9 best home spin bikes [UK edition] Reviewed and rated

Spin bike sessions are an incredibly fun way to stay fit.

But when you’re busy, you don’t always have the time to get to group classes.

So, home spin bikes allow you to get a fantastic workout without the inconvenience of travelling to and from the gym – saving you time and money

But the choice of home spin bikes and their features can be daunting.

So, I’ve complied my list of the 9 best home spin bikes in the UK with a brief review of each one, to help you pick the right bike for your fitness goals and budget.

XS Sports SB500 Aerobic Indoor Training Exercise Bike

The XS Sports SB5000 indoor bike is a good value home spin bike. Constructed from hard-wearing and strong steel, it is capable of supporting a rider weighing up to 125kg, so suits almost anyone of any weight. It’s a fully adjustable bike, from saddle position to handlebar and elbow positioning. This ensures maximum rider comfort during use. Although the design is relatively minimalist, it offers a comprehensive LCD data console monitoring factors such as speed, distance, pulse, calories and ride duration. The 15kg flywheel offers significant resistance to help improve fitness. The bike weighs just over 35kg, so heavy enough to be reassuringly well-constructed, without being too heavy to move around.

Best features

Smooth and quiet action.
Simple construction for home users.

JLL IC300 Indoor home spin bike

JLL are a big name in the home products world and this bike doesn’t disappoint. It’s easy to put together and has a more realistic drive mechanism than most other home bikes, because it uses a chain to drive the flywheel. The build quality of the bike is high quality and it is able to withstand a user weight of up to 130kg. The flywheel offers a resistance of up to 18kg so even a very fit person can use this bike effectively. With a fully adjustable set up for rider comfort, it won’t take you long to find an optimal position to ride in. The LCD display is basic but does the trick.

Best features

The 18kg flywheel resistance.
Chain driven flywheel to replicate ‘real’ bike feel.

Nero Sports Upright Exercise Bike home spin Studio

The Nero Sports bike is a nice, compact home exercise bike. It is a basic construction but the no-frills nature is appealing to a lot of people. It’s also reflected in the price of the bike too, with it coming in at the more budget end of the market. The bike itself is arguably more user-friendly in that it contains a space for an iPad/phone/tablet to be secured in place for the user to watch as they ride. As you’d expect it’s adjustable, made from quality materials and supports a maximum user weight of 120kg. With a 12kg flywheel it’s more suited to the smaller or beginner rider. More experienced riders may find it a little basic.

Best features

iPad/Tablet holder for user entertainment.
No frills construction, making it a doddle to put together.

Esprit MOTIV-8 Exercise home Spin Bike

The Esprit MOTIV-8 exercise bike is another beginner level bike that provides a decent introduction to home cycling. With a sturdy body construction and adjustable settings, it’s more suited to the ‘average’ sized cyclist. Anyone significantly over 6 feet tall may struggle with the size of the bike. Resistance on the flywheel is limited to 8kg, so it doesn’t offer much range in terms of workout intensity, but for a complete beginner or a child it may be suitable. Design wise it is basic, but it’s a budget bike so of course this is to be expected. If you’re brand new to this world and want an entry-level bike, this could work just fine! The saddle is more like a real road bike than a standard exercise bike, which will get you used to ‘real’ cycling quicker.

Best features

Simple construction.
Racing profile saddle.

LIFE CARVER BTM Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike Spin for home

The LIFE CARVER indoor cycling bike is a lower-mid range offering that will suit the beginner cyclist. Construction is relatively simple and although the materials aren’t premium grade, it’ll do a good job for the home beginner user. The flywheel offers 10kg of resistance so you won’t be winning any cycle races any time soon, but you can certainly make progress on the bike if you’re a beginner. The adjustment range mean it’s not brilliant for shorter riders, but anyone over 5’3 should be OK on the bike. The LCD screen is basic, but it functions. It’s a lightweight bike but supports a user weighing up to 120kg.

Best features

Light weight, so easy to move around a home gym.
Comprehensive adjustable sections.

Dripex Upright Exercise Bikes (Indoor Studio Cycles)

The Dripex bike is where we start to enter the more middle of the road level of home bikes. It costs more than most of the others, but the build quality is reflected in the additional cost. The pedals are an improvement on the lower ends of the market, it has a quieter belt drive than other models and there is a lot of protection with covers for the moving parts, so small children can’t hurts themselves with the bike. The maximum user weight is 150kg, showing the construction of the bike is far more solid than many of the cheaper alternatives. Handle bar and user comfort is improved here and the overall rider experience is a better one.

Best features

Good build quality – suitable for heavier users.
Protective covers for moving parts.

