Best Spinning Bikes 2023: Stay Fit with the Best Spinning Bikes at Home (2023)

Spinning classes provide excellent low-impact cardio and are all the rage right now. While having a motivating teacher can bring out the best in your riding experience, the fun comes at a price. Luckily, the popularity of spinning classes has given rise to a variety of great home exercise bikes designed for high-intensity workouts that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home.

Peloton led the way in home bikes tied to apps filled with live and on-demand activities, and many others followed. Now you have options to suit all budgets and preferences.

Before we get to our top picks, here's what you need to know when shopping for a spin bike.

The Best Spinning Bikes: At a Glance

• Best options under £650:JTX-6 Cycle | 625 lbs
• Best budget alternatives to Peloton:Echelon Smart Connect | £799
• Overall best:Peloton+ Bike | 1995 lbs

How to Choose the Best Spinning Bike for You

What is a spinning bike?

Home exercise bikes are mainly divided into two categories, and only one is suitable for spinning bikes. Upright bikes have a more comfortable sitting position, you're not leaning on the handlebars, and they're generally not ideal for spinning or HIIT workouts.

You need a stationary bike. Now commonly known as pivot bikes, they are set up to mimic the riding position of a road bike, leaning forward on the handlebars. You can also stand on the pedals, which is the key to a successful spin.

How much do I need to spend?

Spinning bikes tend to be more expensive than upright bikes, but you can still get great bikes for under £300, with top-end options costing over £1,000. Note that with services like Peloton or Echelon, if you use the app for instructor-led spinning classes, you'll also have to pay for a recurring content subscription, which typically costs over £30 a month. .

What are the main features you should pay attention to?

Check the weight of the flywheel first, as a heavier wheel generally results in a smoother, more stable ride, especially as you start to increase speed and drag. As for resistance, you'd better set the friction resistance on your spinning bike, and you can turn the dial to quickly increase or decrease resistance according to the requirements of the class. Magnetic resistance with buttons is more difficult to use for this. That said, many new bikes have magnetic resistance that can be quickly adjusted with a dial.

You'll also want to check the bike's dimensions to see if it will fit in the space it's set for - stationary bikes tend to have a larger footprint than upright bikes - and you'll also want to confirm that the maximum user weight is sufficient for you. Almost all spinning bikes have adjustable handlebars and saddles, but if you're particularly tall or short, it's worth checking to see if the varieties available are right for you.

How do I sign up for a spinning class?

You can create your own interval workouts and do them yourself on a spinning bike, but it's easier to gather and maintain the motivation that drives you through a HIIT session when an instructor guides you through a pre-recorded or live session.

There are third-party apps and classes on YouTube that you can use without connecting to a spin bike, and bikes with partner apps like Peloton and Echelon are the best experience.

Make sure the bike you buy has a tablet or phone mount on the console. You'll need it to keep track of spin classes in the app, though some options, like Peloton, have built-in screens for this.

See below:The best exercise bike you can buy

The Best Spinning Bikes You Can Buy in 2023

1. JTX Cyclo-6: The best spin bike under 650 pounds

Senna:£625 |Shop now at JTX

The Cyclo-6 is a standard gym spin at a great price for home users, and if you don't want the connected experience of a bike connected to a class app, you don't need to spend much more. The Cyclo-6 has a heavy 22kg flywheel so it runs smoothly no matter how hard you pedal, and frictional resistance is controlled by a dial on the frame, meaning you can increase the difficulty of your throws to challenge any level pilot.

Even if you plan to stick with spinning classes, you can always hold your tablet in clear view and use the Cyclo-6 with apps like Apple Fitness+ or Peloton - you just won't be on the screen like you would with a connected bike See your stats.

Key Specifications - Dimensions:124 x 54 x 122 cm (long height);revolt:friction;Maximum User Weight:160 kg

2. Echelon Smart Connect Exercise Bike: The most affordable Peloton alternative

Senna:£799 |Shop now at EchelonIt's by no means a budget bike, as the Connect Sport costs £800 and you'll have to spend £40 a month to access the Echelon partner app and the courses it includes. However, compared to what you'd pay for Peloton, it's a real bargain because you get live and on-demand spinning classes on a connected bike.

There's no built-in screen like the Peloton Bike, but there's a tablet/phone mount on the handlebar so you can easily catch up on classes. The Connect Sport is also primarily designed for beginners, with a lightweight 7kg flywheel and pedals with cages instead of clips. Echelon used to have an EX3 bike for £949. The EX3 is a more powerful bike better suited to experienced spin anglers, and it also connects to a tablet instead of its own screen.

Key Specifications - Dimensions:125 x 51.5 x 111 cm (long height);revolt:Magnetic;Maximum User Weight:136 kg

3. Peloton Bike+: The ultimate home spinner

Senna:From £1,995 |Shop Now at Peloton

Peloton is the largest home spinning brand -- and for good reason. The bike and associated Peloton app provide the best experience you'll find, with a range of engaging classes for all skills shown on the built-in HD display.

Bike+ is the new flagship dog in Peloton's lineup, but you can buy the originalPeloton from £1,345If you prefer. Bike+ improvements include a larger screen (23.8 inches to 21.5 inches), better audio quality, and auto-follow resistance that changes based on course instructions, whereas on the original bike you had to adjust it yourself. You can also adjust the resistance of the Bike+ if you want to work harder or relax compared to the instructions provided.

As well as spinning classes, the £39-a-month Peloton app offers a range of workouts, including strength training, HIIT and yoga classes, and on Bike+, the screen can be rotated 360° for easy viewing. when I'm not pedaling.

Key Specifications - Dimensions:149 x 58 x 135 cm (long height);revolt:Magnetic;Maximum User Weight:135 kg

Shop Now at Peloton

4. Apex Bikes: Another great alternative to Peloton

Senna:£729 |Buy it now on Amazon

Apex is another great option for riding at home, with the bike connecting to partner apps to show live and on-demand classes. Apex hurt Peloton in two ways. For starters, the bike doesn't have a built-in screen and is cheaper at £749, but it does support tablets, meaning you can easily view your course from the handlebars. Second, a subscription to the app costs £30 a month, not £39.

The bike itself has some nice features, including a phone mount that can also wirelessly charge phones if equipped properly (although we found that larger phones like the iPhone 12 Pro Max don't) and if not, can also charge phones via USB . The T. flywheel weighs only 4kg but still runs smoothly and in our experience is a good challenge even for skilled users, with 30 levels of reluctance.

It's worth noting that the Apex bikes currently only work on iOS, making a Peloton or Echelon bike a better choice for Android users.

read our fullApex Bike Review

Key Specifications - Dimensions:122 x 61 x 122 cm (long height);revolt:Magnetic;Maximum User Weight:140 kg

5. JLL IC200 Pro Exercise Bike: The Ultimate Budget Spin Bike

Senna:£300 |Buy it now on Amazon

The JLL IC200 PRO is a smooth running machine. Thanks to the belt-driven flywheel and magnetic resistance, up to eight levels of difficulty can be quickly increased or decreased using the built-in dial. The handlebar and saddle height can be adjusted as needed, and there's a 3-piece crank system on the pedals to help create a real ride feel.

A 5-readout monitor placed between the handlebars shows time, speed, distance, calories and pulse - the latter tracked by silver pads on the handlebars. After use, it can be easily removed thanks to the wheels on the front, making the IC200 PRO a practical and economical choice.

Key Specifications - Dimensions:119.5 x 55.5 x 122.5 cm (LWH);revolt:Magnetic;Maximum User Weight:100 kg