Upvoted Exercise bikes

For those who want to break away from the Peloton, Richard Purvis finds alternative indoor rides to suit every budget

Our pick of the alternatives to the big three thigh-punishers on page 45

The solid spinner DKN AM-3I

DKN could easily have called this elegant beast the Black Swan, but they went with AM-3I instead. Ah well. It’s got 32 levels of resistance, and four user profiles so the whole family can share sweat residue. There are pulse sensors in the grips, but you can also pair a chest strap over Bluetooth. £499 / sweatband.com

The angular attacker Wahoo Kickr Bike

We can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t look cool on this. Well, OK, Michael Gove. Just look at it, though. Wahoo’s three-legged powerhouse is so deep-tweakable you can even customise the response of its virtual gearshifts to emulate the feel of various real-life groupsets.

£3000 / rutlandcycling.com

The tidy-away trundler Roger Black Gold Folding

Got a nerve calling it the Gold, hasn’t he? As a 400m Olympic runner the best Roger Black ever managed was silver, about half an hour behind Michael Johnson. Still, he seems to be finding the fitness equipment game a little easier, judging by the success of this Argos-only foldable flyer.

£110 / argos.co.uk

The hands-free hero Deskbike

Aaarrrrgh, the handlebars have come off! Nah, this fine machine is for riding while you work at a sit/stand desk, so your hands will probably be busy doing something hip and creative. It comes in three sizes and connects effortlessly to the Deskbike app for monitoring and recording your progress. from €295 / deskbike.com

The rakish racer Bodymax B2

With the stylish look of something you might see an Ineos Grenadier warming down on, the Bodymax B2 promises robust construction but keeps things simple with just a basic LCD display. Most excitingly of all, it comes with a free water bottle holder. You’ll never be thirsty again!

£280 / amazon.co.uk

The luxury low-rider Schwinn 570R

Despite making you look like a bit of a tool, recumbent bikes are supposed to be better for the lower back than traditional upright types – and that’s just as true of their indoor equivalents. This one has dual LCD screens and Bluetooth for syncing your data to a host of fitness apps.

£599 / fitness-superstore.co.uk

The clever classmate Echelon Connect EX3

We’re sure it’s a complete coincidence that ‘Echelon’ sounds a bit like ‘Peloton’ and is also a road-racing term… but you are getting access to the same kind of live and on-demand classes here. At £40 a month the subscription rate is about in line with Peloton’s, but the bike itself is a lot cheaper. £1199 / echelonfit.uk

The unplugged upstart Domyos 500

Even if you have the spindly hams of a malnourished camel, that’s quite a lot of power you’re pushing through the pedals of an exercise bike… more than enough, in fact, to fuel the display that tells you how you’re doing. So the self-powered Domyos 500 doesn’t even need batteries. £250 / decathlon.co.uk