Stryde Bike Evaluation (2024) | BarBend

Investing in one of many finest train bikes with streaming capabilities can elevate your cardio routine, offering you with quick access to digital studio courses and leisure apps that may encourage and inspire. In contrast to different bikes with screens, the Stryde Bike’s 21.5-inch HD touchscreen comes unlocked, that means you should use it to entry nearly any health app or streaming service you need. On NordicTrack and ProForm bikes , for instance, you may solely entry iFIT programming. On the Stryde, you may hop between Peloton, iFIT, or Echelon Match, to not point out apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.

Constructed with welded powder-coated metal, this bike gives 100 micro-levels of resistance, so seasoned cyclists and informal cruisers can discover the soundness and depth they want. Our crew of licensed private trainers, CrossFit professionals, and cardio lovers put miles on this bike, and whereas it’s not for each funds, we expect athletes of all health ranges will recognize its sturdy construct, giant vary of resistance, and unlocked display capabilities.

Stryde Bike

The Stryde Bike’s 21-inch HD touchscreen is “unlocked,” so that you’re not tied to a selected subscription service. It has 100 ranges of magnetic resistance and you should use the Stryde app for $29.99 monthly, however it isn’t required to make use of the bike.

Principal Takeaways

• The 21.5-inch HD touchscreen pill is unlocked, that means you may fill it with the health and leisure apps of your selection.
• The welded powder-coated metal development can assist riders as much as 350 kilos — 53 kilos greater than the Peloton Bike.
• The pill comes pre-loaded with an online browser, the Stryde app, and Netflix. Customers can add extra apps to their pill, although downloading them is usually a ache.
• The seat has four-way adjustability and the pedals assist sneakers and SPD clips. The handlebars, nevertheless, can solely be adjusted up and down. 

Stryde Bike Highlights

• Value: $1,895
• Resistance: 100 magnetic micro-adjustable ranges
• Show: 21.5” HD touchscreen pill
• Dimensions: 46” H x 49.6” L x 24” W
• Weight Capability: 350lbs
• Bike Weight: 135lbs
• Flywheel: 30.5lbs
• Guarantee: 5 years body, 12 months touchscreen, elements, and labor

In contrast to Peloton, NordicTrack, and Echelon spin bikes that require subscriptions to the model’s app to reap the benefits of their touchscreens, the Stryde Bike’s 21.5-inch HD touchscreen pill is unlocked so you may entry content material from the apps of your selecting. For individuals who would reasonably not be locked right into a subscription, the $1,895 Stryde Bike is usually a viable different to the Peloton Bike ($1,445) or NordicTrack S22i ($1,999). 

[Related: The 8 Best Exercise Bikes with Screens]

That mentioned, the non-compulsory Stryde app is out there for $29 a month (after a 14-day trial subscription) and might host as much as 4 consumer profiles, which can profit cardio-loving households. In contrast to Peloton or iFIT, Stryde doesn’t create their very own programming. Moderately, they associate with impartial biking studios and instructors to create unique content material. The app presently incorporates greater than 500 biking courses, plus some choices for core, stretching, and power. 

Solid from welded and powder-coated metal, this 135-pound indoor biking bike is constructed to final. Our tester, an authorized private coach, didn’t discover any shake throughout their journey. “It is a heavy-duty and impressively sturdy bike,” they mentioned.

Must you run into points, Stryde provides a 30-day return window, in addition to a guaranty that protects the body for five years and the touchscreen, elements, and labor for 12 months. Our tester discovered this unimpressive: “For a motorcycle that’s almost $2,000, this guarantee must be lots higher.” 

Nonetheless, the Stryde bike checks off plenty of bins. It has self-leveling legs, four-way seat changes, two water bottle holders, hand weight holders within the rear, and 100 ranges of micro-adjustable resistance that may cater to inexperienced persons and biking lovers alike. 

Professionals

• You possibly can obtain apps on to the bike’s touchscreen pill, from Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu to Peloton, SoulCycle, and iFIT.
• In contrast to different bikes with screens, you’re not locked right into a subscription. 
• It has 100 micro-adjustable ranges of resistance — the identical because the Peloton Bike — that may present a biking expertise suited to each inexperienced persons and lovers.
• The hybrid pedals permit customers to both clip in with SPD cleats or slip their sneakers into the toe cages. 

