The Best Exercise Bikes For Bad Knees, Expert Tested and Reviewed

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One in four US adults suffers from knee pain, and it’s become significantly more common in the last few decades. (1) Interestingly enough, knee pain isn’t necessarily tied to increases in age or body weight, and research shows that even among physically active young adults, there’s a surprisingly high rate of knee problems. (2)(3) There are plenty of...
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One in four US adults suffers from knee pain, and it’s become significantly more common in the last few decades. (1) Interestingly enough, knee pain isn’t necessarily tied to increases in age or body weight, and research shows that even among physically active young adults, there’s a surprisingly high rate of knee problems. (2)(3) There are plenty of different causes of knee pain, from tendonitis and arthritis to strained ligaments, and the fix depends on the root cause. (4) But, in general, exercise is one of the best things you can do for cranky knees. (5)





Indoor cycling on an exercise bike can be a great option to get moving, whether you’re dealing with knee pain from lack of activity or rehabbing an injury. Exercise bikes offer a low-impact workout you can scale to your abilities and can help you break a sweat without leaving your house. If you’re looking for knee-friendly cardio and a machine to help you get it done, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve combed through tons of exercise bikes on the market, tested and reviewed them, and singled out the best exercise bikes for bad knees. Keep reading to find one that meets your budget, needs, and goals.





Best Exercise Bikes For Bad Knees







About our Expert



This article has been reviewed by Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1, CSNC, a certified personal trainer, CrossFit Level 1 instructor, and BarBend editorial team member. She reviewed the research we cite and the exercise bikes we listed to help ensure we’re providing helpful, accurate descriptions and recommendations.






How We Tested and Chose the Best Exercise Bikes for Bad Knees



The BarBend team has been testing fitness equipment, including exercise bikes, for years, and we can help you find the best model for your needs — and knees. We combed through the many options online and personally tested more than 20 bikes to determine which are good buys. Our group of expert testers (including certified personal trainers and an Olympic lifter) evaluated the bikes based on factors like footprint and portability, durability, adjustability and ergonomics, tech capabilities, warranty, and even customer service to arrive at the eight picks below. Here are a few factors we paid extra attention to when picking these exercise bikes for people with bad knees, specifically.





Adjustability and Ergonomics



If you’re looking to buy an exercise bike and deal with knee pain, this factor is perhaps the most important. Cycling with improper positioning, such as the wrong seat height, can lead to more pain or injury and affect your performance. (6) Research shows that just a five percent change in saddle height can affect knee joint kinematics by 35 percent. (7)





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You’ll want to ensure you can set up your exercise bike for optimal performance and comfort. Almost all the bikes here have one- or two-way adjustable seats and handlebars, and many allow you to swap out the saddle entirely so you can arrange your bike into a position that’s comfortable for you — and will help you ease your knee pain, not create more.





Durability



When you’re buying any piece of exercise equipment, you’ll want to make sure it lasts long enough so you can get your money’s worth. While testing all the bikes below, we kept this top of mind and included only picks that feel sturdy enough to stand up to even serious sweat sessions. Warranties are a part of this consideration, too. The most durable bikes come with 10- or even 15-year warranties, but Amanda Capritto, a certified personal trainer and our expert reviewer recommends looking for, “at least five years on the frame, two years on parts, and one year for labor.”





Value



You can buy an exercise bike for as little as $150 and as much as several thousand — and the price will more or less dictate the quality you’ll get. We evaluated bikes based on value to ensure they’re actually worth the price you’re paying. After all, buying a mid-range or high-end bike is only worth it if it performs like one.





Features



When selecting an exercise bike, you can choose your own adventure: Go for a feature-rich, high-tech bike or one with just the basics. We kept an eye out for all the necessities, like a water bottle holder and media shelf, and evaluated the fancier features, like workout streaming and automatic resistance adjustments. We’ve included a range of options here with varying features so you can see what’s available and what piques your interest. Then, it’s up to you to decide which ones matter based on your budget, workout needs, and goals.





Best Overall Exercise Bike for Bad Knees: NordicTrack S22i















NordicTrack Commercial S22i









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NordicTrack Commercial S22i









The NordicTrack Commercial S22i is high-tech and high quality, featuring both advancements like a 22” touchscreen display, and solid specs like 24 levels of quiet magnetic resistance.

















Shop NordicTrack


























Specs



  • Price: $1,999


  • Dimensions: 61? L x 22? W x 58? H


  • Weight: 205lbs (in box)


  • Resistance type: SMR Silent Magnetic Resistance


  • Max User Capacity: 350lbs







Pros



  • The S22i can incline up to 20 percent and decline down to -10 percent, a feature you won’t find on many exercise bikes.


