How does one go about choosing the best foldable exercise bike? In this article I review five of the best upright stationary bikes. I hope this will help you choose the best upright exercise bike based on your unique wants and needs.
My choice for the best foldable exercise bike for home is the Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike
the best foldable exercise bike…Which suits your needs?
- Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike with Pulse
- Slim Cycle Stationary Bike – Folding Indoor Exercise
- XTERRA Fitness FB150 Folding Exercise Bike, Silver
- Exerpeutic Gold Heavy Duty Foldable Exercise Bike with 400 lbs Weight Capacity
- Lanos Folding Exercise Bike with 10-Level Adjustable Magnetic Resistance | Upright + Recumbent Folding Stationary Bike
How to choose the best foldable exercise bike
When looking for a foldable exercise bike, you want to find one that is convenient to fold up and move around. This will make it easy to both use and store. Having an exercise bike that is too heavy or cumbersome may be annoying. This can either lead to using the bike less often or leaving it out more than planned.
It is also important to find an exercise bike that will fit you. Are there others in your home who will want to use the exercise bike? If yes, you may want to find a bike that will likely fit the people who are also going to be using it. Many exercise bikes boast a wide variety of heights in their advertisements. The challenge is that they may not fit all heights mentioned in a comfortable way.
Another important thing to consider is how much weight the exercise bike can support.
When looking for a foldable exercise bike that will suit you well, it is also recommended to consider the type of seat the bike has. If you find the seat is comfortable, you will likely want to use it more often and for longer periods. This will help you improve your cardiovascular fitness and burn more calories.
Choosing a seat can be challenging because people vary in their preferences. To find a seat that will fit you, consider the types of bike seats you have found comfortable in the past. Was it a larger, wide and cushy seat that you enjoyed – or did you prefer a narrower, firmer seat?
To illustrate, some might say I have a larger bottom. I find bigger, cushier seats far more comfortable than the smaller, more solid seats. People with smaller bottoms may find compact seats more comfortable. For instance, larger seats might rub against their thighs.
If you have never found a bike seat comfortable, you might consider a recumbent exercise bike. The style of seats on many recumbent bikes are more like the seat you find on a chair than bike seats.
Along with the seat, you will also want to look for a foldable exercise bike that has a range of resistance levels. This will help you continue to challenge yourself as you improve your fitness. The first exercise bike I bought provided very little resistance. I immediately sold the bike because I wanted one that had more tension. The next bike I bought provided more resistance and allowed for more intense sessions. without having to pedal as fast as on the easier settings.
What are the advantages and benefits of foldable exercise bikes?
One obvious advantage of having a foldable exercise bike is to work out in the comfort of your own home. The ability to store the exercise bike in a closet makes them ideal for people with smaller spaces. With a few affordable pieces of equipment, many people have great home gyms.
Folding exercise bikes are also often more affordable than non-folding bikes.
Folding exercise bikes are usually pretty easy to assemble. Many people have set up foldable exercise bikes in under an hour and some in as little as 15 or 20 minutes.
Additionally exercise bikes are great for people who are:
- Looking to improve their cardiovascular health and fitness
- Seeking a low-impact way to get a great work out in without unnecessary joint pain
- Wanting to burn fat or lose weight at home
- Needing a safer alternative to riding a bike outside
- Looking to strengthen or tone their legs or glutes
- Excited to enjoy a variety of workouts with one piece of equipment at home
- Intimidated by or unable to go the gym
- Multi-taskers wanting to watch their favorite episode while working out
What’s the best way to use a foldable exercise bike?
How does one start and stick to a new habit such as riding an exercise bike? Implementing research-based habit practices can be very helpful.
Author, Charles Duhigg suggests using cues that trigger you to repeat your habit. The cues Duhigg has found to be especially effective are as follows:
- The specific time you complete the habit
- The location or place (Ex. Before bed I pack my gear and place my workout bag underneath my alarm. When I wake up, I can’t help but remember it is time to get up and work out).
- The proceeding habit or behavior (Ex. After my alarm sounds I wake up and pick up my workout gear)
- A particular person associated with the habit
- An external reward that you enjoy (Ex. while riding my exercise bike I watch my favorite Netflix series)
Making cardio an automatic part of your daily routine makes motivation less important. The positive-feeling endorphins that come with exercising are often enough encouragement.
