The Best YouTube Cycling Classes For a Sweaty Cardio Workout

With all the sweating, huffing, and puffing involved, it's easy to hate on cardio. But indoor cycling may be the most enjoyable way to hit your weekly quota. Unlike running, this low-impact workout style won't leave your joints aching and, when synced with a killer playlist, can feel like a dance party — not a workout. Plus, indoor cycling has been found to improve aerobic capacity (the ability to use oxygen to fuel exercise activity), reduce blood pressure, and increase bone mineral density, research shows. (Not to mention, you get all the other general benefits of exercise.)

That said, you don't need to attend a pricey studio class to score those benefits. Enter: YouTube cycling classes. The social media platform is chock-full of free, online cycling and Spin classes that vary in length, style, music choice, and difficulty, including options for beginners, HIIT enthusiasts, hip-hop fans, pro cyclists, and folks running short on time. As long as you have a stationary bike at home, access to one in a gym, or even a road bike with an indoor trainer, you can partake.

So which virtual workouts are actually worth tuning into? The next time you're craving a sweaty cardio workout, press play on one of these 15 best YouTube Spin or cycling classes.

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20-Minute Cycling Workout For Beginners

Led by NASM-certified personal trainer and Mad Dogg Athletics cycling instructor Kaleigh Cohen, this 20-minute YouTube cycling class is ideal for newbies ready to get out of the saddle. The workout features jogs, climbs, and sprints, during which Cohen provides form tips and reminders to listen to your body — not advice to push through the pain. You'll love the upbeat, under-the-radar music (such as "Everybody" by Norman and "The Drum" by The Siege) and the high-quality footage that clearly shows Cohen's technique.

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30-Minute Rhythm Cycling Class

Filmed during a live class, this virtual workout will make you feel like you're right there in the studio with instructor Gabriella Guevara, certified indoor cycling instructor and personal trainer. Throughout this 30-minute YouTube cycling class, you'll crank up the resistance and pace, climb hills, and follow along with choreography. Thanks to the dance music, accompanied by the dark room and colorful lights, this free workout will mentally transport you to a nightclub while you're sweating it out.

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20-Minute Legendary Queens Ride

This 20-minute cycling workout has a dual function as a karaoke session, thanks to workout-perfect hits from Whitney Houston, Madonna, Mariah Carey, and other artists. The free, online cycling class is taught by Kristina Girod, the founder of Power+Flow indoor cycling studio in Arizona, and features sprints, intervals, hills, and various types of handlebar push-ups. Don't skip over the cooldown stretches and positive affirmations at the end of the workout.

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40-Minute Indoor Rhythm Cycling

This 40-minute, studio-filmed YouTube cycling class will put your body and mind to the test. Dontaye G, a NASM-certified group fitness specialist and Mad Dogg Athletics cycling instructor, leads you through the workout, which is filled with sprints, tap-backs, push-ups, and more. Try your best to stay in sync with the rhythm of the music and follow along with the choreography, which can be a bit complicated (particularly around the eight-minute mark).

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45-Minute Throwbacks Songs Cycling Class

In this 45-minute YouTube cycling class, Brett Gordon, a NASM-certified personal trainer and cycling coach, will guide you through heavy hills; intervals with light, moderate, and difficult efforts; and active recovery periods, all synced with hits from the 2000s and 2010s. The time remaining is featured in the top left corner throughout the entire video, so you can easily see how much longer you'll be sweating.

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20-Minute Stationary Bike Workout For Beginners

This free, online cycling class is ideal for folks who have spent minimal time riding a stationary bike. The entire class takes place in the saddle, so you won't have to worry about maintaining your balance or potentially falling off your bike, but it still challenges you with rolling hills, climbs, sprints, and endurance segments. You'll also get Cohen's signature technique cues and upbeat energy, plus a special appearance from a sleepy pug in the background.

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15-Minute Intervals + Arms Cycling Workout

When you only have 15 minutes to spare, tune into this YouTube cycling class, which will get your heart racing and arms burning. Led by NASM-certified personal trainer Charlotte Maxwell, the workout features interval work and upper-body exercises such as bicep curls, shoulder presses, and flys. Make sure you have a lightweight pair of dumbbells (think: three pounds) on hand before you hop on your bike.

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1-Hour Only '80s Music Cycling Class

This hour-long YouTube cycling class is perfect for experienced cyclists looking to build up their endurance — and jam out to '80s dance hits. ACE-certified personal trainer Lars Meesters guides you through sprints, climbs, and recovery intervals, all while singing along to songs such as "Eye of the Tiger" and "Flashdance... What a Feeling." The workout is filmed in a simple room without mirrors or distracting lighting.

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10-Minute Cycling Workout

When you're in need of a workout snack, this free, online cycling class from personal trainer Gerard Majda has you covered — and, really, 10 minutes is about all you need to get the benefits of working out. This workout will have you riding seated, standing, and at various speeds. The suggested intensity, RPM, and resistance, plus the time left in the interval, appear on the screen throughout the entire video, so you don't have to worry about remembering Majda's verbal instructions.

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35-Minute Hip-Hop Ride Cycling Class

Confused by all of the cycling lingo? Amanda Hinds, a cycling instructor at LA Fitness and Signature Fitness, has your back. In her 35-minute YouTube cycling class, Hinds breaks down terms like "cadence" and "resistance," gets you in and out of the saddle while working at different gears, and reminds riders that the RPM and intensity call-outs are just suggestions — not requirements.

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40-Minute Indoor Cycling Hill Workout

If you're preparing to hit the roads IRL, incorporate this free, online cycling class into your routine. The advanced 40-minute workout features plenty of hills — with some flat sections for recovery — and a mixture of seated and standing climbs. Throughout the session, triathlon coach Paul Ryman will call out the suggested intensity level, which also appears on the screen next to the recommended RPM and timer.

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20-Minute Tabata Rhythm Ride

In this Tabata-style ride, Guevara will guide you through 20-second work intervals, followed by 10-second rest periods. The filmed-in-studio YouTube cycling class features plenty of choreography (think: push-ups and tap-backs), heavy resistance segments, and sprints. The workout is short but so intense; one commenter said they "had to hit the pause button" to catch their breath.

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45-Minute Spin Class

Taught by Spinning instructor Esmey León, this YouTube Spin class will challenge you with steep hills and flat roads. The workout is filmed in a studio, so you'll feel like you're sweating with a class. You can also expect motivational speeches from León to keep you pedaling.

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20-Minute "Spin to Begin" Class

You'll learn the fundamentals of cycling in this 20-minute, beginner-friendly YouTube Spin class. Studio Sweat trainer Jess N. will help you find your baseline pace and resistance, give tips for staying in sync with the music's beat, and guide you through climbs and sprints. Since the workout is filmed during a live class and from multiple angles, you'll be able to see Jess's real-time technique from different viewpoints.

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30-Minute Country Rhythm Cycling Class With Choreography

If hip-hop and pop hits aren't your jam, you'll love riding to this country-themed YouTube cycling class. The Spin Junkie, who has more than 10 years of experience teaching indoor cycling, will guide you through 30 minutes of high-resistance and sprint intervals with added push-ups and shoulder taps. When you're unsure how your body should be positioned during climbs and tap-backs, take a peek at the instructor's technique in one of the two side mirrors.