The Best Exercise Bikes of 2020

In our tests, the Bike+ outscored the original Peloton Bike—but this one is no slouch. Both bikes share the important fundamentals, such as access to live and on-demand classes taught by Peloton’s charismatic instructors. You also have all of the same metrics, like the leaderboard, calories burned, output, resistance, and cadence (and the ability to hide them away if you don’t want to look at them). The OG Peloton has the same weight limit of 297 pounds and can be adjusted for riders of heights from 4 feet 11 inches to 6 feet 5 inches.

With the original bike, though, you miss out on some Bike+ benefits, including the self-adjusting resistance, the swiveling screen, and improved sound quality. The Auto Follow feature may be the least important out of all of these—when you have it, it’s easy to rely on, but Peloton’s instructors do a good job of talking you through the numbers that it isn’t a total game changer. But you may regret not having the rotating screen if you plan to do a lot of the floor workouts, and you may find the sound muffled, as it’s piped from rear-facing speakers on the 22-inch touch screen display. (A good fix is to get a pair of wireless Bluetooth earbuds, especially if you work out while others in your household sleep.) If those details are enough to make a difference for you, go for the Bike+. If not, you’ll be a-OK saving some cash with the original Peloton.

The original Peloton bike costs $1,895, which you may finance for $49 a month over 39 months, plus you’ll have to pay the $39 monthly membership fee. You’ll have to get LOOK Delta cycling shoes, too, if you don’t already have some, which Peloton charges $125 for. The company offers the same warranty as the Bike+, with one year for the components and five years on the frame, and the option to buy extended warranties for up to 27 months (a good idea if you finance your purchase).

First-year total cost (if bike paid in full): $1,895 + $468 (membership) or $2,363, plus required compatible cycling shoes ($125 from Peloton) and accessories like a mat and weights for the floor exercises, if you don’t own them.

The SoulCycle bike, released in March 2020, is the long-awaited at-home version of the nightclub-like studio experience. It’s also the sturdiest bike we tried—it’s very similar to the one you’d see in the SoulCycle studio, with a wide base and adjustable feet. The frame, which has a 350-pound weight limit (the highest of bikes we tested and on par with only two others), never wobbled or felt unsteady as we pedalled, and the 21.5-inch touch screen held completely still throughout every class, which wasn’t the case with any other bike. The SoulCycle bike is easy to adjust to suit riders between 4 feet 10 inches and 6 feet 10 inches —you can move both the seat and the handlebars up and down and fore and aft—and an instructional sizing video starts right when you boot up the bike.

The instructors are, unsurprisingly, top-notch. SoulCycle didn’t invent the concept of fitness instructors with culty followings, but the denizens of its many studios will say SoulCycle perfected it. In any case, the instructors lean into the inspirational jargon that is Soul Cycle in the virtual classes, at least in the ones I took, though it wasn’t so over-the-top as to be grating.

Because it’s a newer bike, SoulCycle’s class catalog isn’t as extensive as others, but it offers more than 100 classes that range between 20 and 60 minutes, and a few live classes every day. The live classes have a leaderboard, and usually have about a 100 people on the list, and instructors give shout-outs in the live classes to keep up the motivation (the smaller class size increases your chance of getting those, too). In general, SoulCycle’s workout style is more focused on how you feel and connect with the music than anything else—and handle its on-bike choreography, which involves a lot of getting in and out of the saddle and moving your arms to the beat‚ so the only metrics you see on the screen are your cadence, “power” (a number based on your resistance and speed), and distance. When you finish the class, you see a number that reflects the percentage of the class you stayed on beat with the music. This can be confusing, as the teachers will tell you to adjust your resistance but don’t give you an exact number, which makes it feel like guesswork. (For what it’s worth, IRL SoulCycle classes are like this, too, minus the on-beat percentages.) You also don’t get a calorie-burn estimate when the class is done. Still, this didn’t prevent me from feeling like I got a good workout on the bike—I was sweaty and invigorated after each class. One quibble I had is that the electromagnetic flywheel made a soft whirring noise when it was in motion—it wasn’t unpleasant or distracting, but it stood out compared to other, much quieter bikes.

