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Many people who work out love going to the gym to exercise and socialize. However, some have busy schedules that prevent them from making it to the gym as often as they’d like. Others may not feel comfortable at a gym because they are beginning their exercise journey.
Whatever your reason, working out at home is a great alternative. However, to get an effective workout, the right equipment is necessary for your lifestyle.
If you’re interested in cycling, Stryde might be the perfect at-home exercise bike for you! Retailing at $1,550, the Stryde Bike is less expensive than the Peloton Bike, which sells for $2,245.
Below I’ll cover the pros of purchasing a bike like Stryde and some of the unique features it offers.
What is the Stryde Bike?
Stryde is a newer company that began in the spring of 2020. The company saw an opportunity as people were forced to spend more time indoors (and had an increased need for new alternatives to usual workout routines). As a result, Stryde’s first shipment of their hundreds of bikes had almost sold out before the shipment even arrived in the United States in late April.
Luckily, the company has put in a large amount of effort to keep up with their customer’s orders. Now, once you order a bike, it’ll be shipped out three weeks after your order, and then you should receive your new exercise machine approximately 14 days after that.
Is There A Lot of Set-Up for the Stryde Bike?
When global pandemic safety measures end, the company offers to set up the bike themselves for free (the service is unavailable at the moment). However, the bike is relatively easy to set up, especially if you have another person around to help you.
How Much Space Does Stryde Bike Take?
The bike measures 50 by 24 inches, so you’ll want to make sure you have an area available that’s a little larger than that in your living room or workout space. The bike has a sleek aesthetic with a black frame combined with a silver flywheel. The bike’s size is relatively compact; it’ll even fit into studio apartments (and will have the effect of making it look like a boutique exercise space).
Streaming Workout Options
The membership to access Stryde classes costs $29.99 per month, which is pretty average for a smart bike like this. The bike comes with a 22-inch unlocked tablet, so it’s simple to stream classes that the bike includes and follow along.
As a member of Stryde’s app, you’ll have access to hundreds of cycling classes filmed at some of the best cycling studios in the United States. Regardless of the amount of time you have to work out, you’ll be able to find a class that fits into your schedule.
Workouts can be as short as 20 minutes or as long as an hour. To keep riders engaged, some classes have musical themes, such as 90’s pop or country. Some also involve an upper-body strength section, but weights have to be purchased separately since none are included in the Stryde bike order.
Right now, there aren’t any live classes included in your membership, but the company adds new ones daily, so you’ll be sure never to get bored.
If you don’t want to follow along with a specific class, you always have the option of turning off the workouts and instead just riding the bike as you watch a show, read through emails, or play a game on the tablet. Instead of following a specific instructor, you can set your intensity and routine for the workout you want to get on that day.
Stryde The Tablet’s Versatility
Unlike other smart bikes on the market (such as Peloton or NordicTrack), you can use the bike’s included tablet for far more than just streaming recorded workouts. The tablet functions similar to an Apple or Droid-supported tablet. The main benefit is that the touch screen is attached to your bike. You can watch Netflix, read your favorite book, open any internet browser, or scroll through emails all while you’re getting a workout in.
In addition to using the tablet to complete non-exercise related activities, you can also download other fitness apps onto it. This is a huge plus if you ever decide that you don’t want to pay $29.99 per month for Stryde’s on-demand classes.
Due to the tablet’s height mounted on the bike, you might also want to download other workout apps simply because you’ll be able to do “non-bike” related exercises. The tablet’s versatility makes it perfect for someone looking for exercises outside of their usual biking routine.
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What We Love About Stryde Bike
Most importantly, the Stryde bike is enjoyable to ride. It includes handlebars with decent grips so your hands won’t slip even as you work up a sweat. The handlebars are also a nifty design because they have space for two water bottles.
