For fitness-seekers, one of the best budget exercise bikes is a fantastic piece of equipment to have in your home. You’ll be able to use it for a large variety of workouts, from gentle to intense, short to long and everything in between. All of which will help you get fitter and stronger, without blowing the budget.
The best thing about a budget exercise bike is how adaptable it is to your fitness goals. It is a perfect workout for a beginner trying to get fit, for someone on a weight loss path, for anyone training for a cycling event or wanting to cross train to improve another sport. It’s suitable for absolutely everyone from total beginner to experienced athlete.
Compared to other items of home workout equipment that focus on cardio, it’s also pretty compact. Some home exercise bikes even fold up and can be tucked away, so they are great for smaller spaces. And perhaps most importantly, they are incredible easy to use with no steep learning curve.
At Live Science we have tested a variety of budget exercise bikes, including picking our favorite low-cost options, space saving options and bikes with folding capabilities for the smallest of spaces. For more choices, check out our guide to the overall best home exercise bikes.
The quick list
Best overall
Small, well constructed and surprisingly compact, the Yosuda Indoor bike is comfortable, easy to use and to move when you need to store it. And all this comes at a great price.
Best for tall users
This no-frills bike is well built and sturdy, with a good resistance range. The seat, however, is not the most comfortable and there is no resistance or cadence tracker.
Best budget Peloton alternative
A well-built bike that comes with a huge variety of classes and workouts. The main drawback is the ongoing monthly membership, though that comes at a much more reasonable price than some of the alternatives.
Best budget smart bike
The Zwift Ride offers everything you would get from a top end smart bike, at a more wallet-friendly price. You will be immersed in the full virtual Zwift ride experience, with the only drawback being that the automated gear system doesn't work with other third party apps.
The best budget exercise bikes we recommend in 2025: As chosen by our expert team
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The best budget exercise bike overall
✅ You want a comfortable ride: The ergonomic seat is far more comfortable than most
✅ You want well-built simplicity: The Yosuda is robust, easy to use and surprisingly quiet
✅ You want to be able to store it away: Despite its robust build, it's easy to move on the front-loaded wheels
❌ You want full data: There is no resistance or cadence monitor
❌ You want a big screen: The Yosuda just has a small LCD display
🔎 Yosuda indoor bike: If you are looking for a great value, well-constructed and robust bike, the Yosuda is a winner. It doesn't have high tech features but for the price, you can't expect those. Instead, for under $300 you get a superb machine for home workouts.
The Yosuda indoor stationery bike is the perfect machine for those looking for a basic design, made well, at an affordable price. It's small but sturdy and a great option for smaller spaces.
The ergonomic seat is also really comfortable, which makes it a great choice for those who tend to struggle with bike saddles. It's certainly not a complex model, but for a good workout at a budget price, the Yosuda has everything you need.
As with many of the cheaper exercise bikes, it only has a small LCD screen and it doesn’t come with any pre-programmed or on demand workouts, so we recommend finding free online classes. There are many on YouTube or via the iFit or Peloton app.
Despite the low cost, the Yosuda bike is extremely robust, with a heavy steel frame and a surprisingly quiet 35lb friction resistance flywheel. It's wide base adds stability and the front-loaded transport wheels mean you can easily move it and stow it away between uses.
The only real drawback we found at this price is that it doesn't track cadence, which can be really useful on a bike. However, you can measure your own metrics using some of the best fitness trackers.
- Read our full Yosuda stationary indoor bike review
The budget exercise bike for tall users
✅ You are looking for a basic model: The Sunny is well-made and perfect for a first indoor bike
✅ You are a taller rider: The Sunny has a taller max height than many other bikes on the arket
✅ You don't want to buy extras: The pedals are comfortable and adjustable so you won't need to buy cycling shoes
❌ You like online classes: The Sunny website and YouTube channel has some, but they aren't the best on the market
❌ You want a comfortable seat: There are certainly more comfortable options
🔎 Sunny Health and Fitness bike: This is an excellent entry-level bike for those who want to workout at home. There's no screen or extra features but it's well made and easy to use. The seat, however, is not the most comfortable and the Sunny online classes are not the best .
The Sunny is a really good entry-level machine for beginners. It's easy to ride, with comfortable adjustable pedals to keep your feet secure, particularly if you stand on the pedals.
However, like many cheaper models, the bike doesn't come with a cadence tracker. This makes it a little harder to assess the intensity you are working at, though a good fitness tracker can certainly help there.
Also in common with other cheaper models, the Sunny doesn't have a screen, nor a device holder or any preset workouts. The only accessory at all is a water bottle holder. There are online classes on the Sunny website and YouTube channel, but they aren't the best options on the market. This is not a real issue as there are many others you can use online.
One drawback of this bike is that our reviewer did find the seat quite uncomfortable, especially during longer rides. However, you could swap it for a more cushioned seat or even invest in a thick seat cover and/or padded cycling shorts.
- Read our full Sunny Health and Fitness Bike SF-B1002 review
Best budget Peloton alternative
✅ You like variety: The Echelon comes with a huge variety of different types of class
✅ You like data and feedback: You'll get on screen data during the class plus an email report after
✅ You don't want a steep ongoing cost: Monthly membership is more affordable than some options
❌ You want the most slick interface: The system is a little tricky to navigate
❌ You want long rides: There aren't many classes over 45 minutes
❌ You need inspiring scenery: The scenic rides weren't very inspiring
🔎 Echelon Connect EX5s: If you yearn for a top end Peloton experience but at a less top end price, the Echelon delivers. It's huge library of classes offers variety galore, though we'd like to see more longer classes and some more inspiring scenery.
