The MYX fitness bike is equipped with a touchscreen tablet and shows up with a Polar OH1 Heart Rate Monitor. The $29-per-month membership will get you on-demand coaching and you can otherwise access pre-built workouts with hundreds of options. The brand promises to add new workout routines to its library schwinn spin bike each week and the bike will help you keep track of what you’ve done and how you’re doing. You can see MYX coach profiles to get an idea of who’ll be around to help you reach your fitness goals, to boot. The upgraded MYX Plus arrives with some additional accessories, like a foam roller and exercise mat.
As you’re setting the bike up yourself, note that it might be difficult to assemble. It doesn’t offer a screen but you can use the tablet holder to follow virtual classes with your own smart device. Schwinn’s take on the stationary bike is equipped with pedals that allow for different types of footwear — you can wear regular sneakers or utilize higher-end clip-in shoes. Like the more affordable option above, there’s no built-in screen, although there’s a spot for your own tablet if you wanted to rely on its offerings.
It’s louder, but not so loud that it’s a distraction, and I actually kind of like the feedback of the slight whirring sound it makes when you really push yourself. We bought an exercise pad to go under it that also dampens any noise and makes that area of our bedroom feel like a tiny gym. While the bike doesn’t have Bluetooth and can’t connect to apps directly, you can still follow along with the Peloton app for an excellent workout. Like the Peloton bike, there’s an adjustable knob between the seat and the handlebars that controls the resistance, which ranges from levels 1 to 100. There’s also a built in device holder that securely holds a smartphone or tablet in place while you follow along with your on-screen workout.
Movement of the unit to a different position or for cleaning purposes will not have you dripping of sweat, because it has incorporated small wheels at the bottom frame, so you can easily push them to any location. Users can also adjust resistance during the exercise sessions because the bike has been equipped with an easy to reach the knob. Optional Phone Holder are handlebar-mounted with or without a console to utilize Motosumo experience or to track your workout with a personal smart device app.
But as someone who just discovered Peloton and spin in general, I’ve found it to be a game-changer. Whether I’m biking to an episode of Bridgerton or to a 20-minute Beyoncé ride, I still end up working up a good sweat — and having a pretty good time. Like a lot of hot home-fitness equipment, the IC4 isn’t easy to buy at the moment. You can order directly from Schwinn, but the wait time is dragging out into months despite the company’s increasing its factory capacity by 500 percent. I snagged mine on Amazon for $799, thanks to a Facebook tip, but I haven’t seen the IC4 available there for weeks.
It’s a fairly low price to pay, considering that Peloton bike users fork over $40 a month for access to the same content. The one notable difference is that app users don’t have access to or show up on the Peloton leaderboard, which shows riders how they rank against others in the class. If you are in the market for a new exercise bike, two of the biggest players in the game are Peloton and Schwinn. Spin bikes have become highly sought after, as more and more people mongoose bicycles are hopping on the spinning bandwagon after trying a class and realizing how fantastic the workout it is. Schwinn’s more recent IC4 comes a bit closer in spec at a basic level than the prior IC3 that we once compared, but these bikes are still a good ways apart once you get away from basic mechanicals and construction. This article provides a closer look at the Schwinn IC4 indoor cycling bike to help you decide whether it’s the right home exercise bike for you.