13 Best value exercise bikes 2023 UK | The Sun - EU-Vietnam Business Network (EVBN)

EXERCISE bikes are a great way to get into shape at home and some can be surprisingly affordable.

We’ve picked out the best value exercise bikes that will offer you great quality and useful features at a reasonable price.

A lot of the money you spend on a more expensive model is on digital tracking and exercise programmes.

While those things are nice to have, they’re not a necessity if you’re just parking your exercise bike in front of the TV and knocking out a quick half hour to get your heart rate up.

You’ll feel that same burn in your legs and buzz of endorphins from your workout whether or not you’ve got a personalised coach or wireless connectivity.

So read on for our pick of the more budget-friendly options.

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Best value exercise bikes at a glance:

Best value mini exercise bike: Domyos mini bike

Credit: Decathlon

Domyos mini bike, £69.99 from Decathlon – buy here

The Domyos mini bike is a versatile piece of kit and a super cheap way to get into fitness at home.

Not only can you pedal with your feet as a low tech fitness tool, you can also use it as an arm workout.

Both methods are basic but effective ways of getting fit.

You get five feedback metrics for your money, including distance travelled, calories burnt and time spent pedalling.

Key specs – Weight: 3.6kg Adjustable seat: N/A

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Best value folding exercise bike: Opti folding magnetic exercise bike

Opti folding magnetic exercise bike, £70 from Argos – buy here

With a great value price tag, this Opti folding magnetic exercise bike is a serious hit with shoppers.

It’ll fold away to help you save space when not in use and it weighs just 13.4kg, so it’s easy to move around.

And despite the bike’s low price point, you still get a pulse sensor in the handlebars and various performance metrics, such as time, distance and calories.

The maximum user weight is 100kg (15st 10lb).

Key specs – Weight: 13.1kg Adjustable seat: Yes

Best for tracking performance: Roger Black Fitness magnetic exercise bike

Roger Black Fitness magnetic exercise bike, £299 from Roger Black Fitness – buy here

If you increase the amount you’re willing to spend, you’re rewarded in this exercise bike with a number of programmes that will target your exercise goals, including calories and distance.

That should help provide a bit of extra motivation as you churn out the miles.

Your performance is charted on a large LCD screen and you even get a bottle holder and an iPhone stand as added extras.

The maximum user weight is 125kg (19st 10lb).

Key specs – Weight: 26kg Adjustable seat: Yes

Best value seated exercise bike: Domyos semi recumbent exercise bike

Credit: Decathlon

Domyos semi recumbent exercise bike, £359.99 from Decathlon – buy here

Not everyone likes being in the saddle, so if you prefer to sit a bit more comfortably, it could be worth giving this seated exercise bike a go.

It’s got nine user programmes to whip you into shape and even comes with a chest strap heart rate monitor, which will help you track your progress.

The maximum user weight is 150kg (330lb).

Key specs – Weight: 42kg Adjustable seat: Yes

Best value manual exercise bike: Opti aerobic manual exercise bike

Opti aerobic manual exercise bike, £199 from Argos – buy here

If you’re into spin and you want to get some more time in the saddle away from the gym, this could be the bike for you.

It uses manual resistance to give you a workout and provides feedback in the form of time, speed, distance and calories.

The maximum user weight is 120kg (18st 13lb).

Key specs – Weight: 37kg Adjustable seat: Yes

Best value smart exercise bike: Nero Sports bluetooth upright exercise bike

Nero Sports bluetooth upright exercise bike, £199.99 from Amazon – buy here

Want to take your workouts virtual using online training platforms like Zwift? Then you’re going to need an exercise bike that’s able to broadcast your efforts via Bluetooth or ANT+.

While most brands charge four figures for these sorts of features, you can get one for a fraction of the cost if you know where to look.

This bluetooth-enabled exercise bike from Nero Sports can sync up with training apps, transforming a rotation of the pedals in the real world into powering your online avatar – allowing you to train, race and ride with others virtually.

Resistance is changed using the turn of a knob and its built-in heart rate monitor will help you track your efforts with ease.

Key specs – Weight: 12kg Adjustable seat: Yes

Best value compact exercise bike: Songmics exercise bike

Songmics exercise bike, £104.99 from Amazon – buy here

Folding down to a compact 35cm wide and 133cm tall, this petite exercise bike is perfect if you don’t have a lot of space to play with. Even when it’s unfolded, it’s not huge, measuring 70 x 41 x 113cm.

Despite its size, it delivers as a fuss-free exercise bike – there are eight magnetic resistance levels and the bike itself is remarkably quiet, so you’ll be able to watch your favourite TV show with no bother as you pedal away.

It has an electronics holder and you can track your speed, calories burned, pulse, distance, and current time on the LCD screen.

Key specs – Weight: 16.7kg Adjustable seat: Yes

Best value home trainer: Tacx Vortex interactive home trainer

Tacx Vortex interactive home trainer, £299.99 from Decathlon – buy here

While not strictly an exercise bike, if you already own a set of wheels for commuting or leisure, a turbo trainer can transform it into a spin-ready machine – saving space in the process.

All you need to do is position your bike in place, secure it, and you’re away – your very own static exercise bike using your own bike.

While there are cheaper turbo trainers on the market, this smart trainer from Dutch brand Tacx is great value because of its interactive features – where resistance can be modified electronically, rather than via a knob or button, making online training applications like Zwift or Trainer Road even more realistic.