Cons

• The 5-year body guarantee is disappointing when in comparison with the 10-year warranties we’ve seen on comparable NordicTrack and ProForm bikes.
• There are not any dwell courses accessible within the Stryde app.
• Whereas this display is unlocked, downloading apps onto the pill is usually a ache within the keister.
• There isn’t a strategy to monitor your coronary heart fee zones both with pulse sensors or an included coronary heart fee monitor.

Coaching With the Stryde Bike

“Biking brings a powerful assortment of well being advantages to the desk: cardiovascular well being, endurance, stamina, muscular endurance are all improved with biking, to call a number of,” says BarBend professional reviewer Amanda Capritto, CPT, CF-L1, CES, CSNC. The advantages of biking can embody boosted cardiovascular well being, weight administration, and even improved psychological well being (1) 

Our crew of testers — from former faculty athletes to highway warrior cyclists — have constructed, sprinted, and experimented with the options on greater than 30 of the preferred train bikes in the marketplace. We acquired in a number of exercises on the Stryde Bike and scored 12 completely different classes — together with expertise, exercise expertise, and sturdiness — on a scale from 1 (boo) to five (find it irresistible) to assist in giving you an sincere and all-encompassing evaluate.

Show

The 21.5-inch touchscreen has an Android interface. It pairs 16GB of inner storage and 2GB RAM with a quad-core MediaTek MT8167A processor. All that energy grants customers the power to seek for and obtain an enormous array of apps, the content material of which streams in vivid 1080p Full HD. We do want the display had the power to flip or swivel — because it’s locked in place, it may be a bit harder to take off-bike courses. 

Stryde App

The Stryde app comes preloaded onto the pill, and customers can try it out with a free 14-day trial (adopted by a $29 month-to-month subscription). The app gives over 500 on-demand spin courses, with a handful of stretching, core, and power courses peppered in as nicely. Stryde doesn’t produce this content material in the identical method as Peloton or iFIT — reasonably, they’ve teamed up with widespread studios and impartial instructors to offer the app’s content material. 

Our tester was considerably unimpressed with the app’s content material, preferring the dynamism and immersion of Peloton and iFIT’s courses and scenic rides. They hope Stryde introduces a dwell element sooner or later, as dwell courses can function a superb supply of motivation for a lot of riders. In the end, they scored the Stryde app a 2.5 out of 5.

In fact, you’re not locked right into a Stryde app month-to-month membership. It’s there in order for you it, however you too can go for one other app you discover extra motivating. 

[Related: Peloton vs. NordicTrack — How Do These Fitness Companies Compare?]

Freedom to Stream

An enormous promoting level for our crew is the power to make use of the touchscreen the way you see match. The Stryde Bike doesn’t lock you into utilizing and paying for his or her health subscription, thus permitting customers the liberty to bounce between leisure streamers like Netflix and health apps like SoulCycle and iFIT. Customers may even hop on Peloton’s leaderboard with this bike. This expertise scored a 4 out of 5.

Nonetheless, Stryde doesn’t have entry to Google Play or the App Retailer. As an alternative, customers must obtain APK (Android Package deal Equipment) recordsdata of the apps they wish to use. Stryde recommends doing this by going to apkmirror.com on the bike’s browser after which trying to find the apps you need. You can too attain out to Stryde’s buyer assist when you’ve got questions on whether or not or not you’ll be capable of use the app you’re involved in cruising with.

Even with out a subscription, customers can use the Stryde app’s Free Journey function to trace their cadence, resistance, and output. Riders can then see their coaching metrics off to the facet whereas streaming content material. To save lots of and retailer your coaching historical past, nevertheless, you will have a subscription to the Stryde app. 

Resistance

Most train bikes have between 8 to 32 ranges of resistance, however the Stryde Bike provides 100 ranges of handbook micro-adjustable magnetic resistance — the identical because the Peloton Bike — for these trying to oscillate between leisurely rides and high-intensity coaching. 

This resistance vary permits for a better range within the form of coaching you wish to do, making the Stryde Bike appropriate for each inexperienced persons and seasoned riders trying to spike their coronary heart fee. Our tester rated the bike’s resistance a 4 out of 5.

Sturdiness and Stability

Our tester wasn’t involved about this bike’s sturdiness, citing its high-end welded and powder-coated metal development. “I took this stationary bike on a check journey and didn’t discover any shaking, even after I acquired out of the saddle for some climbs,” our tester mentioned. “Nonetheless, it’s not as sturdy as, say, the $3,000 Keiser M3i — however for nearly half the worth, it’s strong.” Sturdiness scored a 3.5 out of 5.

