You can change out the seats, handlebars, and pedals with standard bike versions for a truly bespoke ride. Our tester especially loved that the handlebars have multiple hand placements as well as a back-and-forth adjustment to help gauge where your body is set. However, it’s worth noting that we found the seat could use more cushion, and the seat’s lack of forward-and-back adjustment was a downside.
The ProForm US Studio Bike Pro 14 comes free when you purchase a three-year subscription to iFit. It’s a solid ride for casual indoor bikers, but more advanced exercisers will want a sturdier machine.
Our Tester’s Take
The Proform Studio Bike Pro 14 is for recreational cyclists who just want a pretty screen to distract them from the fact that they’re doing cardio. If you fall into this camp, you’ll appreciate the bike’s on-demand workouts and virtually free price tag. Here’s the main selling point of this bike: Through ProForm’s Pro program, the bike itself comes free when you pay a (required) three-year subscription to iFIT digital workouts. At $39 a month, you get a family membership to iFIT, which features an impressive range of trainer-led workouts and programs.
While it’s not the highest-quality bike we’ve tested, it delivers a decent experience for casual riders. The 22 levels of resistance and automatic remote trainer control allow for varied workouts, and the silent magnetic resistance (SMR) makes it a quiet option for home use.
The one glaring downside: The steel frame feels sturdy at first, but the handlebars and screen wobble during more intense rides (our testers found that leveling the adjustable feet helped steady things a bit). Still, we wouldn’t recommend this pick for hardcore cyclists looking for a sturdy home bike.
The Assault Fitness AssaultBike Classic isn’t about luxury features—it’s all about making you sweat. While it lacks the interactivity that comes with many premium models, the unlimited air resistance and moving arms mean the harder you pedal, the more challenging the ride gets—so your only competition is you.
Our Tester’s Take
Unlike traditional exercise bikes, the AssaultBike employs a fan-powered flywheel and moving arms for a full-body workout that engages nearly every muscle—especially your heart. Seriously, the AssaultBike guarantees a killer cardio workout every time because the faster you pedal, the harder it gets thanks to the unlimited air resistance. Our tester especially appreciated that it provided a stable ride with minimal shaking, even at high speeds.
In terms of features, the AssaultBike Classic keeps it simple—so much so that our tester dubbed it an “old-school air bike with a new paint job.” There’s no phone or water bottle holder, and it’s not exactly quiet due to the fan. However, the basic LCD screen does show you essential metrics like calories burned, distance, and time, and it can connect to heart rate monitors for more in-depth fitness tracking. While it lacks the techy frills of higher-end models, it offers a handful of programmed workouts to keep things interesting, though we think it’s probably best suited for CrossFitters and functional fitness aficionados who prefer manual mode.
The NordicTrack R35 combines comfort and tech: You’ll enjoy a sizable touchscreen, automatic resistance, and a seat that doesn’t hurt to sit on. It’s great for beginners and people with injuries or mobility issues, but at just under 200 pounds, this ride isn’t easy to maneuver around the house.
Our Tester’s Take
Leave it to NordicTrack to enter the home bike game with a recumbent option that’s as functional as it is aesthetic. The NordicTrack R35 features a futuristic design with its 14-inch HD touchscreen, a high seat back, and an adjustable seat that gives you plenty of room to pedal. Our tester notes that the seat is very comfortable and cushioned, almost like sitting in an ergonomic office chair. It’s powered by a 25-pound flywheel, which is lighter than industry standard but works well for a recumbent bike since you won’t need to stand during climbs.