  • The 22-inch touchscreen is iFIT-enabled and can swivel, allowing you to take 60+ types of workout classes both on and off the bike (including strength and stretching, both of which can help with knee pain). (8)


  • There are 24 digital resistance levels, and the bike will automatically adjust them during guided workouts.







Cons



  • At nearly $2,000, this exercise bike is one of the more expensive on the market, costing as much as three years of a gym membership.


  • You can’t stream non-iFIT workouts or entertainment like Netflix on the touchscreen.


  • Some reviewers say they have trouble reaching the handlebars, which aren’t adjustable horizontally.






The NordicTrack S22i, our selection for the best exercise bike for bad knees overall, is a solid pick no matter how your joints are feeling. It offers a unique feature you won’t find on hardly many other exercise bikes: You can pedal on a decline (down to -10 percent) and an incline (up to 20 percent) to replicate the feel of an outdoor ride. This standout feature is one of the reasons our testers give it a perfect 5 out of 5 for its dynamic programming, customizations, and tech capabilities, which combined, earned this bike the top overall spot.





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Our BarBend product tester moving the NordicTrack S22i.



Those tech capabilities include the impressive 22-inch HD touchscreen, which streams iFIT workouts and can connect to headphones or other devices via Bluetooth. iFIT offers a huge variety of classes across 60+ modalities. On the bike, you can take studio-style cycling classes or pedal through scenic rides, and the bike will automatically adjust your resistance and incline/decline to match the terrain or trainer cues. Off the bike, you swivel the screen to strength train, stretch, or do yoga.





iFIT does come at an extra cost: You get a 30-day free trial with purchase, but after that, it costs $39 a month or $180 a year. Without the membership, the bike can’t do much. You can pedal in manual mode, and there are a few classes you can access for free, but you can’t stream other workouts or watch TV.






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6JbKMsCmG4Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: NordicTrack S22i Exercise Bike Review (2022) — Most INTERACTIVE BIKE? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6JbKMsCmG4)




Good news for your knees: Our tester gave the bike a 4.8 out of 5 for adjustability and ergonomics. “The seat is highly adjustable and moves vertically and horizontally, and can also be tilted up and down,” our tester and certified personal trainer, Kate Meier, said. It also comes with two-sided pedals — SPD clip-in and toe cages — which is helpful for people with bad knees, as some people find clipping in to be more comfortable, while others prefer flat pedals.





The commitment to iFIT is a real consideration with this bike, and one of the only drawbacks. Otherwise, Meier said, “This is a fantastic bike. The touchscreen is impressive and the incline/decline feature makes it unique. Without the iFit subscription, though, the bike isn’t very impressive.”





Read our full NordicTrack S22i Exercise Bike Review.





Best Air Bike for Bad Knees: Concept2 BikeErg















Concept2 Bike Erg









concept2-bikeerg-2900-stationary-exercise-bike-275x275-1.png




















Concept2 Bike Erg









The lightweight Concept2 BikeErg eschews the moveable arms you'll find on most air bikes, delivering a power-driven ride that operates more like a standard cycle than a spin bike. The flywheel's unique damper allows riders to adjust airflow, which is akin to switching gears on a mountain bike.

















Shop Amazon


























Specs



  • Price: $1,100


  • Dimensions: 48? L x 24? W


  • Weight: 68lbs


  • Resistance Type: Air


  • Max User Capacity: 350lbs








Pros



  • The seat and handlebars are highly customizable, with a ratcheting system that allows for precise adjustments.


  • The clutched flywheel keeps spinning when the pedals stop, so you can “coast” just like on a real bike, limiting the force placed on your knees when slowing down.


  • Air bikes are well-suited for interval training.


  • The seat, pedals, and other bike parts are easily swappable if you’d like to customize it for a better fit.








Cons



  • This bike isn’t designed for riding out of the saddle.


  • It’s made with an aluminum frame, which isn’t as durable as steel, but lighter and easier to move around.


  • Riders outside the 31–40.5” inseam range may need to purchase a Short or Tall seatpost from the brand for an extra charge.






Air bikes get their name from the fact that they use air as resistance. Your pedal strokes spin a fan wheel, which pushes against the air, providing resistance for you to work against. On most air bikes, there are also moving handlebars that you can push and pull as you pedal. The Concept2 BikeErg, however, isn’t like most air bikes. It looks like a traditional stationary bike but is hiding a fan blade wheel where you’d expect a metal flywheel.





The wind-powered resistance comes with a few perks, especially for people with bad knees: The flywheel isn’t directly fixed to the pedals, so you can stop pedaling (for example, to take a rest interval during HIIT training) and the flywheel will keep spinning and slow down without taking your feet with it. This avoids placing any jarring force on your knees when changing speed or coming to a stop. There are 10 levels of gearing via a damper, which allows you to adjust the airflow so that you can shift into heavier or lighter “gears,” also like on a real bike.