We additionally like its spectacular 350-pound weight capability — akin to the NordicTrack S22i and 53 kilos greater than the Peloton Bike — and that it has levelers on the underside of every leg to offer extra stability. 

Adjustability

You possibly can modify the Stryde Bike’s cushioned seat up, down, backwards, and forwards, making certain that the majority riders ought to be capable of discover a comfy place for his or her journey. Nonetheless, the handlebar’s lack of ahead and again adjustability introduced our rating for the class all the way down to a 3.5 out of 5.

We do, nevertheless, love that the Stryde’s pedals are suitable with each SPD clips and, due to its adjustable toe cages, common sneakers or cross-training sneakers. Distinction that with the Peloton Bike, which forces customers to buy Look Delta cleats to clip into the pedals. We expect most athletes would recognize getting in a cardio exercise at residence with out having to spend money on extra gear.

Consolation

Dwelling health club train bikes, particularly for newbies, may be robust on butts, backs, and forearms. Our tester scored the Stryde’s consolation a 3.5 out of 5. The handlebars supply overhand, prolonged, and hook grips, and, based on our tester, are lined in a “dense foam.” Nonetheless, they mentioned, “The seat is comfy nevertheless it’s nothing particular, and leaning in your arms for prolonged durations on these handlebars can develop into uncomfortable.”  

Handlebar consolation may be simply as necessary as seat consolation. My using companion as soon as misplaced feeling in her fingers after we did a motorcycle tenting journey because of the weight she was inserting on her arms throughout our journey, so it’s necessary to make the most of the completely different holds on this bike to search out what’s most comfy for you when you’re within the saddle.

Conveniences

There are two horizontal water bottle holders on the entrance of the bike, and two weight holders on the again — nevertheless, you’ll want to produce your personal dumbbells. Moreover, you’ll discover built-in transport wheels to ease the burden of transferring this bike from room to room.

We do want this bike supplied a strategy to monitor your coronary heart fee, both with pulse sensors or an included coronary heart fee monitor. Our tester scored these conveniences a 4 out of 5. 

What to Contemplate Earlier than Shopping for the Stryde Bike

“There are two key teams of individuals I see benefitting from indoor train bikes essentially the most: Individuals who want a low-impact strategy to do cardio train, and athletes coaching for an occasion who want a strategy to carry out structured interval coaching,” notes BarBend’s professional reviewer Amanda Capritto, CPT, CF-L1, CES, CSNC. For those who match into certainly one of these camps, the Stryde Bike could possibly be match. Listed below are some key issues of what to search for when shopping for an indoor cycle.

Tech Capabilities

“Bikes [with streaming capabilities] have develop into ultra-popular amongst individuals who love the health studio vibes that come from interactive exercise classes,” notes Capritto. However whereas we love the liberty supplied by this unlocked display, the trouble of getting to seek for, obtain, and troubleshoot apps could also be a headache for some. 

You received’t be capable of simply go to Android’s Google Play or Apple’s App Retailer and entry the apps you wish to use — as a substitute, you’ll must obtain APK recordsdata by going to apkmirror.com on the pill’s browser. The tradeoff is extra usability out of your bike’s display, however you’ll must put in work to get every little thing downloaded and working. (It goes with out saying that additionally, you will want subscriptions to the apps you obtain.)

Personally, I wouldn’t thoughts having to do that as a result of I really feel assured asking for assistance on Reddit. Nonetheless, I received’t share my Reddit username with you as a result of I’ve commented on too many bizarre subreddits. For individuals who are much less skilled at problem-solving software program points through on-line communities, this could be the incorrect bike for you. 

Moreover, we expect it’s value noting that Peloton machines now come preloaded with Disney+, Netflix, and Max, although you’ll want each a Peloton All-Entry subscription and subscriptions to the related apps to make the most of them. 

Value

The $1,895 worth of the Stryde Bike — which is commonly on sale for round $1,500 — is akin to rivals just like the NordicTrack S22i ($1,999) and the Peloton Bike ($1,445). Nonetheless, these worth tags aren’t considering the added subscription charges wanted for NordicTrack’s iFIT programming ($39 a month) or Peloton’s All-Entry membership ($44 a month). No subscription is critical to entry your show on the Stryde Bike, however you’ll nonetheless have to have an energetic subscription for any app you do wish to use. 

