Best Exercise Bikes of 2018
Track down your new indoor bike! By starting with our “Five Best Exercise Bike Values” chart below, you could save lots of time and money. Shown are five favorite home exercise bike deals of 2018. These top-ranked machines represent all all three main categories: recumbent exercise bikes, upright stationary bikes and indoor cycle trainers.
For personalized exercise bike suggestions, see the drop-down menus above. You can click to see the best home exercise bike deals based on sale price, type of resistance, frame style and more.
Chart: Five Best Exercise Bike Values
Five top-scoring rides! Each bike below is extraordinary for its price class, but the selection is diverse in terms of budget and style. Sale prices for these five favorites range from less to $1,000 to more than $4,000.
Top 5 Best Rated Exercise Bikes
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| Model |  Sole |  Assault |  NordicTrack |  Diamondback |  ProForm |
| Rating |  Rating: 96% | Rating: 95.75% | Rating: 95% |  Rating: 94.5% | Rating: 93.75% |
| Type | Recumbent | Upright | Recumbent | Recumbent | Indoor Cycle |
| Resistance | 40 Levels | 24" Fan | 24 Levels | 32 Levels | 40+ |
| Display | 9" Backlit Blue LCD | LCD Screen | 7" Color Touchscreen | LCD | 10" Smart HD Touchscreen |
| Programs | 10 | n/a | 35 | 35 | 24 |
| MSRP | $1,999 | $999 | $1,699 | $1,099 | $2,499 |
| Pricing | See Best Price | See Best Price | See Best Price | See Best Price | See Best Price |
Top-Rated Exercise Bikes by Type
What can you expect from the best indoor bikes of 2018? Here are trends from our newer exercise bike reviews:
- The best upright and best recumbent bikes have at least 20-pound resistance systems to support smooth rides. If your bike will be used by an advanced trainee, or by somebody with a large frame, then choosing a bike with at least 25-pound resistance system might be best.
- The best upright and recumbent bikes for 2018 have consoles with workout programs and data screens. Above or beneath the screen, typically you can dock your own tablet computer to view workout videos or TV shows. Additionally, exercise bikes commonly have built-in iPod-compatible speakers to further keep you motivated and cycling on pace. Technology-wise, some of the best exercise bikes for 2018 have HD touchscreen monitors for showing workouts and entertainment; built-in web browsers; and Bluetooth connections to automatically sync your workout data with your favorite fitness app.
- Adjustability is a benefit of the best home exercise bikes, no matter what category. To fit any user, these machines have easy-to-adjust seats. Besides that, the best upright bikes and cycle trainers have adjustable handlebars as well .
- The best indoor cycle trainers generally have at least 40-pound wheels. Compared with other exercise bikes, these trainers especially emulate the performance of road bikes. They have multi-position handlebars to give the option of taking a racing pose. For extra security at high speeds this type of exercise bike often has SPD pedals and toe cages. Often you can customize the pedals, seat and gears to copy your outdoor ride.
- Unlike the best recumbent and upright stationary bikes, indoor cycle trainers at all quality levels tend to have small consoles with very basic programming. A popular exception is included on our chart of five best indoor bikes.
More Exercise Bikes & Popular Alternatives
The cardio trainers below are listed by overall FitRated review scores. All three types of exercise bikes are included.
Alternative Low-Impact Home Gym Equipment
Also recommended for cardio training with ultra-low joint impact are elliptical trainers, Bowflex TreadClimbers and the increasingly popular Max Trainers. These fitness machines often appeal to people comparing recumbent bikes.
