4 Best Spin Bikes for Apartments (Compact)

In general, the everyday constant athlete is an addict. Once you’ve been bitten by the bug, it’s harder to take a day off, than it is the pound the pavement and sweat like a pig.

This little but dire fact is never truer and pressing than in runners; we need and crave that endorphin high. As such, when inclement weather, our sore bodies or misaligned circumstances take a bat to our ability to hit the streets, we need an ersatz fix to gain that legendary “runner’s high.”

There is nothing better for those days, or for when the mood strikes, than a stationary bike. A nice, comfortable, low impact detritus to shake it up and get the job done.

The Best Overall: Sunny Health & Fitness Pro

#1
Sunny Health & Fitness Spin Bike SF-B901 Pro Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike

2 way adjustable handlebars and 4 ways adjustable seat. Smooth and reliable chain drive mechanism; Heavy duty crank system. Max User Weight: 275 lb

4.2 of 5 Stars


Unlike treadmills, and other exercise equipment, a spin cycle is an ideal machine for small enclosed areas. Apartments, being somewhat cramped by their very nature, require a machine that adapts to tiny geometry.

We are here to take a look best indoor bikes for small apartments out there. The criteria we employed, in our search for those jewels, is that they must meet the following requirements:

  • Easy To Assemble
  • Indoor Use
  • Durable
  • Comfortable
  • Small Space Friendly

Keiser M3i Indoor Cycle Bundle
Top Choice
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B901 Pro Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike
Schwinn AC Performance Plus Indoor Cycle
L NOW Indoor Exercise Bike Stationary Bike Indoor Cycling Bike, Belt Drive with Heart Rate, Adjustable Seat &Handlebar &Tablet Holder (W02)
Keiser M3i Indoor Cycle Bundle
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B901 Pro Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike
Schwinn AC Performance Plus Indoor Cycle
L NOW Indoor Exercise Bike Stationary Bike Indoor Cycling Bike, Belt Drive with Heart Rate, Adjustable Seat &Handlebar &Tablet Holder (W02)
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586 Reviews
5,202 Reviews
20 Reviews
-
$2,460.00
$126.77
Price not available
Price not available
Keiser M3i Indoor Cycle Bundle
Keiser M3i Indoor Cycle Bundle
586 Reviews
$2,460.00
Top Choice
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B901 Pro Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B901 Pro Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike
5,202 Reviews
$126.77
Schwinn AC Performance Plus Indoor Cycle
Schwinn AC Performance Plus Indoor Cycle
20 Reviews
Price not available
L NOW Indoor Exercise Bike Stationary Bike Indoor Cycling Bike, Belt Drive with Heart Rate, Adjustable Seat &Handlebar &Tablet Holder (W02)
L NOW Indoor Exercise Bike Stationary Bike Indoor Cycling Bike, Belt Drive with Heart Rate, Adjustable Seat &Handlebar &Tablet Holder (W02)
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-
Price not available

The 4 Best Spin Bikes for Apartment (Perfect for Small Spaces)

#1: Keiser M3i Indoor Cycle Black

Keiser M3i Indoor Cycle - side view

Keiser’s M3 series is the Porsche, Bentley, and Jaguar of indoor bikes. This is without a doubt one of the more pricey bikes on this list, but frankly it’s worth every penny. This is a product packed with all sorts of features.

Best of all, this top selling masterpiece, has been constructed with remarkable and durable materials.

I know what you are thinking "What’s Keiser’s big IT? Why is it charging such a heavy price tag?". 

Keiser M3i Indoor Cycle Bundle
586 Reviews
Keiser M3i Indoor Cycle Bundle
  • Bundle includes: Media Tray, Stretch Pads, floor mat, and M Connect Display.
  • Made in the USA from domestic and globally sourced materials: The M3i is the ONLY indoor bike built in the U.S., ensuring the highest quality control standards
  • M Connect - The M Series Connected Computer connects seamlessly to your favorite fitness apps!

Simply put, this bike seems as if it has been plugged straight from a sci-fi novel. The M3i has no moving parts. Its 24 levels of resistances lay on a magnetic system.

The groundbreaking system, which took over 10 years to perfect, is fueled in part by an Eddy current. 

This amazing invention not only gifts you with a silent, breezy, easygoing ride, but it also flings away the necessity of maintenance. Since there are no moving parts, there’s no need for oil, or wear and tear repairs.

Also, since Keiser thought of everything, the flywheel is located at the back of the bike; you won’t get any sweat on it.

