel and a 136kg rider limit, which are lower than the ones on the listing.
A closer look: After moving it, turn the levelling knobs under the front and rear feet until it no longer rocks on a wooden floor or a mat. Resistance is micro-adjusted on a knob, and the emergency brake stops the flywheel quickly when needed.
- Levelling knobs on the feet
- Emergency brake
- Four-way seat and bars
- Belt drive
Best for: Steady riding on uneven floors
- Type
- Spin bike
- Resistance
- Magnetic, 0–100%
- Flywheel
- 16kg
- Max user weight
- 136kg
- Display and apps
- LCD
- Footprint
- 105 × 53cm
#5MERACH S26B2 Magnetic Exercise Bike
£150–£200
Narrow at 49cm, with magnetic resistance on a 0–100 knob, a cast-iron flywheel, and Bluetooth to MERACH’s own app for training plans and scenic rides as well as Kinomap and Zwift.
What owners say: Owners rate the app and how quiet it is, and see it as a good match for steady, moderate sessions at home.
A closer look: The seat moves four ways and the handlebars two, so it resets quickly between riders of different heights. Wheels on the front base let it be tipped and rolled into a corner after a session, and the rack on the frame keeps a pair of dumbbells to hand.
- Dumbbell rack on the frame
- Front wheels for moving
- Bottle holders
- Seat adjusts four ways
Best for: Small rooms
- Type
- Compact spin bike
- Resistance
- Magnetic, 0–100
- Flywheel
- Cast iron
- Max user weight
- 136kg
- Display and apps
- LCD, Bluetooth apps
- Footprint
- 108 × 49cm
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Toputure TEB3 | #2Concept2 BikeErg | #3DMASUN 8732B | #4JOROTO X2 | #5MERACH S26B2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Most compact | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.9 |
| Price | £150–£200 | £1,160 RRP | £150–£200 | £200–£300 | £150–£200 |
| Type | Spin bike | Air bike | Spin bike | Spin bike | Compact spin bike |
| Resistance | Magnetic, 0–100% | Air, adjustable damper | Magnetic, 0–100 | Magnetic, 0–100% | Magnetic, 0–100 |
| Flywheel | 15kg | Air, with clutch | – | 16kg | Cast iron |
| Max user weight | 158kg | 159kg | 160kg | 136kg | 136kg |
| Display and apps | LCD, Bluetooth apps | PM5, Bluetooth and ANT+ | LCD, tablet holder | LCD | LCD, Bluetooth apps |
| Footprint | 104 × 56cm | 122 × 61cm | 120 × 52cm | 105 × 53cm | 108 × 49cm |
| Best for | Riding with apps | Serious training at home | Households sharing one bike | Steady riding on uneven floors | Small rooms |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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