Best exercise bikes and smart bikes 2024 — feature-packed, adjustable trainers for serious indoor workouts

We reviewed the Wahoo Kickr Bike V1 and found that it delivered one of the nicest rides of any indoor trainer we'd ever ridden. This version is no longer available to buy but all the features that we saw on the first generation are still present on the tweaked version of the Wahoo Kickr Bike, with added built-in WiFi and a slightly higher max wattage. 

The adjustability is very impressive, as you're able to raise or lower the entire bike and tweak the reach at both the handlebar and saddle. Wahoo cranks this up to next level by inputting the numbers from a pro bike bit into the app that then tells you exactly where the adjustable sliders should go. That feel’s also down to the resistance unit, which is a combination of flywheel and motor that offers up to 2,500 watts of resistance, compared with 2,200 watts on the first generation.

Virtual gearing’s effective and real-time gradient changes peak at 20% with descents of 15% with power accuracy around 1%. As you’d expect from the US manufacturer, the  Kickr Bike seamlessly integrates with other Wahoo products, plus it’s compatible with the major training apps. Yes, it’s not cheap but it is impressive.

Wahoo has just launched the Kickr Bike Shift that’s a lot cheaper than the brand’s existing smart bike - check back to see how we found it. 

This is one special bit of kit that’s highly reflective of your real bike. You can swap out the 42cm handlebars if you see fit, while the cranks have replaceable inserts for 170mm, 172.5mm or 175mm options. The pedals also have a Q factor of 147mm, which is similar to many road cranks.

The first thing you notice is how incredibly quiet it is. It features an enclosed single-speed transmission that’s basically silent apart from a rather cool whooshing sound! At the front of the bike is a dedicated screen, two fans, an iPad mount, a mobile phone tray and two USB ports so you can charge your devices while you train.

Gear changes are swift, authoritative and appreciated, while power-output feedback is accurate and reliable. It can resist sprints up to 2,200 watts, which should cope with efforts from the most powerful of track sprinters, and can effortlessly simulate climbs of up to 25%.

Okay, Renpho’s AI’s not the panacea when it comes to smart bikes, but at a third of the price of many of its more illustrious contemporaries, that’s hardly surprising. There’s good and bad, like life itself.

Arguably the most important feature of a smart bike is the power meter. Here, Renpho was around 10% out, which wasn’t great for Zwift rides – when under-reporting, of course; when over-reporting, we were delighted! – albeit Renpho does stress it’s 90% accurate. The pedal action doesn’t match the smoothness of more expensive models and feels a little clunky. Then again, the ERG mode works well.

It comes with its own indoor training app, which is decent, especially given it’s free. There are structured workouts, video spin classes and even a few real-life video routes baked into the app. Overall, it’s decent. The question will be whether you should go for this or a better-quality smart trainer. Ultimately, that might come down to whether you’re a fitness goer looking to train indoors or a more committed cyclist. Over to you…