What is the best spinning bike for home use?

This is one of the questions that we get asked most often – “what is the best spin bike for home use?” Despite it being a simple enough question there isn’t really a simple, straightforward answer that we can give because spin bike users have different requirements and different needs. To demonstrate our point we’ll pose these questions:

1. Do you want a belt drive or chain drive bike?
2. What type of resistance do you want?
3. Do you want programs on your spin bike?
4. How many hours per week will you use the spin bike?
5. Is the spinning bike just for you, or will other family members use it?

The best spin bike for home use depends on your answers to these questions, and since there is no single answer to any of these questions there’s lots of answers to which is the best bike.
So, how do the answers to the above questions influence which spinning bike to choose? Here’s our quick guide:

1) Belt or Chain Drive
Belt drive bikes are quieter and require less maintenance. For outdoor cyclists who are buying a spin bike for indoor winter use the chain drive is sometimes a better option because it feels more like a road bike. The general advice is avoid cheap chain driven spin bikes and if you’re not into outdoor cycling then always go for a belt drive spin bike. A top belt drive bike is the Gym Gear M Sport and a really good chain driven bike is the Waters Fitness Tsunami Pro.

2) Resistance Type
Magnetic and friction resistance are the two options – both are perfectly fine but magnetic bikes generally give more accurate control and don’t have pads that wear out.
A great example of a magnetic resistance bike is the Gym Gear M Sport, and a top friction brake bike is the Sole Fitness SB700

3) Programs
Spin bikes with programs keep training interesting because you can choose a profile to cycle (for example up and down hills) and the spin bike will change the resistance for you as the gradient of the “route” changes. A good example of a spin bike with programs is the BH Fitness Spada.

4) Hours of use per week
Different spin bikes are designed for different levels of use. As you’d perhaps expect the cheaper bikes (even the really good ones) won’t be as durable as more expensive spin bikes. If you think of these as entry level bikes (say up to 8 hours use per week); mid range bikes (up to 20 hours use per week) and top end bikes (unlimited use per week) then the following are good examples to consider:
Entry Level – Sprint GB1
Mid Range – Sprint GB Mag
Top End – Gym Gear M Sport

5) Who will use the bike?
If the bike is just for you then choose the one that you like look of the most (given the criteria above). If it’s for family use then more often than not the bikes with programs are the most popular. The BH Fitness Spada is a good example of a bike that’s often chosen when multiple members of the household want to use the bike.

So, does that help to answer the question about “which is the best spin bike for home use?” Maybe not directly but hopefully there are enough examples above to help you produce a shortlist.