On top of the nicely designed handlebars, the saddle is comfortable. Even if you’re new to riding a bike, the seat is comfortable after the first workout. The bike’s mechanics also use a magnetic resistance system, which makes the ride silent and smooth. This is especially helpful if you share a home or an apartment with other people. Most high-quality indoor cycles use this kind of resistance system.
Stryde also includes pedals that have toe cages, and you can place SPD clips into them, so you have the option of riding with cycling shoes or your regular tennis shoes. The ability to use your cycling shoes is a significant plus for dedicated bike riders because it can make the experience feel more “real.”
- Decently Constructed Bike Frame
You won’t ever feel off-center as you’re riding the Stryde bike. Due to the bike’s makeup, you’ll always have a smooth and free ride every time you use it.
- Simple Indoor Bike Setup
You can set up the Stride Bike relatively quickly.
- Access To Any App
With the Stryde bike tablet, you can download any app that you can find on the Google Play store and might want to use when you’re riding the bike. (This means you can be streaming Netflix as you work out!)
- Stryde App Has Great, Tough Classes
If you do decide to stick with Stryde as your primary source of exercise classes, you’ll have access to hundreds of classes at various cycling studios in different locations in the US. Class access allows users of the exercise bike to connect with specific instructors, either due to their proximity to a user or the instructor’s overall energy. If Stryde bike users live close to one particular cycling studio, they can choose to visit the studio in-person to work out with other people.
While the video production may not always look as “professional” as what Peloton or NordicTrack has to offer, many users love being able to visit different cycling studios and learn from instructors who don’t always look like Instagram fitness influencers.
- High Weight Capacity
The bike can hold a user who weighs up to 350 pounds. This speaks to how sturdy the bike is.
- Useful Handlebars
It includes a spot to place not one but two water bottles, unique from other fitness bikes that only have one water bottle slot.
- 100 Different Resistance Levels
The bike has 100 different resistance levels you can select for your workouts. This provides you with a lot of flexibility and versatility for your workouts.
Cons with Stryde Bike?
Although Stryde has many positive aspects, there are cons to consider before making the purchase.
- No Live Indoor Cycling Classes
A significant downside about Stryde is the lack of live classes in their app. Sometimes, attending a live class is more motivating because you can see users’ stats changing real-time. It’s also an excellent way to mix it up since you never fully know what to expect from a live class.
Despite the lack of live classes, you can still enjoy the feel of the bike as you ride, and the prerecorded classes may not be enough of a deterrent to quit a Stryde membership. One of the main perks of Stryde is that you could also start a subscription with a different indoor cycling company if you want to be a part of live classes.
- No Weights Included With Your Purchase
This additional purchase might not be a deterrent for everyone. Still, it may be slightly disappointing to make another purchase for the light bar and light dumbbells incorporated into some of Stryde’s on-demand classes.
On the positive side, it’s helpful that the company includes class options for upper body strength training since that isn’t something that all indoor cycling companies focus on.
- Not All of The Classes Have A High-Quality Production Feel To Them
One of the best things about Stryde’s content model could also be considered its main negative. Stryde delivers experiences from the country’s top cycle studios, so you see a new environment and work with different instructors who have different exercise philosophies.
While that’s a significant advantage, it can also be a negative aspect because the videos’ production is lower quality than what you’ll find with Peloton or NordicTrack’s iFit.
With some of Stryde’s videos, they appear to look novice in terms of video quality. However, that doesn’t mean that the workouts aren’t as challenging, motivating, and productive as what other cycle companies have to offer. The exercises are still high quality, and the intensity ensures that you’re going to get a good workout in (regardless of what athletic level you’re at.)
- Only Offers Spin Bike Workouts
As of right now, Stryde only offers workouts that can be done on the bike through their app. This means there isn’t any strength training, yoga, or cardio routines to complete in the area near the bike. However, the tablet makes up for this by allowing you to download other fitness apps. You can even go to Youtube if there’s a specific exercise instructor you enjoy to follow there.
