SPIN AND YOU’RE WINNING
Take your fitness up a gear with the new generation of indoor cardio steeds. We saddle up to identify the smartest options
Or should that be losing? The new class of connected spin bikes brings feel-good fat-burning sessions to your home
We’re now well and truly in the age of the home workout – and it’s come a long way since the days when all we had was a dusty set of dumbbells, occasionally dragged from under the bed. The Peloton spin bike changed the game for ever, and in its slipstream has followeda new class of interactive indoor bikes that is positioned to make 2021 your fittest year yet.
The promise of each bike is simple: to bring the energy and calorie burn of the spin studio into your living room. They allow you to stream instructors in real time for live, daily classes and offer hundreds of on-demand workouts, all while tracking your performance across measures such as heart rate, resistance and cadence. Whether you’re pedalling in pursuit of faster fat loss or elite endurance, there’s a class for you – all without the need to travel to a studio.
To identify your perfect ride in an increasingly crowded market, our testers spent hours in the hot seat, putting the latest models through their paces to provide a breakdown across the metrics that matter. We rated each ride out of 100, considering factors such as comfort, class schedule and complementary accessories. Our verdict? For a compact cardio boost, the indoor bike can’t be beaten. You just need to pick your new set of wheels.
01 EASY RIDER
66/100
Echelon Smart Connect EX3 Max Bike £1,200 (membership £40 per month) echelonfit.uk
Performance Design
Ease of Use
DO IT YOURSELF There’s no screen, which is why it’s the most budget-friendly of the bunch. Instead, there’s a built-in mount to fit your own device. The Echelon Fit app is packed with workouts and daily live classes for all abilities, and can be linked to Fitbit and Strava.
EXPERT VERDICT There’s no storage space for a water bottle, and connecting the bike to your device can be fiddly. But if you’re looking for a well-balanced and comfortable bike that offers motivating instructors and won’t break the bank (at least, not quite as much), this is a respectable option.
75/100
NordicTrack S22i Studio Cycle £2,000 (membership £99 per year) nordictrack.co.uk
Performance Design
Ease of Use
UPS AND DOWNS With 24 resistance levels, this bike has incline and decline options ranging from 20% to -10%. On tough rides, you’ll be grateful for the dual water holders and in-built fan. Once you dismount, the 360° rotating display allows you to tackle the NordicTrack iFit’s non-bike workouts with ease.
While NordicTrack’s streamed studio workouts are as varied as any other bike’s, the system really shines on scenic routes. Not only can you create your own virtual trail anywhere in the world using Google Maps, but the bike will adjust your incline, decline and resistance to reflect the terrain. However, it isn’t as beginner-friendly as the others and has no cleats clips on the pedals.
EXPERT VERDICT
Technogym Bike £1,990 technogym.com
03 BEST IN CLASS
84/100
Peloton Bike £1,895 (membership £39 per month) onepeloton.co.uk
Performance Design
Ease of Use
YELLOW JERSEY From gruelling endurance rides to restorative yoga sessions, Peloton’s 22in HD touchscreen covers all bases. Send high fives to other members as you compete for the leaderboard in daily live classes and more than 10,000 workouts.
EXPERT VERDICT Our testers were unanimous: Peloton lives up to the hype. The bike scored the highest for performance and stays solid even during the most intense hill sprints.
04 BIG TECH
Performance Design
Ease of Use
INTELLIGENT DESIGN On its 22in touchscreen, you can choose from hundreds of live and on-demand classes to find your ideal workout, based on duration, difficulty, music style and free weights (two 1.5kg weights are included with the bike).
EXPERT VERDICT This bike scored highly for its design. Tech-wise, you can pre-select your preferred teacher, while tutorial videos lessen any margin for error (or injury). However, it’s pricier than the Peloton without offering anything more for your dosh.