SoulCycle is part of the Equinox Group, and requires opting into its $40 monthly app, Variis by Equinox, for a year with purchase of the bike, just like most other connected bikes. This is what gives you access to cycling classes (with unlimited members permitted per bike), which play on the bike’s screen, plus cross-training workouts, like yoga, strength, and indoor and outdoor running. However, you can only access the off-bike classes on your phone or tablet, not the screen of the bike. We didn’t mind this, but it’s different from the other connected bikes, which show you all of its available classes on the bike screen as well as on any device where you download the app. (Possibly, for this reason, SoulCycle’s screen does not rotate at all.)

The additional classes are all from Equinox Group's in-house brands like Pure Yoga and Precision Run but, in true SoulCycle fashion, app users will have more brand names to sift through. In the coming months, Variis promises to offer additional classes through partnerships with fitness brands Rumble Boxing and Solidcore Pilates. It also just added a “free ride” function to the bike, in which users can pedal while streaming Netflix or Disney+—something Peloton does not allow, and will be a boon for people who like the idea of taking a ride while catching up on "The Crown."

Then there’s the cost: The SoulCycle bike rings in at $2,500, or the same as the Peloton Bike+. Its assembly is included in the purchase price but you have to buy LOOK Delta cycling shoes (SoulCycle’s cost $215), weights, and mats separately if you don’t already own them. The SoulCycle bike’s no-interest financing comes out to $64.10 a month for 39 months, plus the $40 monthly app fee. The warranty covers the display and other components for one year and the frame for five years, with no extension available for purchase.

First-year total cost (if bike paid in full): $2,500 for the bike + $40 (membership), or $2,980, plus required compatible cycling shoes ($215 from SoulCycle) and accessories like a mat and weights for the floor exercises, if you don’t own them.

The NordicTrack S22i bike offers a tantalizing premise for restless cyclists: the ability to ride at home while feeling like you’re biking somewhere out in the open. This is possible through iFit, the app offered through NordicTrack’s bikes (and other connected exercise equipment), which features classes taught as guided scenic rides in which instructors lead you through trails in Colorado, Japan, and more. The scenic rides are truly special, with camerawork that makes you feel like you’re really wherever the screen is showing you—so much so that when an instructor rode over a root, I braced myself for an impact that didn’t come. If you’re someone who doesn’t love the traditional studio-cycling class model, it could make the S22i worth it for you.

The bike automatically adjusts its electromagnetic resistance, like the Peloton Bike+, as well as incline, something that isn’t offered on any other bike we tried along with the trail. This gives the sessions a more natural feel than turning a knob—though you can also adjust the resistance and incline on your own with buttons on the handlebars. All the instructors I experienced were great, and iFit also offers studio cycling classes and cross-training classes including yoga, HIIT, and Pilates. The bike also comes with a pair of three-pound dumbbells and the 22-inch touch screen that tilts and rotates 360 degrees for off-bike classes, though we sometimes found the screen rotated a little too much, as well as shook during hard pedaling. iFit also has live classes, accessible through an “On Air” button on the homescreen, and offers treadmill, bike, rower, elliptical, and strength classes several times a day. All classes have a leaderboard—and, like Peloton, thousands of people who take them, so you may find yourself lost in a sea of usernames, and your chances of getting a shout-out are pretty slim (though it’s possible to hide the leaderboard if you don’t want to see it). However, iFit also has a pre-live class “waiting room,” where you can check in and send the instructor questions before class, which helps boost a sense of community.

The bike—and iFit—have some snags, however. The first, for us, was assembly. NordicTrack is currently not offering in-home assembly, so we did it ourselves ... and struggled. This is partially because the job fell to one person and NordicTrack recommends that two do it, and partially because there were some small malfunctions in the parts we received that required maneuvering and calls to customer service to figure out. (On the plus side, customer service was great, and it seems the issue was a random fluke, not something that happens regularly.) Without the weird malfunction, and with two people to set it up, it would almost certainly be easier. Once set, you have a bike that fully adjusts to fit riders from 4 feet, 10 inches to 6 feet, 10 inches and up to 350 pounds.

