Considering the Costco Echelon EX4s Bike, Echelon EX5s Bike, ProForm, or Peloton? How about MYX Bikes?!
Are you looking for an at home solution to fitness and spinning and exploring all that Costco has to offer with a more economical competitor to Peloton, such as the Costco Echelon EX4S Bike, the Costco Echelon EX-5s, Costco ProForm Bikes or Costco Inspire Bikes? If so, there may be an option outside of Costco at a Costco price you haven’t considered with the MYX from MYXfitness Bikes.
Costco Echelon EX4S Bike Review Below
I started my stationary bike exploration mid-covid, just as many Americans did. As everyone rushed to buy a Peloton, I saw the price and immediately halted and wondered if there was something better OR something comparable for a better price. I like spinning, but I also like walking, hiking, yoga (in a studio and not always from home) and I’m daydreaming of a day where not all my exercise is done at home or outside in the park. I would like to budget some for those yoga studios when the day comes.
Costco Echelon EX4S Bike vs Peloton Review Below
If you’re like me, spinning is a great form of exercise, but I don’t live for it. I do have the SPD clip shoes, but I held off for so long. I used to go to Flywheel on Monday evenings in San Francisco and I was always in the bottom 25% of the class, but I showed up! I would often see bike messengers park their bikes inside the studio and take a spinning class. Now, that’s hardcore! I’m not that. I dreaded going, but I went (90% of the time...haha).
I live in Berkeley, and hiking is a great activity as well. Plus, my dog and husband get the exercise too and we get a little family time. These are things I value, and I’m not committed to spinning to the point where it’s my everything, but I do miss going to a class.
Costco Echelon EX4S Bike vs MYX Bike: Plus MYXfitness Discount Below
Now that we’ve established the type of spinning aficionado I am, let’s delve into my evaluation process and now I decided on the MYX Bike by MYXfitness over the Costco Echelon EX-4S Bike and Echelon EX-5s. If you were doing research and you’re wondering why Echelon doesn’t have the EX4s Bike on their website for sale, it’s because they’re sold only at Costco and Costco.com. This Echelon EX4S Bike is a Costco exclusive.
I want to start by evaluating the economical version of the most popular brand, Peloton. Then, we’ll look at the economical versions of Echelon on their direct website. After that, I’ll go into the Costco Bike offerings. Lastly, we’ll go over the MYX Bike by MYXfitness, which is the one I ended up purchasing (best for last IMO).
Peloton Bike Basics $1895
Monthly Class Membership Cost: $39 per month for everyone in the household
Monthly Class Membership Features:
Access to live classes and thousands more on demand
Individual profiles for household access
In-workout metrics like power, cadence, resistance and heart rate
Leaderboard to workout alongside other Members
Training programs and challenges
Workout history, milestone achievements, streaks and badges
Special event programming
Delivery and Assembly: Free/ Included
Screen: 21.5” HD Touchscreen (does NOT swivel/rotate… only the Peloton Bike+ screen rotates)
Sound: 2x10 watt sound system with rear speakers & headphone jack
Pedals: Delta-compatible aluminum pedals
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Weight: 135lbs
Footprint: 4’ x 2’
User Requirements: Between 4’11” and 6’4” and up to 297lbs
Colors: Black
Warranty: 30 day risk free home trial plus 12-month limited warranty and 5 years on the bike frame
Thoughts on the Peloton Bike Basics:
There’s a reason Peloton is the most popular brand, and I think it comes down to the class offerings. Because the classes are from NYC instructors from popular and busy studios that shut down during covid, Peloton was braced and ready to take over the market. Plus, in February 2020 (right at the very beginning of covid) Peloton won a lawsuit against Flywheel, ultimately gaining all the Flywheel customer base.
After tax, the bottom level bike is over 2k, and that’s not including a monthly membership fee. The nice thing is that the membership fee includes all members of the family, but unless you care about tracking on the leaderboard and heart rate history etc, there’s no way of enforcing this at home. I’m also a fan of white over black, but I wouldn’t choose color over price. When paying this much, I expect the option though and Peloton doesn’t offer color choices. Silly as it may be, the clunker I choose is going in my bedroom. I can see why others have chosen Peloton, but I like to save some of my fitness budget for other classes outside of the home, so I’m going to pass on Peloton.
I bought my bike with FSA funds…. Learn how you can do the same by clicking the banner to view #5 on this blog article!
Echelon Smart Connect Bike EX-3 $1039.98
Monthly Class Membership Cost: 1-Year Included, then $39.99 Monthly or $33.33/Month Annual Price
Monthly Class Membership Features:
Access to live classes and more on demand through United membership
Classes included meditation, yoga, boxing, strength training, core etc
Compete with friends and family that also have a membership
Up to 5 family and household members on one account
Delivery and Assembly: $199
Screen: Bring your own tablet situation here
Sound: None because you’re bringing your own screen, therefore sound too.