Its wheel-on design makes it compatible with most road, hybrid or mountain bikes, and its compact design is easier to store when not in use – unlike a full-size exercise bike.

Key specs – Weight: 9.4kg Adjustable seat: N/A

Best for beginners: Opti manual exercise bike

This bike is excellent value for the price

Credit: Argos

Opti manual exercise bike, £99 from Argos – buy here

This bargain bike is perfect for people who want straightforward home gym equipment.

With manual resistance and a screen that allows you to monitor your speed, time and distance, this bike is excellent value for the price.

The 11kg bike sits on wheels so it can easily be transported around the house. It is also easy to adjust the seat, handlebars and pedal straps for each user during their workout.

The maximum user weight is 100kg (15 stone 10lbs) and the box includes 2 AA batteries to power the small screen.

Key specs – Weight: 11kg Adjustable seat: Yes

Best value quiet exercise bike: Pro Fitness FEB2000 folding exercise bike

Track your progress with feedback on your pulse, distance, calories and speed

Pro Fitness FEB2000 folding exercise bike, £199 at Argos – buy here

Get your heart rate going with this Pro Fitness bike, which can monitor your fitness and heart rate throughout your workout via a hand-grip.

There’s a screen displaying seven different display functions so you can track your progress with feedback on your pulse, distance, calories and speed.

This bike is also super-quiet so ideal if you want to watch TV or not disturb your family or house-mates.

Key specs – Weight: 16kg Adjustable seat: Yes

Best value adjustable exercise bike: HOMCOM exercise bike

Get a full-body, cardio workout from the comfort of your home

HOMCOM exercise bike, £109.99 at Robert Dyas – buy here

You can tailor your workout to suit your needs with this HOMCOM exercise bike.

It comes with an LCD monitor that provides stats on your time, speed, pulse and calories so you can track your efforts.

Adjust the seat and handle bar to get in the best position and then tweak the resistance via the knob for your perfect workout.

Key specs – Weight: 26kg Adjustable seat: Yes

Best value space-saving exercise bike: Ultrasport F-Bike, foldable exercise bike

This foldable bike is a great space saver and comes in a wide range of colours

Ultrasport F-Bike, foldable exercise bike, £137.76 at Amazon – buy here

This collapsible home trainer Ultrasport bike is a great space saver as it’s quick and easy to set up and to fold away after use.

It features eight resistance levels and measures your ‎heart rate, speed, calories burned, time and distance to keep your training on the right track.

There’s a LCD display screen and you can use it with the F-Bike app to achieve your cardio goals.

Key specs – Weight: 17.1kg Adjustable seat: Yes

Best for all over workout: Marcy NS-BK1000 dual action air-resistance fan exercise bike

Marcy dual action air-resistance fan exercise bike, £229 from Argos – buy here

The Marcy dual action air-resistance fan exercise bike is a great option for those looking for a full-body workout.

As well as the regular pedals, the handles also move on this bike to help you work out your arms at the same time.

A battery-powered LCD display will help you track your metrics, especially as you adjust up the resistance to intensify your workout.

Key specs – Weight: 23kg Adjustable seat: Yes

What is the best at-home exercise bike?

The answer to this question very much depends on what you’re looking for – the best exercise bike is one that fits in with your budget and the space that you have available.

If you’re looking to exercise in a relaxed manner a couple of times a week, a no-frills, good value bike is all you need.

But if you’re on a mission to up your fitness and hit certain goals, you may want more from your bike with a model that gives you different metrics and connects wirelessly to other devices to sync your training.

How much should I spend on an exercise bike?

It’s easy to pick up a decent quality exercise bike for £150 or under.

But if you want more advanced features, including a variety of exercise programmes and a high-quality digital display, your investment will need to start between £200 and £300.

Are stationary bikes worth the money?

That depends on how much you’re planning to use an exercise bike.

If you get something cheap and you use it once or twice a week, it’s a solid investment.

But, if you’re looking for an experience, it could be worth heading down the gym and investing in a gym membership that includes a spin studio.

Is 30 minutes on a stationary bike enough?

If you’re just starting out and you’re not used to much exercise, whatever you can manage is good going.

As you get familiar with your exercise bike, half an hour a day is a good duration and will burn around 200 calories each session, although this varies by around 100 calories depending on your weight, the resistance you’re working at and the intensity of the workout.

With a daily 30 minute workout, slowly but surely you will build your core strength and cardio fitness and before long you’ll find yourself being able to train harder and for longer.

What muscles does an exercise bike work?

Your legs and lower body muscles most benefit from exercising on a bike, including your calves, thighs, quads, hamstrings and your bum muscles (glutes).

You’ll also work your upper body – to stay in the correct position, you’ll work your triceps, biceps, shoulders, back and chest.

Your core strength is called upon during a bike workout and it will also improve your cardiovascular fitness.

How to turn a bike into an exercise bike?

To turn a regular bike into a stationary bike you need a turbo trainer, which elevates your rear wheel off the ground and connects it to a roller.

The roller’s resistance is adjustable, allowing you to make it harder or easier to turn the pedals.

You can also invest in a roller bike stand, which elevates your whole bike and allows both wheels to spin. Again, the resistance is adjustable.

Does an exercise bike tone your stomach?

Through its aerobic functions, an exercise bike is designed to burn fat.

While it’s tough to target the stomach muscles directly, using an exercise bike consistently along with following a healthy diet will eventually lead to weight loss and more toned physique all over.