Spirit XBR25

At $1,200, the Spirit XBR25 is pricey for a home exercise bike, but reviews say you'll get fitness-club quality for the money you spend. The XBR25 is a recumbent bike, meaning you sit as though you were in a chair, rather than atop the bike, which can be more comfortable for your back. The Spirit XBR25 offers some upgrades over the top budget recumbent bike in reviews, the Schwinn 230 (*Est. $450), namely more levels of resistance (20 versus 16) and a higher weight limit (350 pounds versus 300). In addition, the XBR25 carries a better warranty: a lifetime guarantee on the frame and a year on labor, compared with the Schwinn's 10-year frame coverage and 90 days for labor. The Spirit XBR25 also has a chest-strap heart monitor, eight pre-programmed workouts and a mesh seat back to keep you cool.

ConsumerReports.org has the best coverage of exercise bikes, based on thorough laboratory testing. Although a subscription is required to see the ratings chart, a Consumer Reports news release identifies the Spirit XBR25 as a Best Buy. FitnessProfessor.com appears to be unbiased, but testing methods aren't detailed and you have to click on each product to see its score. That site says the XBR25, although a step down from other Spirit models, is a "nice bike" nevertheless. Perhaps because $1,200 exercise bikes border on high-end territory, we found no owner reviews at the usual sources such as Amazon.com.