To stick with your new exercise bike routine, habit-author, James Clear suggests starting small.
To illustrate, for your first week, you may want to ride your exercise bike for 5 minutes or less. Starting with a long, strenuous ride may cause excess soreness. While tempting, your brain may associate your new habit as something painful to avoid.
Start small and enjoy the experience. Put on your favorite music or movie while you ride. This may help your brain connect feelings of pleasure with cardio bike sessions. You may even find yourself excited to jump back on the bike!
When you are ready for more strenuous cardio sessions, you may want to try high intensity interval training with your exercise bike.
On the more technical side, you will want to make sure your exercise bike is set up properly for you. This will help prevent injuries or unnecessary strain on your joints. This is especially important with activities based on repetitive motions such as cycling.
Below is a short 2-minute video that will help you adjust your bike to fit you best:
Once you have adjusted your exercise bike and created your habit plan, you are ready to begin your habit. Remember to start small. Once it is a habit, you will be ready to increase the frequency, length, and intensity of your cardio sessions.
“Make it so easy you can’t say no.”
-Leo Babauta
Other Considerations When Purchasing A Foldable Exercise Bike
Many people have rode the same foldable exercise bike for thousands of miles over a decade or more. Others have found that their bike has stopped functioning in a short time. For this reason, you may want to get an extra warranty for your exercise bike. Many bikes come with warranties of 90 days or less.
A Closer Look at 5 of the best foldable exercise bikes:
Original As Seen On TV Slim Cycle Stationary Bike – Folding Indoor Exercise
4.6/5 stars – 5,865 reviews
Pros
- The Slim Cycle folding exercise bike comes with resistance bands. These are super convenient if you would like to do a light upper body workout while riding the bike. Getting some extra arm motions in might also work well for people who are looking to tone their upper half.
- This bike also works great for people of varying heights. Customers have enjoyed that it works for both shorter and taller members in a household. This could be especially helpful if more than one person in a home is looking to ride the bike. People between the heights 4’11 and 5’10 and taller have reported that this bike fits them well.
- This bike is easy to set up and to move around within a home or into a closet. The bike also slides and folds easily making it extra convenient for moving it around and storing it. This would have been awesome back when I was living in my one bedroom apartment!
- This bike comes with 10 virtual rides led by Slim Cycle instructors. This would be great if you are looking to learn some interesting ways to use this bike.
Cons
- People with larger midsections have found this bike is a little tight between the handles. These people said they would appreciate an extra inch or two of space between the handles on the sides of the bike.
- Others stated they would like this bike to have more challenging resistance levels.
- This is not the best bike for taller people. Some customers over 5’10 have mentioned this bike is a little too small for them.
Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike with Pulse
4.5 out of 5 stars – 13,000 reviews
Pros
People have found the heart rate monitor on the Exerpeutic Magnetic foldable exercise bike is more accurate than those on other bikes.
As one reviewer explains:
The heart rate monitor on this machine is more accurate than most. After comparing this monitor to her high calibre heart rate monitor, the customer found it was within five beats per minute.
As far as exercise bike seats go, this bike has the most positive reviews that I have seen thus far:
- One person said this is the widest, most comfortable seat she has used.
- Another person said this seat is even more comfortable than seats on expensive gym bikes.
I would suggest that if you have found larger bike seats comfortable in the past, this may be a good choice for you. If you have found your thighs rub against wider seats, you may want a bike with a narrower seat. I have found that a comfortable seat makes me want to get on the bike more often and to ride it for longer stretches.
Plenty of customers also appreciate the range of resistance on this exercise bike. The tension can be adjusted to meet the needs of people who like to ride at low and high-tension.
This bike also folds up easily and has a sleek appearance according to many customers.
Cons
Several people found the position of the seat too far back relative to the pedals.
Many satisfied buyers praise the excellent customer service they receive with this bike. Others had mechanical issues with the bike and said they had poor customer service.
XTERRA Fitness FB150 Folding Exercise Bike, Silver
4.6 out of 5 stars – 5,330 reviews
Pros
The FB150 folding exercise bike comes with a large anatomically designed seat. Many customers have found this seat to be very comfortable.
As one happy client said:
- It is rare for me and bigger people like me to find seats that are wide enough to be comfortable. This one fits perfect!
