Peloton bikes are great but they aren’t for everyone. Here are a few alternatives that may better suit your needs and budget.
Updated Jan. 20, 2024 7:00 a.m. PT Air Resistance
Like so many other things at CNET, we test exercise bikes as thoroughly as possibly through rigorous examination and comparison. Each exercise bike in our list has been through at least 100 miles of riding, using as many of the built-in features as possible.
Bowflex is known for its home workout machines, but its Velocore series is genuinely something anyone can enjoy. The bike is surprisingly modular, and its magnetic resistance system allows you to get a whole body workout without making a ton of noise. The big front wheels make it easy to move around and you can use the big speakers on the front of the display, though Bluetooth is also an option. But the truly unique part of this design is the way it allows you to lean into your rides thanks to a locked hinge, which offers a core workout while you ride.
What makes this exercise bike stand out is everything you get on the screen. The Bowflex JRNY service does require a subscription to use, but at $20/month it's less than half the cost of Peloton's service and offers a ton of things you can't get elsewhere. If you want a growing set of classes to give you a clear set of instructions for working out, Bowflex has quite a bit to offer through its subscription service. If that's not your thing, there are loads of other options including just watching Netflix or Hulu or even Max while you ride. It's something few other bikes do unless you bring your own screen, and Bowflex does it with ease.
A lot of indoor bike manufacturers try to compete with Peloton on price without sacrificing a ton in quality, but Echelon does it better than most. And if you're new to cycling without knowing whether this is something you want to massively invest in, a budget option that's actually fun to use makes a big difference. The frame on the Echelon EX-3 is sturdy, offers a rear flywheel with magnetic resistance, and it's got a great tablet and phone mount you can position however you want. It's also got rear-mounted water bottle holders, which isn't terribly common with indoor bikes but nice if you want to feel like you're simulating an outdoor ride on a performance bike.
Echelon's bikes are not a 100% copy of the Peloton experience. If you've used a Peloton before, you'll notice this bike is a little louder and the magnetic resistance is a little sudden and intense by comparison. What you do get is a Bluetooth connection so you can use just about any app to tell you how well your workout went, and at a price that even if you add in the optional subscription from Echelon is dramatically less than what you'll find anywhere else.
This may seem obvious, but indoor bikes take up a lot of room. They take up even more room when you mount a 22-inch display on the front, which is not ideal when you're in a smaller apartment or you just can't afford to lose that much space to exercise equipment. If you're trying to get a quality workout in without leaving your house, the Pro-Form Pro C10-U places a focus on reducing weight and using as much vertical space as possible, making it easy to use when you need it and put it away when you don't.
The embedded display uses Pro-Form's iFit classes to help give you a workout with a small subscription attached. That display is presented at a fixed angle, so you can glance down at it when you need but it's not going to be permanently in your line of sight. This means you can easily set this bike in front of a television if you'd prefer the included screen only help you track your time on the bike. Either way, you're getting a decent workout for less space and cash.
Maybe you don't want to stare at a screen while some spectacularly fit 22-year old-instructor yells at you to pick up the pace. While many bikes with screens offer a small about of other distractions -- like recordings of a bike on a trail somewhere exotic or a selection of streaming apps to watch a movie -- there's something to be said for the flexibility of bringing your own screen. If you're looking for a bike that's well made and supports multiple body types without forcing you into a single experience for working out, the Bowflex C6 is what you want.
The device mount on the handlebars of the Bowflex C6 makes it easy to bring your own screen and mount it however you see fit, but the Bluetooth data sharing also makes it possible to set your bike in front of a TV and enjoy an even larger set of distractions. Most cycling apps will pair with the Bowflex C6 easily, but it's worth pointing out some performance-based apps like Zwift don't always get the most accurate information from this bike.
Myx bikes have always been aimed at the hardcore fitness fans, but when Myx merged with the folks at BeachBody, an already great experience expanded to way more people with the Myx II Plus. This is a great bike for a variety of body types, and it allows you to adjust your screen in just about every direction. Unlike many of its competitors, Myx II Plus makes it easy to share the bike with up to five other people without needing multiple subscriptions.
Where most exercise bikes offer the ability to do a variety of workouts while on the bike, Myx II Plus offers a ton of things to do off the bike as well. The included software offers everything from yoga to kettlebell classes with everything in between in addition to an array of spin class-style workouts and even live classes you can join throughout the week. It's one of the few exercise bikes in this price range that can truly deliver a full-body workout.
