Home workouts have become increasingly popular in the past couple of years, and people are enjoying the convenience of working out without needing to invest time traveling to and from a gym or paying ongoing membership fees. Moreover, the fitness market has responded to the demand for affordable home exercise equipment with tons of options for commercial-quality exercise equipment with reasonable price tags.
Buying an exercise bike or indoor cycle for your home gym is a great way to get in low-impact cardio workouts with a relatively compact footprint. Plus, you don’t have to drop $1,000 or more to get a high-quality exercise bike. Though there are pricey stationary bikes and indoor cycles, there are also plenty of inexpensive exercise bikes that have the durability to handle your most vigorous workouts and stand the test of time.
When shopping for a cheap exercise bike, it’s almost always wisest to save costs when it comes to onboard technology and bells and whistles over the quality of construction, resistance mechanism, and flywheel weight. With apps, tablets, and even your phone, you can typically rig up even the most basic exercise bike to keep track of the metrics and workout stats that matter to you and stream exercises classes or entertainment with an external device and subscription. Ready to see the best inexpensive exercise bikes and affordable indoor cycles? Keep reading for our recommendations.
Yosuda Indoor Stationary Bike
Indoor cycles that use friction resistance are generally less expensive than those with magnetic resistance, which means that you can get quite a good deal. Some riders also prefer the flexibility of having a dial that enables a continuous range of adjustable resistance rather than discrete, locked-in levels because it allows you to modify the resistance in tiny increments to dial into the exact level of tension you want. Moreover, the maximum potential resistance is usually higher on a friction resistance exercise bike. That said, the felt pads can wear out and will need to be replaced and it’s harder to know your exact cycling wattage or power because the resistance isn’t easily quantified.
The Yosuda Indoor Cycling Bike is among the best inexpensive exercise bikes because it’s surprisingly well-built. It features a carbon steel frame capable of supporting up to 270 pounds and a super quiet belt drive mechanism. The 35-pound flywheel makes for a smooth pedaling stroke, yet the bike Is only 76 pounds, so it’s easy to move around on the transport wheels. The Yosuda Indoor Cycling Bike has a four-way adjustable seat and two-way adjustable handlebars to accommodate riders with an inseam of 25-35 inches. Finally, the onboard LCD monitor tracks your time, speed, distance, calories burned, and lifetime miles, and the indoor cycle comes with a tablet holder so you can enjoy your media while you ride.
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1002 Indoor Cycle
The biggest difference between an inexpensive exercise bike for your home and the nicer models you’d find at a gym or spin studio is the durability of construction and the quality of materials. As a result, commercial exercise bikes tend to be sturdier and often ride smoother than inexpensive exercise bikes. This may not be an issue if you’re a smaller rider or just plan to take easy spins on your exercise bike, but if you anticipate heavy use (frequent rides, vigorous workouts, or a heavier rider) and want the exercise bike to last a long time, it’s prudent to look for a particularly sturdy, durable, commercial-quality exercise bike.
Although it’s difficult to find the best exercise bike under $500 with gym-quality construction, the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1002 Indoor Cycle more than matches many indoor cycles at fancy spinning studies. Its alloy steel frame and extra heavy, 49-pound flywheel make it robust and sturdy enough to withstand the toughest rides day in and day out without breaking down. With such a heavy flywheel, the exercise bike feels incredibly stable and sturdy, and can give you a really solid cardio workout.
The Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1002 features friction resistance with a nearly unlimited range in potential resistance with the turn of a dial. Employing a silent belt drive system, the indoor cycle is nearly as silent as it is fluid and smooth and requires no oiling or maintenance. With two-way adjustable handlebars and a four-way adjustable seat, this inexpensive exercise bike can accommodate a wide range of riders, with an inseam from 31-42 inches. The seat is quite comfortable but can also be replaced if you prefer a different saddle.
The Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1002 Indoor Cycle is quite easy to assemble and takes roughly 20 minutes to build. Finally, there is a water-bottle holder and transport wheels, but no console, which means you have to use your phone or tablet with an app or buy a specific cycle computer device if you want your workout stats.