Another concern is that the pedals that come with the bike don’t allow any kind of shoe to clip in, and the seat included is pretty stiff and uncomfortable. Both can be swapped out (or padded), but if you’re someone who doesn’t want to take the time (and money) to do this, you may be better served with a bike that comes with a comfier seat and clip-in pedals. iFit’s interface is also a little confusing, both on the bike and a tablet, because it has extra content like TedTalks and meditation sessions and lumps them all together without an easy way to filter things out. So, to find a ride or HIIT class, you have to sift through a bunch of other stuff. Most of the classes tended to be on the longer side at about 40 minutes to an hour, too, and it’s hard to find anything shorter than a 20-minute session—not bad for overall health, but not great if you just want to add a 5-minute ab class to something else, or only have time for a 10-minute workout.

Pricing is in the mid range compared with similar connected bikes. The bike itself costs $1,999 plus a $199 delivery fee, but your purchase includes the iFit membership for one year; after that, you’ll pay $39 a month or $396 a year for a family membership that accommodates up to five riders (or $180 a year for an individual one). You may also opt for no-interest financing for $57 a month for 39 months, which, again includes a year-long iFit membership. The warranty is better than most: It covers 10 years on the frame, two years on parts, and one year of labor. NordicTrack is also the only company that offers service plans (for an additional cost) to have your bike tuned up regularly.

First-year total cost (if bike paid in full and with full app access): $1,999 bike + $199 (delivery), or $2,198, plus a mat and weights (if you don’t own them) and new pedals and cycling shoes if you decide to switch them out.

The Echelon EX-5 is the closest option you can get to a Peloton without paying the price of a Peloton. The bike itself costs about $1,000 less than the Peloton Bike+, and there are two subscriptions types you may select: Echelon United Monthly for $39.99 a month, which packages live and on-demand bike classes with additional workouts, such as HIIT, pilates, and more, and Echelon United Yearly for $399.99 a year, which includes the same workout classes and averages to about $33 per month. The classes can be streamed via the Echelon app on your device of choice or on the 180 degree-rotating bike screen, with five users permitted per account.

Instructors teach out of Echelon studios in Chattanooga and Miami, and the classes are fun, engaging, and an overall good workout. Compared to the Peloton, the quality of both the bike and the video isn’t as good and the community of bikers is much smaller (though that also increases your likelihood of getting personal shout-outs during live classes, which typically have about 50 participants). The bike, which is rated for riders up to 297 pounds (the same as Peloton but less than others that go up to 350), felt less stable than other bikes, and we noticed some shaking of the tablet during higher intensity pedaling. On the plus side, the seat and handlebars are fully adjustable, and riders from 4 feet 5 inches to 6 feet 11 inches will find a fit. The pedals also come with cages so you can ride with your regular sneakers, or you may clip in with SPD-cleat cycling shoes. Like the Peloton, the screen shows your cadence, resistance, and output, so you know exactly how hard you are working. Throughout classes, instructors suggest the cadence and general resistance should aim for, but more often than not, they say to be at a “moderate,” “challenging,” “hard,” or “all-out” level, allowing users to go at their own intensity.

The Echelon EX-5 has some hidden costs. If you buy it from the brand's site, it retails for $1,239.98 if paid in full up front, plus your membership fee, but if you don’t pre-pay for a full year of classes when you buy your bike, you have to pay a $199.99 “premium delivery” fee—plus, financing is not available without paying for the full year of classes. And, unlike other bikes, some of its financing plans charge interest. You may pay $133.33 a month, which includes the bike membership, for 12 months at no interest for a total of $1,599.96. If you want a longer term and lower payments, you’ll be adding just over 15% interest to the total cost, spread over 18 months or 36 months, respectively (see below for breakdown). Assembly is also not included with the bike (despite what you may think "premium delivery" should include), so you have to do it yourself. That said, we thought it was relatively easy for two people to put together. The Echelon warranty covers one year on parts and components and two years on the frame, the stingiest of all we tested, though a three-year extended warranty is available for an extra $199.