The minimalistic aesthetics, the onboard LCD, the super adjustable settings, and all the other hilariously fantastic add-ons, although great, pale in comparison to Keiser’s magnetic breakthrough.

SPECS:

  • Product Dimension: 45 x 26 x 49 inches ; 85 pounds.
  • Smooth, whisper-quiet magnetic resistance
  • Connect your smartphone to the Keiser M Series fitness app for data tracking, or connect to BKOOL for an immersive 3D cycling experience
  • 4-way handlebar and seat adjustments for maximum adjustability

PROS

  • A silent, incredibly efficient, smooth ride
  • Zero maintenance
  • A beautiful simplistic, lightweight design
  • Keiser offers an incredible, full immersive 3D app that goes great with its products

CONS

  • Cost - can be out of some budgets
  • A controversial 8lbs flywheel. It is the lightest flywheel on the market, and many enthusiasts prefer a bulkier option
Keiser M3i Indoor Cycle Bundle
586 Reviews
Keiser M3i Indoor Cycle Bundle
  • Bundle includes: Media Tray, Stretch Pads, floor mat, and M Connect Display.
  • Made in the USA from domestic and globally sourced materials: The M3i is the ONLY indoor bike built in the U.S., ensuring the highest quality control standards
  • M Connect - The M Series Connected Computer connects seamlessly to your favorite fitness apps!

#2: Sunny Health & Fitness Pro Indoor Cycling Bike

Sunny Health & Fitness Pro Indoor Cycling Bike

This stationary bike is the best bang for your buck.

If you don’t want to spend over a thousand dollars for a professional spin bike, but are still in the market for something not only reliable but special, then look no further and get yourself a Sunny Health Indoor Cycle.

Sale
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B901 Pro Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike
5,202 Reviews
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B901 Pro Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike
  • Start an in-home cardio workout with the SF-B901 Pro Indoor Cycling Bike by Sunny Health & Fitness.
  • Sturdy Flywheel: The 40-pound chrome flywheel is designed to maintain momentum smoothly as you cycle on the cardio machine. Heavy flywheels support speed, stability, and consistency across your workout.
  • Resistance: Increase resistance or come to a complete stop in a flash with the friction resistance knob. Use the resistance knob to increase and decrease resistance applied to the flywheel.

This is a model that’s been designed for every type of fan. A model that at its core has all the features, bells and whistles, of its regal brethren at one third of the cost.

One of the best specs’, Sunny Health has going for it, is its sturdy and balanced ride. Its fully adjustable seats and handlebars are complimented by its “whoa” factor... its robust 40lbs flywheel.
 
This little beaut’ uses a smooth and quiet chain drive mechanism for its propulsion needs

SPECS:

-Product Dimension: 49 x 20 x 47 inches; 97lbs.

-Indoor cycling bike with 40-pound flywheel

-Heavy-duty crank and smooth chain drive mechanism

-Fully adjustable seat and handlebars for comfort

-Adjustable resistance systems; transport wheels

PROS

  • This is a heavy duty machine that supports almost 300 pounds
  • A silent affair that will never have an annoying squeak
  • Mimics, with its 40lb, flywheel, an uncanny feeling of being on the road
  • An incredibly affordable price
  • Easy to assemble frame

CONS

  • Design wise, it’s a bit of a clunker
  • Because of its price, you’ll have to sacrifice all neat tech’ features of other indoor bikes in the market. This is a barebones cycle with no LCD screen or apps in its genetics. You’ll have to adjust and use your smartphone to keep track of the logistical side of your workout

#3: Schwinn Fitness AC PERFORMANCE PLUS

Schwinn Fitness AC PERFORMANCE PLUS

A.C, those two initials that give this bike its name, stand for: Authentic Cycling. This is Keiser’s big competitor, and the company’s worthwhile nemesis.

Like Keiser’s baby, Schwinn has also developed an innovative magnetic braking system. The company created this beast out of a rust-free aluminum frame. 

Schwinn AC Performance Plus Indoor Cycle
20 Reviews
Schwinn AC Performance Plus Indoor Cycle
  • Frame Material Steel Maximum Weight 300 manufacturer_part_number A.C. Color Multicolor Model 100178 Brand Schwinn

One of the main attractions of Schwinn’s product is its unyielding promise that it feels like a real authentic road bike.

