The Peloton and the new MYX Fitness Bike are two stationary bikes designed to deliver an unparalleled interactive spin class workout experience straight into your home, but not all bikes are created equal.
Both of these bikes have large HD screens, streaming programming, and other bonuses to get the job done, but there are other details that account for the fairly significant price difference between the pair.
We’re going to break down the best features of both bikes and compare them head-to-head. While both bikes will provide you with a great ride, one may be better suited to your personal goals and interests. Wondering which bike comes out on top in which circumstances? That’s precisely why we’re here.
Starting Price:
MYX: $1199
Peloton: $1895
Monthly membership cost:
MYX: $29
Peloton: $39.99
Weights / other equipment Included?
MYX: Yes
Peloton: No
Moveable screen?
MYX: Yes
Peloton:P No
On-demand classes?
MYX: Dozens of class types
Peloton: Some additional classes
MYX Fitness Bike
MYX Fitness is one of the newest players in the connected home exercise bike space, and it’s quickly surging in popularity.
MYX is one of the few bikes to truly bring you the Peloton Experience, without the Peloton price tag. There are plenty of bikes out there to choose from, but they typically all require you to use your own screen and find your own programming. MYX fitness delivers a built-in screen and their own proprietary streaming training, just like Peloton, but at a much more accessible price.
Top Features of the MYX Bike
Here are some of the top features of the MYX bike that you should be aware of:
- It’s well designed and comes in gray or white
- There’s an included 21.5” HD touchscreen
- It has dual-sided pedals that come with both SPF clips and toe cages
- Touchscreen swivels so that you can easily transition from bike to floor exercises
- Two water bottle holders
- Heavy, 41-pound flywheel
- Able to hold up to 350 lbs.
- Separate controls for the music and the instructor on the bike MYX fitness offers
- Comes with dumbbells, a kettlebell, mat, foam roller, and more for just an extra $200
- Tons of bike workouts to choose from with more added daily, including a large selection of floor workouts
- MYX bike comes with personalized heart rate monitoring, included is a heart rate monitor
- The bike compact and lightweight for easy maneuvering
- It integrates with Apple
- The MYX Bike costs only $1199 (minus $50 with my code FITHEALTHY50)! + $29 per month for class access
- They’re currently offering FREE delivery and setup ($250 value) with short shipping times!
Peloton
Peloton’s biggest strength is its live workouts. They film live and pre-programmed classes, led by popular instructors right in their NYC studios every day, and broadcast them on their included HD screen. Peloton fans can also access this programming by subscribing to their app which gives users access to classes on any device and any machine.
Like so many others, I love the instructors and the community aspect. But I enjoy having access to a library of pre-recorded classes too. Aside from classes on the bike and tread, they, too, offer a list of another programming, like cardio, HIIT, strength, and more.
Here are some important attributes to keep in mind about the Peloton Bike:
- Great instructors – very motivating and easy to connect with
- You get access to their whole library of workouts with the app
- The classic bike now costs $1895 + $39 per month for access to the app
- Magnetic resistance
- No option to control the instructor and the music independently
- The screen is static, making it difficult to view for floor workouts (if you want their new swivel screen, you’ll need to upgrade to the Bike+ which starts at $2495
- Shipping is currently taking anywhere from 4-9 weeks and will cost $250 for shipping
- They have Live workouts as a large part of their programming and sales strategy
- There’s a live leaderboard that allows users to compete with other riders on live workouts
- It includes a 21.5” HD touchscreen
- The pedals are clip-in only, if you don’t buy cycling shoes you’ll need to buy toe cages
- It includes dual water bottle holders
MYX Vs. Peloton Bike: Specs And Features
Frame
The frame on both of these bikes is made of high-strength steel, so you shouldn’t have any issues. Both should hold up just fine and allow you to get a great workout in for years to come.
Resistance
Now, this category has some differences. The two bikes use very different resistance systems to make your riding experience easier or more challenging depending on the settings. In the case of the MYX Bike, a felt pad creates physical drag on the heavy flywheel to add resistance to your ride.
Controlled in the same fashion, the Peloton uses magnets that move closer to or further from the flywheel to add more resistance. In the long run, the felt pad will wear as the years go by, but from a functional standpoint, the effect is quite similar. Both systems use a control knob that allows for precise adjustment of resistance while riding.
One thing you will notice as a difference between these two though is the noise. While it’s definitely not significant, there will be a small amount more noise from the MYX Bike on account of the physical contact of parts used to create drag. Because the magnets and flywheel of the Peloton are not contacting one another, the ride will be pretty close to silent, however, if you’re like me and tend to listen to a playlist or follow an online workout then you won’t even notice the noise while pedaling.
Console Features
Now here’s where things get interesting. By using the change in resistance types as their primary means of cutting costs, the MYX Bike is still able to offer a high-definition console and streaming training in a similar format to Peloton, albeit with a few key differences.
The subscription for training will set you back $29 per month, and rather than going for the competitive style of training where you fight to get on the leader board and are pushed to train harder by keeping up with cadence and resistance stats on the bike, MYX fitness takes a much more individualized approach.
You’re training against yourself rather than a group that may appeal more to some, and their guidance revolves around heart rate zones As long as you’re exerting yourself and keeping your BPM up, MYX trainers won’t be pushing you to up the pace. This is a great method for those that are newer to indoor cycling and are less motivated by the competition factor.
With the Peloton bike, competition is a big selling feature, as well as the overall quality of instruction which Peloton has long been hailed for. The brand was the first to market with this type of bike, and their following is almost cult-like. Being that they’ve been in business longer, there are more classes available to be streamed at any given time, and members are able to take part in live spin classes that are broadcast from Peloton studios. As with MYX, there’s a monthly subscription cost for the service, this time at $39 per month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MYX as good as peloton?
Now, this is down to you of course but the MYX fitness bike has a ton of pros and some that make it better than a Peloton. The on-demand content through the MYXapp is wonderful and adds value to the machine. Whether it’s HIIT sessions or general biking workouts, you are going to be fully covered here. The on-demand content is perfect and comes with high-value instructors too so on that front you’re getting something as good as, if not better than a Peloton.
What bike is comparable to a peloton?
We’ve covered several exercise bike models that rival the Peloton. This article covers the MYX fitness bike but some other worthy competitors are the Schwinn, the ProForm, and the NordicTrack.
Summary
If you’re an elite spin class enthusiast looking to climb to the top of your competitive pool, Peloton is still king of the ring but they’re going to make you pay for it.
For the majority of you out there that just want a good workout, some extra guidance, or the convenience of occasional spin classes from the comfort of your own home, the MYX Fitness Bike is half the price of the Peloton for way more than half the bike and experience quality then save some dollars and ride with MYX.
But, whichever you decide on you’re sure to get a good workout.
Keep pedaling!
