Echelon Smart Connect Bike EX3
Best deals on an indoor bike
Myx II Connected Home Fitness Studio
Best big screen
You probably can’t talk about indoor bikes without mentioning Peloton. But though Peloton quickly became a household name, there’s no shortage of competing bikes out there looking to either meet or beat the relative newcomer on prices and features. So if you want an alternative to the Peloton experience, know that you’ve got some options.Â
Most people looking at a Peloton don’t know that they aren’t just paying $1,445 for a Peloton Bike or $1,595 for a Bike Plus. There’s also $44 a month for Peloton workout classes and access to the Peloton app for when they’re not at home. With people cutting back on costs in today’s economic climate, a monthly bike subscription may be considered unnecessary to some. There are plenty of indoor bike options, which range from charging you only a monthly fee, with no upfront cost for the bike itself, to no monthly fee at all and only a hardware cost.
Read more:Â Best Smart Home Gym: Peloton, Mirror, Tonal and Others
Let’s take a look at the best indoor exercise bike options and see which is the right one to get your heart rate up and your legs pumping. The best Peloton alternative for you could be a scroll away. Options for an outstanding indoor bike experience are nearly endless, but I’ve done the work to highlight some of my favorites so you can find the best exercise bike for your needs. Note that these prices are accurate at the time of this writing and subject to change. Also, note that many of these fitness equipment sellers offer financing.
Peloton vs. best Peloton alternatives
| Bowflex C6 | Bowflex VeloCore | Echelon Connect EX3 | NordicTrack S15i | Myx Fitness Myx | Peloton Bike Plus | ProForm Studio Bike Limited | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $999 | $799 | $475 | $1,960 | $1,399 | $2,495 | $1,403 |
| Monthly fee | N/A | $20 | $35 | $39 | $29 | $44 | $39 |
| Subscription requirement | N/A | Optional | Optional | Optional | Required | Required | Required for 3 years |
| Screen size (inches) | BYO | 16-in. and 22-in. | BYO | 14-in. | 21.5-in. | 21.5-in. | 10-in. |
Best Peloton alternatives of 2023
Most indoor bike platforms now ask you to pay at least some monthly fee for software. The Bowflex C6 is currently my favorite exception to this — it can pair via Bluetooth with a variety of different exercise apps, including Peloton’s. Add to that one of the lowest prices of any “connected” bike and you’ve got a serious contender.
At $799, the VeloCore indoor cycling bike certainly qualifies as an “affordable Peloton bike alternative” — though if you opt for the model with the 22-inch screen, now you’re up to $999. However, there’s one very good reason to consider the VeloCore and it’s right there in the name: your core.
If you want a Peloton alternative at the lowest possible price without losing important features, look to Echelon. The company offers a similar class structure, both live and on-demand, but the hardware and subscription cost considerably less than anything from Peloton. The EX3, for example, currently costs $800, or you can get it with a one-year subscription for $1,220. That price drops to around $600 or less when it’s on sale, which happens frequently.
You’ll notice this recommendation isn’t exactly more affordable than Peloton, but it’s still on the list because this bike does way more. NordicTrack’s bike uses a mechanical shaft to simulate the inclines and declines of actual bike riding, so when you’re pedaling a virtual hill, it feels more like a hill. What’s more, cycling class instructors and virtual-ride leaders can remotely adjust your bike’s incline and resistance levels, meaning you’re not constantly futzing with controls.
Myx Fitness isn’t shy about what you get with this Peloton alternative, it’s a bike with a 21.5-inch screen and original, in-house fitness programming for the whole body. The pricing is decidedly different, however, as the Myx II stationary bike costs just $1,399, with a monthly membership fee starting at $29. So while it’s not the least expensive option in the roundup, it offers considerable value.
It sounds almost too good to be true, but ProForm’s deal is real — and awesome: Pay $39 a month for an iFit subscription and the bike is yours for free. You have to keep that subscription for three years, but that brings your total out-of-pocket cost to right around $1,400. That’s what you’d pay up front for a lot of bikes and then you’d still be paying a monthly fee on top. If you’re ready for the indoor bike life and want an affordable alternative to Peloton, it’s difficult to imagine a better deal.
Recommended, with reservations
Peloton’s cycle is, without question, the Bentley of home exercise bikes — a sturdy and beautiful machine that feels every inch like a premium product. Of course, it has a price tag to match the Peloton experience: $1,445, delivery and setup included, plus $44 a month for on-demand and live classes. And if you’ve got the money, the new Peloton Bike Plus just had a price drop to $1,595.
