Spinning or indoor cycling is a great way to get into shape with high intensity cardio workouts. You don’t have to them at the gym when you have a spin bike of your own.
Going the route of having your own bike gives you the chance to workout when you want and not to the schedule set by the gym or weather. You get to set your own pace. It can be so much more convenient.
When starting out it can be difficult to know which bike to get as you are not 100% sure what you should be looking for (see our buying guide).
It is for this reason I’ve prepared this list of bikes to help you narrow down your choice.
To me the best spin bikes for beginners needs to sturdy, durable, easy to set up and doesn’t cost the earth. This is so you have a chance to get into the routine of training or exercising as quickly as possible and the bike doesn’t just become an expensive clothes hanger.
In choosing the bikes I’ve spent hours looking at each of the bikes in turn – which included investigating the specifications, reading the customer reviews, the manuals and the company’s website. I then entered the information gathered on to a spreadsheet to compare and narrow the list down to the best of the best.
I looked at the price, the weight of the flywheel, the adjustability of the bike, the durability, how hard it is to assemble, customer service, ease of moving it around for the home and its’ sturdiness.
I didn’t look at whether it had a computer or workout programs but saw these as a nice to have and an added to appeal of the bike. You can add a console and it is possible to follow along to YouTube workout videos
In terms of price I looked at bikes that are in the affordable range just in case as a beginner there is change of mind you don’t want a bike that cost a fortune but doesn’t get used that often.
I don’t think anyone wants another high priced clothes hanger but it does happen! That is also why I looked at how easy they were to set up and use as this all helps to keep you motivated especially when starting out as I’ve found in my own experience that even little things can put you off your stride, so I wanted the bike to be seen as a positive reinforcement.
The only area I didn’t succeed in with this is with the seat on these bikes (as they are uncomfortable) but this did help to keep the price range down.
Sunny Health & Fitness Pro Indoor Cycling Bike
Rating 4.3 This is one of the top selling spin bikes. It comes with a good heavy flywheel at 40 lbs for a consistent riding motion.
The handlebars and seat can be adjusted to get the best fit for people between the heights of 5 ft 3 inches and 6 ft 8 inches. It’s not silent but you can hold a conversation or watch TV without having to raise the volume. The resistance is incremental and continuous going from easy to extremely hard.
The seat is uncomfortable, but you can change it if it is too much for you. It doesn’t have a water bottle holder or computer. But that aside this is a great bike for beginners at an affordable price. It is solidly made so it will stand up to tough workouts for many years without any rocking or wobbling. It is a great price for the quality you get which helps explains it selling consistently.
Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike
Rating 4.3 It comes with a basic computer for monitoring your workout (it doesn’t any have built-in workout programs). It has a bottle holder that could also be used as an MP3 player holder.
You can adjust the seat and handlebars quickly to fit the bike for the best workouts for people who are sized between 4 ft 9 ins and 6 ft 5 ins, allowing more than one person to use the bike with proper posture to have the most efficient exercise.
The seat is rated okay for comfort but you may not find it so, and again you can replace it or try a gel seat cover or padded bike shorts.
The flywheel is a little lighter than the other choices at 31 lbs but still gives a continuous cycling motion. The bike itself is heavy duty and sturdy to give a great riding experience for beginners and the more experienced. Read an in depth review here
Sunny Health & Fitness Belt Drive Indoor Cycling Bike
Rating 4.6 This bike has a belt drive which makes it very quiet when you are cycling so if you want to you should be able to get your cycling done in the middle of night without disturbing anyone sleeping. The handlebars and seat easily adjust so it can fit people between the heights of 5′ 3″ and 6′ 8″. The flywheel weighs 49 lbs which may seem a little hard to get started but gives a very smooth and natural riding motion once it gets going and as you progress you’ll appreciate the extra weight in the wheel.
The seat is uncomfortable but can be changed for a more comfortable standard bike seat if you want. It does not come with a computer.
It provides a solid stable ride so you won’t have any concerns with it rocking as you progress to more demanding workouts where you are jumping in out of the saddle. Read a comprehensive review here
These bikes will help you get started in your cycling and fitness journey. They don’t have workout programs but these can be found on YouTube and you can follow along. Also they don’t have many accessories that you might see in other sorts of bikes but this is normal even for spin bikes priced at the higher end – this helps to keep you focused on the training and help to keep the bikes in line with what you can get on an outdoor bike.
These 3 bikes will keep up with you as you progress and become more experienced. They’ll get you started and have the quality to take on the tougher workouts you’ll want to do as you fitness improves.