How Much Does An Exercise Bike Cost? (17 Bikes Compared)
Exercise bikes can be a great piece of cardio equipment for home workouts and work perfectly for a quick warm-up before a lifting session. They’re one of the most beginner-friendly pieces of exercise equipment, yet still yield great health benefits.
If you’re in the market for an exercise bike, one of the most important factors of the buying process is finding out how much an exercise bike costs.
An exercise bike costs between 249 and 2200 with the average bike being around 700. The difference in price is largely determined by the type of bike, brand and the bike features.
In this article, I’m going to explain to you the differences between the different types of exercise bikes and some actual real-life examples of how much these bikes cost.
This article may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through one of these links I may, at no extra cost to you, earn a commission.
Types of Exercise Bikes
In order to do a proper comparison of exercise bike prices, first we have to discuss the different types of exercise bikes.
There are probably way more types of bikes than you may think and the cost of each type can vary dramatically.
So, I’m going to go through each type, one by one, explain some of the features of that type of bike and then give you a price chart of some popular models.
Let’s get started.
Indoor Cycling Bikes
Cycling bikes recently became extremely popular with the Peloton craze that has swept the country over the past couple years.
These bikes work by using magnetic resistance to adjust the difficulty of the spin of the pedals. Turn the resistance up and it’s like climbing a hill. Turn the resistance down and the pedals turnover easily.
Many of these bikes, like the Peloton, come with a lot of fancy extra features like touch screen classes and can track calories burned and distance traveled.
Are Cycling Bikes and Spin Bikes the Same Thing?
Basically, yes. If you’re using a flywheel with magnetic resistance then what you’re using is an indoor cycling bike, or spin bike.
Spin bikes are typically more thought of as being used specifically for a spin class while cycling bikes are more for at-home use.
Indoor cycling is also a general term that covers all types of indoor riding which can include not only bikes, but indoor trainers that allow you to set up your outdoor road bike to ride inside.
For the purposes of this article though, I’m not making a real distinction between the two.
How Much Does a Cycling Bike Cost?
Cycling Bikes include some of the most expensive bikes, but also have an enormous price range. They start at $399 for the very highly rated, but more bare bones Sunny Health and Fitness all the way up to Studio level NordicTrack bike goes for over two grand.
If you decide to go with a cycling bike, you’ll need to figure out how many bells and whistle you want to come with your bike which will make a big difference in how much you end up paying for your ride.
Here are a few examples of the cost of some of the most popular indoor cycling bikes.
| Cycling Bike Cost Comparison | |||
| Brand | Bike | Cost | Available At |
| Peloton | Peloton Bike | $1,495* | Peloton |
| Schwinn | Schwinn AC Sport | $1,599 | Perform Better |
| Bowflex | Bowflex C6 Bike | $999 | Bowflex |
| Sunny Health & Fitness | Indoor Cycle Exercise Bike | $399 | Amazon |
| NordicTrack | S22i Studio Cycle | $2,199 | Amazon |
| Echelon | Smart Connect Fitness Bike | $499 | Amazon |
*This is the “starts at” price. You can add more features and get up to over $2,000 total. Then there is the $39/month membership to take part in the Peloton classes.
Note: In case you’re wondering, the bike in the featured image at the top of this post is my Cycle Ops Power Indoor Bike. I love it and still ride it a couple of times a week. I bought mine used and got an insanely good deal on it because they run well over $3000.
Recumbent Bikes
Do you like sitting down in a nice comfortable seat while you workout?
Then a recumbent bike may be just what you need. Rather than pretending to be an actual bike, recumbent bikes are more like chairs with pedals.
You can still a good workout on one, but you’ll definitely burn fewer calories on a recumbent than the other types listed here.
If you’re just getting started into fitness and/or you’re worried that a regular bike is going to be uncomfortable, give one of these bikes a look.
How Much Does a Recumbent Bike Cost?
A recumbent exercise bike is generally one of the most affordable exercise bikes when compared to the others.
You can get a quality recumbent bike for around $500 (and oftentimes less if you’re patient and catch one on sale).
Here are the three most popular brands of recumbent bikes and how much their home gym model costs.
| Recumbent Bike Cost Comparison | |||
| Brand | Bike | Cost | Available At |
| Schwinn | 270 Recumbent Bike | $649 | Schwinn |
| Nautilus | Recumbent Bike Series | $499 | Amazon |
| Sunny Health | Programmable Recumbent Bike | $369 | Amazon |
Upright Bikes
Upright bikes are essentially a cross between a cycling bike and a recumbent bike. As the name implies, you sit upright on a more traditional bike seat, but the resistance mechanism is similar to a recumbent.
Upright bikes, along with the recumbent bike are the two that you’ve most likely seen at your local gym (outside of the spin room).
How Much Does an Upright Bike Cost?
Upright Bikes are typically pretty close in cost to a recumbent. Schwinn, Nautilus and Sunny Health are three of the brands that dominate this category and put out quality exercise bikes.
All three also have different models with different sets of features along with different price points. Here are a few of the most popular:
| Upright Bike Cost Comparison | |||
| Brand | Bike | Cost | Available At |
| Schwinn | 170 Upright Bike | $549 | Schwinn |
| Nautilus | U618 Upright Bike | $699 | Nautilus |
| Sunny Health | Upright Exercise Bike | $249 | Amazon |
Air Bikes
If you’re into CrossFit then you’re probably very familiar with the final type of bike, the air bike, also referred to as a fan bike.
While Air Bikes may not look as fancy as some of the other indoor bikes in this article, they can last forever. I’ve been at schools with Schwinn Air Bikes that were easily older than me and were still working just as well as a brand new bike.
As opposed to using magnetic resistance, air bikes use a large rotating fan to create the resistance for the pedals.
Another big difference of air bikes is that you can (and are encouraged to) use both your legs and your arms to help generate power.
Compared to the other bikes, air bikes are much more of a complete total body workout.
On the downside, if you’re looking for a quiet ride then an air bike is not for you. Compared to the other exercise bikes, they make a good bit of noise.
How Much Does an Air Bike Cost?
Air bikes typically run a little higher than the two previous types we’ve looked at, but generally less than most cycling bikes.
My only piece of advice is to go ahead and get the model you really want, because it may end be the only one you’ll ever have to buy.
| Air Bike Cost Comparison | |||
| Brand | Bike | Cost | Available At |
| Titan | Air Bike | $699 | Titan |
| Assault Fitness | Assault Bike Pro | $899 | Power Systems |
| Schwinn | Fitness Airdyne 7 | $1299 | Amazon |
| Bells of Steel | Blitz Air Bike 2.0 | $699 | Bells of Steel |
Protecting Your Purchase
As you can see, no matter what type of exercise bike you decide to get, it’s going to be expensive. So, once you’ve bought your bike, the best thing that you can do is to make sure that you take care of it properly so it lasts you a long time. (I’ve seen Schwinn Air Bikes last a decade in a college weight room)
The best way to do this is to wipe your bike down after EVERY use. Bikes are very prone to rust because we ride our bikes for extended periods of time and all that sweat ends up all over the bike. This includes the base, the handles, the wheel, the pedals – all of it.
Wiping down your bike after each use takes all of 30 seconds and it can make your bike last a long, long time – saving you hundreds of dollars down the road.
Final Thoughts
Exercise bikes can be expensive (some can cost even more than a squat rack), so doing your due diligence on exactly how much they cost is definitely the smart thing to do.
Also, knowing the different types of indoor bikes and the features, both pro and cons, of each can go a long way in helping you make a good decision for what fits best in your own home gym.
Hopefully, I’ve been able to do both of those things in this article.
