It’s no surprise that indoor bike sales tripled year on year in 2020. Due to the pandemic, the indoor bike became one of the most in-demand products and, with that, many questions flooded the internet.

Knowing what to look for will guide you and make your indoor bike purchasing decisions clear and streamlined. Equipment manufacturers have been producing bikes for years and over the decades the difference in quality is apparent.

Many people focus on traits that have limited value in the overall functionality. If you are truly looking to get the most out of your purchase, there are some key elements you will want for the greatest functionality.

Here are the top 3 things you need to know about what to look for before you buy

Console

Number one on the list, in order to effectively challenge your fitness, you must have a way to measure your progress.

Gone are the days when a bike with no display will suffice. Today, most quality units have displays that show multiple performance metrics such as cadence, distance, caloric burn, resistance level, and watts, which are a product of both cadence and resistance. Having access to this information is invaluable for achieving fitness-related outcomes. If you can measure it, you can improve it.

Bluetooth/ANT+ Capability

Both Bluetooth and ANT+ permit short-range data transfer between two or more devices.

This allows connectivity and communication between your bike and multiple devices and programs, ensuring all of your exercise information can be stored and analyzed at a future date. This leads to increased functionality by connecting to a myriad of cycling guides, programs and apps, all of which are designed to help the rider get the most out of their time on the bike.

Power meter

While many bikes have the ability to show power readings, accuracy matters.

Some bike models estimate power output based on an algorithm that takes into account both gear and cadence. While this is better than having no data at all, consider investing in a bike that is equipped with a power meter that measures rather than calculates effort.

When discussing whether the bike you are looking for has this, be sure to ask where the strain gauge power meter is located. If the sales rep cannot answer this question, the model most likely is not equipped with a power meter. The price differential between estimated power and measured power is worth it.

Conclusion

The majority of high-quality bikes will automatically have two or all three of these details, which means you won’t have to worry as much about other details such as fly-wheel weight or durability, as these will be already taken into consideration.

By focusing on the details that really matter, you will set yourself up with a bike that will not only get you closer to your fitness goals but will retain value and maintain a higher resale value.

Check back next week for more on getting the most from your indoor cycling ride…

Check out CicloZone’s guides to the best budget and higher-end indoor bikes in our blog, starting with the Keiser M3i