There is a wide range of options available when it comes to riding your bike indoors. The exercise bike category is a little bit different as there are two – maybe even three – different marketplaces that are currently all within this category.
At Cyclingnews we regularly cover ‘smart bikes’ which employ the technology developed in the best smart trainers and use it in standalone devices. These devices use ANT+ and Bluetooth technology to connect to your smart device, whether that be a laptop, smartphone or tablet, which you can then use to run indoor cycling apps on. These apps have control of the smart bike resistance to provide structured workout sessions which are realistic and engaging. The best smart bikes have a high level of realism with some even tilting back and forth to mimic gradient.
Then there are connected versions of the more typical exercise bikes, like the ones from Peloton and Echelon. These bikes take the classic spin-class bike with a fixed, heavy flywheel and manually adjustable resistance and then integrate Bluetooth and WiFi to connect your exercise bike to live group classes with real-life instructors and other cyclists from all over the world, all without leaving home.
Lastly, there is the original exercise bike pretty much exactly the same as the one you will find in many gyms. These units rarely offer connectivity to third-party apps but will have a digital screen displaying metrics like speed, distance, time etc. These exercise bikes come in a variety of shapes and sizes from ones that mimic a regular riding position to recumbent-style bikes where you sit behind the pedals.
Each of the above styles of exercise bikes has its place in the industry and each can cater to a variety of riders’ needs and requirements.
We are dedicated cyclists here at Cyclingnews with years of experience riding indoors and out. We have put the hours in and tested a range of smart and exercise bikes to find out which are best for accuracy, engagement, enjoyment, durability and more.
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