Best Exercise Bikes in the UK + Guide to Pick the Correct Bike
Buying a stationary bike for exercise in the UK is one of the best ways to get fit. Convenient and always available, a stationary bike is great cardio exercise. Whether you are looking for the best-rated exercise bike to supplement your road cycling or a small stationary bike for gentle exercise we want to bring you the best exercise bike reviews in the UK.
However, with so many exercise bike reviews in the United Kingdom, it’s difficult to know what to go for. In our reviews we cover a range of indoor bikes, so even if you don’t think our recommendation is quite right for you each stationary bike review will teach you the key things you need to look out for to find the top stationary bike for you in the United Kingdom.
Here is the list in case you don’t have the time to read the article. Following the list, I added the comparison tablet to explain the differences between each exercise bike that I tried in the UK.
Best Exercise Bikes in the UK Comparison
| Name | Verdict | Workout | Sound | Space | Resistant | Programs | Rack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sportstech ES600 Recumbent Exercise Bike | Lowest impact exercise bike | Lower Body Exercise | Quiet | Large Footprint | Magnetic | 18 | Tablet Rack Included |
| Nautilus U626 Upright Exercise Bike | Low impact exercise bike | Lower Body Exercise | Quiet | Small Footprint | Magnetic | 29 | Tablet Rack Included |
| Peloton Original Spinning Exercise Bike | Medium Impact exercise bike | Lower Body Exercise | Quiet | Medium Footprint | Magnetic | None | No Tablet Rack |
| Schwinn AD8 Air Resistance Exercise Bike | Highest Impact exercise bike | Lower and Upper Body Exercise | Loud | Medium Footprint | Air | 7 | No Tablet Rack |
| Sunny SF-RB4631 Arm and Leg Exercise Bike | Lowest impact exercise bike | Lower and Upper Body Exercise | Quiet | Large Footprint | Magnetic & Friction | None | No Tablet Rack |
| Exerpeutic EXE R6 Foldable Exercise Bike | Low impact exercise bike | Lower Body Exercise | Quiet | Small Footprint | Magnetic | None | Included Desk |
| Yo-Yo Foldable Desk Exercise Bike | Low impact exercise bike | Lower Body Exercise | Quiet | Small Footprint | Magnetic | None | Included Desk |
Best UK Exercise Bikes Overview
Sportstech ES600 Recumbent Exercise Bike
The Sportstech ES600 boasts the quality and looks of a professional exercise bike. The design will be familiar to anyone who has used a recumbent bike in the gym although, unlike most recumbent bikes the ES600 has a two-part design that brings some advantages for the home user. But is it the best recumbent exercise bike in the UK?
The bike is from a German brand, Sportstech, and as you might expect the engineering is to a high standard. The bike uses a 14 kg flywheel and a smooth belt drive. The flywheel weight gives a good balance, meaning the bike can cater for all levels from those looking for a gentle workout to those who like to push themselves. As you would expect from a recumbent it has a fully programmable panel and includes a pulse meter on the handlebars.
As all Sportstech bikes the ES600 will integrate with the Kinomap, offering a range of exercise challenges beyond those you can programme into the panel. You can also broadcast to a compatible Smart TV to provide an immersive experience. The machine can also be self-powering, ideal if you don’t like trialling cables and want the challenge of your exercise powering your equipment.
In use, the ES600 exercise cardio bike provides exactly what you would expect from a recumbent fitness bike. The smooth operation does not disappoint and the seat, while sometimes a little difficult to adjust, is comfortable. The additional features, like the Kinomap integration, help make your exercise a little more interesting and add a little competition.
If you’re looking for one of the best exercise bikes in the UK then the Sportstech ES600 will offer a gym-level experience, and it’s hard to fault, just beware that takes up a lot of space. But as long as you have room and are serious about using the machine it’s a great investment.
Nautilus U616 (U626) Upright Exercise Bike
Another Nautilus model, the U616 is an excellent upright indoor bike in the UK. With the quality engineering, you expect from the brand in an upright form-factor. The Nautilus U616 has the typical features you would expect with a handle-bar display, exercise programmes and heart-rate integration.