This bike folds up nicely and takes up roughly a square foot and a half of floor space in the folded position.
If you’re excited to get your first workout in. This bike is really easy to set up. One reviewer said he assembled this bike within 10 minutes.
This foldable exercise bike is extremely quiet. This is really important if you plan to exercise while other housemates are still asleep. As one customer said, her baby can sleep right next to her while she is riding the bike.
A number of people who are around 5 feet tall have found this bike to fit them well. Fear not that your feet won’t reach the pedals!
While this bike does not come with a tablet holder, the shape of the handle bars can double as a laptop holder. This can be great for students or professionals who want to read or work while exercising.
Cons
Some people complained that this bike can be challenging to get on due to the higher middle bar. Shorter people and senior citizens have found it difficult to get their leg up and over that middle bar.
Some people have found the LCD window and displays are somewhat inaccurate/unreliable.
While most people appreciate the sturdy frame, some people found the pedals broke.
Exerpeutic Gold Heavy Duty Foldable Exercise Bike with 400 lbs Weight Capacity
4.5 out of 5 stars – 2,500 reviews
Pros
The Exerpeutic Heavy Duty foldable exercise bike has an extended weight capacity for up to 400lbs. People weighing up to 390lbs who are well over six feet tall have said this bike is extremely strong and fits them well.
This bike is also more affordable than other higher weight capacity exercise bikes. Exercise bikes for people in the 350 to 400lb range often cost $1300 and up.
The added steel in the frame makes this bike extra sturdy. This is a bonus if you weigh over 300lbs and want to know you won’t break the bike in half during one of your rides.
While this bike is great for larger-bodied folks, it is also adjustable. This exercise bike has fit people as small as 5 feet, 2 inches who weigh less than 120lbs. If you are larger and your spouse is smaller (or vice versa), you might appreciate this bike could fit both of you.
Cons
At about 51lbs, this exercise bike is heavier than many other exercise bikes. Thankfully, it comes with wheels if you need to move it. The bike also folds up.
Many people have enjoyed riding this bike hard for years. Others have struggled with defective parts.
Some customers stated that the customer service exceeded expectations. Others have complained that the customer service did not adequately solve their problems.
Lanos Folding Exercise Bike with 10-Level Adjustable Magnetic Resistance
Upright and Recumbent Folding Stationary Bike
4.4 out 5 stars – 1,670 reviews
Pros
The Lanos Folding Exercise Bike has 10 resistant levels. I would enjoy having this many options to ease into those early morning cardio sessions.
Another convenient feature is that this bike comes with a tablet and phone holder. This can be great to multitask during cardio sessions. I find it much easier to jump into a cardio session if I have a tv series that I look forward to binging on ‘guilt-free!’
This bike is very easy to assemble. The bolts are pre-placed in the correct locations. If you are like me and you get super excited to try your new equipment, this can be a bonus. One person was able to put this bike together in 15 minutes. Others found it took up to 60 minutes to assemble.
Another unique feature is you can use this as a recumbent or upright exercise bike. Having the option to adjust your posture might be nice for longer rides or if you would like to switch it up.
This exercise bike also fits people of varying heights. It is advertised to fit people from 4’6 to 6’5. Customers suggest that it is better suited for people in the height range of 5’2 – 5’11.
Cons
Some people find the seat uncomfortable especially in the recumbent position.
Others found this exercise bike had an annoying knocking sound when pedaling.
Customers mentioned they had issues with the electronics (pulse sensor, monitor). Others found the crossbeam to be a slight hazard for getting on or off of the bike as one could catch a foot and trip.
Others have mentioned the tablet holder is frustrating to use.
Conclusion
Of the best upright stationary bikes, which bike wins in the category for best folding exercise bike?
The Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike with Pulse wins for best foldable exercise bike.
The comfortable seat on this bike is the biggest selling feature for me, as I like wider seats with cushion. Having a comfortable seat makes riding it a much more enjoyable experience. You may also be more inclined to use it – an important part of reaching your fitness goals!
I also appreciate the accuracy of the heart rate monitor. This is key if you are aiming for specific intensities with your cardio workouts. This exercise bike has a solid range of resistance and attractive appearance. It also folds up easily and fits into smaller spaces than many other foldable exercise bikes.
If you are looking for semi recumbent bikes or for the best folding recumbent exercise bike, you may want to check out this pos