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: $2,490, plus $44 a month for on-demand and live classes. And if you've got the money, the Peloton Bike Plus really is a great bike.
Although I didn't love having to buy (and use) special clip-in cycle shoes, I did enjoy the overall Peloton experience. The high-energy cycling classes are fun and engaging, with a huge variety of instructors, music genres and difficulty levels -- something for everyone.
One thing almost every bike with a screen on it has in common is the manufacturer makes the rules. You have a nice, large screen in front of you but can only access what they want you to see and experience if you pay for the access. Some offer additional apps you can install, but the list is extremely limited and typically only includes streaming tv shows or movies. Stryde makes it clear on its site the tablet on the front of its bike is a fully unlocked device running Android, so the only limit is your desire to tinker with your bike.
When you're not trying to install Zwift or TrainerRoad on your tablet, the bike itself actually looks really nice and offers a comparable level of magnetic resistance to simulate any kind of cycling. You don't have to pay for the subscription service if you don't think the included classes are particularly valuable, but if you're looking for a Peloton-like training regiment you'll find a lot to like there.
I've been testing indoor bikes for more than five years now, and while I don't think there's a single bike that's perfect for all people I would say the best overall Peloton alternative is the Bowflex Velocore series. If you're looking for a large display with a lot of options on the screen that Peloton is never going to offer, you'll be happy with this bike. And if having a giant screen doesn't matter as much to you, there's a budget-friendly version with a 16-inch display instead.
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:
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.
There's no such thing as one bike for every kind of rider out there, and while Peloton makes a great bike there may be better options out there depending on your needs. With that in mind, we test all of our indoor bikes using the same criteria.
Consider how much you're willing to spend on an indoor bike. A big part of our testing is identifying which areas of an ideal cycling experience can be reduced to save money without impacting the quality of your workout.
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. For example, some subscription services offer less expensive options to add family members.
A lot of indoor bikes take up a lot of room, and a big part of making sure your purchase doesn't quickly become a very expensive clothesline is making sure it's the right size for your space without sacrificing the things that make a good workout.
At the end of the day whatever bike you choose needs to be enjoyable to use. This means testing the seat for extended periods of time as well as the different riding positions you'd want to be in while riding.
Like so many other things at CNET, we test exercise bikes as thoroughly as possibly through rigorous examination and comparison. Each exercise bike in our list has been through at least 100 miles of riding, using as many of the built-in features as possible. Every exercise bike is judged against the following metrics:
Every workout makes some noise, but a quieter bike typically means greater build quality. At the same time, if an exercise bike has a built-in display with speakers it's important to know it's possible to clearly hear the class instructor or your favorite TV show over the sound of you working out.
It's important to be able to set your exercise bike to the riding position that works best for you, and be able to ride in that position for extended periods of time. All of the bikes in this list are tested in cruiser, neutral and competition riding positions to ensure comfort for as many body types as possible.
Even if your bike doesn't have a display, it likely has a way to connect to your phone or tablet to access performance apps. But that testing doesn't end at the ability to connect to a phone, the accuracy of the information sent from the bike to your phone makes a big difference, especially if you're counting calories or you want to use a competitive racing app to ride with friends. Making sure the power you push into your exercise bike is accurately reflected in the information sent to apps makes a big difference.
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 Myx II Pro 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.
Because indoor bikes like Peloton reach such a broad audience of cyclists, your personal level of enthusiasm has a ton of weight on your choice.
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 the Bowflex VeloCore, which offers a realistic road feel and can mimic the way you lean in to turns. However, if your main goal is to get the most bang for your buck, you'll want to consider something like the Bowflex C6
Indoor cycling is a full-body workout. It targets your core, upper body, back, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and lower legs. Some bikes also include weights so you can more specifically target muscle groups in your arms.
The most eye-catching aspect of the Peloton exercise bike is, without question, its big HD touchscreen. But 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.
If your goal when buying 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.
You can use any of these bikes independently, though; you don't have to take a class (but Peloton does require a minimum one-year subscription as part of your purchase). If you decide not to pay for a membership and fitness app, some bikes will no longer collect or display data, such as speed and distance, about your rides, which is one of the reasons someone might choose an indoor bike over a road bike.
Equipment For Working Out Much as you might dislike the idea of yet another monthly subscription, even $40 is less than what you'd typically pay for just two or three drop-in cardio workout classes at your favorite indoor cycle studio (and it's worth it if you find a particular Peloton instructor particularly motivating). Just be sure to factor that cost into the overall expenditure and, where possible, look for discounts on the prepaid, annual subscriptions.