The U616 upright bike uses a 10 kg belt-driven flywheel, providing a smooth and quiet workout that’s ideal for a home exercise bike. It’s not as heavy as the Nauitlus U618 flywheel but still it gives me good momentum. I just wish it had the resistance controls on the handlebars so I wouldn’t need to take my hands away from the handles for changing resistance. It’s something so far Nautilus has only added to the Nautilus U618 (U628).
With 22 awesome presets including heart rate, hill climb, and intervals, the Nautilus bike also offers a decent range of programmable workouts. It can store four user profiles for use in a family home. So up to 4 people in your family put save their information on the bike to get accurate heart rate and calories counts.
The U626 also works with Explore The World and many other apps like Kinomap and Zwift through QZ application, allowing you to take part in training sessions or even competitive cycling from your home. As well as being able to connect to a smart TV the handlebars feature clips that will fit most common tablets, either to use with Kinomap or any other entertainment you might choose.
The bike is easily adjustable and suitable for a full range or heights from 5 feet to 6 feet 5 inches and up to 300 lbs. While it is not a foldable exercise bike it has a relatively small footprint, with castors making it easily movable for those who might have a smaller space.
The U626 offers a high-quality workout. The smooth German engineering is easily adjustable for a range of users and abilities. It won’t fold into a small space but is still a relatively compact exercise bike that can easily be moved into an out-of-the-way corner, making it a good machine for those that will be using it regularly, but perhaps don’t have a dedicated workout area.
Peloton Original Spinning Exercise Bike
If you are looking for a spinning exercise bike in the UK the Peloton Original is likely to fit the bill. The bike takes a typical spin bike design, looking like a standard bike with the rear wheel removed. The Peloton Original looks the deal and makes for a great home workout bike.
Even though it doesn’t have the smart electronic magnetic resistance of Peloton Bike Plus, this Original model still uses a decent manually adjustable magnetic resistance to offer 100 levels of progression the Peloton indoor bike is quiet, and the low-wear engineering promises a lifetime of use.
The bike comes with a 21-inch Android touchscreen monitor giving you access to the settings as well as the Peloton app options you usually need a separate monthly membership to access the content.
What sets the Peloton Original apart as perhaps the best indoor exercise bike is the range of options it offers. Power and RPM workouts are something you only tend to see on gym machines, but rarely on a home machine.
The machine is highly adjustable, particularly the handlebars, making it extremely unlikely you will be able to find a setting that doesn’t work well for you. The range of settings available, alongside the quiet operation, make this an ideal indoor exercise bike.
Spin classes gained their popularity because of the intense workout they offered. The Peloton Original, especially if used with the Peloton app, comes close to creating the class experience at home.
But spinning is not for everyone, despite boasting many levels of progression this home stationary bike also has a heavy 13.6 kg flywheel and those who haven’t already got a good level of fitness may find it demoralising to start on the Peloton Original. Those who are already serious about cycling, though, will not be disappointed.
Schwinn AD7 (Pro) Airdyne Air Exercise Bike
The Schwinn Fitness AD7, a highly rated air bike in the UK offers a full-body workout with both leg and arm motions as part of the operation. An upright model, this stationary bike uses air resistance, from the 24-inch fan, to generate the challenge, making it loud, but great for interval training.
With a typical bike form-factor, except for the moving handlebars, the fan, which provides the resistance, sits to the front. While not compact one of the benefits of air-resistance is that it does not require a heavy flywheel, making the bike easy to move out of the way when not in use.
Air resistance bikes, unlike other types of bike, offer a full-body work out. The Schwinn Fitness AD7 has a slightly heavier base than most, creating more stability for a fuller range of motion. This means it can offer an intense full-body workout, especially if you try their ‘Champion’ setting to try to set the best results.
The Airdyne does have settings for different work-out types like RPM or heart-rate, but where it excels is in interval training. A sturdy bike, it has adjustable resistance, but resistance also increases the harder you work allowing you to set an interval programme that you know will push you exactly as hard as you can go.
While air resistance bikes be used by beginners they are really at the best for those who already have a good level of cardio-vascular fitness who are looking for equipment to push and challenge them. The Air Duo is well-put together and probably the best air exercise bike in the UK, but like all air bikes it is noisy in use so might not be appropriate if your walls are thin!