Pedals: Unclear, but SPD Compatible Pedals with Toe Cages can be purchased separately for $60. I’m assuming it comes with at least one feature, and likely SPD due to all other Echelon Bikes listing SPD.
Heart Rate Monitor: Doesn’t state
Weight: 104lbs
Footprint: 48” x 20” x 44“
User Requirements: 300lbs
Colors: Black on Black, Red on Black, and White
Warranty: 30 day risk free home trial plus 12-month limited warranty and 5 years on the bike frame
Thoughts on the Echelon Smart Connect Bike EX-3:
The pricing is much better on this bike for what is offered. I don’t like that shipping isn’t covered (seems to be covered for higher end bikes) and I wish Echelon had a thorough features list for this bike. It took some digging to find some information online from other reviewers. This Echelon EX-3 bike weighs around 20% less than the Peloton bike though. I thought that was interesting. I’m also not a fan of the whole “bring your own tablet” situation although it technically does save on tech and the cost savings are transferred to the buyer. The assumption is that we’re all tablet users though, and tablets are losing popularity. I do like that it’s offered in white. I don’t like that I don’t know what pedal the bike comes with.
It seems that there’s an assumption this bike can’t be sold to an experienced spinner, because we must be looking for the most expensive option. That’s not true. Show me the features Echelon! Here’s one thing folks can consider… When you bring your own screen, you’re not committed to the class service the bike offers. You can purchase an Echelon Bike and the Peloton class service. This is why Echelon is offering one-year free now. They caught onto what others started to learn and they want you to get used to their service offerings. You can also check out the Echelon EX5s, and EX4s while you’re on the Echelon site.
Echelon Smart Connect Bike EX4s Costco Exclusive Echelon Bike $1099.99
Echelon ex-4s Connect Bike
Monthly Class Membership Cost: 1-Year Included, then $39.99 Monthly or $33.33/Month Annual Price
Monthly Class Membership Features:
Access to live classes and more on demand through United membership
Classes included meditation, yoga, boxing, strength training, core etc
Compete with friends and family that also have a membership
Up to 5 family and household members on one account
Delivery and Assembly: Free/ Included
Screen: 10.1” Integrated HD touch screen that flips 180 degrees
Sound: From the screen, just as sound comes from a TV
Pedals: SPD-compatible toe cage pedals
Heart Rate Monitor: Doesn’t state
Footprint: 54” x 20”
Weight: 105lbs
User Requirements: 300lbs
Colors: Black
Warranty: Costco’s Shop Confidently Return Policy Delivery. This bike can be returned to any of the more than 800 Costco warehouses worldwide if you aren’t satisfied at any point.
Thoughts on the Costco Exclusive Echelon Bike, Echelon Smart Connect Bike EX4s:
I got very close to purchasing this bike instead of the MYXfitness Bike. I was split between these two as the prices were very comparable. At the time, Costco was even offering $200 off the Echelon Smart Connect Bike EX4s when I was evaluating both bikes, which made the decision even harder.
A few reasons came down to my selection of MYXfitness instead. I’ll leave it to you to scroll below where I highlight the MYXfitness Bike since this isn’t its section, but the membership fee was something I wanted to consider the cost of long-term, and not just the first-year. The screen was really small on this Echelon Bike, and it’s much larger (2x) on the MYXfitness Bike, and MYXfitness is make by the same manufacturer as Star Trac Bikes, which I really like and trust as Star Trac were the first to take over the stationary spinning bike market. I also got a 0% interest monthly payment offer from Affirm to purchase the MYXfitness Bike and I would have had to drop 1k on the spot for the Costco Echelon Smart Connect Bike EX4s. I’m starting a business, so that was appealing too. From what I’ve read and heard, the Costco Echelon Smart Connect Bike EX4s is a solid purchase for the price though.
ProForm Tour De France CTC Indoor Cycle Costco $999.99
Monthly Class Membership Cost: 1-Year Included iFit, then $39 monthly individual or $180 annually for families
Monthly Class Membership Features:
On demand classes through iFit membership, but no live-classes
Classes included HIIT, strength training, core etc
Delivery and Assembly: Delivery and Shipping Included, but Assembly NOT included
Screen: 10” Full-Color Smart HD Touchscreen Display
Sound: From the screen, just as sound comes from a TV
Pedals: Pedals with optional toe cages. The ProForm Tour De France doesn’t appear to have SPD or another clip-in option, or at least stated on any website.
Heart Rate Monitor: Doesn’t have but you can pair bluetooth from another device
Footprint: 22” x 57” x 52”
Weight: 141lbs
User Requirements: 250lbs
Colors: One color that’s a combo of black, white plus a yellow wheel
Warranty: Costco’s Shop Confidently Return Policy Delivery. This bike can be returned to any of the more than 800 Costco warehouses worldwide if you aren’t satisfied at any point.