First-year total cost (if bike paid in full): $1239.98 + $399.99 (annual membership paid up front), or $1639.97. If you do any financing plan, and if you choose a term longer than a year, add 15% to the bike cost (making it $1,426). Add on $199.99 for delivery and the one-year subscription cost to $479.88 if you pay the membership monthly. (Yeah, our heads are spinning, too.)

The Bowflex C6 is a pretty good bike. And you know why? It’s the exact same build as the Schwinn IC4, both made by Nautilus, with a few cosmetic tweaks—but it costs $100 more.

The Bowflex has its own small screen that displays basic metrics including distance and RPM and comes with the same accessories as the Schwinn: a pair of three-pound weights, a Bluetooth heart-rate monitor, and a device holder, for propping up a Bluetooth-connected phone or tablet from which to stream app-based workouts from the likes of Peloton or Zwift. It has the same weight capacity of 330 pounds and can be fully adjusted for riders from 4 feet 6 inches to 6 feet 6 inches in height. Its pedals have cages that can be used with regular sneakers as well as brackets for clipping in with SPD cleats. The mechanical flywheel is smooth and silent, too, which makes pedaling comfortable and unintrusive. The Bowflex has the same resistance levels as the IC4, which don’t match up with Peloton’s instruction, so you’ll have to do some math or adjusting to get it right as you ride. We got the extra $129 in-home assembly, which made it quicker, though online shoppers say it shouldn’t be too hard for two people to put together.

The biggest issue with the C6 is that its retail price is about $100 more than the Schwinn IC4. It retails for $999.99, or you can opt for no-interest financing at $56 for 18 months. Its warranty covers three years on parts, 10 years on the frame, and one year on labor, just like the Schwinn’s. You can also add on five years to the parts and labor with the Bowflex Protection Plan for an extra $109.

First-year total cost (if bike paid in full): $999.99 + $155.88 for a year of the Peloton app, or $1155.87 plus the cost of a tablet if you don’t own one and cycling shoes, if you want them.

Compared to others we tried, it’s no surprise that the Sunny SF-B901 bike ended up in last place—with its chunky steel frame rated for riders up to 275 pounds (the least of all we tested), a 40-pound mechanical flywheel for resistance, and not much else, it’s about as basic as a studio-type cycle gets. It has no Bluetooth connectivity or extra features, and if you want to use it with an app like Peloton with your tablet or phone, you’ll have to buy a holder to keep it in place and you won’t get any feedback from bike to tablet. The bike we tried also did not have a water bottle holder, though Sunny sells some variations that do.

That said, it costs a fraction of every other bike we tried, and for the price, it’s not a bad buy. It’s available with a chain or belt drive—the chain drive is usually less expensive and thus more popular, so that’s the one we tested. It made a slight grinding sound when we pedaled and never felt like a totally smooth range of motion. And, no surprise, the pedals are outfitted with cages for regular shoes, not cycling cleats. We also thought the resistance knob was hard to twist and didn’t seem to have much room between very light and very heavy, which is annoying for workouts that require nuance (i.e., most app ones).

On the other hand, the seat was surprisingly comfortable, and the bike itself is easy to adjust—you can move the seat up and down and fore and aft and change the handlebar height and reach to fit riders with inseams ranging from 30 inches to 42 inches (we’re not sure how that translates to height, either). We sprung the extra $89 for assembly—which was provided through Amazon and went without a hitch—but Amazon reviewers say it’s not very difficult to do with two people.

If we hadn’t been fresh off a $2,500 bike, we probably would have found the Sunny fine enough. Some Amazon reviewers swear by using it with the Peloton app, once a tablet holder is added to the bike—so, if you don’t want to spend a ton of money on an exercise bike but still want to get some indoor cardio, the Sunny is a suitable vessel.

If you prefer to finance the ~$300 price, you may pay $49.83 a month interest-free for six months when approved for an Amazon Store Card. Sunny offers a three-year warranty on the bike frame and 180 days on other components and no extra extension is available for purchase.

First-year total cost (if bike paid in full): $299. Add $10 for tablet holder + $155.88 for a year of Peloton app, or $464.88, plus the cost of a tablet if you don’t own one.