This is perhaps one of the most realistic simulations of a road bike in a stationary form in an indoor setting. If the former claim catches your fancy, and you are in the market for a rugged, serious, high performance spin cycle, then Schwinn has the goods you have been searching for.

For those on the other end of the Flywheel controversy (those athletes that prefer a sturdier, heavier flywheel), Schwinn offers a perimeter-weighted 37 pound wheel.

This core feature gifts their masterpiece an overly- aggressive and rugged ride without putting any sort of strain on the knees.

SPECS:

-Product Dimension: 44.3 x 38 x 11.4 inches; 92lbs.

-Aluminum frame construction manufactured by Giant - provides rust-free performance and is significantly lighter than steel

-6-Magnet brake system allows for smooth, consistent control and provides maintenance-free resistance that won't wear or change over time

-Virtual Contact Resistance Technology - the magnetic brake does not contact the flywheel, eliminating friction and wear

-Belt drive using Carbon Blue technology for an authentic outdoor ride feel and virtually zero maintenance

-Double link pedals with SPD and toe-clip combination. Lightweight performance handlebars with ErgoLoop, aero bars, and 12 degree incline enable multiple user positions and increased comfort levels

PROS

  • It is an incredibly pliable bike. It can be stored in an area of 30,5 by 42 inches, and when you want to use it, you can assemble the artifact in a jiffy.  It is easy to assemble and move to different locations
  • From this list, it has strongest frame and biggest weight limit (350lbs)

CONS

  • This is not a budget friendly bike; it is a costly monster that’s worth every cent
  • Doesn’t come with an onboard monitor/computer

#4: L Now’s Professional Indoor Cycling Bike With LCD Monitor and 55lb flywheel

L NOW Indoor Exercise Bike Indoor Cycling Stationary Bike, Magnetic Resistance Belt Drive with Heart Rate, Adjustable Comfortable Seat and Handlebar, Tablet Mount for Home Cardio Gym

At its core, L Now’s spin bike is a callback to the 90’s. This is an incredibly resilient bike that provides a top-notch, steady and even ride. L Now’s flywheel is an electroplated marvel that was built with solid premium steel designed for aggressive use.

Another throwback, to those first spin cycle, is the fact that it relies heavily on a spring shock absorption system.

This bike is all about stability. It was constructed with a heavy duty steel frame, a 55lbs flywheel and, once more looking back to its forefather, on a double triangle stability design… each of these traits reinforcing its objective of being a fantastic heavy-duty bike, with a smooth ride, that offers an unwavering even keel ride.

L NOW Indoor Exercise Bike Indoor Cycling Stationary Bike, Magnetic Resistance Belt Drive with Heart Rate, Adjustable Comfortable Seat and Handlebar, Tablet Mount for Home Cardio Gym
  • Our Promise : 1 year FREE replacement parts! Customer support team response within 24 hours! 100% satisfied solution if any issue! Please send us messages if any questions!
  • Heavy-duty frame structure:Flywheel And Heavy-Duty Steel Frame Of The Exercise Bike Guarantee The Stability While Cycling. The Belt Driven System Provides A Smoother And Quieter Ride Than Chain Transport. It Won'T Disturb Your Family Members
  • Flexible angle adjustment:A fully adjustable exercise bike for different body sizes of your family, 4-way adjustable breathable seat and 2-way adjustable handlebar. Two transport wheels help you move this bike easily.

SPECS:

-Product Dimension: 26  x 46 x 50 inches; 140lbs.

-Comfortable: Fully adjustable seat and handlebars making it possible for people of all body sizes to comfortably exercise. The automotive-grade and patented belt-drive system instead of the conventional chain provides a smooth and quiet workout experience. Unlike other conventional bikes, it doesn’t need occasional repairing and oiling. Its smooth and durable, its forever.

-Tension Resistance: Equipped with a heavy-duty steel frame system with a 55lbs bidirectional flywheel, the bike allows you to swiftly switch between easier and more challenging exercises.