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BarBend tester using Concept2 air bike.



The Performance Monitor 5 (PM5) on the BikeErg is basic, showing real-time metrics just like on the brand’s RowErg or SkiErg machine, but you can easily level up the experience by adding your own device, which you can pop right onto the included media shelf. The PM5 can connect via Bluetooth to your phone or tablet, and sync your stats to their app, ErgData, or other compatible apps including Zwift and Wahoo.





On Amazon, the bike has an impressive 4.8 out of 5 rating, and reviewers have commented that this bike is “built like a tank.” It has an aluminum frame — not quite as durable as steel, which is often used for exercise bikes — but that makes it lighter and easier to move around. The brand also offers a five-year frame warranty and a two-year parts warranty, though you may not even need to take advantage. “Three years later and it’s been absolutely trouble-free and a great addition to my life and conditioning efforts,” writes one reviewer. “Not a moment’s trouble. I’ve ridden over 16 million meters on it in three years.”





Best Budget Exercise Bike for Bad Knees: ProForm Carbon CX















ProForm Carbon CX Exercise Bike









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ProForm Carbon CX Exercise Bike









The ProForm Carbon CX is a sturdy steel 125-pound build with 16 levels of silent magnetic resistance. In addition to being one of the quietest options on the market, this bike also comes with a free year of iFit and a swiveling tablet holder, so you can stream classes on and off the bike.

















Shop ProForm


























Specs



  • Price: $599


  • Dimensions: 52.5? L x 21.9? W x 51? H


  • Weight: 125lbs (in box)


  • Resistance Type: Silent Magnetic Resistance


  • Max User Capacity: 250lbs







Pros



  • This is one of the most affordable bikes on the list, coming in at nearly a quarter of the price of some of the more expensive options on this list.


  • The bike has 16 levels of quiet magnetic resistance, which the bike can auto-adjust for you during iFIT workouts (a fancy feature for a budget bike).


  • Because this bike is BYOD (bring your own device) you can use it with whichever workout or entertainment streaming service you’d like.







Cons



  • The built-in LCD display shows limited stats and offers no guided workouts or programming.


  • Many reviewers report needing to swap out the seat because it’s uncomfortable.


  • Some reviewers have reported issues reaching customer service.






Best-in-class stationary bikes go for upwards of $2,000, but there’s no need to spend over $1,000 if you don’t want to. There are plenty of budget-friendly options out there, including pretty decent exercise bikes under $500. The ProForm Carbon CX hovers right around that price point, with an official price tag of $599, and with it, you’ll get a solid mid-range exercise bike without spending too much.





Our expert tester and certified personal trainer gave it high marks for value, scoring it a 4.5 out of 5. “It has a quiet flywheel and smooth ride, is quite stable, can connect to streaming (without making it the main focus or requiring a membership), and it’s often on sale for under $500,” they said. “Overall, it’s a great value for an exercise bike.”





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BarBend reviews writer Matt Cummings on the ProForm Carbon CX.



For a budget bike, it also comes with a 10-year frame warranty, plus one year for parts and labor. That’s generally longer than you’ll see on other budget models, which tend to cover one to five years. Our expert tester was impressed by the bike’s stability, saying, “I didn’t notice any wobbling at all, and the alloy steel frame and welding seems very sturdy.”





Now, about those knees. Our expert tester gave the Carbon CX a 3.5 out of 5 for ergonomics and adjustability, as it has a four-way adjustable seat and two-way adjustable handlebars. The adjustments aren’t stepless, meaning you can’t be super precise with your setting selection, though this is expected on a budget model.





The bike has a small LCD display that shows basic ride stats, but its lack of a real screen means you can pop your phone or tablet in the device holder and stream whatever workouts or entertainment content that you want. It has Bluetooth capabilities which allow you to connect the bike to the iFIT app, which offers thousands of workout classes across 60+ modalities, and which you’ll need to use if you want to take advantage of the auto-adjusting resistance.





The bike comes with one free month of iFIT, but then it costs $39 a month or $180 a year. You can also pivot the tablet holder to take bike bootcamp classes or other workouts off the bike. It’s a significant cost to tack on to a budget bike, but reviewers love the content, for what it’s worth.





Read our full ProForm Carbon CX Exercise Bike Review.





Best Recumbent Bike for Bad Knees: NordicTrack Commercial R35















NordicTrack Commercial R35 Exercise Bike









NordicTrack-Commercial-R35-Exercise-Bike-Coupon-275x275-1.jpg




















NordicTrack Commercial R35 Exercise Bike









This recumbent bike features a 25-pound flywheel and 26 levels of magnetic resistance. With your purchase,...

Click here to view the article.
 
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