I don't know about you, but I prefer to exercise outdoors. I am a certified running coach and spend a lot of time running and cross-training, and the idea of spending all those training hours indoors makes me cringe.
But when the weather makes exercising outdoors impossible (or my outdoor bike has a flat tire), I can't just skip a workout, so having a reliable indoor cardio machine is a must. So when I scrolled past the affordable Merach S26 indoor exercise bike on the TikTok shop I decided to take a risk and buy it.
Sure, it’s no Peloton, but it was something like 10 times more affordable, and I would rather splurge on expensive running shoes or race places.
I've detailed three reasons why I recommend it below, but first, I've checked online and found the bike under $200 at Walmart.
Three things I like about the Merach S26 indoor exercise bike
@ambermae_33 ♬ original sound - Amber Nelson
1. The tablet mount
An outdoor bike ride always flies by because the scenery is always changing. In comparison, I can get bored working indoors, but the tablet mount on Merach's bike solves that problem. There's a free app that allows you to follow along with an instructor and I also hop on video chat with a friend who's also using their indoor exercise bike so it felt like I was working out with someone and we talked when we weren't totally out of breath.
2. It's a reliable way to burn up to 300 calories quickly
We all burn calories at a different rate—it depends on your size and the extent of your muscle mass—but the combination of a high-degree of resistance and the motivation you can get from the instructors in app mean I'd expect anyone to burn 200-300 calories in just 30 minutes of riding this bike.
The bike tracks estimated calorie burn but I wore a heart rate monitor which can more accurately measure calorie burn and I burnt just over 300. I was putting in a solid effort and pushing myself to accomplish that.
3. It's comfortable
Even if you're riding for just 30 minutes you must adjust the bike to avoid developing niggles from a poor fit. Luckily it's easy to do this. The seat can be moved up forward, backward, up and down, and the handlebars can also be moved up and down so you can achieve a better fit for your anatomy. Also, I found the seat on this bike quite comfortable given the price.