-Display: Keep track of your performance and monitor your progress. The LCD monitor tracks your time, speed, distance, calories burned, ODO, RPM and heart rate by hand pulse

PROS

  • Fantastic design and steel aesthetic. The design bears a close resemblance to classic bicycles
  • A smooth ride that’s galvanized by a heavy frame and an even heavier flywheel
  • An LCD monitor that tracks your workout. Keep a diary of absolutely everything pertaining to your exercise (distance, RPM, heart rate, calories burned, speed, time, etc)
  • You won’t need to invest on a heart rate monitor to hook up to the machine; L Now implement’s a hand pulse that finds itself crusted into the bike’s silky handlebars
  • It sports a belt drive system that doesn’t need repairs or constant oiling

CONS

  • If you’re a fan of future tech, then this will surely seem a bit archaic. This is an old school spin bike
  • It is a monster, weight wise. Other bikes on this list are easier to transport

What Makes A Spin Bike A Great Investment

Low impact: In general, unlike other sports (running, basketball, aerobics, cross-fit, etc), biking, in particular stationary bikes, offer a low-impact solution for staying fit. People recovering from orthopedic injuries, or simply athletes that don’t want to tax their joints, hips, or knees and avoid injuries, naturally gravitate toward indoor cycling.

Muscular Endurance: when you are peddling against a continued resistance, going against the grain, you inherently increase the endurance of your leg muscles. Strengthening tendons, ligaments and bones, while at the same time, with certain ease, bulking up your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutens and leg muscles.

Cardio: A healthy adult should get at the very least 150 minutes of moderate to intensive exercise on a weekly basis. This is vetted advice from the ACSM that’s been backed up by the Surgeon General. An indoor bike can keep your heart rate well within the margins necessary to achieve this goal. In essence, continuous use of it - on 20-60 minutes daily for 3 to 5 days a week - can help lower the risk of coronary disease.

Stress and Neurological complications: a spin bike can significantly reduce your stress levels. A cycle can provide the same rush of adrenaline and release as most others sports; flooding your bloodstream with endorphins and other neurotransmitters. This in turn combats cerebral vascular accidents and other maladies that can affect the brain, while also stimulating your body’s immune system and enhancing your overall health.

Calories: an average spinning class burns about 500 calories. An hour on an indoor bike, on the right intensity, will permit you to not only reach that goal, but quite possibly outperform it. No other aerobic equipment (treadmill, elliptical, rowers or dumbbells) will even come close. A spinner bike at home, followed by the right nutrition, will do wonders for that legendary New Year’s resolution everyone is so obsessed with.

Indoor: no excuse on rainy days. Your bike will always be waiting for you at home, under a roof, next to the AC. If it rains, snows, if it is blazing hot outside, or if the night is too dark, you won’t have to sacrifice your exercise.

Binge watch: multi-task, that’s one of the greatest pluses of owing an indoor bike. You can add to your workout an assignment or two. Knock out some deadweight nuisance from work, watch a series or two on Netflix, read a book, write a book, have a delightful conversation with your significant other or stream Ed Sheeran’s newest album.

Great workout: tightens your legs, your quads’ and your buttocks. Leg day is important, most amateur workout fanatics love to skip leg day; gun arms, a six pack and pecks are the main attractions. Nonetheless, a true athlete knows the importance of keeping a musclebound symmetry.


What To Consider When Buying A Spin Bike 

Design Elements:

Aside from the fact that the bike might or might not look classy or posh, there are a few precious and crucial design details you should be on the look out for. The structural integrity of the spin cycle - the wheel - is a most. The pricer bikes offer magnetic buffers and plates; there are no joints, chains or gears in need of oil… no loose or grimy parts.

Also, durability, the ability to adjust seats, quality and weight resistance are critical elements to investigate.

Performance:

A smooth, sturdy and eerily silent ride, those should be your three key phrases when searching for a bike. In many cases, a heavy flywheel is essential for obtaining this desired trifecta.

Comfort:

A good bike has to be an adjustable bike. Seat, height, pedal access, frame, etc, are of paramount importance in order to get the best out of your bike. In this world, where there’s a fairly good chance that you’ll buy your bike online, it is a high and one would even say a decisive priority that your bike accommodates to you and your specific physical needs and not the other way around.

Price: 

Stationary bikes, like all other products, come in a gamut of prices. They mostly start with cheap, disposable models at 250 dollars and can range to constructed space-age material masterpieces that are sold at a hefty 2000 dollars or more.

Features:

Aside from aesthetics and decorative features, most stationary biles in the market have a myriad of tasty add ons. The steeper the price, the more amount of doodads... some extremely useful, some not so much.

The main extras you should look for, and for some its a deal breaker while for others not so much, is digital displays. This flavor enhancement allows you to keep track of your workouts by giving you a detailed look at your speed, distance, RPM, heart beat and dozens of other useful bits of information.

Those tech savvy added ingredients may end up being crucial and having a huge impact on your spending decision.