Thoughts on the Costco ProForm Tour De France CTC Indoor Cycle:
For the lack of features, I would guess the ProForm Tour De France CTC Indoor Cycle Bike would be half the price it is. Considering you can purchase the Echelon Smart Connect Bike EX4s or the MYXfitness Bike for around the same price, I would pass on this ProForm Bike.
The ProForm Tour De France CTC Indoor Cycle Bike can only hold a capacity of 250lbs. My husband around the holidays can get within a ginger-bread-man from that weight. Considering the bike weighs 141lbs, I would think it could support closer to 300lbs.
Lastly, I’ve had an iFit membership before. The service was bland, basic, and the customer service was absolutely horrible with one of the rudest representatives I’ve ever encountered. A free year of something I don’t ever want again in my life is a burden IMO because I can’t gift it to my worst enemy and I hate wasting anything free, yet, I would never sign-up with iFit again.
If the ProForm Tour De France CTC Indoor Cycle Bike were $400-$600, my recommendation would be higher. It’s not a bike that offers features worth being in the 1k indoor cycling category. With a Costco Review of 2.3 out of 5 stars with 38 reviews (20 of them a 1 star) ProForm may need to lower this bike price in order to simply offload them.
MYX Bike MYXfitness $1399
Monthly Class Membership Cost: $29 a month for the entire household, up to 5 members.
Monthly Class Membership Features:
Access to on demand classes through MYX membership, but no-live classes.
Classes included meditation, yoga, boxing, strength training, core etc
New classes added weekly
Up to 5 family and household members on one account
Lowest price monthly membership of all major competitors at $29 per month
Can use on any iOS app to take classes on the go
Delivery and Assembly: Free / included
Screen: Interactive touchscreen tablet (21.5”)
Sound: Sound from screen, plus Bluetooth abilities. I paired my Sonos for a surround experience when I don’t have to use earbuds.
Pedals: SPD Compatible Pedals with Toe Cages
Heart Rate Monitor: Polar OH1 Heart Rate Monitor
Weight: 150lbs
Footprint: 3’4” x 1’7”
User Requirements: 350lbs and 4’11” to 6’8”
Colors: Natural White or Deep Charcoal (close to black)
Warranty: 30 day risk free home trial plus 12-month limited warranty
Thoughts on the MYXfitness Bike:
Considering this is the option I purchased and I’m happy with my decision, my review is going to be two major thumbs up! The MYX MYXfitness Bike is manufactured by Star Trac, a major trusted name in cycling and stationary bikes. The price is much lower than Peloton with a comparable experience. I LOVE that the bike is offered in white so it’ll blend into my bedroom better since we don’t have the ability to have a special exercise room for it.
This bike is very silent and a solid ride. The MYX classes are fantastic! My only complaint is that the MYXfitness doesn’t offer live classes, but they’ve compensated for this by charging $10-$20 less per month than Peloton, Echelon, iFit etc…. iFit also doesn’t offer live classes and charges $39 and they only allow one member at that price. With MYXfitness, my husband and I can each have a profile, and my Mom and our friends that visit regularly can also have their own profiles. My Sister-in Law that lives in San Diego, she works in Napa, and has to travel up here and stays with us in Berkeley occasionally. She has a Peloton and I can’t wait to show her my new MYXfitness to see her thoughts. I can even create a free profile on there for her to try out when she visits.
The screen is very large, and the bluetooth capability allows me to pair to my Beats by Dr Dre earphones. They’re like Airpods, but I personally think they’re better, plus I’m an Android phone user and these work great. The speakers are very loud if using them doesn’t bother your whole household.
Another major perk that I discovered is that the bike will fit a capacity of 350lbs. If you’re on a weight-loss journey and have a little further to travel on the journey, the MYX MYXfitness bike allows for that, unlike Peloton or Echelon bikes that cap out at 300lbs on their economical level bikes. I know my husband can get close to 240lbs at times, and some bikes cap out there. I just like that for most people, there’s no need to get on the scale before purchasing this bike to see if you qualify. I love my spinning, but after a year of covid, I’m on a bit of a weight loss journey myself and I’m looking forward to continuing my journey with MYXfitness and my MYX bike.
The MYX Bike by MYXfitness has the same screen size as the basic Peloton Bike… but… MYXFitness has a feature that Peloton doesn’t have! You can rotate the MYXfitness screen and you can’t rotate the screen on a Peloton until you purchase the top tier Peloton+ Bike at around $2,500. That’s Twice as much folks, and you can’t even rotate that screen until you spend double!
At the time of this blog posting, the MYXfitness is $1,399. Guess what? I have a custom referral for you that will save you $200+! My code will give you the best price offered on MYXfitness, the badass cycling bike!
Check out my Instagram IGTV 9 Minute Overview of the MYX Bike!
From the MYXfitness Website***