[Related: The 8 Best Fitness Apps]

Footprint

This health bike measures 49.6 inches lengthy, 24 inches large, and 43.74 inches tall, which interprets to roughly 8.25 sq. toes. That is about common for a studio cycle, though it’s round 10 inches shorter in size than the Peloton Bike, which makes it a strong choice for these tight on area.

When bringing exercise gear into your private home you’ll wish to “triple-measure your area to verify it’ll match,” notes Capritto. Moreover, we suggest having 2 toes of clearance on all sides of the bike to permit for an unobstructed exercise expertise.

Setup

“Constructing this bike in my front room was a breeze,” famous our tester, an authorized private coach. “Mainly, all I needed to do was connect the display and the legs.” We are likely to suggest having at the very least two pairs of arms when organising most train bikes, however our tester was positive placing this one collectively solo. “The instruments I wanted got here with the bike and I used to be positive placing it collectively on my own,” they mentioned.

Stryde Bike vs. The Competitors

The market is awash with choices for high-end spin bikes, so right here’s a fast spec comparability chart so you may cross-reference what every choice provides. The next residence health bikes have been chosen attributable to their built-in touchscreens for streaming functions and comparable worth factors.

The Stryde Bike’s unlocked pill is an attractive function amongst bikes that lock customers into utilizing their very own apps. Whereas Peloton does come preloaded with Netflix, Disney+, Max, YouTube TV, and NBA.com, Stryde permits customers the power to obtain these apps and others — together with the Peloton and iFIT apps. The Stryde Bike is really a cardio machine for streaming lovers.

It additionally stands out for its footprint, because it measures as much as 11.4 inches shorter in size and as much as 12 inches shorter in top than the bikes listed above. This makes it supreme for many who desire a bike for small areas that may present extra depth than a folding train bike. 

[Related: The 6 Best Folding Bikes]

The Stryde Bike has the identical 100 micro-levels of resistance because the Peloton. The NordicTrack S22i and the ProForm Studio Bike Professional have 24 and 22 ranges, respectively. This enables for a extra personalized journey by which customers can fine-tune their resistance to achieve their desired coaching depth. Moreover, the Stryde Bike’s 350-pound weight capability helps 53 and 100 kilos greater than the Peloton Bike and the Studio Bike Professional, respectively.

Nonetheless, the worth and guarantee is the place the Stryde Bike disappoints. At $1,895, this bike is $450 greater than Peloton and $491 greater than ProForm Studio Bike Professional. We additionally discover its 5-year body guarantee — on par with the Peloton Bike — to be substandard when in comparison with the 10-year body warranties provided by NordicTrack and ProForm.

Locations to Purchase the Stryde Bike

You should buy the Stryde Bike instantly from the Stryde Bike web site.

Guarantee

Katana Health, Inc, Stryde’s father or mother firm, provides a 5-year guarantee on the body, plus a 1-year guarantee on the touchscreen, bike elements, and labor. For guarantee help, contact the assist crew with proof of buy and the serial variety of your bike.

Firm Data

Stryde Bike is predicated out of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Founder Pavlo Chikosh teamed up with a German industrial designer and a crew of engineers to offer a sensor-laden bike with a big companion pill. 

To achieve Stryde Bike’s buyer assist, you may name e-mail [email protected].

In Conclusion

The Stryde Bike unlocks a world of display usability for cyclists who wish to discover their choices with out being locked into one health subscription. Different bikes with screens are likely to restrict the apps you may entry, however Stryde enables you to stream courses from the likes of Peloton or SoulCycle earlier than unwinding with Netflix, Max, or Hulu (or whichever app you favor). Additionally, its 100 ranges of micro-adjustable resistance can assist every little thing from low-intensity endurance rides to high-intensity Tabata coaching. As such, we expect it’s a viable Peloton different that may cater to each novice and skilled cyclists. 

In fact, not everybody wants that a lot streaming freedom. For those who’re usually allergic to tech or solely see your self utilizing one app, you could be higher off with a Peloton or NordicTrack mannequin, as they’re preloaded with their respective apps and far simpler to get arrange. Contemplate your wants, scan the specs, and provides this evaluate one other learn earlier than making your resolution. 

FAQs

References

1. Oja, P., Titze, S., Bauman, A., de Geus, B., Krenn, P., Reger-Nash, B., & Kohlberger, T. (2011). Well being advantages of biking: a scientific evaluate. Scandinavian journal of drugs & science in sports activities, 21(4), 496–509. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2011.01299.x