Best Peloton bike alternatives 2023

Gone are the days of staring at the wall or the TV while riding in your house, and modern smart bikes like the Peloton offer unrivaled immersion with interactive workouts, competition against riders, and a sense of community. The best Peloton Bike alternatives follow the same concept with a massive touchscreen display and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to connect to various fitness apps. Budget-conscious buyers can opt for quality bikes that ditch the touchscreen to cut costs and allow you to use your smartphone or tablet with the same apps instead.

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At Pocket-Lint, we specialize in testing laptops, speakers, and other gadgets, and we occasionally get fun workout equipment to try out. These are our top picks for the best Peloton bike alternatives from reputable brands like Norditrack and Bowflex to help serve as a New Year’s movement motivator.

Norditrack S22i Studio Cycle

1. Best overall Peloton bike alternative

Ride around the world from home

The Norditrack S22i has a motor with incline and decline abilities and various tech features like a 22-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth to enjoy online workouts and trails.

Pros

Sturdy construction
Massive 22-inch display
Includes 30-day iFIT membership

Norditrack’s S22i is one of the best Peloton Bike alternatives because it uses the same formula with the latest technology to provide an exciting ride. The bike itself feels solid, with a quiet belt-driven system and magnetic resistance, and the motor offers incline and decline between -10 % and 20%. Another benefit of the S22i is its hybrid pedals, which accommodate riding cleats on one side and regular footwear on the other to appeal to all buyers.

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Most people get bikes like this for tech features, and it has a huge 22-inch touchscreen with Wi-Fi compatibility to access the iFit app or stream content from popular streaming services while you ride. You get a 30-day iFIT family membership for up to five people when you buy the S22i, and it allows you to access countless studio classes or ride along many famous routes from around the world. Bluetooth is standard, and you can enjoy your music via powerful front-facing speakers.

The S22i doesn’t come cheap, but it keeps you motivated by offering an incredible variety of workouts and keeps things challenging with an incline and decline function. It’s also not the most compact bike, but its size and weight make it stable, and the tiny wheels on the front make it easy to move.

Echelon EX5-S

2. Best premium Peloton bike alternative

Long-distance riding comfort

Echelon’s EX5-S has a rear-mounted flywheel that won’t need much cleaning, paired with a 22-inch touchscreen to enjoy routes and trails from around the world from the convenience of your home.

Pros

Incline and decline motor
Great app
Syncs with most wearables

The Echelon EX5-S differs from most bikes listed here because of its rear-mounted flywheel. It might take some getting used to, but it offers a comfy ride, is less prone to sweat because of its location, and requires less cleaning. When it comes to rideability, there are 32 levels of magnetic resistance with hybrid pedals and adjustable handlebars. Its wide, padded seat is comfier than most, and the 300-lb weight capacity should accommodate most riders despite being lower than some rivals.

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There’s no getting bored riding this bike because the affordable Echelon app offers a range of live and on-demand classes and includes outdoor routes to compete with other riders. Everything’s displayed on the large 22-inch touchscreen, which flips over when you want to use it for yoga or other types of training. The app easily syncs with most fitness apps, like Fitbit, Apple Health, and Strava, making it easy to track your progress.

Echelon’s EX5-S is another premium Peloton bike alternative that justifies its hefty price tag with a quality design and practical rear-mounted flywheel design. Its one-year warranty isn’t the best, but it makes up for it with a 30-day Echelon Premier Membership to enjoy some of the best music while you try out thousands of different workouts.

Schwinn IC4

3. Best value Peloton bike alternative

Reasonably-priced riding

$1000 $1200 Save $200

Schwinn’s IC4 is an affordable Peloton bike alternative with a stylish design and compatibility with most fitness apps like Zwift, Peloton, and JRNY, so you’ll always be motivated to train.

Pros

Works with most fitness apps
Great price
Stylish looks

Cons

No display
Third-party apps offer varying degrees of functionality

For anyone looking for a more budget-friendly Peloton bike alternative, the Schwinn IC4 is a promising choice. The bike removes the huge display, so you must use your own smartphone or tablet instead. It’s not necessarily a con because most of us have a spare device lying around anyway, and it opens up your app selection to the most popular options like Zwift and Peloton and includes a two-month JRNY trial to get you going.

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The IC4 has a stylish red and gray appearance with excellent built quality for the price and features magnetic resistance with 100 levels of adjustment to keep things challenging. It will accept most riders up to 330 lbs, with the seat and handlebars offering vertical and horizontal adjustments, and is suitable for amateurs or pros with dual-sided pedals.