Key Features & Specs of Stryde Bike
The bike features a 21.5″ HD touchscreen tablet on the front of it where you can watch on-demand classes. It then has an ergonomic handlebar to ensure comfort on your wrists as you work out. From there, the bike has a cushioned sports seat so you can enjoy your exercise time no matter what- whether you’re going on short sprints or longer cycling sessions.
The pedals can have SPD clips and toe cages. You can either cycle in tennis shoes or wear cycling shoes and lock them into the pedals. The bike also possesses a quiet magnetic system, so you will always have a quiet ride. This is a huge benefit since you won’t have to worry about not hearing an instructor. If you live with other people, you also won’t have to worry about your cycle’s noise level.
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- Stryde Bike Warranty Policy
The company has an excellent warranty policy. The exercise bike frame is covered for five years, with parts and labor covered for one year individually.
- Free Shipping
The bike also comes with a decent warranty program. The standard warranty included with Stryde is five years for the frame, one year for the parts, and one year for the labor. This policy covers a wide variety of issues that could take place with the bike. The company also includes free shipping in your $1595 price tag. Free shipping is a huge money saver when some other cycling companies (such as Peloton) don’t have free shipping and attach an additional $250 fee for the delivery.
Due to COVID-19, you’ll have to assemble the bike yourself, but the company boasts that this takes less than 40 minutes. The bike weighs 135 pounds, though, so you might want to get another person to help you with the setup.
Stryde will typically deliver your new Stryde bike two weeks after your order has been processed.
- Return Policy
On top of the warranty, you’ll have 30 days to decide if Stryde is for you or not. You can decide to return it after 30 days if you don’t love it, and you won’t have to pay for the return shipping. This is an excellent “risk-free” policy that allows you to see what the bike feels like and decide if it’s a piece of equipment that you want to have as a part of your at-home gym or not.
Stryde Price: How Much Does it Cost?
The Stryde bike currently retails for $1,550 with a $29.99 per month subscription to have access to their classes. This is lower than the main indoor cycling machine, Peloton, which currently costs $1,895 and has a monthly subscription of $39 per month.
The beauty of Stryde is that you have the flexibility to buy the bike and then decide if you like their class program or not. With the bike’s sleek frame and smooth ride, it rivals the experience that any other indoor cycling company could offer. You’re not going to be riding your Stryde bike and be wishing that you were riding a Peloton bike instead.
However, if you like the classes that Peloton offers better than Stryde’s, you can easily cancel the subscription and switch over to paying for another fitness app. The tablet’s flexibility makes the purchase seem like less of a “big deal” since you can try out a large number of different fitness options.
*Prices current at the time of publication – see current prices at Stryde website.
Review Summary: Is it Worth Buying?
Yes!
Stryde is entirely worth it if you’re someone who is looking to get back into their workout routine, but you’re not sure how to do it. The bike makes for an excellent addition to any home gym and can make your fitness space feel more like a studio.
Whether you’re at the beginning phase of building your home gym or you already have a lot of equipment, you won’t be sad that you have Stryde as a part of your collection. It makes for an excellent piece of pre- strength training cardio, or you can do a full workout session on the bike!
Another massive benefit of the bike is the tablet’s flexibility since you don’t have only to use it for the Stryde membership. Many people who use the Stryde Bike love that they don’t have to stick to the Stryde App’s membership.
Like Peloton, many cycling companies require you to stick with their membership program because you’re unable to download other apps from the Google Play store. Although the Stryde app offers hundreds of indoor cycling classes that take place at cycling studios all across the US, not everyone who purchases Stryde wants to continue to pay $29.99 per month for spin classes. With the tablet’s flexibility, you can also use it to watch Netflix series or delete emails, all while you’re burning calories.
The ability to work with instructors from cycling studios across the US will keep you interested in using the fitness bike for years after you purchase it. After your first year of use, you start to save money by using your bike at home instead of belonging to a gym or going to group cycling classes.