UK Fitness Indoor Exercise Bike

The UK Fitness indoor bike is at the upper end of the mid-range in terms of price, but it justifies that with performance. It’s a solid bike with a smooth action and a quiet flywheel, which offers a decent 13kg of resistance, which is good enough for a lot of users. The LCD display is a little basic, as you’d expect with home kit, but it has an attached support for a phone or tablet for you to watch as you ride. It is a steel construction with a gel seat and adjustable in the areas you’d expect. It also comes with a 3 month unlimited membership to Studio SWEAT on demand, where you can download workouts.

Best features

3 Months unlimited workout streaming at Studio SWEAT
Smooth and quiet action

JLL IC260 Indoor Cycling 2019 Black Edition

The JLL IC260 Indoor Bike is another solid performer in the home cycling market. The bike boasts a sturdy construction and a simple, sleek design. It’s one of the higher resistance bikes around, with a 15kg flywheel offering something for the more advanced home user. The LCD screen has 6 features, so provides the user with a little more data than some of the other bikes on the market. The action is smooth and chain driven, meaning it’s less likely to require maintenance and replacement parts. There’s a slight issue that the handlebars are fixed forward and only adjustable up and down, but that isn’t an issue for most people. Most users report that it’s a simple construction and can be easily done within an hour.

Best features

Smooth chain action.
Heart rate monitoring via sensors in the handle bars.

XS Sports SB300 Aerobic Indoor Training Exercise Bike

The XS Sports SB300 is an entry level bike that would support a smaller user who is new to indoor cycling. With a maximum user weight of 100kg (most bikes go up to 120-130kg max user weight) and an 8kg resistance flywheel (other bikes range from 10-20kg), it’s not going to be the best choice for larger, more experienced riders but it’ll certainly do the job for other people. It’s a very simple set up – average construction time is around 15 minutes and the finished bike is sturdy and quiet. It’ll suit most indoor cycling needs for a beginner or smaller rider and comes in at a reasonable price point.

Best features

Easy construction – average of 15 minutes.
Good LCD Display

How to choose the right home spin bike for your needs

Where they may share features, no two home spin bikes are the same. In this section I’m going to run you through a few of the points to consider when buying a bike for your needs.

Resistance types

Most bikes will be driven by either a chain or belt mechanism. The pedals turn the chain or belt, which in turn rotates the flywheel. The resistance will come from pressure on the flywheel, where blocks will act as a break – the tighter they squeeze the flywheel, the harder the pedal resistance is. This mechanism is likely to wear out, so pay attention to the quality of the resistance mechanism. Read reviews and ask the seller questions.

Weight bearing amount

Most home spin bikes will cope with a rider than weighs 120kg – some will go heavier, others won’t. If you’re a heavier rider, be aware of the maximum user weight. It will have a big impact on your ability to ride safely.

Comfort & adjustments

Home spin bikes have different levels of adjustment, so if you’re a particularly tall or short rider, or you have long limbs or a long torso make sure the bike you pick is adjustable to your needs. There’s no use buying a bike with limited scope for adjustment if you’re 6’9!

Noise levels

If you live in an apartment block and have neighbours on all sides of you, noise is a consideration. Likewise if you plan to exercise when your children are in bed or you have neighbours either side of you. Typically speaking belt action bikes are quieter than chains, but not always by much. A causal observation is that typically the higher the price, the quieter the bike but always read customer reviews on noise first.

Tablet and bottle holders

If you intend to spend a long time on the bike then you’ll need access to fluids, so an easy-to-reach drinks bottle holder is a must. A tablet holder is important if you stream an online workout service and need to be able to see a screen. It’s also a handy way to watch TV or a film if you intend to do a long ride and want entertainment!

Build quality

This is a key feature – if you want to enjoy your indoor cycling you’ll need a bike that is well built. Any squeaky, rattling parts will be a distraction. The bike needs to be solid and comfortable, so take the time to read feedback. Generally speaking, the higher the price point the better the build quality.

App/electronic features

Some bikes now come with access to online workout streaming services, so if that’s your thing I’d look to take advantage of those features. The reality is that at the lower price points none of the LCD features are going to be top end, but you can still access interesting and important data. Decide what’s important to you and work from there.

Warranty

If you’re going to give your bike a lot of use, make sure it has a good warranty that comes with it and a good customer service score. Nobody wants a broken bike, so check these out in detail first.

Choosing your UK home spin bike

There’s a wide range of bikes out there, so take the time to do your research, decide what you want, what you like and most importantly, what you need. If you do your research you’ll find something in your budget and will make a well-informed choice.