Sunny SF-RB4708 Arm and Leg Exercise Bike
The Sunny is a leg and arm recumbent exercise bike, offering a low-impact way to get both upper and lower body exercise. The light flywheel and belt drive make it ideal for beginners. It’s also one of the lowest priced bikes on the market, making it good for people looking for a cheap stationary bike.
The bike offers 8-resistance levels. Using magnetic resistance, so it’s quiet, allowing you to use it without disturbing others. The display is rudimentary, cycling through metrics like distance, time and speed. The bike also has a built-in heart sensor, although like many handheld heart sensors these are not always accurate.
The bike is adjustable, both in size and resistance, and is one of the best fitness bikes for those looking for a good overall workout.
The Sunny is comfortable and, as long as it’s put together properly, almost silent in use. The construction, however, can make the seat a little hard to adjust and taller users might find it too small for them, even when the seat is fully extended.
The Sunny is one of the cheaper bikes on the market and lacks some more advanced features. However, for those near the beginning of their exercise journey, who are more interested in overall fitness than precise metrics the combination of lower and upper body exercise makes this a best buy exercise bike.
Exerpeutic EXE R6 Foldable Exercise Bike
The Exerpeutic is a hybrid: part foldable recumbent exercise bike and part desk. The actual bike element takes up a small space while the frame folds out to provide a recumbent seat and a small desk area that’s suitable for a tablet or laptop.
The small size means that the bike has to dispense with the traditional flywheel. Instead, the cycle unit uses a magnetic tension control system and a very small flywheel to provide resistance. The desk is highly adjustable, so you can get it to the perfect position for however you use it while cycling.
The magnetic tension is almost silent in use, so you can cycle even while making calls. The bike will not offer an intense workout, but instead allows a constant gentle exercise while working in a unit that also packs away into a small space.
The Exerpeutic portable stationary bike is a surprisingly comfortable option to use for lengthy periods of time, making it ideal for the purpose. The different approach of constant low intensity exercise means it’s possibly the best exercise bike to lose weight because you are exercising without even thinking about it.
Although marketed with the desk, the Exerpeutic fold up exercise bike fits many uses. The fold-up exercise bike design makes it great for places where space is a concern. While the quiet, low-intensity workout it offers makes it get for those looking to improve their overall fitness with gentle exercise they can enjoy while doing something else, whether that’s work or enjoying their favourite film.
Pros
Yo-Yo Desk Exercise Bike
Yo-Yo are leaders in standing desks, so it’s unsurprising they also offer a desk bike. The Yo-Yo Desk bike is an upright stationary bike with a desk instead of handlebars, allowing you to manage a gentle work-out while you work.
The compact stationary bike uses magnetic resistance to set the tension to one of eight levels. Although an upright stationary bike the focus on this as an office product as much as a fitness product means the bike is enclosed in a stylish casing.
Perhaps because it is a niche product the Yo-Yo is, according to fitness bike reviews, the best stationary bike in the United Kingdom! While many will focus on the desk element, a significant number of users highlight the quality of the bike.
The Yo-Yo is designed for lengthy, but low-intensity, sessions. This means it is good for an intense workout. It will also take some users time to adjust to long sessions in a saddle. The sleek design is on castors, making it the most portable stationary bike we’ve seen.
The Yo-Yo portable exercise bike is a difficult product to review, not quite bike and not quite desk, but performs both functions impressively. The high-quality construction means that while you probably wouldn’t use this just as a desk it’s a passable bike for beginners. However, where it really wins out are for those people who want to remain active while working; there is no better option than a Yo-Yo for your office.
Follow Our Guide To Choose the Right Exercise Bike For Your Needs
There are certain things to keep in mind when buying an exercise bike in the UK, no matter the type. I already published a detailed article going through 9 points that you should know of when buying an indoor stationary bike in the UK. The following points will help you better understand what each exercise bike does and who it is recommended for.
Indoor cycling exercise bikes in the UK
Spin bikes are designed to replicate the experience of cycling on a road bike. This means the rider has a different posture, leaning forward to reach the handlebars and can stand to pedal. Designed for lower body high-intensity workouts the heavy flywheel and resistance means that they are not good for people with mobility problems or older people unless they are already fit and keen cyclists. If you are considering a spin bike in the UK look for key features including highly adjustable handlebars, a good monitor (ideally with Bluetooth connection for heart-rate monitors and other accessories) and SPD clips on the pedals. You should also look at the workout options it gives you, ideally finding one that offers power (or wattage), RPM and heart-rate options as well as the usual things like time and distance. You should also make sure it’s a magnetic resistance spin bike in the UK or you would have to do regular maintenance.