Circuit Fitness AMZ-587R Magnetic Recumbent Exercise Bike with Pulse Sensor
A recumbent bike can be a good option for beginners or guys needing more stability when riding. The Circuit Fitness AMZ-587R is an affordable recumbent exercise bike with the features and construction to hold up to your workout demands with a price tag you can feel good about. It has a high-grade steel frame with an easy step-through design, and can support up to 300 pounds. There are 32 levels of magnetic resistance to help you reach your
The Circuit Fitness AMZ-587R has a comfortable seat, transport wheels, a convenient tablet holder, and an informative console with your workout metrics. There are 15 programmed workouts to follow based on different
Echelon EX-15 Smart Connect Fitness Bike
Echelon makes several high-end smart exercise bikes, but the Echelon EX-15 Smart Connect Fitness Bike is a great option for those looking for an inexpensive smart bike. At less than $500, the Echelon EX-15 Smart Connect
The Echelon EX-15 Smart Connect Fitness Bike is a sturdy, stable bike despite having a lighter flywheel (7 kg). The belt drive mechanism is extremely smooth and efficient, and there are 32 levels of quiet magnetic resistance. The seat and handlebars are fully adjustable, not to mention comfortable and ergonomic. Lastly, the bike has a surprisingly comfortable seat and can accommodate riders up to 300 pounds.
Famistar QK-118 Exercise Bike
Another high-quality inexpensive indoor cycle is the Famistar QK-118 Exercise Bike. It features friction resistance, a whisper-quiet belt drive, and a heavy, 45-pound flywheel. The high carbon steel frame makes this indoor cycle suitable for riders up to 308 pounds, and this higher weight limit speaks to the durability and sturdiness of the machine. Unlike most inexpensive indoor cycles, the Famistar QK-118 Exercise Bike has a handy LCD console, enabling easy tracking of your workout progress.
Advenor Magnetic Resistance Exercise Bike
Many of the higher-quality inexpensive exercise bikes employ friction resistance because it’s cheaper than magnetic resistance. By using felt pads instead of magnets, more money can be invested into the frame and other components while saving on the resistance. However, the Advenor Magnetic Resistance Exercise Bike checks both boxes if it’s magnetic resistance you’re for because it’s well-made and still relies on this more precise, quiet, lower-maintenance form of resistance. In fact, there are 100 levels of micro-adjustable magnetic resistance, which is perfect for fans of Peloton workouts since the number of levels matches up between the two exercise bikes, allowing you to easily take the queues from your favorite instructors without needing to convert numbers or approximate your intensity level.
The Advenor Magnetic Resistance Exercise Bike has a 35-pound flywheel, which is still plenty heavy for most users to perform vigorous indoor cycling workouts. The bike can support up to 330 pounds and can be adjusted to fit riders from 5’1” to 6’5” tall. It has a comfortable seat and even comes with an LCD console for tracking basic workout stats.
Circuit Fitness AMZ-594U Magnetic Exercise Bike
If you’re looking for an inexpensive stationary bike rather than an indoor cycle or spin bike, consider the Circuit Fitness AMZ-594U Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike. It has 32 levels of magnetic resistance, a supremely quiet belt drive, and 15 preset workout programs. The programs can help keep your workouts varied and take the planning and thinking out of the picture for you. Lastly, the stationary bike has a maximum user weight of 300 pounds, feels nice and sturdy, and has pulse sensors to measure your heart rate.
Exerpeutic 1200 Folding Magnetic Exercise Bike
If you’re concerned about space and portability, you’ll want a folding exercise bike. Our pick for the best inexpensive folding exercise bike is the Exerpeutic 1200 Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike. At just 39 pounds and featuring a foldable design, you can easily move and store this stationary bike when not in use. It has eight levels of magnetic resistance and a quiet belt drive mechanism, so you can pedal away while you sit at your desk or watch TV with minimal noise.
Because it is a foldable exercise bike, the Exerpeutic 1200 Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike has a very compact design, so it’s not particularly well suited for vigorous workouts; rather, it’s a great way to add physical activity to your day in a convenient, simple-to-use fashion. When fully assembled, this affordable exercise bike measures 31 inches long, 19 inches wide, and 46 inches high, and folded up it measures 22 inches long, 20 inches wide, and 55.5 inches high.
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