For those who want a bike that comes with a huge array of classes, the Echelon EX5s is a really good choice. You'll certainly be able to get a challenging cardio workout, with classes for everyone from beginners to advanced riders.
The hill classes were particularly great for raising the heart rate, and the enthusiastic instructors were great at encouraging you to push yourself, whilst also allowing you to work at your own pace. You get real time data during the session on the screen, but in addition after each session you complete, you receive an email report. This makes it a great way to track progress over time.
However, it can be find to find the right sessions for you. The screen navigation is not the most intuitive and the class descriptions are a little vague. You will need to use a bit of experimentation to find the right instructor or instructors for you. We found some a little hard to follow.
The initial outlay for the Echelon is certainly not budget-friendly, but the monthly membership required to access classes is much more reasonable than some alternatives. And you'll certainly never get bored with the huge library of on demand classes.
We would, however, like to see a few more classes that go over the 45 minutes mark. And we also noted that many of the classes are not captioned.
- Read our full Echelon connect EX5s review
Best budget smart bike
✅ You want value for money: You'll get a top end smart bike for less than half the price
✅ You want an immersive and varied rides: You get the full virtual Zwift experience
✅ You want ease of use: It's easy to put together and easy to ride
❌ You are a platform hopper: The automatic gear shifting system isn't compatible with other apps
❌ You want a built-in display: You'll need to use a smart phone or screen
🔎 Zwift Ride smart bike: For less than the cost of some turbo trainers, you are essentially getting a full smart bike and total immersion in the Zwift ecosystem. The only drawback is lack of integration with other apps when it comes to automated gear shifting.
Since smart bikes became mainstream in the pandemic, they have remained the premium offering. There is often not only a steep initial outlay but also an ongoing monthly subscription cost. While the Zwift Ride may not be as wallet-friendly as a basic home bike, what you do get for your outlay is hugely impressive: and with a lower ongoing cost to boot.
The Zwift Ride is based around the Wahoo Kickr Core turbo trainer. And if you already have one of those, you can save still further by simply buying the Zwift Ride frame separately. The Kickr Core may not be the top trainer on the market, but unless you have ambitions to win the Tour de France, it'll likely offer more than enough range for your home cycling needs.
For those new to the system, the main feature to get used to will be the lack of gears. These are instead changed automatically and electronically on your ride. This leads to the potential drawback, because it means you can't use another platform like Trainer Road.
The Zwift Ride may also lack the very fancy features of the most advanced smart bikes, such as vibration for different virtual road surfaces, but for your money you get a well-made, easy to put together and robust ride, all immersed in the virtual Zwift world.
- Read our full Zwift Ride review
Our Expert
Currently a Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist at Pure Sports Medicine, Birch has a keen interest in post-surgical rehabilitation, cycling injuries and sports rehabilitation.
FAQs
What should I look for in an exercise bike?
The best budget exercise bikes are no-frills machines. They seldom come with the whizzy screens that the more expensive models boast, but you can always use your smartphone or a tablet to access both free and paid-for virtual classes.
One of the first things to consider is size and space. If you live in an apartment block or shared accommodation, you might want to opt for one of the more slimline models, or a foldable bike that can be stored away.
If you are particularly tall or short you will also want to check if you can adjust the seat and handlebar height sufficiently. Budget exercise bikes often have a lower weight capacity, so you might want to take this into account too.
Another important feature for many people is the noise level of the bike. You can read online reviews to help with this as many reviewers comment on this aspect. Do also think about resistance levels – beginners will probably be happy with a manual system, whereas more dedicated riders might prefer an auto-resistance feature, more often found on expensive models.
If you like group exercise, then you might want to consider a bike that comes with an app to stream live and on-demand workouts, like Peloton or iFit (subscription needed). You can use these apps on your phone or tablet even if you don’t have an actual Peloton Bike, but you won’t be able to sync your metrics.
Lastly, pedal type is important. Toe cage ones work best with normal sneakers, while clip-in ones need special cycling shoes. Many exercise bikes have dual pedals, which are interchangeable. Once you’ve chosen the best budget exercise bike for you, make sure you read our handy guide on how to get the most out of your exercise bike.
Is an exercise bike right for me?
If you're wondering if an exercise bike is the right piece of cardio equipment for you, we've spoken to physiotherapist and bike fit expert Sam Birch to find out more about who indoor cycling suits best. He told us that cycling is a brilliant way for those recovering from lower-limb injuries to still achieve a cardio workout, without the impact.
Cycling is considered more of a lower body workout, but your upper body provides stabilization, and you can still improve your cardio and ramp up calorie burn.
Your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core benefit most from cycling (alongside your heart and lungs), but physiotherapist Birch says consistency is the key. He recommends daily cycling if you want to improve because this progressively loads and trains those muscle groups. “You will notice increased leg strength and improved cardio fitness, too,” he says.
However, Birch recommends adding variation to keep it interesting. After all, variety is the spice of life.
How we test
How do we test the best budget exercise bikes at Live Science?
We test budget exercise bikes by putting them through their paces. We complete a sprint interval session on each model and a lengthy recovery ride, to see how well they hold up under pressure. We then also rank each bike for its design, features, performance and value for money.
