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The Peloton indoor exercise bikes are so popular, they seem ubiquitous—one of them even landed a now infamous cameo in HBO’s And Just Like That*—*but a Peloton alternative can most definitely do the trick while saving some coins along the way. Full disclosure: I’m Team Treadmill because I sit down for at least eight hours a day when I’m writing, so I prefer to stand up when exercising. However, I gladly accepted the challenge to test out a few budget-friendly Peloton alternatives that can still help you meet your fitness goals.
Best Bike for Saving Space: Freebeat Exercise Bike
Freebeat: $849
Amazon: $850 without dumbbells, $900 with dumbbells
The Freebeat Exercise Bike is a stylish black-and-white Peloton alternative that doesn’t take up much space. The bike has a 21.5” HD anti-glare touchscreen, and there’s a stereo speaker system built into the screen’s bottom half. Since the screen can be rotated 180 degrees, it was easy for me to find the perfect angle. There are 35 magnetic resistance levels, and the seat can adjust to three heights. The bike isn’t loud at all. It only has a 35dB noise level, which—according to Yale University—is louder than a whisper, but not as loud as a library.
There are a variety of on-demand classes that you can try for free, and they include instructors from studios like Soulcycle, Flywheel, and Cyclebar. One fun feature of the Freebeat Exercise Bike is the ability to have gamified workouts, if you’re inspired by connecting with and competing against other users. And with the Freebeat Smart Dumbbell, interactive strength training classes are available. The bike comes with a 45-day free trial. After that, the monthly membership fee is $39, and allows up to 10 people to create personal profiles.
Best Bike for Saving Money: Mobi Fitness Exercise Bike
Amazon: $899.00
The Mobi Fitness Exercise Bike is another new entry in the exercise bike market. The compact bike is lightweight (it only weighs 92 pounds), and it has a sleek design. It doesn’t include a touchscreen monitor, but for the price, I’m not complaining. Also, it does have a space where I can securely place my tablet or smartphone for workout entertainment.
One of the best features about this bike is that it doesn’t require a subscription that’ll add extra monthly costs. After connecting to the Mobi Fitness App, users have access to free guided lessons on demand, and you can customize your workout routine. In the future, as the company gets more registered users, there will also be opportunities to participate in online competitions. (Note: There’s also an option to connect with plans that require a monthly fee.) The Mobi Fitness App is basic, but I found it more than enough for simple cycling that doesn’t require on-demand classes or leaderboards. The quiet bike has 32 magnetically-controlled gears, and the seat is adjustable. Although it doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of a Peloton, keep in mind that it does come in several thousand dollars cheaper.
Best Bike for a Peloton Clone: MYX II Fitness Bike
Amazon: $1,399
MYX Fitness: $1,399
The MYX II Fitness Bike is about as close as you can get to a Peloton bike in appearance and performance. In fact, mine even included white-glove delivery, and the technician who set it up was committed to making sure that he answered all of my questions—how to adjust the seat’s height and depth, how to use the dual side pedals, among others. The bike is available in either black or white (I chose black). Although I’m usually on my treadmill, this is the stationary bike that I currently use when I’m sitting down to exercise. Did I mention that it looks really good and makes quite the first impression with visitors? And, honestly, how it looks is often the most important feature to those of us who write for Clever.
As far as functionality is concerned, MYX takes this just as seriously—the bike is one of the ergonomic dozen products recommended by experts for proper alignment and spine health. For maximum effectiveness, I needed to enter some health details on the touch screen, and the algorithm used that information to create an individualized training program with personalized heart rate zones.
The bike has a 21.5" touchscreen that swivels, and I can adjust both the height and depth of the seat and handlebars. However, the bike also has some neat features that you won’t find on a Peloton Base Bike. For example, I didn’t need to purchase cycling shoes because the bike has dual-purpose pedals with oversized cages on one side and SPD-compatible clips on the other side. And there’s more. For example, this bike has a smaller footprint, a higher weight capacity (350 pounds), and even a higher flywheel weight than Peloton.
Now let’s talk cost. A base Peloton bike costs $1,495 without any additions or subscriptions, and the MYX bike isn’t significantly less expensive at $1,399. Like Peloton, it does require a monthly membership fee, but it’s also cheaper ($29 per month for MYX vs. $39 per month for Peloton). The class membership provides access to hundreds of different types of workouts, including dance cardio, Pilates, and kettlebells.
Other Peloton alternatives:
If these three bikes are still too expensive for your budget, these are some other alternatives under $300 that you might want to peruse. Selected based on price, features, and user ratings.
Urevo Exercise Bike, $210, has a pulse sensor to monitor your heart rate, and it can also track calories, distance, and time.
Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Bike, $150, only weighs 39 pounds, and you can fold it up and put into storage when not in use.
Yosuda Bike, $299, has an iPad mount and a cushy seat, making it comfortable for sitting long periods of time.
