You’ve likely heard of spinning by now. But what on earth is it and what are you getting in to if you go to a spinning class or getting a spinning bike? It’s not some crazy bike that spins around as you try and cycle (as my wife thought!) but rather it’s an exercise bike that is a slightly different design to regular bikes. If you’re looking to get one and researching the best spinning bikes for home use then read on for my guide and some of the best ones around right now in 2017. Sometimes you’ll also hear them referred to as indoor studio cycles.
UPDATED September 2017!
Contents
What’s the difference between a spinning bike and a regular exercise bike?
There are a few differences between a normal exercise bike and a spinning bike:
- Spinning bikes give you a slightly different stance than a regular exercise bike. Your position is much more like you’re riding a road bike.
- The way the spin bike moves the flywheel simulates a real bike – it takes time to get going but can keep the momentum going.
- Spin bikes tend to be less focused on technology with less monitors and computers
Why should you buy a spin bike for your home gym?
A spinning cycle is a great addition to a home gym because it simply provides an excellent cardio workout. Adding cardio to your exercise routines can not only burn fat but they are great for general cardiovascular health and regulating blood pressure. If you’re looking for info on creating a biking workout see this excellent guide here.
As well as getting your heart pumping and burning fat you’ll also be able to tone your legs and glutes. And if you’re looking for something to help build up your endurance levels then spinning is a great thing to try.
There are so many benefits to adding a spin bike to your home exercise routines. A spinning bike is also a really good low impact workout so if you’re worried about the stress of your joints like with any of the other kinds of exercise equipment like treadmills it can be a good choice.
What to look for when buying a spinning bike for home use
The things that you need to bear in mind when buying a spin bike for your home gym are:
Price – how much are you willing to spend? You can get some good basic spin bikes for around £100 – £150 so it’s not a huge investment.
Size – check the space that you have available in your home gym. These bikes don’t take up a huge amount of space and you don’t need to have lots of movement space around you, but obviously some is good so you’re not squashed up in a corner.
Flywheel weight – the weight of the flywheel can determine how smooth your ride will be. The heavier it is the more smooth and less jerky it will feel. A good weight for a home spin bike is around 18kg – 22kg.
Drive system – There are different drive systems that drive the wheels – you can get belt driven or chain driven. Chain driven are more noisy and can require more maintenance. I’d suggest a belt drive if you can get one.
Resistance – the different ways of making the bike have resistance – you can get one that is slowed by a pad at the top of the flywheel or by pads that are like brake callipers.
Whether it has a monitor or not – you might have your own heart monitor and not need anything else or you might want something to tell you how fast you’re cycling and how many calories you’ve burned.
Whether it is suitable for your weight – Some of the more budget spin bikes are only suitable for up to 100kg so if you’re heavier than that you need to bear that in mind.
Best spinning bikes comparison chart
For more detailed reviews of the spinning bikes read below but here’s a quick comparison of some of the best home spin bikes around at the moment – scroll down for individual comments on each bike.
| Name | Flywheel Weight | Drive System | Resistance | Max user weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  JLL® IC300 Indoor Cycling™ exercise bike | 18kg | chain | friction top pad | 150kg | £ |
  XS Sports Aerobic Indoor Training exercise bike | 15kg | chain | friction brake callipers | 120kg | £ |
  We R Sports Aerobic Training Cycle | 13kg | chain | felt pad | 125kg | £ |
  JLL IC300 PRO Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike | 20kg | belt | magnetic | 130kg | ££ |
  JTX Cyclo 6 | 22kg | belt | leather resistance pads | 160kg | £££ |
Our spinning bikes reviews
JLL IC300 Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike – my top choice for a cheap spin bike
I used to feature the JLL IC200 but this is the new updated version – they’ve increased the weight of the flywheel and as that used to be the worst feature for me I’m really pleased to see this new version. It’s also a more robust version and can handle heavier people too.
It’s still a good cheap spinning bike and if that’s what you’re after then this one comes well reviewed and should certainly tick many of your boxes. It’s a basic chain driven spinning bike and will be everything that you should need to get started. This bike suits people up to 130kg in weight (about 20 stone)
Pros
- Cheap spin bike
- good weight flywheel – 18kg
- has many positive reviews
- 12 month warranty
Cons
- a little noisier than you may be used to from the gym
XS Sports Aerobic Indoor Training exercise bike
Another good option if you’re looking at the budget range of bikes is this one by XS Sports. It has a slightly heavier flywheel which I like and the resistance of it works like a traditional bike by using brake caliper pads.
Pros
- Good budget option spin bike
- a good weight flywheel for a home spin bike
- suitable for heavier people than the previous bike – up to 120kg (about 18 and a half stone)
Cons
- computer doesn’t work great according to reviews
We R Sports Aerobic Training Cycle
Another good value and inexpensive spin bike is this one from We R Sports. My only concern with this one is that it has a fairly light flywheel, only 13kg – the lightest of all the ones I’ve reviewed here. It’s a sturdy bike and easy to put together, but it’s also one of the more noisier bikes too!
Pros
- inexpensive
- robust
- easy to move around
Cons
- noisy
- quite uncomfortable
JLL IC300 PRO Indoor Cycling Exercise bike
Another option from JLL, who are one of the better home spin bike brands, is the PRO version of the IC300. It’s much quieter than the others on this list due to the magnetic resistance – if you need a quiet machine this one could be the one for you. It’s belt driven and just a much more quality machine than the cheapest ones. If you can stretch this far then I’d definitely recommend the investment.
Pros
- Heavy flywheel – 20kg
- really quiet machine
- solid and sturdy
Cons
- more expensive – but still good value I think
JTX Cyclo 6
If budget is less of an issue for you and you want the best spin bike that you possibly can then I’d definitely recommend the JTX Cyclo 6. It’s the most expensive of all the bikes on this page but the features you get with this bike are high end and it’s a very good gym quality bike.
You’ll not only get a 22kg flywheel but this is also the only bike on this page that is belt driven which requires less ongoing maintenance and is quieter. It’s also the bike that is the most suitable for heavier people being fine for up to 160kg (25 stones approximately).
Pros
- gym quality bike
- belt driven so quieter
- good size flywheel
- excellent for almost all weights of people
Cons
- most expensive
