BODi Bike Review: Does it Beat Peloton?

2023 UPDATE – We first tested this bike in 2021. At the time of testing, it was named the MYX II. Recently the name has been updated to BODi Bike. Membership / equipment package is slightly different from what we tested, but the bike itself seems functionally the same. Bike name has been updated below.

Interested in an exercise bike and not sure what to choose? We test the BODi bike and its subscription service. Is it the right choice for you? Let’s find out now.

Pros

• Wide variety of workout programs and activities
• Simple assembly and easy set up
• Companion app full of features
• Solid design and highly adjustable

Cons

• Essentially like every other exercise bike without the subscription
• Less expensive than Peloton’s monthly subscription, but still $30 / month
• Tablet display has no function without the paid monthly subscription

Scoring

Subscription & Exercise Programs

The biggest draw of the BODi bike are the programs and workouts you can watch using the display tablet. To access these, you will need to pay a $30 a month subscription fee. This subscription provides access to the full range of programs, courses, and workouts.

Without the subscription you can still use the bike, but without the display tablet. With no tablet access, you won’t be able to use any features including workouts, data on speed, heart rate, or cycling performance.

I found this to be a little disappointing. If you aren’t going to pay for the $30 a month subscription fee it makes little sense to purchase the BODi bike.

What makes the bike a worthwhile piece of exercise equipment are the added features, programs, and workouts unlocked with the subscription.

Workouts

The subscription includes workouts on the bike itself, guided and scenic rides, floor exercises, and more.

I really enjoyed the scenic rides and have done multiple so far. These rides don’t have a trainer guiding you, instead it’s just you, the bike, and beautiful visuals of a far off destination.

These destinations range from the mountains of Italy, to the beaches of Hawaii, and everywhere in between.

These rides include music that you can listen to, or you can choose to turn it off. However, I was surprised to find that you cannot choose your own music. While the music selections are generally fine, I would really prefer to select the exact tracks for my rides.

Overall, I enjoyed these self-guided scenic rides because I can set the pace to however hard I want to push myself.

I also tried out the guided rides, which are more like a traditional spin class. During the workout, a trainer will be on the tablet display and guide you through the workout including ideal heart rates you’re trying to hit, RPM goals, and form recommendations.

I did not expect to enjoy these as much as I did. I generally hate the idea of trainers yelling at me, but I found them to be quite helpful. Having an experienced trainer guide me through the ideal pacing, speed, and form was helpful.

Additionally, I was able to take what I learned from these guided workouts and apply it to the scenic rides making those more impactful as well.

Assembly & Setup

For us, assembling the BODi bike was easy. There was essentially zero assembly required as the bike came almost fully assembled, and what little setup remained was completed by the 2-man crew who delivered the bike.

When purchasing the bike it comes with free set up, which reduces the time required from you to get the bike up and running.

The BODi bike includes:

• BODi exercise bike
• 3 year membership
• 10-piece dumbell / kettlebell set
• Heart rate monitor
• Exercise / bike mats
• Foam roller
• Resistance bands

The heart rate monitor will need to be charged before it can be used. BODi includes a compatible charging adapter that you can either plug into the back of the tablet or into any USB compatible charger.

Before using the bike, you will also need to remove a piece of plastic from the speed sensor on the bike. To do you will need to:

• Remove the cover
• Discard the plastic on the battery
• Reseat the cover

This enables the bike to read information on your RPMs, MPH, distance traveled, and other data points during your workouts.

When you are ready to use the bike, you will need to complete some software setup on the tablet including:

• Connecting it to WiFi
• Updating the software
• Setup your profile

Following that, the bike will have you perform an optional 20 minute ride to help BODi gauge your current fitness level and tune the rides, recommendations, and heart rate levels to you.

Design

The BODi bike has a clean and modern aesthetic that comes in black or white. Overall, I think the BODi bike looks fantastic. I have it set up in my living room and I feel it looks equally good there as it would in a dedicated exercise room.

The BODihas all the standard bike elements you’d expect with adjustable handles, seat, and display. The handle and tablet display can shift forward and backward bringing it closer or further away from your body.

You can lower or raise the seat and move it forward or backward depending on your body type and needs.

The tablet itself can pivot, which allows you to see the screen easier while doing floor exercises.

During our tests I found adjusting the various elements of the bike to be intuitive and fast. The pivot display was a welcome surprise though. Being able to pivot the display around lets you more easily see it when doing floor exercises.

The BODi bike is sturdy throughout the entire body, however, I did feel that the handle bar and tablet display were a little looser than I would have expected. I didn’t see a way to tighten or loosen this assembly, which was both surprising and disappointing.

Overall, this looseness didn’t impact my ride quality. However, I could see it becoming a more notable issue after long-term use.

The Tablet Display

Using the tablet display was nice, however, the most surprising aspect of the tablet is the mere fact that it does nothing without a subscription.

I expected the display would have limited functionality with some basic performance information like speed, RPMs, distance, and be able to access other apps like music or streaming services.

However, the tablet is currently only for the subscription and workout classes. Even when you pay for the subscription you only get access to the class videos and nothing else.

There was no option to stream TV or movies while I was riding, or no option to simply ride and show my performance metrics. There is also no way to play your own music through the tablet.

One of my preferred methods of working out was cycling at the gym while watching a movie or a TV show. I was excited to be able to do that with a larger display at the perfect height.

Not being able to do that is a big bummer, in my view.

App

The BODi is also connected to the BeachBody On Demand app. This app gives you access to programs, schedules, nutrition, shopping, and more.

Much like the bike, the programs are videos with guided training sessions that don’t include the bike. So it is a good option if you want to do other non-cycling workouts.

With the scheduling tool, you can reserve spots in the live classes BODi holds.

The Beachbody app has a lot of functionality even if you aren’t paying for the subscription. We spent the majority of our testing time on the BODi bike itself, but it was good to know there was an app full of extra content if I needed it.

Should you buy the BODi bike?

I would recommend the BODi Exercise Bike if you’re looking for the following features:

• Want a wide variety of cycling activities: If you enjoy cycling and want a wide variety of workouts to participate in, the BODi body has a range of options. Whether you want a guided experience or something more under your control, the BODi bike with the subscription has many options.
• Enjoy a guided exercise experience on and off the bike: With the subscription the bike offers guided workouts similar to a traditional spin class. You can also enjoy other guided workouts like HIIT, cardio, yoga, weight training, stretching and more just by turning the display tablet around. Additionally, the app has a wide variety of features to help you track your progress and participate in guided workouts away from the bike. 
• Easy assembly and an adjustable design: The assembly was simple and painless and allowed me to get the BODi up and running quickly. In addition, the bike is adjustable in a variety of ways that allow you to get the right feel for your needs. 

Click here to buy the BODi at MYXFitness.com