Accessing exciting live and on-demand workouts while riding doesn’t require a huge investment as the IC4 offers a nice middle ground by providing compatibility with most apps despite its lack of a touchscreen.

BowFlex Velocrore 22IC

4. Best leaning Peloton bike alternative

Lean into the next fitness level

The BowFlex Velocrore 22IC takes riding workouts to the next level by adding a lean function to work your core and includes a 22-inch touchscreen to stream workouts and shows.

Pros

Leaning function
Compatible with most apps
22-inch touchscreen

Cons

Expensive
Leaning isn’t for everyone

Leaning bikes like the BowFlex Velocrore 22IC add another dimension to your workouts with a unique leaning design to train other body parts. Its innovative design allows you to use it as a conventional bike, and the Lean Mode allows you to train your core and abs. This mode adds more fun to your ride, and many compatible workouts are available in the Bowflex JRNY app to get the best out of it. If you don’t want to use JRNY after the initial two-month free trial, you can try Peloton or Zwift on your Apple or Android device and connect to the BowFlex Velocrore 22IC via Bluetooth.

Apart from its leaning function, the Velocrore 22IC is an excellent bike in its own right, with 100 levels of magnetic resistance, a height-adjustable seat, and dual-sided pedals with SPD clips on one side and standard toe cages on the other. Its 22-inch touchscreen is perfect for running apps or streaming movies and shows while working out and provides the ultimate immersion while competing against other riders on popular routes and trails.

Horizon Fitness 7.0 IC

5. Best mid-range Peloton bike alternative

Brilliant for beginners

The Horizon 7.0 IC offers 100 levels of magnetic resistance for a reasonable price and includes Bluetooth and USB charging for streaming workouts from Zwift, Peloton, and most fitness apps.

Pros

Fantastic price
Lighweight and portable
Compatible with most apps

Horizon’s 7.0 IC is a sturdy yet affordable Peloton bike alternative perfect for beginners wanting to try online workouts for the first time. Its stylish blue and black styling competes with bikes twice its price and includes an aluminum flywheel with 100 levels of magnetic resistance. This bike is ideal for smaller rooms and apartments thanks to its compact size, and its 87-lb weight makes it easy to move. You can easily adjust the size to fit most riders up to 300 lbs with the adjustable seat and handles, and the dual-side pedals accommodate riding cleats or regular trainers.

Part of the reason for the Horizon 7.0 IC’s reasonable price is its lack of a large display and ERG mode, but it makes up for it with a built-in heart rate monitor and Bluetooth and USB charging to connect your devices. The bike is compatible with third-party apps like Peloton or Zwift and offers a similar experience to our premium picks for far less when paired with an Apple or Android device of your choosing.

No bike is perfect, and the Horizon 7.0 ICs hard seat and lack of a touchscreen are forgivable, considering its low price and extensive list of extras. It’s still a great option that fits most homes and offers an exciting riding experience when used with compatible apps and hardware.

Echelon EX-15

6. Best budget eloton bike alternative

Accessible riding fitness

The Echelon EX-15 is an affordable Peloton bike alternative offering quality construction, 32 levels of magnetic resistance, and Echelon app accessibility for a challenging ride.

The Echelon EX-15 is probably the most affordable way to stream riding workouts and offers impressive quality for the price. It feels reassuringly solid for the price, partly because of its 90-lb weight and business-like all-gray design, and includes horizontally and vertically adjustable handlebars. You also get 32 levels of magnetic resistance to choose from, but there are bound to be compromises at this price point, and the single-sided pedals with toe cages and lack of a touchscreen can be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on the user.

This bike doesn’t have a console either, and the only way to monitor your speed, distance, and other stats is to access it with a compatible device via the included 30-day Echelon Premier membership. The app provides access to live and on-demand riding classes and allows you to try Yoga, Pilates, and other workouts on your mobile device.

Many buyers aren’t willing to pay top dollar for Peloton and NordicTrack bikes, and the Echelon EX-15 is an affordable alternative for less than half the price. Yes, it lacks some of the tech features of its premium rivals, but it still gets the job done, providing a fun and challenging ride when paired with the included app.

The bottom line: Which Peloton bike alternative is best?

The Norditrack S22i is the best Peloton bike alternative because it offers incline and decline functionality and a 22-inch touchscreen. Echelon’s EX5-S is the best premium option because of its stellar construction and tech features. Anyone looking for the best value can try the Schwinn IC4 because it comes at a great price and is compatible with Peloton, Zwift, JRNY, and most fitness apps.