To look at the Stryde bike is to see a Peloton alternative with a similarly dazzling 21.5-inch screen but lower price tag: $1,595, plus a completely optional $30 monthly subscription. Unlike virtually every other bike with an integrated display, this one doesn’t lock you into a custom ecosystem. Instead, it runs stock Android, so it’s like having an oversized tablet at your fingertips, one capable of running not just Stryde’s own app, but also a browser, Netflix and so on.
How we test Peloton alternatives
Every indoor bike has the same basic feature set, but testing any bike as a viable Peloton alternative means the bike needs to meet a few basic benchmarks. When testing any indoor bike, we’re primarily interested in measuring the following:
- Size, stability and comfort: How well this bike fits in your home and how comfortable it is to ride in a home. This includes ease of assembly, how much noise the bike makes and how well it tucks away when not in use if that’s what you need in your space.
- Software features: If this is a Peloton alternative, it needs to be able to deliver a lot of different things all at once. This includes heart-rate monitoring and reporting, access to a wide variety of workout types and the ability to use your bike in a competitive workout environment (real or virtual)
- Cycling flexibility: It’s important that the indoor bikes we consider as Peloton alternatives be able to challenge a wide variety of skill levels. This means something on this list allows for clearly defined difficulty levels and allows for someone with preferred cycling shoes to comfortably use the bike.
Each bike we have access to is thoroughly tested by riding in three different situations — included HIIT workouts, 20-mile performance rides and more casual 30-minute cycling sessions. If we have not yet had access to the bike but find its features interesting, this detail is called out in the section.
Factors to consider when choosing a Peloton alternative
- Consider how much you’re willing to spend on an indoor cycling bike. Some less popular brands may cost only a few hundred dollars, whereas bigger brands like Peloton can cost thousands.
- Many smart bikes now include a subscription to access their classes. Decide if a member subscription is important to your indoor cycling experience or if you want an option to just ride.Â
- If you do want a member subscription, determine if you’d like the ability to create additional profiles for other family members.
- Consider if you want the bike’s screen to be built-in or if you’re OK with a tablet or phone holder.
- Make sure the bike you’re eyeing fits in your home as they can take up a decent amount of space.Â
Peloton Alternative FAQs
Which bike is Peloton’s biggest competitor?
This is a tough question to answer, because it depends on what kind of cyclist you are. If you’re new to cycling and want the gym experience at home, the biggest competition to Peloton would be the NordicTrack S22i referenced above. If you’re a more advanced cyclist looking for a way to get in a variety of workouts at home without needing to go to a scheduled spin class, the competition to Peloton would likely look more like an indoor trainer where you’re using your own road bike hooked up to a Wahoo Kickr Smart Trainer.
What should I look for when buying an indoor exercise bike?
Before you decide which indoor exercise to buy, you’ll want to consider several things including cost, size, display screen and whether or not you’ll need a monthly subscription. If your main goal is to simulate the experience of riding outdoors, for instance, you’ll want a bike like NordicTrack’s S15, which offers a realistic road feel and can mimic the incline and decline of hills. However, if your main goal is to get the most bang for your buck, you’ll want to consider something like the ProForm Studio Bike Pro.
Which muscles does indoor cycling work?
Indoor cycling is a full-body workout. It targets your core, upper body, back, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and lower legs.Â
Which bike is most similar to Peloton?
With its 21.5-inch screen and extensive selection of fitness classes, the $1,399Â Myx II stationary bike is the closest thing to a Peloton that you can get. But if you’re looking to cut costs even further, the $800 Echelon EX3 is an excellent alternative with Peloton-like classes and a premium design — but keep in mind that you’ll need to bring your own screen.
Is a built-in or BYO screen better?
The sexiest aspect of the Peloton exercise bike is, without question, its big HD touchscreen. Of course, that’s also a big reason the bike is so expensive; many indoor spin bike competitors come with a smaller screen or none at all. The Bowflex C6, for example, doesn’t come with any kind of display. Instead, it has a mount for your tablet. The smaller screen may not draw you in as much, but a tablet lets you do things other than watch indoor cycling class videos, like read books, stream Netflix or even go on virtual outdoor scenic rides. I’m not saying one is definitively better than another — there are pros and cons to built-in and BYO screens.
Is a subscription necessary?
If the goal of purchasing a piece of home-fitness equipment is to avoid pricey gym or class memberships, some of these bikes may leave you scratching your head. As noted, Peloton charges $44 a month; Myx Fitness runs a little cheaper at $39, while Echelon’s plans range from $30 to $35. If you buy a NordicTrack cycle, you get your first year of the iFit service free and after that, it costs $39 a month.
Source: CNET