Apartment friendly: 

There’s one ingredient, aside from size and weight, which you should beware when buying a spin bike for your apartment… you neighbors. You’ll need in condos, apartments or the likes a silent “do not disturb” cycle.

It generates nothing but dead noise and zero vibrations. Pro-tip for vibrations: if you’re not on ground floor, your bike will create vibrations, the best way to deal with those, and keep your downstair neighbors happy, is by placing a rubber mat under your bike, this is a really high reviewed one.

Sale
Supermats Heavy Duty Equipment Mat 13GS Made in U.S.A. for Indoor Cycles Recumbent Bikes Upright Exercise Bikes and Steppers (2.5 Feet x 5 Feet) (30-Inch x 60-Inch) (76.2 cm x 152.4 cm) , Black
9,416 Reviews
Supermats Heavy Duty Equipment Mat 13GS Made in U.S.A. for Indoor Cycles Recumbent Bikes Upright Exercise Bikes and Steppers (2.5 Feet x 5 Feet) (30-Inch x 60-Inch) (76.2 cm x 152.4 cm) , Black
  • PROTECTIVE FLOOR MAT: Super-tough, durable mat helps protect your floors and carpets from the damaging effects of heavy exercise equipment and debris from mechanical parts
  • CUSHIONS EXERCISE EQUIPMENT FROM EXCESSIVE WEAR: Prolongs the life of your equipment by helping prevent floor and carpet dust from entering belts and mechanical parts
  • FITS INDOOR CYCLE AND STEPPER UNITS: The Supermats Stepmant / Bikemat is perfect for indoor cycles, steppers, exercise bikes, step-aerobics, or just general exercise stretching - mat measures 30" x 60"

Is Spinning Good For Runners?

Indoor cycling is perhaps one of the best cardio techniques you can add to your training routine. In essence, cycling, on account of its continued leg motion, its low impact and its resistance, not only provides a great cardio workout, but actually improves your stamina and your running cadence.

It also, as if the former wasn’t enough, improve circulation, and strengthen key leg muscles.

It is a great substitute for running, and a fantastic way of giving your continued breaks, tears, harried tendons a much needed break.

Plus, stepping out of your comfort zone, adding a new spice to your daily routine and training, is a spectacular way of avoiding being atrophied by the same old jazz, by the same old road, by the same old thing. Its a great way of fighting the routine and the blues.


Conclusion: Best Spin Bikes for Apartment

If you can afford them, and can spare the cash, the two best investments, as far as spin bikes go, are: Schwinn’s AC and Keiser’s M3i.

You simply can’t go wrong with these bad boys. Each is a tour de force, and magical masterstroke, in stationary bikes.

Their magnetic features and innovations, their fantastic frames and aluminum exteriors, and their equally exciting designs, render these two into competitive titans of their sporting sphere of influence.

The main difference between both brands is the feel. Schwinn truly does as it promises; creating, with each pedal, an honest to God high endurance, batches and all, road bike feel.

It simulates that odd feeling, resistance, inertia and all, of hitting the highways and byways on a bike. Meanwhile, Keiser’s little bread winner does a 180 degree turn on Schwinn’s objective and veers into its own goal in order to differentiate itself.

Keiser’s magnetic mechanisms gives it another worldly taste; you feel as if you’re on cloud number nine. Keiser deliberately skates away from realism and gives its fans a more sci-fi cushion and ride; almost no impact... resistance and “bumps”, on your imaginary road, occur only when you want them to take place.

Both are perfect, and frankly it all boils down to personal preferences and what sort of ride you’re in the mood for. Do you want an urban smooth as silk exotic and frictionless affair? Or a bronco, out in the wilderness, purring between your legs adventure?

Meanwhile, on the other side of spectrum, if you simply don’t want to get a second mortgage on your house, but are still on the hunt for a reliable workhorse. If you simply want a good, trusty, will never steer you wrong bike, then you simply can’t go wrong with investing on Sunny Health & Fitness’ cherub. It is a simple, might even say rustic, contraption that will get the job done and fulfill your primary spinning needs.

To recap: all the bikes above will tick off, one way or another, and always in a professional manner all those superb benefits I listed at the beginning of this piece. None will leave you, in that account, on the side of the road.


Hi, Jeremy Here, 

I am the the guy behind Train for a 5K. On this site, I share everything that learned along my running journey. The content I create is the running training I wish I had before we started this journeyAbout Me.

Last update on 2023-09-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API