MYX II vs. Peloton: Which bike is best?

The new Beachbody MYX II Bike comes in at a very similar price point to the Original Peloton Bike, so they are the perfect bikes to compare. The Original Peloton Bike is priced at $1,495 and the MYX II Bike is priced at $1,399. Let us find out which of these two bikes comes out on top when stacked up against one another.

MYX II vs Peloton: Video Comparison

MYX II vs. Peloton: Design  

While both bikes offer very nice designs, I would have to say the MYX II has a slight edge visually here. It comes in two colors: Deep Charcoal or Natural White, whereas the Peloton Bike only comes in black. The MYX II also has a slightly smaller footprint compared to the Original Peloton.

Visual Design is obviously one of the most subjective categories and I think there are probably a lot of people who would prefer the look of the Peloton more. But if I have to pick a winner for design here, the MYX II would be my choice. 

MYX II vs. Peloton: Resistance

One of the biggest differences between these two bikes is the resistance. The Peloton Bike uses magnetic resistance, while the MYX II Bike uses friction resistance.

The MYX II was designed with a 41lb Fly-Wheel, which definitely feels better than most friction-based bikes. Still, the magnetic resistance used by Peloton feels a lot smoother, especially at the higher resistances. I would say that the magnetic resistance Peloton uses gives them the upper hand in this category.

MYX II vs. Peloton: Accessibility

In terms of which bike offers more accessibility to more people, the MYX II offers a bit more. The MYX II is designed to support up to 350lbs, and the Peloton only supports up to 297lbs.

The MYX II also includes a 4-way adjustment system compared to Peloton’s 3-way adjustment system. This extra adjustment on the MYX II allows users to slide the handlebars closer and farther away. This means shorter and taller people will likely find a more comfortable fit on the MYX II Bike. 

Along with the additional adjustments, the MYX II also includes pedals with both clips and toe-cages so that users can ride with or without cycling shoes. Overall, the MYX II wins when it comes to accessibility.

MYX II vs. Peloton: Screen

Both the MYX II Bike and the Original Peloton Bike include a 21.5-inch HD touchscreen tablet. The Peloton tablet has 16-watt speakers, while the MYX II has 20-watt speakers.

The MYX II Bike screen also offers 360-degrees of rotation. This is a really nice feature – especially if you want to take off-the-bike or boot camp classes. Having that rotating screen gives the MYX II Bike an easy win in this category.

MYX II vs. Peloton: Tech

The MYX II tablet is definitely newer and quite a bit faster than the Original Peloton tablet. This is most visible when loading and scrolling through classes. I am actually surprised that Peloton has not updated its screens yet, as their age is really showing. I anticipate current Original Peloton Bike owners will need to upgrade to a new tablet within the next two to four years. 

While neither tablet can really connect to the Apple Watch, the MYX II does have a neat workaround. Users can connect their Apple Watch to the MYX companion app and the app will send the Apple Watch metrics to the bike. The MYX II also includes a free Polar Heart Rate Monitor, with the charger conveniently located on the back of the tablet.

Having this heart rate monitor is super convenient and a nice touch since the programs are so heavily focused on heart rate training. The MYX II definitely comes out ahead on the tech. 

MYX II vs. Peloton: Comfort

The Original Peloton Bike handlebars have a more comfortable grip and more options for hand placement compared to the MYX II handlebars. The water bottle holders are smaller on the Peloton, but that is another subjective feature. It just depends on if you tend to use large water bottles or small.

The Original Peloton Bike also includes light dumbbell holders conveniently located behind the seat for arm toning classes – this feature is noticeably absent from the MYX II Bike. Although, the water bottle holders on the MYX II are easily large enough to hold small dumbbells if you really wanted them to.

Both bike seats seem pretty similar and I do not think one felt more comfortable than the other. I would say that the Original Peloton Bike wins when it comes to overall comfort.

MYX II vs. Peloton: Class Selection

Peloton definitely has a much larger and more interesting collection of cycling classes than either OpenFit or BODi – the two memberships you can choose from on the MYX II Bike. In terms of other class categories, BODi pulls from well over a decade of classes so it has a pretty significant collection.

When it comes to live classes, BODi is still in beta, so I cannot be sure of how the schedule will look once it fully launches later this month. Since Peloton has a pretty huge live class schedule every day, I would imagine that the MYX II will not match Peloton here, at least right away.

MYX II vs. Peloton: Program Selection

Classes are one thing. Programs, however, are another. The difference is that a program is a thought-out and organized collection of specifically made classes designed to take you from point A to point B. This is one of Peloton’s weakest areas and one of Beachbody’s strongest.

Peloton has improved its programs this year but the collection is still very limited, whereas Beachbody has included hundreds of its popular, fully built-out programs. These not only include workouts, but also nutrition plans, PDFs, weight tracking, workout progress tracking sheets, and even groups you can join to help stay accountable.

The only thing Peloton does not have many of are cycling programs. Even though Beachbody has more complete programs, it will probably not have a huge selection designed specifically for the MYX II Bike for a while. Because of that, I would say the MYX II and the Original Peloton are pretty even when it comes to program selection.

MYX II vs. Peloton: Stat Tracking

One big limitation for the MYX II Bike is that it only measures cadence, rather than both cadence and resistance. Beachbody works around this by focusing more on heart rate training for classes, meaning that the instructors will tell you which cadence and heart rate zone to be in.

This works well enough for someone who does not care too much about tracking stats, looking at a leaderboard, or using their output on the bike as a measure of improvement. But the stats on MYX II are definitely a lot weaker and less interesting than on the Peloton. Since Peloton tracks resistance – and therefore power output – this allows them to have power zone training classes, which are some of my favorite. I would say the Original Peloton Bike outshines the MYX II by far with stat tracking.

MYX II vs. Peloton: Class Experience

Both the MYX II and the Original Peloton offer some of the most well-produced indoor studio classes available and the coaches for both platforms are top-notch. While the MYX II does a better job with music than most, it still cannot touch Peloton here, as music is arguably Peloton’s biggest strength.

MYX does offer a fun BODCast experience that members can pre-register for to be featured on-screen during a live class. While this is fun, I still prefer the interactive Peloton leaderboard where you can high-five others, see when people hit new milestones, and compete against them if you would like to. Peloton currently offers a better class experience overall for those who like the social or competitive aspect. I have to say Peloton beats the MYX II when it comes to class experience.

Overall thoughts

After comparing the most important categories for each bike, you can see that Peloton wins in the end. To be fair, a score this close is pretty impressive for the MYX II considering how new it is and the fact that the BODi program is still not even out of beta. Plus, the MYX II Bike can usually be found for around $200-$300 less than Peloton. We might have to do a rematch on these two bikes in the future. 

Of course, you should not buy one bike or the other simply based on this score, but rather which aspects of a bike are most important to you personally. Make sure to also check out our full review of the MYX II Bike and our comparison between the Original Peloton Bike and the Peloton Bike+.

Buy the MYX II Bike here
Buy the Peloton Bike here