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 per 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 per 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.
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.
