If you love cycling with a side of feel-good vibes and plenty of sweat, you’re probably no stranger to SoulCycle. So if you can’t get to an in-person class, either because your studio isn’t open or because you don’t live near one, you might be wondering about the brand’s new at-home bike and online class setup.
SoulCycle is, of course, a swank-as-hell fitness chain that’s all about the mind-body experience. The cycling classes are designed to get your heart pumping with a combo of high intensity cardio and hardcore strength training.
But they’re also meant to get the positive, motivational feels flowing. It’s like a HIIT workout, meditation retreat, and Oprah masterclass all rolled into one.
With life, being, y’know, what it’s been lately, SoulCycle recently debuted an at-home bike with a high-resolution screen and streamable classes aimed at delivering the in-studio experience right to your living room. (Sound familiar?)
And just like the actual classes, it’s pretty damn expensive. So is it worth it? Here’s the scoop.
The perks
- It re-creates the feel of being at SoulCycle.
- It gives you access to tons of classes of varying lengths and difficulty levels.
- You can stream classes on your schedule or virtually drop in to live classes.
- You can access other Equinox+ streaming classes.
- It gives you a great high intensity cardio and strength workout.
- It could save you $$$ over time if you regularly attended lots of in-person SoulCycle classes.
- You can also ride on your own, without classes.
- Shipping and setup are free (but setup has to happen outside your house with COVID restrictions).
The downers
- It’s a big investment.
- You have to pay for a monthly class subscription.
- You can only stream classes — you can’t download them.
- You’ll need to buy accessories like cycling shoes, a mat, and hand weights, all sold separately.
- You’ll have to wait 1 to 3 weeks for the bike to arrive after placing your order.
- You can’t fold up or stash away the bike.
Bike breakdown: Specs, features, and price
The SoulCycle At-Home Bike itself is basically the same matte black bike you’d find at a SoulCycle studio. It’s sexy, sleek (though not necessarily compact), and powerful.
The main difference is that it has a 21.5-inch high-resolution touch screen and surround-sound speakers for riding along to classes (or for TV, if you feel like watching something while you ride that’s not a class).
As for the specs, here’s what you’re looking at:
- Total weight (including touch screen): 142 lbs.
- Length: 62.2 in.
- Width: 22.2 in.
- Height: 53.5 in.
- Rider height range: 4 ft 10 in. to 6 ft 10 in.
- Rider weight limit: 350 lbs.
- Price: $2,500 (financing available starting at $64.10/month for 39 months)
The touch screen basically has the capabilities of a tablet, with 1920 x 1080 FHD resolution, 4GB/32GB RAM/memory, Bluetooth capacity, and a 2X8W speaker with 15W woofer.
You can adjust the bike as needed to fit your frame and get comfy — both the seat and the handlebars can be moved up or down and forward or backward. The bike itself doesn’t fold up, though, so you’ll need some dedicated space where it can pretty much permanently live.
The price, which is a little higher than the cost of a Peloton, includes shipping and handling, but current delivery wait times are 1 to 3 weeks.
In the future, that’ll also cover the cost of a tech coming into your home to assemble the bike. But with current COVID precautions, SoulCycle offers the option for a tech to assemble the bike outside your home and… leave it there.
You can try the bike at home for 30 days, and if you decide it’s not for you, the brand will coordinate a pickup. The bike frame itself is covered under a 5-year warranty, and the other bike parts and the touch screen are covered for a year.
How do the classes work?
SoulCycle’s bike is powered by the Equinox+ app, which is the brand’s way of saying you can’t get the bike without also signing up for an app membership. That costs $39.99 per month, billed annually.
You’ll stream prerecorded SoulCycle classes through the app on demand. The classes are run by some of the same instructors that lead IRL classes in NYC, so the vibe is definitely on-brand with what you’d experience in an actual studio.
You can choose from a ton of classes in varying lengths (anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes) and intensities, so there’s pretty much something for everyone. With the app membership, you’ll also get access to other Equinox+ home workout classes.
There’s also an option to ride along with live classes via the Studio Stream feature, but you’ll have to pay extra. Each class is $20.
If you’re new to indoor cycling or SoulCycle, no worries. Among the streaming classes are beginner tutorials that’ll teach you the basics of proper riding form, the different positions, and signature SoulCycle moves like tap-backs.
As for tracking your metrics, as with in-person SoulCycle classes, the focus is more on enjoying the ride than getting too hung up on numbers. But you can swipe the screen to check your power output and see how many calories you’ve burned during a ride overall.
Even though you have to get the Equinox+ app membership, you don’t actually have to stream a class while you ride. The screen has a Freestyle Mode that lets you play your own music while a screen saver runs. Or you can just watch Netflix or other streaming content. In both cases, you can still see your real-time metrics.
Any other major FYIs?
Since you asked, yeah. Just like you would at a SoulCycle studio, you’ll need cycling shoes to click into the pedals. (Regular sneaks won’t cut it.) Those don’t come included with the bike.
You can throw a pair of SoulCycle-branded shoes in with your bike order for an extra $200. Or, since the bike is compatible with any kind of cycling shoes (🙌!!!), you can buy a less expensive pair somewhere else.
You’ll need some kind of mat for the bike and a set of hand weights to follow along with the classes. These don’t come with the bike, either, but you can buy them separately elsewhere for not a ton of money (or try your hand at DIY).
One other thing: If you’re really more interested in a SoulCycle bike than in having access to the classes, the brand does sell its actual studio bikes online. These are the same ones you’d use in an in-person class, so they don’t come with screens. For that reason, they’re a little cheaper — you can buy a new one for $1,650 or a pre-loved model for $950.
Is the SoulCycle At-Home Bike right for you?
If you’re a committed SoulCycler who has decided to keep your workouts at home for the foreseeable future, the at-home bike is a worthy investment.
Riders who have bought the bike say the streaming classes do a pretty good job of creating the same feel you’d get in person. And depending on how often you ride, you’ll eventually save money by riding at home.
The bike totes has the potential to be a great addition to a home gym for indoor cycling newbies too. But in that case, the high up-front cost means it might be worth finding a way to try out SoulCycle or their bikes in person before dropping big bucks on the bike.
If you decide it’s not quite right, you can always try a regular stationary bike! This is definitely one piece of equipment you don’t want to end up using as a clothes or towel rack.
tl;dr
If you love SoulCycle classes and want to reap the same benefits at home, you’ll prob love the at-home bike. But if you’re brand-new to SoulCycle or indoor cycling, it might be worth trying out the classes at a studio a few times to see if they’re right for you before you commit to buying a bike for home use.
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