What to expect if you buy a cheap or expensive exercise bike
It’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but fitting a cardio workout into a busy schedule can be tough. If you can’t find the time to make it into the gym or refuse to shackle yourself to the seemingly never-ending burden of paying for an overpriced membership, purchasing an exercise bike is an excellent alternative.
A stationary exercise bike allows you to get in a good cardio workout in the comfort of your home. Some bikes are more expensive than others, but that all boils down to quality and features.
Cheap exercise bike
The great thing about stationary exercise bikes is that they’re generally cheaper than other aerobic exercise machines like treadmills and ellipticals. Cheap exercise bikes will get the job done — they just don’t have all the bells and whistles in terms of features that expensive bikes usually have.
If you’re looking for a stripped-down stationary bike with minimal features, you can find one for as low as $130. Compared to an ongoing gym membership, cheap exercise bikes can be worthwhile investments, especially if all your goal is to maintain or improve your cardiovascular health simply.
Cheap exercise bike pros
The most significant advantage of buying a cheap exercise is the low price, of course, but they’re also compact, lighter and easier to move around.
The lack of premium features can make cheap exercise bikes easier to use. There are usually smaller screens, fewer buttons and fewer settings, so getting your workout started is a much simpler experience than setting up a complicated machine.
Cheap exercise bike cons
While cheap exercise bikes are easy on the wallet and convenient for smaller spaces, they’re usually of inferior quality, possibly less comfortable and might deteriorate faster than expensive exercise bikes, although this also depends on usage.
You usually won’t get any additional or premium features with cheaper exercise bikes either. There are generally fewer resistance levels, measured fitness metrics, smaller displays and a lack of extra features like Bluetooth capability and training programs.
Best cheap exercise bikes
Relife Rebuild Your Life Exercise Bike: available at Amazon
This bike has a durable frame and a compact, adjustable design. The LCD monitor is easy to use and keeps track of various fitness metrics. It also includes a smartphone placeholder.
Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike with Pulse: available at Amazon
This bike has a compact and foldable frame with a large, padded seat cushion. It boasts an LCD screen for tracking distance, calories burned, time, speed, pulse and scan. Plus, it has hand-pulse sensors for monitoring target heart rate and is compatible with the MyCloudFitness app.
Expensive exercise bike
If you’re looking for the best home bike riding experience possible, an expensive exercise bike should check all the boxes. They’re made with high-quality materials and have a durable, state-of-the-art construction.
Expensive exercise bikes can range from $500 to as much as $3,000, but rest assured that whatever the cost, your choice will offer plenty of high-end features and provide a comprehensive cardio workout.
Expensive exercise bike pros
Expensive exercise bikes usually have large, high-definition color LCDs to modify settings or stream virtual training programs. Some bikes have pre-programmed workouts, but some include memberships to online clubs or websites where you can access a library of programs for streaming. Some exercise bikes even allow you to join other riders using the same feature virtually.
Exercise bikes also have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities for wireless music or video streaming, water bottle holders, built-in speakers and several resistance and incline levels.
Expensive exercise bike cons
They’re expensive and you won’t necessarily get a better workout. Like with every other type of workout, your results will ultimately depend on your output. Also, they’re usually larger and heavier than cheap exercise bikes, making them hard to move around.
The extra features are convenient, but some people find them redundant, so it’s best to consider a cheap exercise bike unless you plan on using them often.
Best expensive exercise bikes
NordicTrack Commercial Studio Cycle: available at Amazon
This exercise bike costs $2,000, but it has a high-quality aluminum frame construction, a 360-degree 22-inch touchscreen display, an enhanced automatic trainer control and 24 resistance levels. It also comes with a 30-day iFit membership for access to live workout programs.
Schwinn Recumbent Bike Series: available at Amazon
This is an excellent exercise bike with a weighted flywheel for smooth workout sessions. It features support for the Scwinn Trainer app for fitness tracking, and the RideSocial app for virtually riding with other users. Also, it boasts 29 programs, 25 resistance levels and dualtrack LCD displays.
Should you get a cheap or expensive exercise bike?
Any exercise bike can provide an excellent cardio workout, but the amount of money you spend on one should be determined by your fitness goals and how much you value premium features.
Expensive exercise bikes provide the best possible home bike riding experience. They’re built to last and are usually more comfortable. The live training programs some bikes offer are excellent for those who have difficulty staying focused or for anyone looking to challenge themselves. However, while you’ll get a diverse exercise machine, it might be overkill if you don’t end up using it often or if you have simple fitness goals.
Expensive exercise bikes are best for bike-riding or fitness enthusiasts. But if your goal is to get in a solid cardio workout from time to time, a cheap exercise bike will get the job done while also providing you with measurable fitness metrics. Kevin Luna is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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