Recumbent exercise bikes in the UK
Recumbent bikes are the lowest-impact of all exercise bikes, thanks to the angle of the pedals to the seat, the seat and backrest, and the design that avoids the need to mount the bike. These features, along with the side handlebars, make recumbent bikes ideal for those who might be recovering from illness, or injury or have balance issues. If you are looking for a recumbent bike, you should look at features that make the bike easy and comfortable to use, such as the comfort of the seat and resistance controls that are near the handles rather than on a hard-to-reach central column. Good large grippy pedals like those on Nautilus R618 and a decent-weight flywheel is also a plus.
Upright exercise bikes in the UK
Upright exercise bikes are another low-impact way to get exercise. Although mounted in the same way as a standard bike they do not require you to lean forward to use and cannot be used standing like spin bikes. If you are looking for an upright bike, then look for things like an adjustable seat and handlebars to ensure it will fit you. And consider the comfort of the seat for longer exercise sessions. Some other things to look for when buying upright exercise bikes in the United Kingdom are Bluetooth for indoor cycling application connectivity, cooling fans, preferably adjustable, and speakers. Also, a set of resistance controls on the handlebars like those on the Nautilus U618 would help a lot.
Air resistance exercise bikes in the UK
If you are looking for full-body interval training then an air bike will be among the top exercise bikes you can buy. Air bikes usually feature moving handlebars to give a full-body workout and the harder your work, the harder it gets. They are not for the elderly or anyone else who is recommended to avoid high-intensity interval training, for example, those with heart conditions. They are also the loudest bikes you can buy, which may be a factor in your home. If you are looking at air bikes, you should be looking for the usual bike features like exercise programmes, grippy MTB style pedals, foot rests, multi-grip handlebars, adjustable seat, tablet and bottle holders, and the ability to do leg or arm-only exercises.
Leg and arm exerciser recumbent bikes
Just like standard recumbent bikes, these stationary exercise bikes offer very low-impact exercise. Recumbent exercise bikes with arm workouts are typically the same as a recumbent bike but with the addition of hand cranks for arm exercise. This makes them versatile, so you can exercise both together or one at a time. As low-impact machines they are for everybody, and are particularly suited to the elderly or those recovering from injury or illness. They are not intended for interval or high-intensity workouts, but instead to provide a long, slow cardio session. As well as the features you would look for in a recumbent bike, check the tension for the arm and foot pedals is separately adjustable.
Folding exercise bikes in the UK
Folding exercise bikes cannot compete with other types of stationary cycles in terms of the quality of bike or exercise experience you can get from them, but have several advantages other bikes can’t offer. They are lightweight, take up little space and can be easily stored; the folding exercise bike in Britain is a popular option because of their size. Furthermore, they are usually significantly cheaper and often more versatile as well, sometimes offering a two-in-one design, so you can use them as recumbent or upright exercise bikes. Folding bikes do lack some stability, meaning they are not for intense or interval workouts and may require a little more balance than other types. If you are looking for a folding bike, then look for those that offer multiple uses and designs that can incorporate resistance bands for upper body exercise.
Desk exercise bikes in the UK
Desk bikes fit a niche. They are not designed for intense workouts, but they are a good option for getting in a low-intensity cardio workout while you are working. They are usually designed for constant, easy pedalling, but many will have options to fold the pedals up, so you can just use it as a desk. If you want a desk bike, the desk is what you should give most consideration to. Look for one that is adjustable and has enough space for you to work on, small features like cup holders are also important. Above all make sure it is comfortable, and that the seat and desk can adjust to your preferences.
Conclusion
Our run-down of the best stationary bikes in the UK also gives a taste of the options you have when you are thinking about which exercise bike to buy. All our options feature the top stationary bikes in the UK, but what’s most important in choosing a home exercising bike is getting one that fits your needs, providing the level of exercise you want while fitting into your home and lifestyle; ultimately, the best home excise bike you can get is the one that you will use.